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  1. Originally posted by jarradhedley:[..]
    Anyone from Melbourne had theirs delivered yet? Sounds like a bunch have arrived in Australia this week, I’m still waiting for volume 1 to reach me in Melb.
    I'm in Melbourne and received mine today.
  2. Finally got a response from U2.com. Sent out another one.
  3. My (luxury) problem ist: I'd like to renew but I don't want the book(s). I miss that option.
    I would pay the same, but even If it is beautifully made I might read it once and then I would collect dust in my shelf. I prefer eBooks and downloads nowadays.
  4. "From July 1, the annual renewal fee for existing subscribers will rise to $50."
  5. We are going to raise your annual price 20% in a year where we not only haven’t sent your gift for 2024, many of you still haven’t gotten your gift for 2023…
  6. Originally posted by u2wanderer1:[..]
    We are going to raise your annual price 20% in a year where we not only haven’t sent your gift for 2024, many of you still haven’t gotten your gift for 2023…
    Still haven't got my replacement copy. Got a text today that it has been shipped though, so hopefully soon.
  7. Probably even less content for subscribers for that $10 increase
  8. Still waiting on mine here. It’ll ship some day. Currently telling people it’s “still in production” - in the meantime I bought one at Zoo Station when I was there in February. Easier than waiting lol.
  9. Originally posted by u2wanderer1:[..]
    Still waiting on mine here. It’ll ship some day. Currently telling people it’s “still in production” - in the meantime I bought one at Zoo Station when I was there in February. Easier than waiting lol.
    Only $10 per ticket extra for the fan club pre-sale for 2025 though
  10. After being unable to register for Sphere presales, the constant delays with gifts and the usual stuff up with having a January renewal, the subscription fee increase is a joke.

    I'm getting much more value with my (admittedly twice the cost) subscription for a Los Angeles band by the name of The Airborne Toxic Event. It provides members with access to unreleased songs, videos and live recordings. Last month, the lead singer did a live stream listening party to let fans hear the tracks on the next album, explaining the songs and taking questions. This month he did a deeper dive into the title track sharing personal thoughts and again taking questions. They helped within 24 hours when I had a ticketing issue. Each member can RSVP for one show and get early entry at no extra cost. I've purchased a VIP package for my second show that gets me into an intimate rehearsal and Q&A session with the band, plus a signed poster.

    My point with all this is that bigger isn't always better and U2 / Live Nation provide a poor fan experience in comparison to other artists.
  11. Seriously my fan club experience over the last year or so hasn’t been great.

    - for the Sphere presale I wasn’t able to get tickets for any of the 2023 shows I was able to attend. I also wasn’t able to get verified and stayed on a waitlist. So never once had an opportunity to try for tickets through regular sales either. (I went via the secondary market and Vibee.)
    - the gift. It’s nice but it’s less than complete with Like A Song, and the Unforgettable Fire b-sides being left out. Spotted a number of errors too. Could have used a proof reading. (My book is missing a song too, so maybe I shouldn’t say much!)
    - the gift itself is still not fulfilled and is currently still in production. It’s five months in to 2024 now and they still have about 25% of subscriptions to fill. I’m not holding my breath for the 2024 gift to come anytime soon if they still don’t have enough of the 2023 gift done to send out.
    - how do I know the content of the gift if it hasn’t shipped? Because you could buy a copy at Zoo Station when I was there in February. A good chunk of subscribers still don’t have copies but you are willing to sell it to non-subscribers in Vegas? I did pick one up. But seems to be kind of low to sell them off in your store before getting them into the hands of fans who paid for them over a year ago.
    - the online store has jacked up their shipping prices to a level where it’s not justifiable. A T-shirt now runs about $80 at the cheapest shipping costs. It’s over $200 if I pick the expedited shipping.
    - I did recently but a Sphere poster and it arrived with the foil badly marked up and “cracked”. I was asked to provide proof that it had not been damaged in shipping (tube didn’t have a ding on it) and was asked if I was sure I hadn’t been rough removing it. Eventually my money was refunded.

    Timing of announcing this is bad when you have so many people still waiting on a 2023 gift. Might have gotten a better reaction had those all been fulfilled, but I suspect we are heading for the same situation with 2024 anyway…
  12. Originally posted by Sydney_MIke:After being unable to register for Sphere presales, the constant delays with gifts and the usual stuff up with having a January renewal, the subscription fee increase is a joke.

    I'm getting much more value with my (admittedly twice the cost) subscription for a Los Angeles band by the name of The Airborne Toxic Event. It provides members with access to unreleased songs, videos and live recordings. Last month, the lead singer did a live stream listening party to let fans hear the tracks on the next album, explaining the songs and taking questions. This month he did a deeper dive into the title track sharing personal thoughts and again taking questions. They helped within 24 hours when I had a ticketing issue. Each member can RSVP for one show and get early entry at no extra cost. I've purchased a VIP package for my second show that gets me into an intimate rehearsal and Q&A session with the band, plus a signed poster.

    My point with all this is that bigger isn't always better and U2 / Live Nation provide a poor fan experience in comparison to other artists.
    I don't believe the band has half an idea of all the issues going on with the fanclub. Very little if that. The way the increase was stated in the newsletter was pretty much take it or leave it as well. Very generic "July1st". It's not personable and doesn't relate to a very dedicated, long time fanbase. My biggest issue is offering items (typically a tee shirt /hoodie) for sale, is not marked pre-order or back order so you expect to get it on a timely basis. You then discover it's either one of those options after purchase because after 3-4 weeks it doesn't have shipping movement ...so you end up having to email customer service and then finding out the real deal. I also did not like the way the post Sphere sale of merch was handled. I ordered items the first day available and then after 4 weeks come to find out they didn't have enough stock and had to make more to meet demand. What kind of marketing and merchandise inventory control is that. They've switched to Merch Traffic. If you look at any of your tees bought at the Sphere, on the back at the bottom has the typical "licensed by Not US LTD" which is a company set up by the band and has been for years. The back of the 2 shirts I got in the post Sphere sale have "under license to Merch Traffic". Someone additional is getting a cut of the money.