View Full Version : Upset with Champ Car
Ok, I've tried to just let this go. But I feel the need to vent. Since June, I have been paying $4.95/month for Race Director (a total of $24.75). My VISA is billed automatically each month for the service, which I get a lot of use out of. It is, in my opinion, well worth the cost.
That said, the last several races (since Edmonton, I beleive), Race Director has been offered free. After the first two or three times, I emailed Champ Car to complain. I received no reply. I decided to just let it go. I mean, it wasn't like they were going to do this for every race. Well they have. In fact, the day the press release was issued announcing free RD, my VISA was billed $4.95. I emailed Champ Car a second time and got no response.
As I said, I don't mind paying for the service. But don't charge me for it and then offer it for free to everybody else who's too cheap to pay for it. I'm a full-time independent college student with a wife and kid to support. $4.95 here and there adds up after a while.
I can't say that I will purchase RD next year, unless I have some assurance that they won't do the same thing.
So, maybe next season if everyone has to pay, YOU'LL get it free because they know you already paid? Either that, or you just got screwed!
I paid once at the beginning of the year. Worth every penny to me. I'll buy again next year.
That said, there have been a fair number of people complaining here and elsewhere so I expect something will be done differently next year.
I've paid for the past two years, but I think I'll go for the free deal next year. :)
By the way Rabbit, you'd better look into cancelling your Race Director subscription soon or you'll find yourself billed after the season is over. It would have been cheaper to do the one time payment.
It would have been cheaper to do the one time payment.I added it up when I registered.
Five months and then cancel at the end of the season = $24.75
The year = $29.95
So I saved $5.20 (or so I thought until they started giving it away).
RacinM3
11-04-05, 04:43 PM
I'd be pissed, too. Screw emailing. Call Champ Car HQ at (317) 715-4100. Don't accept voicemail as an option. Make them get you to a live person if you can.
I added it up when I registered.
Five months and then cancel at the end of the season = $24.75
The year = $29.95
So I saved $5.20 (or so I thought until they started giving it away).
With the $5 discount for CCIC members, the cost was actually $24.95 so you only saved $0.20. And you still have to jump through the hoops of cancelling unless you already know how to do that. It's not done through ChampCar
With the $5 discount for CCIC members, the cost was actually $24.95 so you only saved $0.20. And you still have to jump through the hoops of cancelling unless you already know how to do that. It's not done through ChampCarI never got a reply (there seems to be a trend here :gomer: :shakehead ) on my CCIC membership.
CARTNUT
11-05-05, 02:04 PM
Question for those of you who paid: Do you have to wait thru the annoying Blue Man Group Intel commercials (etc., etc.) every time you switch to a different screen view like the rest of us who got it for free? I tried it once a few races back and gave up. It was ridiculous!
I feel for ya, rabbit. I can understand you being pizzed off.
I finally joined to 2000's and got broadband at home on Friday. RD is pretty cool.
I haven't figured out how to get more than one media player up at a time, though.
Question for those of you who paid: Do you have to wait thru the annoying Blue Man Group Intel commercials (etc., etc.) every time you switch to a different screen view like the rest of us who got it for free? I tried it once a few races back and gave up. It was ridiculous!
I've never seen a Blue Man Group commercial.
G. Right click on the camera button and select 'open in new window'.
RHR_Fan
11-05-05, 03:26 PM
Question for those of you who paid: Do you have to wait thru the annoying Blue Man Group Intel commercials (etc., etc.) every time you switch to a different screen view like the rest of us who got it for free? I tried it once a few races back and gave up. It was ridiculous!
They did the Blue Man group promo for a few of the races, but recently they haven't been doing that. I know they didn't for Australia.
~Nicole
Thank goodness. Now if they're going to give it away for free they may as well get rid of the stupid Microsoft DRM so I can watch on something besides a Windoze machine.
G. Right click on the camera button and select 'open in new window'.It opens a new 'net window, but plays in the same Windows Media player window.
Help for the idiot?
^^^^
that would be me.
It opens a new 'net window, but plays in the same Windows Media player window.
Help for the idiot?
^^^^
that would be me.
Don't know what to tell you, it works for me. Perhaps a WMP setting? Hopefully someone here can help.
Lizzerd
11-05-05, 08:57 PM
I am a CCIC member but never got my stuff. I did get an email before the Milwaukee race after I complained that was basically an apology and my stuff was "in the mail". I was told that I should use a printout of the email to get my discount for swag at the track. Another email prior to going to the race in Cleveland. "Oh, sorry, stuff is in the mail." Same email printout used in lieu of a card.
I also paid for RD, but for some reason ever since it became offered free, I have not been able to connect to the streaming video. Sometimes crashes my computer to the point of removing power to continue. Then, the re-boot, then not connecting again to the video, and play this tune again... Thankfully, I have a TV in my computer room.
I caught a hard time when I complained here about RD being offered free after I paid for it the first weekend it was offered. I got flamed by a few saying that it was a good thing because more people could be exposed to it. You people still think that way? I think my complaint then is just as valid as rabbit's complaint now. I'm cancelling ASAP if I can't connect tomorrow.
He's right! It is pretty uncool to charge someone $5 for something and then offer it for free after the fact. I didn't pay 1 penny, I knew they'd offer it for free and so far I've used it for Vegas and qualifying today. tomorrow I'll try it for the race. They should credit you the race that were offered free.
I got my membership card and window sticker. I agree with Rabbit though, you're undermining yourself to sell any RD package if you're giving it away free every race not to mention pizzing off those that did pay the $$ for the service.
