BRITISH TENNIS MEMBERSHIP

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. BENEFITS
What do I receive as an adult member?
A variety of benefits will be on offer as part of your membership package. For £25, or free to affiliated club members, your membership will entitle you to;

• Monthly e-newsletter with all the latest news from British tennis
• LTA player rating
• Discounts from our sponsors and partners like Tennis Gallery and ExSportise
• Membership loyalty card
• E-notifications of competitions taking place in your area
• Access to the LTA’s special online members-only are, with easy to use tools to enter competitions, check your competition profile and find out how your rivals are doing
• Top tips from coaches and players
• Entry into the Wimbledon ballot, either via your club or the centrally run ballot by the LTA
• Discounts on pre-Wimbledon events like Eastbourne, Nottingham Open, Surbiton
• Entry to prize draws for Grand Slam Tennis Tour Trips

In addition, you can purchase a selection of add-on packages to tailor your membership programme to your own interests and needs, for example, subscribe to ACE and British Tennis magazines at a discounted rate of £35, or sign up to the International Events package for just £30.

More information can be found at www.lta.org.uk/membership

What do I receive as a junior member?
All juniors aged eight or under will be offered free membership, as will children of all ages who belong to an affiliated club. If you are aged 9-17 years old and don’t belong to an affiliated club, you can purchase membership for just £5 per year. As well as the benefits received as part of adult membership, you will enjoy…

• Juniors website content
• A parent guide included in every junior starter pack
• Winter and summer tournaments guide available online and by request

For the first time, if you are aged nine or over you can be entered into the Wimbledon ballot. It costs just an extra £10 (free to affiliated club members) to add this onto your core package.

More information can be found at www.lta.org.uk/membership

What add-on packages are available?
a) ACE and British Tennis magazines
For just £35 extra per year, subscribe to ACE and British Tennis magazines….Enjoy an exclusive 10% discount to ACE and British Tennis magazines. ACE is Britain’s award winning tennis magazine.

Published 11 times a year, it is packed full of interviews with the biggest names in tennis, the best coaching advice to improve your own game, the latest products and equipment, reviews on some of the best tennis resorts around the world, plus latest tour reports, player rankings and much more! British Tennis Magazine is the all-you-need-to-know guide about what’s happening in the domestic game and includes regular British player news, tour reports and regular updates about the benefits of being a British Tennis member.

b) International Events
For an additional £30 per year, adult members can enjoy exclusive access to discounts on your favourite events around the world through our partner, Grand Slam Tennis Tours, the world’s leading tennis tour operator. Members who sign up for the International Events package before April 1, 2008 will be eligible to win a 2008 US Open tour package!

• A 15% discount on up to 12 international tennis events per year equating to £260 in savings per trip or over £3,000 if you go on 12 trips

• Tailor-made packages available for the Australian, US, Italian and French Opens, Davis Cup, and many more
• Access to court side tickets
• Accommodation in top hotels around the world
• Opportunity to play at the Grand Slam Tennis Academy in the USA
• Entry to a ballot for French Artois tickets
• The chance to dine with top tennis stars
• Tours of the world’s greatest tennis facilities
• Ongoing offers and specials from Grand Slam Tennis Tours

 

How do the benefits work? Do I have to buy everything at once?
British Tennis Membership and the add-on packages are now available for purchase in preparation for when the scheme launches in March. In March, you will receive your membership pack in the post which will include your membership card and exclusive membership number so that you can enjoy the benefits on offer and our member-only website.

Members of affiliated clubs:
If you are a member of an affiliated club and sign up for core membership after March 1st, your free core package will last until 28th February 2009. Any add-on’s purchased post 1st March will last for 12 months from the date of purchase.

If you are not a member of an affiliated club:
If you purchase your membership and add-on before March, they will all last for 12 months from March 1st.

If you purchase membership post March 1st, your membership will last for 12 months from that date of purchase. Any add-on’s purchased post March 1st will also last 12 months from date of purchase.

To qualify for the 2008 Wimbledon ballot, you must purchase your core membership package before March 1st 2008 for your name to be entered into the ballot.

Please note, you are able to purchase your add-on packages at any time, once you have signed up to your core membership. Simply re-visit the website or call 0845 873 7202.

The benefits are all designed for people who want to compete…what about those of us who are social players and just enjoy the game, there doesn’t seem to be much on offer for us?
We have designed British Tennis Membership with a variety of audiences in mind, so there should be something for everyone, whether you like to play, watch or compete. For the more social players, the monthly e-newsletter will provide up to date news on the tennis community so that you feel part of the British Tennis family. You will be entered into the Wimbledon ballot, club leagues and ladders, as well as receive information on discounts and offers on pre-Wimbledon events and via our partners such as Grand Slam Tennis Tours, Tennis Gallery.

2. PACKAGE QUESTIONS

I don’t want a rating/online access/another benefit – can I get a discount?
No, the core package is a set cost with the exception of non affiliated adult members who are able to opt out of the Wimbledon ballot for a reduced cost of £15 rather than £25. 

Can I buy an add-on package without buying the core package?
You firstly need to buy the core package in order to be able to buy the add-on packages, with the exception of ACE Magazine which can be purchased on its own if you wish. For more information about this please contact British Tennis Membership services on 0845 873 7202.

3. FAMILY RELATED QUESTIONS

What happened to the family membership?
In the new scheme all family members will need to take up their own membership packages. One of the reasons for this change is that the previous family membership was not working fairly: we found in our research that 50% of individuals holding a family membership have no children under 18 in their family. We have designed the British TennisMembership programme to have a very low price (£5) for children under 18 and free to eights and under, and will be doing everything we can to bring junior members into the programme. Data protection law also requires each individual to give consent directly to us to enable us to communicate with them in the future.  We also need each individual to agree to the Terms & Conditions of British Tennis Membership.

