North American Fishing Club

[Craigums]

I just got a letter from these people in the mail, Anyone know anything about this company? Is it kind of a scam?

[eyebjim]

I would't say it is a scam but it is more like the dvd and record clubs. You sign up and they keep sending you things like fishing books that they expect you to pay for without having ordered them. They do have a program were they send you free stuff to trial and write a review I think also.

[Flaco651]

They're legit and have been around a long time.

[JigginIsLife]

yea but you have to be in for quite a while to get the new products and to write the reviews. i bought the walleye book they had and it was quite informal...when i was 13 or so. but i would say its alot of common knowledge they put in thier books. if you are thinking about joining, i would just suggest going through the posts here printing them ALL off and putting them into a big 3 ring binder--you will get ALOT more info and for...at least 1/2 the price hahaha

[slipperybob]

It's a Club but not like this one. LOL's

I'm both a NAFC life member and a Bass life member. Not even sure where my membership card is now...NAFC is based somewhere out in Minntonka I think. You can hook up with members to share info, swap trips, or whatever. I personally don't want the try and buy stuff, not worth my time. Books are pretty common info. If you've read one comprehesive book, you've pretty much got all the info. Their 4 or 5 magazines a year is full of recent information. Not quite an Infisherman, but still good info.

I've never field tested anything and I've been a member for greater than 10 yrs. I find that field test reviewers are not objective nor specific enough. Things said, "This product catches fish! Over 50 fish in one hour!" ...And how does it balance, swim, casts, wobble, twitch, the finishing, craftmanship, quality of material,...?

[PerchJerker]

It's not a scam. Flaco651 is correct, it's legit and has been around for years. BTW I used to work there (don't work there now).

The magazine is good and is only available to members of the club so you probably haven't seen it before. Their magazine circulation is one of the largest out there, way bigger than most of the other fishing magazines you've heard of, but that isn't really known unless you're in the fishing or the publishing industry. They have a fishing show and hunting show every weekend on the outdoor channels that you may have seen, the magazine is similar to that.

They sell books and videos. If you don't want to buy that stuff you tell them not to send any to you and you don't have to buy any. There's no scam or hooks here, the guys that complain about it either didn't read the stuff they got sent, or didn't talk to customer service, or both.

You can sign up to test free products. You can do this right away, you don't need to wait, and you can get free stuff to test more than once per year. Just don't expect them to drop off a new boat in your driveway or send you a $400 fishing reel, etc., most of the free stuff is pretty small and inexpensive, but it's all legit and all donated by companies that want to have their stuff tested by people in the club.

The best way to think of the club is to think of it as subscribing to a magazine. It costs something like $12 per year and you get 7 issues of the magazine. The other stuff they have like the products they sell or give away may or may not be of interest to you. The guys that complain about it are usually the ones that think they're going to spend $12 per year and get hundreds of dollars of free stuff in return.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I've been a member for a few years. I've never gotten any unsolicited items to buy. It's cheap enough that I just do it fo rthe magazine, which is decent. I've gotten about 5 things in the past three years to test (most recently a fillet knife set). You have to sign up to test the stuff and then remember to re-sign up after each item you recieve.

All in all, I think it's worth it. $12 a year for a decent fishing magazine plus free stuff.

[Doop]

It's a good deal...however...I could do without being sent books, coins, videos and whatever else they'll send you. I send everything back that I get. The magazine is good. I forgot to send a coin back once and they turned it over to a collection agency for a grand total of $18. Not once was I contacted to pay for this coin which obviously was misplaced and I forgot about it...until a collection agency called. I was dumbfounded. So I called North American Fisherman and was rather upset this was allowed to happen and I was never contacted. The customer service was OUTSTANDING. The guy agreed this was ridiculous and he would take care of it personally. Anyway....I'm a life member and I like the magazine.

[Schloogs]

I've been a member for a couple of years now. When I first signed up I got some free stuff, I think it was some ice buster bobbers, spool of Trilene, and some lures I beleive. I also received the walleye book, was a nice hard cover book but it was pretty general knowlegde stuff. You can let them know that you don't want to receive the items in the mail and they will stop sending them. The magazine is descent. All in all I am not sorry for signing up with them.

[castmaster]

I am also a Life Member of this club. I have asked numerous times(both by phone and by mail)to have them stop sending unsolicited materials but I STILL GET THEM. Its a pain in the but to go to the post office and ship the stuff back. Doesnt cost anything but time, still shouldnt happen when I've asked them to stop sending this stuff.

