Why are you a member of U2.com?

[U2Man]

I have wanted to start this thread for quite some time now.

I would like to hear from anyone who is a member of U2.com, why you chose to be a member in the first place, whether the site has lived up to your expectations and whether you are considering renewing your membership.

How often do you browse the site? What have you gotten out of your membership?

When, hopefully, a lot of people have written their story here, we may be able to discuss what U2.com is really about and why it was established.

And please....try to be civilized, at least in the beginning....

 

[tackleberry]

I joined a while back so that I could get better concert tickets for the tour. It paid off because I got GAs for an MSG show in Oct. Other than that, I really don't visit it that much. Once in a while, I may read the message board. But really this is my 1st U2 site that I always go to. If I hadn't got those GAs, I probably would not still be a member. I think it's worth it to pay $40 to get better seats, but it's still a rip off, because the band obviously does not need that money. But I am hoping that they made us pay for some other reason - a good reason - not just the money reason....

 

[underscore]

I didn't join U2.com, for several reasons, main reason was that i do not own or want a creditcard, furthermore, $ 40 is way too expencive for what you get imho, unlike the other guy said, i did get GA tickets just by getting in line 1st at a ticket office, $0 well spent , saved me $40 for a t-shirt and more, anyways, I LovE U2's music, online content just doesn't give me that extra thing to enjoy a band.
The news one can read there is always available on other sites, most of the time before it is on U2.com.

 

[one4u2]

simple, one word: tickets

 

[uwwedoogie]

tickets...


AND I'VE BEEN A MEMBER SINCE OCTOBER AND NO KEY-RING, CARD ETC ETC FREEBIE AT ALL????? WTF? AND YES I'VE EMAILED THEM... 4,675,394 TIMES

 

[beau2ifulday]

simple, one word: tickets

Same.

I check the site for news updates and to check out the interviews and Willie's (now non-existant) Diary. I don't care for the forum.
To be honest, I find it a little gutwrenching the way the articles suck up so much to U2. I know all sites do it, but i've never noticed on other official band websites as much as I have on u2.com.

I do enjoy reading the exclusive member content (i.e the interviews and such), but then I remind myself that most bands would offer those features to all members.
I never received my keychain and I am yet to see any of these so-called 'Member Downloads', but there you go.
I will be renewing, just because I want the opportunity to get presale tickets should they tour again next year.


And I should add, I have been quite pleased with my wallets i've received for the singles

 

[WildHoneyAlways]

simple, one word: tickets

Ditto.

 

[Axver]

Tickets.

I'm not too pissed off over it being useless, though. $40 is a drop in the bucket compared to how much I ultimately spent to fly from Australia to see U2 in Boston.

 

[xtihn]

me too...tickets.

however, it didn't really pay off...i didn't get GAs as i had hoped...only got nosebleeds. i used to go on the website everyday to get the latest info about the tour, but now that i've already gone, i just lost interest. at the same time, i started visiting this website more often...i think this website is more user-friendly and easy on the eyes.

i will be renewing my membership in the hopes that it will pay off in the future...that hopefully next time they have some sort of presale it will be better organized...i guess i'll give them another chance...

 

[{paintedroses}]

I paid for two memberships for tickets. I got what I wanted but I don't visit U2.com very often... the "members only" content is good but I don't agree with charging money to see certain things, a fan is a fan whether they've spent $40 or not

 

[dsmith2904]

I joined for the tickets, was able to do two presales because I belonged to Prop. I never used the merchandise discount because it expired before I found something I liked in the store. I have never gotten a key chain and it's been almost a year. I'm hoping that I can get into the ellipse in New York in November.

I do visit the site several times a day looking for news items for Interference.com. I can't remember the last time I went through Zootopia. I do like some of the exclusives they have.

If U2.com is going to continue to charge a $40 a year membership fee, more premiums need to be added, more exclusives and it wouldn't kill them to have a decent contest or two every once in a while.