How do I link myself to a member of my family?
If you would like to be linked on our system to another member of your family, please call our Membership services on 0845 873 7202 who will be able to record the information.

How do I ensure I get mail or email on behalf of my child?
If you would like to receive mail or email on behalf of your child, please call our Membership Services Department on 0845 873 7202 who will be able to record the information.

 

4. FORMER ADVANTAGE CLUB MEMBERS

Why has the Advantage Club changed?

The new British Tennis Membership programme is intended to revitalise the Advantage Club scheme, which had remained largely unchanged for many years. The membership scheme was not best supporting British tennis, nor was it helping the LTA to identify emerging talent. Moreover, the Advantage Club provided the same set of benefits to all individuals, regardless of their taste and preferences. We wanted to offer a new membership programme that would provide the gateway to a winning British tennis game - a programme that allowed individuals to choose the benefits they wanted; incentivised and facilitated competition; and brought many more people into the game.  In March of 2007, we froze Advantage Club membership and began to design the new programme.

I was a member of the Advantage Club. Why do I have to sign up again?
We need each individual to agree to the new Terms & Conditions of British Tennis Membership, and so we cannot simply transfer your membership over. Data protection law also requires each individual to give consent directly to us to enable us to communicate with them in the future. 

5. WIMBLEDON BALLOT

Where are the extra tickets that you say are going to be used to reward clubs that support British Tennis Membership actually coming from?
The LTA’s quota of tickets for Wimbledon will be re-allocated to allow those clubs that support the new membership scheme to be rewarded with additional tickets. Our research showed that in the past individuals have been winning more than one set of tickets, i.e. entered into the ballot numerous times. This will no longer be allowed, meaning additional tickets will be available.  Please note, being entered into the ballot does not guarantee tickets. Ballots will still run at the same odds.

Junior - my club has said they’re not running the ballot this year through British Tennis Membership, but doing it as normal, which means that I won’t be included. What can I do about this?
As a junior British Tennis Member you are entitled to be entered into your club’s Wimbledon ballot as long as you are nine years or older. If your club is refusing to include you, please contact the Membership services team on 0845 873 7202 or email membership@lta.org.uk.
6. COST
As a former Advantage Club member, I used to get ACE magazine as part of my overall package, but now I have to pay for them on top of the core package?
ACE magazine was formerly part of the fee paid by Advantage Club members. However, we found in our research that some people who receive ACE are great fans of the magazine, while others value other benefits much more highly. We decided therefore to remove it from the core membership package and instead offer an ACE subscription only to those who want to receive it. If you would like to subscribe to Ace and British Tennis magazines you can add this package to your new basic membership.

Why can’t I use direct debit?
We will be introducing direct debit functionality for renewals once the scheme is up and running.

I am not a club member. Am I subsidising club members when I pay for the scheme?
No, the LTA is subsidising club members for year one of the membership scheme. Following year one, club members may be charged for their membership package, but this is still under review and will be analysed once the scheme is up and running. We will be able to update you on this further in Spring 2008.

Is this a revenue-generating scheme for the LTA?
No, to be able to launch the programme and make it a success, we are heavily subsidising it. Eventually we would like to break even, if not make a profit. Should we make any profits these will be put straight back into British tennis.

When is my child eligible for a free membership? He/she turns 9 before March / he/she turns 9 during 2008?
Your child must be aged 8 or under in order to be eligible for free membership. If he/she is 9 before March, then unfortunately he/she will not qualify for the offer. If your child qualifies for free membership and then turns 9, he/she will still receive that year for free, but will be charged the full junior price when their membership is renewed a year later.

 

When am I eligible for a junior £5 membership? I turn 18 before March/ I turn 18 during 2008.
Juniors aged 17 and under who sign up for membership are eligible for a junior £5 membership. If you turn 18 before March, then you will need to take up adult membership and will be charged accordingly. If however you sign up as a 17 year old and turn 18 in March, you will still qualify for your year’s junior membership, but will be charged the adult fee once you renew your membership.

What is the price going to be next year for affiliated club members? As an affiliated member, are we going to have to pay the same as non-affiliated in 2009, or will there be a discount?
The cost for affiliated club members is still under review and will be analysed once the scheme is up and running. We will be able to update you on this in Spring 2008.

7. DATA
I am already providing personal information to my club. Why do I have to provide it to you?
Because of data protection issues we need each individual to answer the data protection questions individually so that we can contact you directly with information about your membership.
Will the information be shared with any third parties?
From time to time we may share our data with other third parties. However you do have the option to opt out of this should you wish. Each member will have been asked this question prior to signing up and should have ticked the relevant box.

8. GENERAL

Why are you making the change?
British Tennis Membership will help the LTA to provide better services to the British tennis family as a whole – from clubs to supporters and competitors. By learning more about the tennis population and establishing a direct relationship with individuals, we can, for example, direct more tailored benefits to our competing members and also better identify emerging talent and reward competition. It is designed to promote competition and in particular, increase the numbers of regularly competing juniors by giving support to players, parents and coaches so they can get the most of competitive tennis in their area and beyond.
Most of all joining British Tennis Membership is about being part of British tennis; contributing to it, supporting it and feeling part of the tennis family.  We will be communicating far more frequently with all members as well as gathering information and feedback from them. One of our communications will be a monthly newsletter which will include coaching tips, special offers, and up-to-date news about tennis.

 

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