Disappointing changes coming to Canon CPS Members

Canon released this on their website today:

http://www.cps.usa.can​on.com/misc/cps_progra​m_notice.html

• We are renaming the Clean & Check process to Canon Maintenance Service (CMS) and eliminating the paper voucher. The number of items that may be sent in for CMS is being increased for eligible CPS members. Platinum members will be able to send 10 eligible items, and Gold members will be able to send 5 eligible items, during each membership year. The number of items sent in for CMS will be tracked by Canon internally.
  
• We are shortening the period for each evaluation loan from two weeks to one week and increasing the total amount of equipment available for evaluation loans to eligible members.
  
• In an effort to concentrate our efforts on our core professional members, we will no longer include the EOS 60D camera and future successor model cameras as qualifying equipment for any CPS level. However, owners of such equipment will still be eligible to receive repair benefits covered by the program.
  
• In early 2014, the Cinema EOS C100 camera and all Cinema Prime Lenses will be added as qualifying equipment to the CPS Gold and Platinum membership levels. And we are planning to launch a new CPS Cinema level tailored to owners of other Cinema EOS cameras and lenses.
  
• In an effort to balance program benefits, we are adjusting the repair discounts from their current levels. Therefore, repair discounts are being changed to 30% for Platinum level members and 20% for Gold level members. Also, there will be a cap on the number of annual repairs to which the discount can be applied, Gold level members can receive the repair discount on a maximum of 10 eligible items and Platinum level members can receive the repair discount on a maximum of 15 eligible items.
  
• The annual fee for Platinum membership will be reduced from $500 to $300. The annual fee for the Gold membership level will remain at $100, and the Silver membership level will remain free to qualified professionals.
  
• For organizations with large amounts of eligible Canon equipment and/or large photography staff, we are launching Enterprise CPS, which is designed to suit the needs of medium to large size organizations like newspapers, photo studios, rental houses, etc. In addition to some of the traditional CPS benefits, Enterprise CPS clients can receive benefits like on-site equipment maintenance, higher repair caps and streamlined billing. The details of this new program will be provided at a later date.
  

Well, the fees for platinum went down.

With the decrease in repair discount, the Platinum may not be worth it even at $300 (especially for those who wanted the Platinum for the repair discount), and the shortened evaluation time made it worse.

I think they will probably take away the Platinum member gift as well (I think they used to give you a very nice camera bag/suitcase with CPS logo when you opt in for Platinum)

Definitely a cost saving move for Canon, and I hope they keep the current Platinum membership for people who have an active till their next renewal date, or do a pro-rate refund.

rick_reno wrote in post #16286252
Well, the fees for platinum went down.

This, thats a positive at least.

They probably had too many $100 and not enough $500 subscribers. Adjusting things so that the $300 option makes sense for them and might attract more cheap bastards like me.

Dropping the Platinum membership fee by 40% does not make up for decreasing the repair discount by 50% and evaluation time by 50%.

steve126a wrote in post #16287626
Dropping the Platinum membership fee by 40% does not make up for decreasing the repair discount by 50% and evaluation time by 50%.

You get to send in twice as many items for a free cleaning though, so that's a positive.

I have a camera and 2 lenses that I need to send it for cleaning and possible servicing. Is it worth signing up for Gold membership to have that done? What is the cost of cleaning without membership?

GarethLeigh wrote in post #16288286
I have a camera and 2 lenses that I need to send it for cleaning and possible servicing. Is it worth signing up for Gold membership to have that done? What is the cost of cleaning without membership?

$50 per item usually.

While I was at Imaging USA last year, the guys in the Canon booth were well aware of the fact that the Gold membership offered the best value. They as much as told me to join that way instead of the Platinum. An additional FYI... they will do "Cleans and Checks" when they are set up at these conferences.... and they don't count towards your annual freebies.

Staszek wrote in post #16288423
$50 per item usually.

Thanks for the info. I guess it will be worth it then since I think at least one of my lenses needs some repairs as well.

GarethLeigh wrote in post #16289315
Thanks for the info. I guess it will be worth it then since I think at least one of my lenses needs some repairs as well.

Servicing may be different than cleaning and maintenance. If you have something to repair, the price is quite a bit more. Just a heads up.

Staszek wrote in post #16289387
Servicing may be different than cleaning and maintenance. If you have something to repair, the price is quite a bit more. Just a heads up.

Yeah I figure it will cost more. But if the cost of just cleaning would be covered by the fee, then it's worth it, since I would get a discount on the repair and also free return shipping. Not a bad deal I think.

Does the 2 vounchers for clean & check include calibration? I need to get my lenses calibrated and $100 gold membership seems like a cheap way to get calibration.

garycoleman wrote in post #16289584
Does the 2 vounchers for clean & check include calibration? I need to get my lenses calibrated and $100 gold membership seems like a cheap way to get calibration.

I believe they calibrate focusing on camera bodies with clean and check. I got one of my lenses recalibrated with a repair. I don't think they recalibrate lenses on clean and checks.