To avoid hijacking this thread about the increase in robo-calls related to marketing stuff to the senior crowd, I’m posting my question here:
Has AARP ever tried to get you to join? Why did you join, or not join? If you dropped your membership, why did you do that? If you are a continuing member and feel that it is beneficial, why do you continue your membership?
I know almost zilch about AARP, since between being too young to join and living outside the US AARP simply hasn’t come up on my radar.* But I’m rapidly approaching a state of being where “old enough and living in the US” will apply, so I’m curious - especially about the reasons given by those people who had a membership and dropped it. Do tell. I have no opinion on them, yet.
*Except for a brief period in the mid-1980s, when I worked for eight months for the National Council for Senior Citizens. So I know a little bit about AARP, mostly in terms of the contrasts between NCSC and AARP. After 30 years I don’t know how much of that knowledge is still relevant.
I’m late 50s and do not belong to AARP. They’ve never contacted me, but that’s probably because I had only a Thai address for some decades before last August.
I don’t plan to join. I’ve asked people I know who do belong, and membership largely seems to be advantageous for discounts at various hotels around the country if you do a lot of domestic traveling. Or discounts at a lot of restaurants, but checking out the list of participating restaurants in Honolulu, there aren’t many we frequent.
Another ‘nope’ from me, and they’ve been wallpapering me with ads since before I was 50. If I was going to join anything of that ilk, it would be the Gray Panthers.
I belonged to AARP for a couple of years, mainly to get the hotel discounts. Using that just once pays for the membership.
However, I discovered that if you make your reservation online at the hotel’s website, you can click the “AARP rate” checkbox and usually* you won’t be asked to show your membership card when you check in.**
*I say “usually” because it’s never happened to me, ever, but conceivably it could happen.
**I am not suggesting that you try get the AARP hotel rate under false pretenses. As Richard M. Nixon said, that would be wrong.
They’ve been supplying my trash collector with additional bulk for 10 years now. Their position on the 2nd amendment and gun control is unacceptable. They recently tried to backtrack with the “we only meant keeping them out of the hands of criminals” BS, but they’re still on the NRA enemies list (AFAIK). Once a gun-grabber, always a gun-grabber – so I’ll never join or support them.
I really enjoyed my 40s, then when I turned 50 AARP decided to rub it in. I hated the idea that they knew my age. Their mailings have gone in the burn bin ever since. Fuck them.
We’ve generally been members but it’s something we’re considering quitting.
The AARP discounts are generally not very good nowadays thanks to online discounts. Need to rent a car? I can easily find cheaper rates than AARP. Ditto hotels, etc.
We encounter a lot of senior discounts, but all of those require just proof of age. No AARP card required.
This was one of the deciding factors when my wife and I dropped our AARP memberships a few years ago. AAA discounts are as good, or better, than any from AARP.
The other factor was the covers of their magazine. Every issue would have some older celebrity (Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Sally Fields, or similar) along with an article about how GREAT it is to be older. Sure…if I had a gazillion dollars and a successful film or entertainment career, I’d have a great time being 55+, too. No worries about your retirement funds, no worries about health care plans, no worries about putting a new roof on the house, etc. My wife and I are just fine, but we’re not “Clint Eastwood fine.”
