BCA green card

[Pete Brookdale]

if i send my card back can i claim the premium for the rest of the year back?

 

[cap n chris]

What do you mean, premium?

Sounds like you're on about insurance but that's a free benefit of annual BCA membership so as it cost nothing, there's obviously no refund available.

 

[Pete Brookdale]

it cost ?16 a year i know i didn't get the card for free. So if i just pay for membership, and the insurance is free, and i no longer want it i cannot get a reimbursement of my fee that i paid?

 

[cap n chris]

Dunno. Loads of info here which will almost certainly help:

http://british-caving.org.uk/?page=3

Having just read page 1 of the FAQ, I'm 99% certain the answer to your question is no.

 

[Pete Brookdale]

oh well i spose it's only 2 months left anyway so not much loss.

 

[Glenn]

You become a member of BCA via your club and your club submits the payment. As long as you remain a member of your club, you are a member of BCA. If you are leaving (or have left) your club, you should apply to your club for a refund, and in turn, your club could apply to BCA for a refund of the remaining fee, although as far as I know, this has never happened, but I assume that it should not be a problem, but as you say, any refund would be quite small. Have you left your club?

 

[darren]

You say you paid ?16 for 12 months membership and you have 2 months remaining that's a little under ?3 by my reckoning

You must be very desperate to need this amount of money refunding. If you send me a SAE envelope I will personally give you the money out of charity.

 

[graham]

if I was Glenn (which I'm not, he's rather taller) I'd say that you could claim back the membership fee for three months, that is ?4, less a ?5 admin fee.

 

[Pete Brookdale]

Only asking as the amount of caves i do that actually require the green card are minimal infact only one in the last few years so pointless me having it, dudnt have one last year, just seems a waste of my money.

 

[damian]

As you probably know, the insurance provides more than access to a few caves that ask for sight of the card. It is, as an example, a contribution towards your Club's Officers being covered for their activities. BCA Membership also provides other non-insurance benefits, as well as being a contribution towards some other things you benefit from (e.g. Regional Council work).

For the sake of accuracy, CIM membership is ?17 this year, not ?16.

 

[graham]

For the sake of accuracy, CIM membership is ?17 this year, not ?16.

Best make the admin fee ?6 then. 

 

[Alex]

Where we are going next weekend needs BCA Pete, I think. At least keep it for this weekend coming!

 

[Les W]

The BCA green card is not just about your access to a few sites that require it.
You benefit almost every time you go caving from the work being done on your behalf by volunteers around the country.
Your club officers are insured against your actions, which means clubs can provide tackle and services to their members.
Land owers are indemnified by BCA to allow you across their land.
The Regional Caving Councils are doing good access and conservation works on your behalf, mostly you don't "need" the green card to cave, but it is your contribution to all the aspects that enable you to go caving. British Caving needs the insurance scheme and it is only fair that all cavers that benefit should contribute.
If you truly have a green card (as opposed to another colour) have you checked with your club, as it is an insurance requirement that all members are covered if the club is to be insured...

The tangible benefits of BCA CIM insurance are indeed few but the intangibles are quite extensive.
Without your contribution you would be effectively leeching off of the cavers that do contribute.

Without BCA insurance we would find it quite difficult to keep lots of sites open, clubs would be unable to function and the British Caving scene would be a lot poorer for it...

 

[Alex]

Though it goes against my normal line I got to agree with Les on this one, from what I have read caving used to be like without the insurance, it was almost the case that no one could go caving at all, from what I read in an old Descent. Someone on here will likely have a copy of the old decent(s).

After going to Hidden earth, I am starting to find out what exactly is being done on our behalf and I do wish to contribute more if I can, but I still would rather do something more physical than go to any bored meetings (yes I know is board - to the grammer police out there).

 

[zomjon]

'grammar police'!
Is this topic one big troll? Any caver with half his marbles realises that the insurance scheme has safeguarded our access to so many cave and mine sites, not just the few you have to actually display them for.
And as for the cost, about five pints worth, is someone taking the piss!

 

[martinm]

Any caver with half his marbles realises that the insurance scheme has safeguarded our access to so many cave and mine sites, not just the few you have to actually display them for. And as for the cost, about five pints worth, is someone taking the piss!

Soz, zomjon. But there are still a lot of people out there who don't realise that, esp. those not a member of a club. Regards, Mel.

 

[crickleymal]

if i send my card back can i claim the premium for the rest of the year back?

Why don't you contact BCA directly? That's what I would do.

 

[clarey]

Something you might not realise - if you cave with your club but you haven't got insurance, you run the risk of invalidating your club's insurance for any trips you go on. 

 

[al]

Just looked at mine ... and it's RED 

Am I dim or something?

 

[Alex]

In Pete's defence I know he is not exactly rolling in dosh but cancelling your BCA insurance mate is not the best way to save money as it is only a small amount and causes more problems then needed.