 

[Utoo]

I'll tell you why I didn't join: $40 a year. I was going to sign up--even after I'd already gotten tickets through TM--until I found out that it wasn't a one-time fee. I'd consider signing up in the future for tickets, but I'm afraid that by the next tour they'll either have too many members signed up for them to use it as a means for advanced sales, or they'll have dropped the fee by then anyway (seeing as how so many people are outraged by it...although many still do get it..). Since I did eventually get GAs through TM, I have a glimmer of hope in the system---though I am only going to 2 shows this tour.

I'd sign up if I knew there were going to be cool benefits like members-only CDs (i.e. Melon), etc. Otherwise, the $160 I'd spend by the time they tour again is equal to the additional cost I'd have to pay on eBay for tickets anyway.

 

[Chizip]

for tickets and im not renewing the membership, its a waste

just think you have to pay 40 bucks each year, so in 5 years when u2 tours again thats 200 bucks youve paid to get better tickets. ill take my chances with the general sale but going to a broker could even be cheaper than renewing the membership every year.

edit - and utoo just made my same point

 

[Utoo]

edit - and utoo just made my same point

Great minds.....

 

[youtwohearts]

simple, one word: tickets

Same answer.

A better question would be now that the tour is almost over do you stay a member for priority reasons or do you let your membership go?

 

[BAW]

why you chose to be a member in the first place - tickets

whether the site has lived up to your expectations - not even close

whether you are considering renewing your membership - not a chance

How often do you browse the site? - once a month at best

What have you gotten out of your membership? - An ugly keychain. Great seats dangled in front me during the presale, which mysteriously disapeared only to be replaced with nosebleeds. Countless emails trying to reset my presale password. Ticketmaster telling me I didn't qualify for the GA's other people were offered after their orders were dropped. In other words...nothing.

 

[dsmith2904]

Since many of our memberships are coming up for renewal in the next few months, we should start writing to PM and Signature Networks to let them know about our displeasure with the whole membership set up. If they see that a lot of people won't be renewing, things could change.

 

[U2dork]

I was a Propaganda member. I liked the bonuses Prop members got (magazines, cds, tickets, postcards) and I thought we would still get good stuff (because they said we would get good stuff at the beginning). I was lucky with the pre-sale, so it was kind of worth it to join, in my case, for that reason. But the items that u2.com has provided for the members is not worth 2 cents, let alone $40.

Let's see what we get for our $$ shall we?:
- Poorly written articles with factual errors
- a chaotic message board
- site errors galore
- some of us were lucky to get a rather impractical key chain
- a chance to get tickets in a presale that many (if not most) did not have success with

I agree with dsmith2904 that if people are going to renew, they need to do some good premium stuff, like provide members only downloads (audio and maybe video*) of live songs, maybe a few short random video interviews of the band**, and yeah...contests! Lord knows they have the money to provide a decent prize or two!

'kay. I'm done ranting about u2.com for this month. I'll be back next month with more to say.

*I mean acual down loads where you can watch something other than a tiny little screen.

**I did enjoy the Rocko interview, but it would be really cool if we could get something like that from one of the band members. Just my opinion

 

[Dismantled]

why did I become a member........

Good question .....


lemme see...what is the f'ing huge ass ugly keychain?...NO

The ever so exciting zootopia...NO!

The email thats constantly down and impossible to send attachements with?...NO!

The hope and promise of killer tickets?? YES...did they come through for me....NO!!!!!!!!

 

[Bono's shades]

I joined because I desperately wanted a GA ticket and was afraid of getting shut out if I waited for the general sale. Lucky for me all the first leg shows were too far from where I live and I waited for the third leg presale and was able to get a GA ticket to the Minneapolis show. I feel terrible for the people who got screwed during the other presales.

Other than helping me get a ticket, the site was almost worthless for me. I already have all the albums so I don't need to listen to them online, we get news here much quicker and the message board there hurts my eyes. I guess paying the band an extra $40 for my ticket is better than handing that amount and possibly more to a scalper, but it does seem kind of greedy for them to charge that much. I guess they did it because they knew a lot of people were desperate enough for tickets that they would pay it, but it seems like a shoddy way to treat fans.

