US Soccer Supporters Club Frustrations

Discussion in 'USA Men: Fans & Travel' started by RoleModel83, Mar 1, 2013.

  1. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #176 Semblance17, Dec 28, 2017
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2017
    The club seems to have returned to its Mr. Hyde phase. I'm simply trying to make sure that the annual membership I purchased last night will be recognized as a renewal of my existing membership rather than a new membership. I sent an email on Tuesday, and calling U.S. Soccer's main number no longer leads to an options menu, but instead to a stupid recording telling you that you need to dial the extension of the party you are trying to reach. I'm not sure if this has something to do with being between holidays. If anyone has the extension of a supporters club representative I would be most appreciative. (Edit: Just got what is supposedly a direct line to the supporters club from a U.S. Soccer Store representative: 312-528-1255).

    Incidentally, the note on my membership account that was supposed to have delayed the shipping of my annual membership packet until the new supporters club scarf was released seems to have never gotten through to the U.S. Soccer Store.

    Also still waiting for that new online supporters club portal...
     
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  2. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Mine expires in March and my expectations is they won't let me renew
     
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  3. Eddie Stiel

    Eddie Stiel Member

    Sep 27, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    #178 Eddie Stiel, Apr 23, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2018
    I just renewed for another year. For the first time in a long time, the process worked as designed; that is, if the vendor sends out the scarf, which I think it will. For the last four years at least, I had to ask US Soccer about the scarf and/or yearbook, when it was also included. There was some sort of mess up with their system because I had a four year membership.

    I think this is my 10th year. The program began in 2009. A one year, two four years (no longer an option) and now this one year. A scarf, ticket pre-sales and to preserve my cap total and membership tier.
     
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  4. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I also was shocked that it ran so smoothly about a month ago. Frankly I wouldn’t have renewed if they didn’t send like 6 emails saying it was about to expire.
     
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  5. wixson7

    wixson7 Member+

    May 12, 2009
    boulder
    Yep, not sure why several renewal options aren’t available, like auto renewal or multiple year renewals. Would get better retention, IMO. But same experience here, got the scarf almost immediately after renewing a few weeks ago.

    The portal is my top priority.....fingers crossed but we should see progress sooner rather than later. Hopefully.
     
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  6. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I bought the four year one and probably would have again. This year was pointless since I won’t be going to a game. But I did it to keep my status. Who knows if that’ll matter at all
     
  7. Eddie Stiel

    Eddie Stiel Member

    Sep 27, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    We're down to three of us here. I'll post anyways.

    I checked the US Soccer Store website a few weeks ago because I knew that my expiration date was in May; just in case, I didn't get a renewal reminder. It showed an expiration date in May, exact date forgotten. Then, I got the 30 day reminder email on 4/19, renewed a few days later. Now, my membership expiration date is 4/23/19. So, I lost about a month by being prompt.

    I don't really care, if it's a one time deal as the USSC membership has transitioned to a new IT platform since my last renewal. However, if it's an ongoing glitch....they should fix it.

    I plan to follow up directly with US Soccer once I receive my scarf, now en route. I am just waiting to make sure I get a new 2018 scarf before I send an email.
     
  8. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    *four of us here

    How do you even know your official membership expiration date? It took a phone call for me to confirm that my purchase of a yearly membership was processed as a renewal rather than a new membership. I assumed that the new membership year started where the old one left off, not immediately at the point of renewal. The portal would be endlessly helpful and I still don't understand why it's so difficult to put one in place when there was a perfectly good one in place through 2015.

    At the Jacksonville USWNT game on April 5, I had a lovely chat outside the Supporters Club lounge with the young lady I usually speak with on the phone, Lindsey Mathag (sp?). She was very friendly and helpful. When if I asked if I could get a 2018 supporters club scarf before my next renewal, she set a reminder for herself on her calendar; she would submit a request to have one mailed to me soon as she got back to the office on Monday. Sure enough, I received the new USSSC scarf within two weeks, the sixth [unique] one of my collection.

