November 1, 2011
Napa Valley Divers is no longer an independent dive club but a marketing arm of Iguana Bob’s Dive Center that charges dues!
“The club also agreed to make IGUANA BOB’s their exclusive dive center and to eliminate advertising of other dive shops on their website.”
Wait a minute… you’re going to charge me dues to be a Member of a dive club to get a paltry 10% discount from anything I buy from Iguana Bob’s?
Let me see if I get this straight; You mean I can get a 10% discount from just about any dive shop I frequent on a consistent basis in the area or a 30% or greater discount by buying my gear online and I get to pay annual dues for this honor?
Let’s do the math… Annual Membership for a family is $40 at Napa Valley Divers. Sign up through Iguana Bob’s and get a $5.00 discount off that Membership – so we’re now down to $35 for the family. So, for that to work, I’d need to purchase $350.00 worth of gear ANNUALLY from Iguana Bob’s to break even. Better yet, my purchases are limited to items selling at full retail since the arrangement clearly states “exclusive of sale items” in the announcement.
Yes, I forgot, I get to pay for my own dinner once a month and sit around and talk about diving.
Simply brilliant; “…a combination that just makes sense.” as stated by Iguana Bob’s management in their last newsletter.
My final questions:
- Just how is it that a non-profit 501(c) club can become an official marketing arm for a for-profit business?
- How can the Napa Valley Divers club, which supposedly breaks even each year, afford to lose $5.00 per member?
(Unless Iguana Bob’s is reimbursing Napa Valley Divers the $5.00 per member to own the marketing rights to all Members that sign up through them.)
I’d love to hear the IRS take on this interesting arrangement that just makes sense.
Silly me, I’m sure the Board voted in the best interest of all Members.