I won't be renewing my membership next year. I don't think I will even renew next time they tour, unless things improve considerably.

I can't believe U2 isn't aware of how unhappy the fans are with the site. I like to think that they have decided to wait until this tour is over and then order a complete overhaul of the system.

 

[ABEL]

I was a Propaganda member. I liked the bonuses Prop members got (magazines, cds, tickets, postcards) and I thought we would still get good stuff (because they said we would get good stuff at the beginning). I was lucky with the pre-sale, so it was kind of worth it to join, in my case, for that reason. But the items that u2.com has provided for the members is not worth 2 cents, let alone $40.

ditto. i joined cuz i was a propaganda member, and for tickets, and hoping we'd get the extra bonuses.

well all the stuff available for download or videos to watch online, stuff like that does me absolutely no good cuz i'm still on dial up and takes an insane amount of time to do so on my sucky computer, so i didn't join for that.

i guess the $40 did a little good cuz i got GA tickets in the 2nd presale for dallas, though the first presale was a little chaotic. but it's also quite easy to go early on the day of the show and buy an extra ticket from a fan in line or the box office as i did in chicago come to find out.

it's kinda sad that 80% of my posts at zootopia are in the tech support forum, and none of my problems have been resolved.

i also have not been able to receive a single private message since may unless someone replies to one i send out.

so am i renewing? absolutely NOT.

in fact i wish i could get a refund

i only go there now to keep up with a couple of friends i met up in chicago, but i really don't even post much on zootopia at all. and i hardly read any of the content on u2.com

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

I used it for the tickets which i got 2 GA tickets but my experience turned to be shit! never getting ga tickets again nor am i getting a u2.com membership

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

I'm so glad I never joined u2.com. I got all the tickets I really wanted in the general sales. And for $40, I can belong to Interference for three years and still afford a crappy key chain of my choosing!

 

[cobl04]

I joined for free so I could post in the general forum a thread entitled 'WHY WON'T U2 TOUR AUSTRALIA' and post a link to bono_man's petition. The forum is crap. It is mightily inferior compared to this one.

 

[youtooellen]

I joined to read articles/videos/updates/etc.

also because my friends got me the membership as a gift
the forum on there is much too...


well let's just say, interference is a WAY better forum

also, the site itself hasn't really reached expectations, but I don't care. got it for free so whatever

 

[u2granny]

I joined for...I don't know why. I thought I might buy tickets but didn't. I rarely go there because I find Interference a much better site. Needless to say, I won't renew, I have enough fucking ugly keychains.

 

[AtomicBono]

simple, one word: tickets

Exactly.

I don't like Zootopia. I haven't gotten any exclusive content I couldn't get elsewhere. I never even got a fucking keychain. BUT, since they fucked up my first presale and had to get me a new code, my old code still worked...so I was able to get tix for the first AND third legs.

That's the only real reason I joined U2.com. $40 a year? Please. Maybe I'll pay that much when they have people higher up on the evolutionary chain working for them...come on...can't even post a fucking setlist right.

I really think Interference should be the official U2 site.

 

[victor_f]

to get GA tickets, and i was unable to.

 

[nurse chrissi]

the repeat what everyone else has siad - tickets - but I had hope for some other things as well (exculsives with the band, downloads of concerts, maybe a highly useless webcam or two - the thought would have counted, a tour diary from the band itself) Thus far the hightlights have been
1. Tickets
2. Larry's two words letter
3. More tickets prompted from the Larry letter
4. Willie's Diary - esp the qoute that included the phrase "a gold card, double blow-me platinum (insert what you will here)" which is now part of my everyday vocabulary
5. Keychain that could kill, if not seriously injury another person

While fun - it isn't enough for me to continue to spend my money on

btw - wouldn't have been super fun to have the website offer mp3's of some of the songs - maybe a soundboard quality recording of The First Time and Crumbs?

 

[AtomicBono]

maybe a highly useless webcam or two -

how about a camera in Bono's shower? I can guaruntee membership would skyrocket...