Morning Jim and everyone. I'd like to float something past you all and would be grateful for any feedback/meaningful debate regarding Delphi's plan to charge up to $180 per year (£180) to continue as a subscriber to it's forum facility.
My experiences with Delphi during the end of last year and at various times this year have nudged me in the direction of leaving Delphi. My problems have included: 1. Delphi constantly crashing and taking various e-mails with it; 2. Being automatically logged out and, from there, being unable to log back on; 3. Losing transmissions half-way through sending them; 4. Constantly rejecting my username & password, saying they are already in use (of course they are - by me!; 5. Receiving various msgs from other forums which Ive never viewed - and with a variety of virus' attached (I could go on).
A number of folk on "Molly's" tell me theyve had the same problems and, reading between the lines of Delphi's correspondence, they are saying that anyone who doesn't cancel/amend their a/c before 03 11, will be deemed to have accepted the new terms and conditions of Delphi Forums, resulting in a charge of $180 or £150.
It is wholly wrong that sites of the integrity & confidence of Mollys & inrecovery should be jeopardised, by Delphi's imposing charges, in this instance despite the support, comfort, help, advice, etc. and merely because we are seen as a captive audience and a license to print money when we exist for one another, to care for one another. We are not an on-line dating service or chatterbox site. When Delphi charge our sites, those costs will have to be off-set against our members. How many of us will find ourselves in a position to stay? How many of us have a valuable alternative to better employ these fees? How many newcomers, in great need of help, through Mollys & inrecovery, will fail to take up the offer of help in achieving sobriety because, stuck on their screen, are the words "Please supply your bank details so we may debit your bank account"?
In my case its not the money thats the problem - though some colleagues have contacted me to say that the money is an issue for them. I'd rather keep my £150 and gift it to Mollys or inrecovery rather than a quite mercenary site which appears to be out to "screw" us out of our last pennies!
Given my past experiences, I have withdrawn from Delphi's so-called service, for providing a service they certainly are not. What is £150 today will be £200 tomorrow. When I left the floor on Thursday, the £v$ was @ 1.547 - and costs will rise as recession turns.
From my experiences of Delphi over the last 18-20 months, the minute they would charge me for utilising their very dubious facility, they could be pursued via, Sale of Goods legislation as, arguably, the goods are not of merchantable quality and unfit for the purpose intended. My experiences also lay Delphi open to a charge of being "Unfit for purpose".
I refuse to be charged a fee for a service that is simply ineffective, inefficient and questionnable in its standards of quality, service and customer care.
How many folk, currently accessing Mollys via. Delphi, would be willing to cancel their a/c in favour of re-registering through inrecovery & Braveheart? Personally I find it quite exciting and am getting quite a buzz from being involved with inrecovery from 'Day 1', watching the site develop and mature, in the knowledge that I have been part of that development.
I am in no doubt that Delphi considers Mollys and its members as a cash cow from who to extort money for a service of little effect and competency. Mollys is there to permit us to support one another along the road to getting our right heads on especially in times of vulnerability. It is wholly wrong that my fellow-travellers should be charged for the "priviledge" of being pee-ed about. As I say, I know Im not alone on this. 'How It Works', Clause 5 in the BB should NOT read; ".....admitted to God, ourselves and another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs - (and providing Delphi gives us the means to do so!). We should not be saying, to ourselves and others who may desperately need our help; "We'll help you. The only requirement is a desire to stop drinking - and a fifty quid fee payable to Delphi!
Not only will the newcomer be actively discouraged from seeking help, at first via. the Forum, as many of us have done, they will now find their purses £150 lighter before they even begin to feel they might be getting somewhere!
I would propose that our leaders/facilitators/mods/host get together and plan a road map of the way forward with a view to adopting, via. another forum provider what is a truly great & helpful site, with truly wonderful folk, who have always been there for me.
There is a, still way forward - and one without Delphi!
If anyone wants to "bat this ball over the net a few times" please get in touch via. inrecovery or: themightyquinn@rocketmail.com
As obviously I can no longer be reached via. Delphi.
Take care everyone
Col.