UPDATE: Well, chalk it up to inexperience. I had logged into the system, but apparently my meandering path to the score check caused me to "lose" the login. So the actual fee is $20.
I'm not one of those folks that follows proceedings and decisions of the USDF closely -- I suppose that's more the domain of the professionals and GMO office-holders. Hot-button issues usually bubble up on bulletin boards and listservs, so it is easy to be a little lazy. A month or so ago, someone on COTH mentioned that USDF had gone to "fee-based" services. I glanced at the web site and noticed that a login is now required, and supposed that was what the poster was referring to. Yesterday, I decided to pull Riley's scores from last year's breed shows. My horse's scores, from an organization that costs about $100 a year to join. Here is the screen I saw after logging in and placing the request....
ARE THEY KIDDING???? Last year's scores for my own horse will cost me $35?????
What are the costs to the USDF for providing this information-- the same information that was FREE last year?
Why are the good members of COTH and UDDB not spewing invective over this? This really gets my dander up, and my buttons are not that easy to push. Castles will be stormed! Letters will be written! Let the kvetching begin!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
USDF: Fees-based score check? Oh MY!
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As a former fellow boarder of Greener Side Farm (I think I was in that line with you), and your current farm remember who your friends are...what scores do you need? Which horse?
ReplyDeleteP.S. Great Blog
All the best,
Jackie
Hey Jackie! Hope all is well with you, my friend Heather says that she has seen you at the occasional Bucks Co. show. I was able to get the scores I needed (digging through my paper files). Just wanted them for my records :-).
ReplyDeleteTake care!
I actually got a chance to get out late season last year. Next time you talk to Heather and she sees me tell her not to be a stranger..you too! I am so new to this dressage showing stuff I am usually in my own little world. Glad you got your scores.
ReplyDeleteForget the fees -- is it just the cropping on the screenshot, or is their design really that awful?
ReplyDeleteThere is no WAY they did any sort of usability testing.
ReplyDeleteOk, now I've been to the site. I'm fascinated. Clearly the designer had some sort of clue, because they are using a tableless layout and CSS, and yet they fail so miserably in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteSorry. Done hijacking now. I'm just... astounded.
As far as the fees, though, you'd think the USDF could do something like AQHA -- doesn't AQHA allow its members to make X number of free pedigree queries per year? So let USDF members make x number of score look-up fees per year.
Heck, psychology being what it is, you could convince people you were doing them a favor by giving them a couple free lookups. Put it on the membership benefits page in big, bold letters. People will believe anything in bold letters.
I'm in the process of converting univeristy's Web pages from table-based to CSS-based layout. Uggh.
ReplyDeleteUSDF,American Library Association, USEF, somehow these colossal organizations cannot put together a good Web site.