Since announcing the upcoming Infinite Discs VIP Club, we have seen a lot of enthusiasm. We’ve also seen quite a few questions. Here are a few answers and some additional information on the new program that we feel very excited about here at Infinite Discs. First of all, here is the original announcement for your reference:
www.infinitediscs.com/blog/VIP
Q: When will the VIP Club launch?
A: We plan to announce the official launch and subscription process in the next couple of weeks. We are not giving the exact date, but we are allowing enough time for the word to get out to disc collectors and enthusiasts so that more people know about it and have a chance to join.
Q: If I filled out the form to say that I’m interested, am I in the club?
A: Filling out the form is not a subscription. It is merely a way to let us know that you are very interested in the program. If you submitted the form to us, then you are on an email list to be notified FIRST when the subscription process begins. We will give those people a head start before we announce to the general public that subscriptions have begun.
Q: So, why should I submit the form if the program hasn’t started yet?
A: As mentioned above, those who submit the form to say that they are interested will be notified first and given the first chance to subscribe. Since there are a limited number of spots available in the club, we want the most enthusiastic to be the first to get in. IMPORTANT: If all the spots are filled after we announce the subscription process to those who submitted the form, then no other subscribers will be allowed after that point. That is why it is important to get on the waiting list now.
Q: Is there a chance I wouldn’t make it into the club even if I submit the form to say that I’m interested?
A: We hope you’ll get in easily if you submitted the form. But if you ignore your email for a few weeks, there is a chance you’d miss the announcement and the available spots would fill. So, just watch you’re email, and you should be fine. Some people have thought of the form as an “application process”. It is not an application. We’re giving everybody on the list a chance to join.
Q: Would there be an advantage to subscribing quickly after the email announcement?
A: Yes. First of all, if you subscribe quickly, you’ll definitely be in the club. Second, we plan on sending out a fun little “bag tag” to subscribers with one of the first discs, and the bag tag numbers will correlate with the order in which people subscribed. Subscribing faster gets you a lower number, if that matters to you. And sure…if you run across another VIP bag tag while you’re out playing, feel free to challenge them to a friendly duel 😉
Q: Isn’t $19.99 a high price for a single disc?
A: Actually, the $19.99 price tag is a nice price considering a few of the benefits and features of the discs we’ll be sending. You would usually spend near that amount for a premium disc plus shipping from most online stores. Our price includes the shipping costs. But, this is also a unique, limited edition disc, and we’re working to make sure that they have not only great stamps, but great plastics and great value. Some may be “worth” more than others, depending on your tastes and the offers from the manufacturers, but they will always be limited and always be fun discs. Plus, there will be occasional VIP Club offers, discounts, and extra goodies sent with the VIP discs (the bag tag, for instance).
Q: What are the extras that I might receive?
A: We’re leaving the “extras” primarily as a surprise. Sometimes you’ll get a little something extra, sometimes you won’t, but we’re working with the manufacturers to make sure every package we send out to the VIP Club members treats them like…well…VIP’s.
Q: The Canadian and overseas subscription prices seem high. Why?
A: The price for the Canadian and overseas subscribers will be higher for one reason, and one reason only– that is what it actually costs to ship your disc every month. International shipping is expensive. That is a fact. We will not be making a dollar more on your discs, but we also can’t afford to lose money sending discs overseas. We have to charge you the price difference to cover the shipping. So, the prices listed are the TOTAL prices. That is for the disc, plus the compensation for the international shipping charge.
Q: What if I don’t like every disc I receive?
A: We can guarantee quality, but we can’t guarantee taste. We will be working with a lot of different manufacturers in this program. Some of them may be your favorites, but some may not. Some will be large, well known manufacturers, while others will be newer, smaller manufacturers. Some of the disc models may be the kind of disc that you use regularly and that you love dearly. Others may not find a place in your bag because they don’t fit your style. Some of the artwork designs may be something you find very cool. Maybe others are not your particular taste. We feel like they will all be fun discs with great potential and style, but there is simply no way to hit hundreds of differing personal taste on the bulls-eye every time. So, if you don’t like a particular disc, we’d recommend holding onto it a bit, and then perhaps trading it or selling it to somebody out there who really wants that disc. Or just keep it to have a complete collection. It will be your property, so do what you want with it.
Q: What if I’m new to disc golf? Would this program be a good way to fill my bag?
A: We’ve had comments from several new players who are excited about the VIP Club as a way to try new discs and fill their bags. We love that adventurous spirit! However, as a new player, it is probably important to get a few basic discs in your bag that can cover the basic needs of the game, and waiting a month to get what may or may not be the most critical help to your game might not always be the best approach. For instance…what if you get 3 or 4 drivers before you even have a putter? Make sure you have the basics to play your game, and then use the VIP Club discs to add to your available arsenal. We’ll help you fill your bag, if that’s your desire.
