CPS Gold 2011, No charge??

I just joined CPS under the gold membership, going through the joining process I was waiting to see a page where I fill out my card details and pay the £££ needed to become a member.

I got to the last page then Canon sent me a email to verify membership and "congratulations you are a member and your CPS card will follow in about 4 weeks"

Every forum etc I have looked at regarding CPS says that it is $100.00 (not sure in £££) for gold membership but should be worth it for CPS strap alone without all the checks and cleans that come with being a gold member.

Do I pay at a later date, or is it because I earn my full income from photography??

Don't know why you weren't charged.....they have hit me up the past two years for $100 per.

Yes, interesting. Only my Silver was free.

Mark

Fees are billed after your application is approved. Completing the online application is just that... an application.

They need to verify the information you provided is accurate.

After you pay.. you get the freebies!

Cam101 wrote in post #11704713
Fees are billed after your application is approved. Completing the online application is just that... an application.

They need to verify the information you provided is accurate.

After you pay.. you get the freebies!

Great that clears that up thanks..

CPS membership is free in the UK.

richwood wrote in post #11704855
CPS membership is free in the UK.

Is it?? do you still get the benefits like the 2 free clean and checks and the membership pack or is it just a membership card and reduced servicing costs.

I ask these questions as it does seem to vary from country to country, anyone know why Canon dont have a "across the board" standard for memberships so all country benefits are the same.

You just get a membership card and a few CPS address labels. If you are lucky, the membership card will even have the right expiry date on it (mine still expires last year despite arriving a few days ago).

No free cleanings or gifts, but you'll get priority service if you send anything in for work.

murkeywaters wrote in post #11704948
Is it?? do you still get the benefits like the 2 free clean and checks and the membership pack or is it just a membership card and reduced servicing costs.

I ask these questions as it does seem to vary from country to country, anyone know why Canon dont have a "across the board" standard for memberships so all country benefits are the same.

From what I understand, Canon's regions operate independently of each other, which is also why "Grey Market" items aren't eligible for warranty repair (i.e. Why the EOS 1000D isn't under warranty in the US but the Rebel XS is).

I'm not sure if this is true or not, but it's a persistent statement I've heard.

Oh well, there goes the nice CPS strap!

I dont want to sound like I'm moaning as it is free but I would rather pay £100.00 and have the benefits they have in the US.

Being a gold member and investing this much money in Canon pro kit I thought the service of 2 free clean & checks every year was a nice touch and would encourage the pro photographer to keep investing in the brand.

Come on Canon charge me £100.00!!!

I prefer the benefits of CPS USA over CPS EU even though CPS EU is free. If they provide the same benefits as CPS USA, hell I wouldn't even mind paying.

I don't understand how CPS Europe sees the Canon 7D as a Silver qualifying product versus CPS USA which qualifies the 7D as a platinum product. Is a Canon 7D from the USA better than the Europe one?

Also no Canon Loyalty Programe in Europe? We pay through the nose paying for Canon products here in Europe so I don't see why we should get any less over the pond?.

CPS EU sucks. Only benefit is you get priority on repairs depending on your membership level, that's it.

This is what my Silver package is (no charge - just verification you qualify)

What goodies do you get with the Gold? Is it worth it?

Mark

richwood wrote in post #11704998
You just get a membership card and a few CPS address labels. If you are lucky, the membership card will even have the right expiry date on it (mine still expires last year despite arriving a few days ago).

No free cleanings or gifts, but you'll get priority service if you send anything in for work.

Mark Theriot wrote in post #11711372
This is what my Silver package is (no charge - just verification you qualify)

What goodies do you get with the Gold? Is it worth it?

Gold gives you faster turnaround for repairs (3 working days), and free loan kit if the repair takes longer..

in the US, gold membership gets you:

3 day repair turnaround with free shipping back to you (you pay shipping to them)
CPS strap
CPS membership card
CPS pin
2 free clean & check vouchers
30% off repair costs
EF lens book III
Gold Membership RUSH address labels for sending your gear in (you still pay shipping).

they also sent me a 2011 Canon planner which was nice. has info on Cn functions of pro bodies and flashes, along with a chart of all current EF and EF-S lenses in the planner.

it amazes me how much people will pay for the CPS strap. it's basically an OP/Tech strap that you can get for $15, but with Canon branding...yet people will pay $50-60 for one.