    When I mentioned the difficulty I had getting through on the phone, she acknowledged the problem and apologized profusely. It seems she is the only person at their headquarters who can handle supporters club calls. In addition to the factor of her being out of the office traveling with the national teams frequently, U.S. Soccer's phone system is apparently glitchy, not allowing her to see the origins of incoming calls being one of the glitches. So you're more than likely to get her voicemail when you call.

    One topic I forgot to bring up with her was her individual U.S. Soccer email address, which she had offered to provide me with (by sending me an email from it) in a phone conversation a few months ago. Unfortunately the email never came through, and her email address might be useful given how abysmally unresponsive the prescribed general USSSC email address tends to be.
     
  9. Eddie Stiel

    Eddie Stiel Member

    Sep 27, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Sorry to skip you.

    The membership expiration date is on the US Soccer Store website (https://store.ussoccer.com/) once you register or log into your account. "My Account" page, "My Settings" row, "Membership" box.

    I have paid for memberships four times (2 four year terms, 2 one year terms) and I think I have used four different web platforms for those transactions.

    A portal should help, once the Fan Council makes it happen. It would be nice to be able to see one's cap total, membership tier, membership expiration date, milestone game opportunities, etc. in one easily accessible place.

    I received the correct scarf today and shared my concerns with US Soccer via email to membership@ussoccer.org.
     
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  10. wixson7

    wixson7 Member+

    May 12, 2009
    boulder
    we have our upcoming Fan Council in Kansas City in a few weeks (for the ribbon cutting at the new National Development Center). That place looks awesome.

    Main agenda item will be the roll out of the member portal, renewals, etc. Gotta hold their feet to the fire on this topic, it really shouldn't be this difficult. I'll send a modified writeup in a few weeks.

    Just between the 4 of us. :)
     
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  11. hoys

    hoys Member

    Jan 2, 2017
    Virginia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Same thing happened to me last time I renewed. I sent an email but no one responded or changed anything.

    Glad to hear the process will be made more efficient. One of my remaining justifications for holding on is to retain my status for when 2026 rolls around here... but that may be off the table come June.
     
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  12. Eddie Stiel

    Eddie Stiel Member

    Sep 27, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    It took a second email to get a response from US Soccer. Apparently, the record keeping of membership expiration dates at Soccer House differs from the US Soccer Store website.

    "We have on our records that your membership renewal date is on May 21st annually with your current membership not expiring until 2019. We have reached out to the store to make sure this date is updated on your account with the store to reflect this."
     
  13. RoleModel83

    RoleModel83 Member

    Jul 27, 2003
    Columbus, OH
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This is a party of 5. I'm here for the ride. Been on the USSSC horse since 2009 as well. They've been good to me over the years...attending games really makes the membership worthwhile with all the extra opportunities, but like everyone else, I've had my struggles with the portal and email communication. Actually, now that I think of it, I believe I started this thread.
     
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  14. wixson7

    wixson7 Member+

    May 12, 2009
    boulder
    Ok. Not a ton of info/insight for you guys.

    Fan Council meeting a few weks ago was another fun experience. That KC training/development center is pretty f-ing awesome. Part SKC training, part USSF coaching development center, part hospital rehab. The players train near/next to patients rehabbing....a cool "human" moment. Hard to explain.

    USM is the new working phrase for US Soccer Membership...and working on basic framework of Council terms, reelection timelines, etc. Mostly blocking and tackling stuff.

    Portal... well..... can't give much of any news here unfortunately. Probably another year away from launch. Sorry i don't have better news.

    Membership "glitch". For those that renewed "early"... even though it shows incorrectly..it actually does wait until your 12 month date to renew in the system. So rest assured.

    June 13 decision on 2028 WC is massive.... outrageous anxiety for all involved, as you can imagine.

    Tons of cool things planned for WWC in France. From a USSF brand perspective, the women's team is great as it taps into completely different/expanded consumer demographic. Hedges nicely especially when men's team is.... well....


