RCM Mc Status Update: "Billing Date Rather Than Order Date"

This change actually works against me. I would have qualified for the year beginning July 2017 if this was the practice for the current year based solely on one coin ordered in May and shipped in September.

As it stands, I need to spend AND they need to ship in the next three weeks in order for me to qualify for renewal July 1st. Very unlikely since virtually nothing ships in less than 3 weeks. They now control MC membership qualification because they determine when they ship whereas before, I controlled my ability to reach MC level by when I placed orders.

IMO, they need to stop changing the rules, especially three weeks before the program year ends.

Not a big deal though. After a decade and tens of thousands in spending, I will no longer be MC very soon and without free shipping, they likely have lost a longtime direct customer. That's my pet peeve with the program. It doesn't consider lifetime spending or loyalty. It's all about what have you done for me lately. C'est la vie.

There are always at least two sides to every coin eh?

It's a very simple database aggregation script either way. Returns and cancellations are also in play either way. Nothing easier or more difficult for them no matter which method they choose.

I track order dates and billing dates so for me, either method is relatively easy to do.

That said, I suspect the change was made more for the MC Rewards redemption codes. It certainly would not make a lot of sense to give rebates based on order dates. So by changing the method for MC qualification, they align the calc for MC and the calc for redemption codes so they are the same base amounts.

I've been a Masters Club Platinum Plus member for a few years but I will not be renewing my membership this time around. I will still be at gold level, but I find that there are too many coins coming out and not enough are holding their value.

This actually kind of makes me mad, I literally just asked my rep this question because I was thinking of having the gold loons billed over three months as that would have given me Platinum plus for this year and most likely the next as well.
I just checked my credit card and I've already been billed the full amount so I probably can't get it changed but I'm going to try.

As I can't control when the RCM ships the coins I order (as noted by CC-Ottawa), I think the fairest thing to do is to credit an order on the date it was placed not when it is shipped.

When I submit my order with a telephone rep or via the RCM web site, I consider the coin(s) as purchased at that time - not some future unknown date when the RCM is able to ship it to me.

I've been a gold member for a number of years now and have finally come to my senses and fallen just shy of .75 cents to reach the silver level.

I searched everywhere for the updated information and could find none. Whether the change is good or not, MC members are dropping like flies and finally smelling the coffee! Much better to support the dealers who are buying this stuff as they are more likely to give you the time of day!

Sadly I had to order the cheapest over priced item I could find just to maintain an entry level for the next year.

In the email I politely told my rep that greed and utter disregard for the collector will be their Achilles heel.

I see the benefit. This is a much easier way to track expenditure within the cycle starting July 1, 2017 through to June 30, 2018.

I order so much from the RCM that when I go to check my orders on the RCM website, there are like 10 pages. Some subscriptions were placed in October of last year and boy do I ever have to backtrack on pages to find that original order.

I also understand what RCM is possibly trying to do and that is to keep a clearer accounting of who paid or who cancelled. Maybe, you can call me simple minded but this to me is way easier to manage by invoicing date rather than by order date. I keep all my sales in monthly files of what I was billed by the RCM. It is so easy to pull out all my monthly billings rather than being lost in a sea of orders on their website.

Now I will know the exact amount that I should receive in redemption.

@Broke
Love your name! It sums up me right about now. LOL