BHI Associate Membership

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Having paid my subs, for years now, by quarterly Direct Debit … I was surprised [verging upon shocked] to receive a demand for 2026 subs to be paid in one lump, by Credit Card.

No big deal, but it seems to lack the courtesy that one would expect from the BHI

MichaelG.

.

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Michael

‘lack the courtesy’ is creeping in on many aspects of our society along with bad manners.

H

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

They probably mentioned it would happen in some small corner of one of the magazines or the proceedings of some formal meeting. Often the small print of the constitution doesn’t require them to be particularly helpful in telling anyone. Like so many utilities just transfer you to online billing and expect you to have a computer and printer and may not even send you an email so you have to log on to find out what they are taking off you.

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

Michael,

If it is as you describe, I would be very tempted to walk away and inform BHI why you have done so.

Andrew.

[derek hall 1Participant @derekhall1]

I am also in the same boat…

My subs were automatically collected by DD quarterly with no issues for years.

Similar to Bazyle and Michael, I must have missed an edition of HJ detailing these changes or maybe it was in the small print.

I am going to call the BHI tomorrow and find out what is going on. I suspect there maybe lots of members and associate members also trying to find out why these changes have been made.

The BHI needs all the money it can get and surely cannot afford to lose members over something as trivial as this.

Regards to all

Derek

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I was tempted Andrew … but instead I have sent them an eMail

Two key lines are:

Presumably this is being done to substantially improve the Institute’s cash-flow

and

A brief note in HJ, explaining the rationale, would be welcome.

.

MichaelG.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

This means they get all your money up front before they go insolvent rather than being able to cancel the direct debit.  They are not in a good state. Derek it would be great if you could share anything you find out please?

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Just to add that I checked my bank statements to discover that they hadn’t actually made a direct debit since September 2024!  What a shambles.  Regarding the “proceedings of some formal meeting” I attended the AGM last October – well it wasn’t an AGM since an ex-director pointed out that they had not correctly posted the report and accounts and proxy voting forms to members in advance according to the rules, so the meeting was abandoned!  Now happening on 17th January for the FY ending December 2024!  Others paying by DD please check too if you can.

[derek hall 1Participant @derekhall1]

Reporting back to the forum….

 

ok I have just called the BHI to find out what is going on.

Donna who is in charge of the membership explained that there is a gremlin in the new software that has been set up in the BHI website that doesn’t appear to recognise anyone who currently pays by DD. This issue appears to have raised its head during the Christmas/New Year break.

The system assumes therefore that your membership lapses rather than renews automatically.

I explained that there are a few of us on the Model Engineer website (no names mentioned!) that are experiencing the same issue. She said that the automatic quarterly DD (and annually) is still ok, so you do not have to pay the whole lot up front, but the months that the quarterly payments go out have been “shifted” one month. For example January is shifted now to Feb, therefore payments by DD will be going forward Feb, May, Aug, Nov

Any problems then just call Donna at the BHI, she was very helpful.

I did suggest that some clarification should be made in the next copy of the HJ, Donna said that this will be the case and there will be some statement from the BHI directors about this.

Hope this info helps !

All the best

Derek

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Thanks Derek.  I also just spoke to Donna and got the same message, except that my DD payment actually was taken on 2nd January!   Note that payments now appear on bank statements as “GoCardless” not BHI.  I think Donna, who was extremely helpful, probably has burning ears right now from answering this question so maybe give it a few days.  My membership was reinstated as we spoke.

Important point – DO NOT MAKE A CARD PAYMENT IF YOU HAVE A DD ARRANGEMENT IN PLACE!

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

If they have moved to ‘go-cardless’ (GC) then that system might not be able to handle anything but annual payments, or be rather difficult to set up for other periods. At StAlbans club we use GC which has simplified the annual January rush of member’s cheques, and chasing them up, but doesn’t work for the new members joining mid year. I don’t handle that part of Membership so don’t know the details.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

GC has been handling quarterly payments for the BHI since the start of 2025 – but you don’t get an indication of the end payee on your statement.

[John Haine]

On John Haine Said:

[…]

Important point – DO NOT MAKE A CARD PAYMENT IF YOU HAVE A DD ARRANGEMENT IN PLACE!

Having spent the day on medical appointments, your sage advice has been missed!

MichaelG.

[Bazyle]

On Bazyle Said:

If they have moved to ‘go-cardless’ (GC) then that system might not be able […]

For info.

Go-Cardless quite happily takes weekly payments for my hire of a storage container

MichaelG.

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

You have just discovered, Michael, that courtesy and good manners are now “Old Hat”

Welcome to the club !

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Pleased to say that Donna replied admirably to my eMails.

MichaelG.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Donna is an excellent lady, extremely competent and helpful.

[Author]

Posts