Shhhh, while the mods aren't watching ...

[t.a.f.k.a.g.g.]

Why is it so labour intensive? Surely the trust database will have reconciled each members' details with their relevant payment details.

It sounds like they need the bank statement from their bank in electronic form (Excel for example) so they could easily cross reference it with their electronic database.

Sounds easy enough, but there must be a reason why it can't be that simple.

 

[RaeUK]

Should one worry about not receiving this email?

Not necessarily. Surely the email only went to applicable Trust members? ...

 

[Lister]

I had an email correspondence about a month ago with the Trust confirming which of my emails addresses was the correct one.

I'm assuming you pay by standing order Paul? If not, there would be no need for you to receive this.

Or maybe you already include good info in your payment ref and weren't targeted?

 

[Martin Lawrence]

It sounds like they need the bank statement from their bank in electronic form (Excel for example) so they could easily cross reference it with their electronic database.

Sounds easy enough, but there must be a reason why it can't be that simple.

This is being investigated. The bank use to offer online downloads, but because of the way the files were constructed online, it didn't help a great deal.

I have a meeting today where this will be discussed, and I hope we will be able to make some inroads on this issue.

 

[Red Lion]

Just in case you are in the Trust but didn’t receive this. Looks like it will make Nigel’s job a tad easier! I have just rung my bank and it was a very simple request.
----------------------------------------

Dear Trust Member……….

Since taking up the post of Trust Membership Secretary, I have been working closely with Nigel Banks (Trust Finance Officer) and Martin Lawrence to consolidate and reconcile Trust Memberships and contributions in order to provide regular definitive statements of membership totals and contributions income to the Trust Board of Society.

Part of that process has been concluded, with all annual renewals (not paid by ‘Standing Order’), having now been validated.

Unfortunately, there still remains a more complicated task to reconcile all monthly contributions paid by Members through a Bank Transfer or Bank Standing Order.

By way of explaining the onerous nature of this particular task………… please consider that each month, a bank statement, (containing in excess of 150 pages), is received by Nigel, who, until such time as an electronic system is introduced, has to reconcile each contribution manually, matching each contribution to a reference and a Member. Reconciling is very time consuming at best and can be further complicated by other variances, some of which I will highlight here.

Although a payment reference might have been set up by a Member in association with their bank, many are shown on the database as; ‘ECFC Trust’, ‘ECFC Supporters Trust’, ‘Trust’, ‘ECFC’, etc., and although references such as these might assist recognition of payments on personal banking statements, unfortunately it does not provide enough information at ‘The Trust’ end to advise who has made the payment, nor to which Member(s) the payment should be accredited, as in some cases these may be different.

There are some instances where although contributions are being received regularly, due to a lack of any associated information or references, once again it is almost impossible to identify who the payment is from and to which Member the payment should be attributed.

In recent months, Nigel Banks has reported that there may be as many as 500+ Memberships which require further exploration, cases where, Members believe that their bank is forwarding their monthly subscriptions but, for whatever reason, they have stopped, in other cases, where Members have instructed their Bank to cancel their subscription but have failed to inform ‘The Trust’.

Two main areas have been identified as being problematic and therefore are in need of immediate redress. These are;

1) Trust contributions having ceased without notification.

This may be a banking issue of which the contributor has no knowledge, or it may that the contributor has decided to cancel the Order without advising the Trust.

2) Trust contributions received but with little or no reference to validate.

All new Members joining the Trust and who wish to make monthly contributions by Standing Order or Bank Transfer are now advised, as is the payee bank, of their ‘Unique Reference’. This should be used in all future Trust subscriptions/money transfer activity.

The ‘Trust Unique Reference’ is made up of (Member’s Trust Number) / (Member’s Surname in capitals). For example; ‘4579SMITH’

In order to rationalise and streamline ‘The Trust’ accounting processes, I appeal for your help, and ask that you carry out an immediate appraisal of your personal Trust Membership contribution arrangements. This is particularly relevant if you have a ‘multiple arrangement’ whereby you pay for other subscriptions within a single payment.

According to information held on the Trust database, your contribution is paid by monthly Standing Order, unfortunately it has no ‘reference’ attached, thereby making monthly reconciling extremely difficult.