    Sharing insight with the 5 people on here.. :)
     
  15. Eddie Stiel

    Eddie Stiel Member

    Sep 27, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Thanks for the report.

    The US Soccer Store still shows the incorrect date for my USM (correct?) expiration date, one month early. So the message from Soccer House to US Soccer Store to correct the information got lost somewhere along the way.

    I'll probably get a renewal notice in March, 2019 and deal with it then unless US Soccer fixes the information management system in the interim.
     
  16. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    For what it's worth, American Outlaws was also going to convert its members who joined before 2017 to an individualized member-by-member portal, but it seems to have given up on that effort since I haven't seen an update on the process in about a year [it seems]. I emailed them about it last week but they haven't gotten back to me. It seems unfair that new members are getting that perk while pre-2017 members are getting neglected. Still less obnoxious than USSSC decommissioning a perfectly good online portal that was in place and taking 3+ years to set up a new one.

    Apparently online portals are a lot more difficult to set up than I think they really should be...

    What's strange is that, as I recall, the online portal USSSC had in 2014-2015 did not exist when I joined in January 2013, so that one didn't seem to take very long to create.
     
  17. wixson7

    wixson7 Member+

    May 12, 2009
    boulder
    AO implemented a CRM to manage their membership a few years ago but has had technical trouble with migrating over the existing members. Data conversion can be a mess and costly, I assume.

    You can cxl your existing AO and join anew to get in the portal. Fyi.
     
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  18. wixson7

    wixson7 Member+

    May 12, 2009
    boulder
    Eddie, they say that the store is incorrect on that particular issue.

    Want me to check on it for you?
     
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  19. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Setting up a new one is pretty easy. It’s getting the conversion as wixson says that’s a massive bitch. But yeah I also don’t really understand why they dropped a portal that seemed to be functioning
     
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  20. Eddie Stiel

    Eddie Stiel Member

    Sep 27, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Thanks, wixson7, for the offer. The US Soccer membership department confirmed my actual expiration date, that the US Soccer Store database was wrong and instructed the store to correct the information, which it has not done.

    I'm good now. I saved the email thread and will follow up as needed next year. No need for you to check in on my behalf.
     
  21. Semblance17

    Semblance17 Member+

    United States
    Apr 27, 2013
    Lighthouse Point, FL
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Too much work. And I wouldn't like having that "technically" asterisk surrounding my membership start date. For AO having a portal isn't really important for me at current since I really only use it to buy AO section tickets, which are linked in the emails, and membership auto-renews. Kind of a one-size-fits-all membership for them.

    Thanks though.
     
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  22. CMeszt

    CMeszt Member+

    Farewell Sweet Prince
    Jan 9, 2004
    Gentrification's Apex.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    So I finally signed up for the USSSC figuring it's going to be my only shot at getting World Cup tickets at cost in 8 years, but they say they have no way of doing tracking peoples caps at this time? How has that worked in the past?
     
  23. Eddie Stiel

    Eddie Stiel Member

    Sep 27, 2011
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Even though the online "caps tracker" has not functioned in a long time and was never very accurate, I am almost positive that US Soccer is keeping track. I recently bought a ticket to the upcoming USWNT match at Avaya Stadium and it immediately showed up in my US Soccer Account Manager.

    There are a bunch of posts earlier in this thread about how it has gone in the past. Good luck. Keep track for yourself and save your physical or digital ticket stubs.
     
  24. CMeszt

    CMeszt Member+

    Farewell Sweet Prince
    Jan 9, 2004
    Gentrification's Apex.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    I'll have to see what I can do about all my past games. I'll have to see what it all looks like assuming we get that rumored game in Chicago this fall.
     
  25. wixson7

    wixson7 Member+

    May 12, 2009
    boulder
    I can confirm that caps are still being tracked real time albeit behind the scenes. They are using the email addresses used to buy the tickets and compiling that data accordingly. Not a perfect science and their will/should be a fair reconciliation process once the member portal is live....again.
     

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