If I was going to give it away, I would've provided less service on the giveaway or had some features limited on time in order to demonstrate them and act as a tease to get you to order the whole package. RD is still a good idea though.
nissan gtp
11-06-05, 09:39 AM
The RD video feeds are unstable on my system too. Will only work from IE (due to MS DRM ?) --- l but it locks up the whole system when it goes bad, ususally within 10-15 minutes. Try it with Firefox, and it'll be locked in very short order.
As a comparision, I've watched A1GP for 2 1/2 hours without a problem other than one or two slight pauses (they need to fix the aspect ration thing).
Champ Car should put some serious energy into: the fan club, RD, and the diecast thing (if it's too late for a real Lola :( please have a DP01 for the 07 season start)
I am a CCIC member but never got my stuff. I did get an email before the Milwaukee race after I complained that was basically an apology and my stuff was "in the mail". I was told that I should use a printout of the email to get my discount for swag at the track. Another email prior to going to the race in Cleveland. "Oh, sorry, stuff is in the mail." Same email printout used in lieu of a card.
I also paid for RD, but for some reason ever since it became offered free, I have not been able to connect to the streaming video. Sometimes crashes my computer to the point of removing power to continue. Then, the re-boot, then not connecting again to the video, and play this tune again... Thankfully, I have a TV in my computer room.
I caught a hard time when I complained here about RD being offered free after I paid for it the first weekend it was offered. I got flamed by a few saying that it was a good thing because more people could be exposed to it. You people still think that way? I think my complaint then is just as valid as rabbit's complaint now. I'm cancelling ASAP if I can't connect tomorrow.
...kinda like ticket deals a month before the race when you've been renewing the same seats for 20 years :shakehead
fourrunner
11-06-05, 03:41 PM
" Ahhh Death Where is thy sting " ! ;)
fourrunner
11-06-05, 04:40 PM
I'm gonna take a contraian point of view on this topic
I too bought the RD for the whole year up front ... but I don't feel I'm getting screwed because some people are getting it for free now
I'm figuring it takes a huge amount of money to present Race Director ... I'm also figuring someone is subsidizing this effort (probably Champ Car ) ... I'm also figuring that they would like to break even at the very least
They're offering it for free to increase interest & thus increase subscriptions for next year.... so I'm figuring that right now they don't have enough subscriptions to "Break Even"
I look at it as if I'm buying that DVD player in it's first generation ... to get alll the whistles and bells I have to pay $600.00 ... within 2 years that exact same DVD player is under $200.00 plus it might have a few more features.
Did I get screwed? Maybe ... but it is the nature of the beast
I get screwed every week filling up my vehicle with gas .... Race Director for the whole year cost me HALF A TANK of gas , and I got a lot more for my money with Race Director !
I guess you should just cancel Race Director if you feel your getting screwed, and you feel it will be free again next year ... Maybe, but it also might not be offered at all next year if they can't get enough subscriptions to make it pay it's way
I bought Race Director, but I really don't need it ... it gives me some extra fun while I'm watching the Race ... The people who it's gonna hurt if it isn't offered are the ones who can't afford Premium service on Cable that offers Speed, or those who locally get a telethon instead of the race, or those that don't have access to the Races at all.
It cost's me 100.00 bucks to wake up in the morning & get through the day with no extra's, so $30.00 for the season of watching Champ Car on my computer and subsidizing the freebies to help keep it going is fine with me!
It's basically the cost of 1 1/2 cups of coffee to go per race!
Sean O'Gorman
11-06-05, 06:44 PM
Is Race Director free when races aren't going on. That might make it worth owning. Especially for me right now, as the power has been out at my house all day. :mad:
CART T. Katz
11-06-05, 07:00 PM
the difference in your analogy 4r was that technology can change in as much as a year. here everyone got the same features. had champcar not offered as many features for the freeview as the full paid members, i and other people aren't as upset as we are.
oh yeah, all i got was a membership card and a form letter from paul tracy plus a racing swag catalogue every few months. am i dissapointed that i didn't get what i was promised? you better believe it.
fourrunner
11-06-05, 07:11 PM
the difference in your analogy 4r was that technology can change in as much as a year. here everyone got the same features. had champcar not offered as many features for the freeview as the full paid members, i and other people aren't as upset as we are.
oh yeah, all i got was a membership card and a form letter from paul tracy plus a racing swag catalogue every few months. am i dissapointed that i didn't get what i was promised? you better believe it.
I'm just expressing my feelings about the situation ... I Think everybody here had a valid point and a right to complain about things ... I was just looking at and offering another point of view, which I believe... but it's just my opinion !
If I worried about every penny I wasted throughout the year, I'd be totally insane and thus posting on Trackforum ;)
On the CCIC situation ... I got Everything they said I'd get ... BUT my Godson who I signed up at the same time ... got what you got CTK ! I can't figure it out ... but it was free, so I didn't complain, and I gave Justin the hat !! I don't wear hat's anyway !
I don't feel cheated either. And I couldn't even use RD today because it kept crashing. But next year I'm getting the free deal.
Got my card, sticker, and free RD.
But I'l admit it wasn't fair for people to pay and cheap people like me to get it for free.
I`ll be on the free bandwagon next year too.
It`s funny you mentioned the sticker....looks funny parked next to the black pick-up truck with the 3 and 8 here in FL. :gomer:
TKGAngel
11-07-05, 09:42 AM
...kinda like ticket deals a month before the race when you've been renewing the same seats for 20 years :shakehead
Word. Are you supposed to then ask the organizers of the race for your money back? Not fair that I pay X for my seats, while Joe Schmoe can pay the discounted rate for buying the tix a month before the race. Who's getting rewarded.
In an ideal world, CCWS would have all the fan club and RD stuff worked out by the first of the year. That way, there's enough time to get all applicable discounts and such worked out before the first race.
Topic..dont have to worry about RD since I still have a 56k modem and AOhell.
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