Could I ask therefore, that at your earliest opportunity, you might spare a little time and carry out the following;

(1) Check your personal Bank Statement to confirm that your monthly contribution is regularly leaving your Account.

(2) Confirm with your Bank that they hold correct details for your mandate and that these payments are being made to;

Exeter City Supporters’ Trust
Bank: Lloyds TSB, High Street, Exeter
Sort Code: 30-93-14
Account No: 02103802

…………. and most importantly….

(3) Request your Bank to reference all your future Trust contributions as advised - Trust Number/Surname in Capitals

(If you are in any doubt of your Trust Number, please request to me by return, whereupon I will immediately respond).

If there are any discrepancies then please contact me immediately at either of my contact addresses at the end of this advice.

Should you have other concerns or any Trust Membership queries, please contact me, whereupon I will be very happy to work through these with you.

On behalf of the Board of Society may I thank you for your help in addressing these issues also appreciating your continuing generous contributions in support of ‘The Trust’ and ‘Our Football Club’.

I didn't make a fuss at the time but the Trust very kindly cancelled my priority number with Ticketzone just at the time I wanted to get a ticket for the home match against the GAWS. (In hindsight, with the apathy towards that game it turns out getting a ticket was easy but that really isn't the point)

Having paid my subscription by standing order for quite a few years, I was fairly ****** off that I only found out when Ticketzone told me (after days of rejection on the website) on their premium rate phone line that my priority number didn't exist.

After several phone calls and e-mails to the Club and the Trust I was told every Trust member had received an e-mail asking for information so the Trust could rationalise payments.

That is obviously a massive crock of sh*t. If I had received the e-mail I would have been happy to deal with it. If this e-mail had done the rounds would there be a need for this thread?

I also raised the question, if the Trust withdrew my priority number because they didn't think I was paying my way, how many 'Director for the day' draws have I been left out of?

I was assured none. Sorry Martin, I don't believe that for a second.

I'm sure consolidating all the different payments may be difficult (Why wasn't this addressed as each new standing order was set up?:S ) but the people charged with the task seem to be doing it the hard way.

Tim Riley

 

[Martin Lawrence]

Why wasn't this addressed as each new standing order was set up?

Tim. You will note that this is now being addressed with all new standing orders that are set up being allocated a specific reference. The problem is the historic orders which were set up long before my time. There was also a problem of resource at the time when I was dealing with Trust membership.

The Trust is moving towards a greater professionalism in its administration and this is involving significant work on long standing historic problems. We are able to address these far better owing to an improved focus (resultant from the Strategic plan) and the fact that we have more resource (in the way of our membership coordinator and finance officer).

I accept that there may have been issues in the past, but we are doing all we can to address these problems but there are no quick fix solutions at the moment but we are starting to make headway.

 

[Reggie T42]

send a cheque in april- have not heard anything from them since.I have kept lasts years card- assume that I m still a member!

"Who are yah, who are yah?"

 

[Lister]

I was assured none. Sorry Martin, I don't believe that for a second.


Tim Riley

Tim,

I don't doubt anything you say, but I also don't think anyone in the Trust sets out to be obstructive or incompetent. Have you considered contacting Frank to discuss what happened? I know another mix up he dealt with was due to a problem from both sides of the argument, but that it has now been cleared up.

The aim is to keep Trust members, not drive them away. I can help you get in contact with Frank if you wish.

 

[Red Lion]

The aim is to keep Trust members, not drive them away. I can help you get in contact with Frank if you wish.

It's all dealt with and sorted, I spoke to and exchanged e-mails with Frank at the time. I didn't see any point in making a fuss on Exeweb at the time, but thought it was relevant to this Thread.

It can't be easy making sense out of 2,000ish anonymous standing orders but as I said, I wasn't contacted, and found out because for some bizarre reason someone decided to cancel my priority number and wait to see if I made a fuss. I have got no idea when this decision was made, and only found out when I thought I needed my priority number.

You don't need to worry though, I'm not remotely thinking of joining a different Trust!

 

[International]

Can someone on hear tell me what my trust number is? It appears the post doesn't reach these parts (all of my details with the trust are up to date).