Free Memberships: Statements & Responses

To answer any questions or statements you may have regarding the Invalid Item , we have provided you with some responses that might help you better understand.

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Statement: I think all the services that were free at Writing.Com should still be free.

Response: Those services are still free. We have only placed a reasonable limitation to the amount of items you may create and store in your portfolio. You may still have a portfolio, read, rate, and review items and interact just as everyone else does.

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Statement: Everything here should be free.

Response: We wish that, too. But it's a fact of life that everything costs money. Everything including the electricity that powers our servers, the bandwidth that our information travels over, and the time it takes to create and maintain this community is NOT free. Quality services cost money.

Example:
If you would like to watch TV, you have a few options. "Rabbit ears" are included free with most television sets. The quality is shoddy, but you can make out actors and hear the voices in the shows and commercials.

You can upgrade from "rabbit ears" to Cable TV, which costs a fixed monthly rate. Now you're paying for clear reception and a few extra channels, all of which include excessive, intrusive commercials.

You can add premium channels such as HBO(TM) or Showtime(TM) for an additional fee. For that fee, you receive high quality, up-to-date entertainment without commercials.

Writing.Com Free Memberships are like cable; Upgraded and Premium Memberships are the "HBO" for online writing.

Your internet interaction should be treated no differently than your television viewing in service expectations. High quality services on the internet have either established limitations to the memberships (ads, size, usage time, etc.) or they're not free at all.

Writing.Com is still free to those who choose to remain free. For those that want to upgrade their experience here, we provide that option, as well.

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Statement: I don't have a credit card to buy an Upgraded membership.

Response: We also accept personal checks, money orders and e-checks through Paypal. Upgraded and Premium Memberships may also be purchased with Gift Points; entering contests around the site is a great way to earn Gift Points!

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Statement: I don't have enough money to purchase an Upgrade.

Response: There are many contests that you can enter to win Upgrades and Gift Points. You can also fill your portfolio with only your BEST work and then maybe someone will gift you an Upgrade so that you may post more great items to read. Go out and thoroughly review other members' items; they might thank you with a gifted Upgrade. Or collect your Gift Points from these contests and soon you'll have enough for an Upgrade.

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Statement: I'm a minor and I have no means or money to purchase an Upgrade.

Response: Read the above response again.

Also, bring your parents here and show them your portfolio. Show them all the benefits that Writing.Com provides. Remind them that a large percentage of our Moderators and Sr. Moderators also have children of their own, so they and the Staff know the importance of keeping the site safe for minors.

You can also introduce it to your teacher and tell him or her how beneficial this community and the tools are for students and teachers alike. Some schools have already added Writing.Com into the curriculum and are paying for the Upgrades for their students.

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Statement: It's too expensive to Upgrade.

Response: An Upgraded Membership costs $5 per month (less if you buy in bulk). That's 17 cents a day!

Let's look at some random things to compare pricing:
$4.95 - A monthly magazine that you will read one time
$6.00 - less than one hour at a video arcade
$8.00 - A movie at a theatre (excluding popcorn and soda)

$5.00 - one full month of Writing.Com Upgraded Membership

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Statement: My Upgraded Membership runs out in two weeks. What's going to happen with my items if I don't re-upgrade?

Response: You will receive plenty of notice through email when your Upgrade is near expiration. You may renew your Upgrade or Premium membership using the store or Gift Points. If you choose not to renew your membership, your most recently created items over your 15-limit will be locked at private and uneditable. In order to create new items during this period, you will need to either renew your Upgrade or Premium, or you may delete your extra items to get back down to your limit.

If you allow your Upgrade or Premium to run out and you do choose to renew during the two week leighway period, you will need to reset your access to Public Viewing for all items that were locked. We recommend renewing as soon as you receive your first notice to insure uninterrupted service.

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Statement: I have no where else to store my work.

Response: Then Writing.Com is worth $5 a month to you.

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