Q: What if I decide to unsubscribe?
A: If you decide to unsubscribe, then you simply need to give us a 30-day notice. That way we can make sure you receive the discs you’ve paid for, and that the disc quantities already in production have their intended home, then you’ll be dropped from the club. Once your spot in the VIP Club is vacated, we will immediately invite somebody on the waiting list to take your place. Thus, you may not be able to join again for a while, depending on the turn-over.
Q: What if I miss out on the club discs because I don’t subscribe, but I decide to get in later?
A: We will maintain and ongoing waiting list. Whenever a spot becomes available, we’ll contact the next person on the waiting list with an invitation to join. At some point in the future, we may make a slight increase in the VIP Club spots available if the line becomes too long. So, it will always be a good idea to get on the waiting list if you decide to join down the road.
Q: How will you process payments?
A: We will be using a Paypal subscription program to process payments. Once you subscribe, then you’ll be charged every month (on the anniversary of your initial payment) for each subsequent disc. Even if you don’t have a Paypal account, you can still proceed with the subscription using your credit or debit card, through Paypal’s system. That is simply the most convenient way we have found for the payments to be charged in an orderly fashion that we can track.
Q: What if I’m not ready when the payment goes through and my payment is declined?
A: Usually Paypal tries a couple of times before sending notice of a final declined payment. Paypal automatically cancels the subscription after a declined payment. If we see that a payment has been declined, we’ll contact the VIP Club member as quickly as we can to make sure that they know that there was a problem with their payment. They will have a chance to fix the situation and re-subscribe to stay current. It is best to make sure you always have a current expiration date and/or balance so that the payments don’t decline, because it can cause you to lose your spot in the club if not resolved in a timely manner.
Q: I’m not really interested in subscribing, but I don’t want to miss out on any discs that I might love. What do I do?
A: Sorry, we can’t solve that dilemma for you. If you subscribe, you’ll get the discs. If you don’t, then there is no guarantee you’ll ever be able to get one that you suddenly wish you had. There’s a good chance that some of the discs will make it onto auction sites or whatever, but that would not be from us– that would be from other subscribers. Maybe you could grab a disc that way, but there is no way to know that.
Q: Why can’t I just buy the VIP discs I want from your store?
A: The VIP Club discs will NOT be sold through our online store. We are keeping them exclusive to subscribers. If discs appear online for sale, it is because somebody out there subscribed with the intention of selling the discs for a profit. We can’t stop subscribers from selling if they want to, but you won’t be able to buy a VIP Club disc from our Infinite Discs store. VIP discs exluded, you can always select the discs you want from our store, which by the way, has over 20,000 individually photographed and weighed discs to choose from.
Q: Will I be able to purchase multiples of the VIP Club discs?
A: We will be allowing people to subscribe for multiples, but that would be at the full $19.99 price per disc, per month (or the international price, as the case may be). There will be a cap on multiples (probably no more than 3 per person). So, if you’re enthusiastic enough that you want two or three of each disc, you’ll be able to do that, but you would be subscribing for two or three discs each and every month. There is no picking-and-choosing how many of each individual disc.
Q: If somebody else gets multiples, would that fill extra spots in the club?
A: Well, yes. If somebody subscribes for three discs, then they’d technically be filling three of the available spots in the club.
Q: Do you already have any of the disc models and designs set in stone?
A: Yes. We already have arrangements for the initial discs that will be shipped to VIP Club subscribers. However, we’re not going to tell you what they are yet. That would ruin the surprise. Once discs are shipped to subscribers, then we’ll post a picture online and keep a VIP disc log going, just so people can see what subscribers have received along the way.
Q: Will you ever expand the VIP Club to include more subscribers if there is a demand?
A: Yes. If the demand grows because of the response and growth of the sport, then we will expand to include more subscribers. But there will always be a cap. Every disc will always be limited. We want to keep it exclusive. The discs will have the “cap” number printed on each one. So you’ll know that you are one of “X” number of subscribers who received that disc.
Q: Why are you doing this VIP Club anyway?
A: Because we love disc golf, we love discs, and everybody here at Infinite Discs is just as excited about the VIP Club as many of you are. Whenever we get boxes of discs for the store, we lovingly remove them and show each other our favorites. It’s kind of an addiction. We want to feed our addiction and help others out there who love a pleasant surprise each month to feed their addiction as well. We want Infinite Discs to be a hub for everything you love about the game. So, we have a fun online store, we have a fun blog, we help organize and participate in tournaments, we have a fun online interface for keeping your scores and player profile up to date, we have a new app, and we are launching a disc-of-the-month club! We just want to build disc golf into the huge, internationally loved game that it deserves to be.
Thanks for your support!
NOTE: Since originally posting this FAQ, subscriptions have opened and are now being accepted. Go here to subscribe:
Infinite Discs VIP Club – Subscription