I have been a Life Member going on 10 years and I have yet to be asked to test anything. I signed up right away for that, so I just must be the most unlucky guy in the club or something. I kind of think the ones who get picked to test stuff are the ones who buy the extra stuff they send out like books, calenders, coins etc.

Overall its not bad for the price. I think one could make more from it than what I do if you actually used the trade a trip features or traveled to fish quite often(there are discounts from guides around the country for fellow members etc)

[PerchJerker]

 Originally Posted By: castmaster

I kind of think the ones who get picked to test stuff are the ones who buy the extra stuff they send out like books, calenders, coins etc.

It doesn't work like that, it's first-come-first-served. But you need to do it exactly how they tell you to when turning in your application and when sending in your product test report. It works for Ralph Wiggum, read his post in this thread.

If you want to test something, call them to find out why they haven't sent you anything, and get another application turned in. It's a pretty simple process.

[Ralph Wiggum]

You can apply to be a field tester online. If you can't remember if you've signed up, it doesn't hurt to sign-up again. Like I said, I have gotten numerous items and I have not bought a thing from them.

I'm curious about those members that get unsolicited items. I have never had them send me anything but the magazine, renewal notices, and some flyers/brochures a few times a year.

[IFallsRon]

I did design work for about five years on one of the company's other magazines and also did some for the fishing and hunting magazines. Their deal is direct mail marketing by using the magazine/club. If you can get over that, there's plenty of good stuff in the magazine for $12.

[slipperybob]

Sooo...how come I never make it to the list for field tester? LOL's I probably need to network with 'the list'

I'll probably be too critical and too objective if not subjective. Tell it like it is. What I like, don't like. What can be improved upon. Does it catch fish more or less compared to other similar products.

It would be nice to be a field tester...but I do that everytime I fish anyway. Chubby Darter I choose you!

[sparcebag]

Doop & castmaster there is a law in Minnesota that is for unsolicited material (not ordered)---you can keep it and refuse and charges

[Craigums]

 Originally Posted By: sparcebag

Doop & castmaster there is a law in Minnesota that is for unsolicited material (not ordered)---you can keep it and refuse and charges

Are you serious? That cannot be... because it really isnt unsolicited if you sign up for the program right?

[BobT]

I am a former member. I joined more to subscribe to the magazine and as with most outdoor magazines they tend become same old, same old so I only kept membership for a couple years then moved on. I enjoyed the information in the magazines and I think it is probably a good organization.

You can do a web search and check out their HSOforum if you're interested in learning more about them.

Bob

[ozzie]

I also was a member for a few years and they also sent me the walleye book.....wish they would have had a crappie book but that wasn't one of the desired species......the mags were alright some interesting info but alot of down south info for certain species it seemed to me.......I told them not to send me anymore books and they stopped sending them......not a bad organization/club but I chose to spend my $12 elsewhere.

[slipperybob]

I used to recieve a package of bait hooks or some plastic curly tail grubs, but I had no use for the promotional gift things. I think I got a filler spool of Trilene XL 12# once. Can't remember for sure. Lately I'm thinking of subscribing to Infisherman magazines again. Used to have them as like others have said, the information merely gets recycled after reading them for years. One thing that's changed in many magazines is that now they have articles about invasive/exotic species and conservation re-habitat projects. Personally I've always wanted to work on a trout stream restoration, but haven't really gotten off my butt to do so. Plus tips section is always cool. I often see other people coming up with the same idea that I've come up too. You know how they say, great minds think alike. LOL's I really enjoy hearing about other people's projects, tips, or solutions. That' why I'm an FM member.

[Weener]

I used to work there as well. They are legit, but most people nailed it on the head when they said they are about the same as every other magazine out there. I'm not a memeber, you'll get better info on here.

[PerchJerker]

 Originally Posted By: sparcebag

there is a law in Minnesota that is for unsolicited material (not ordered)---you can keep it and refuse and charges

That is correct. Actually, I don't think it's a Minnesota law, I think it's a Federal law under the FTC (I may be mistaken about that). But the point is that if anyone sends you a product you didn't order or request and tries to bill you for it, you can keep it, you don't have to pay for it, and you can't be reported to a collection agency for it.

[Craigums]

So if I sign up for this club to get the magazines and they send me a bunch of books and dvds I can just keep it and tell them to shove it if they try to bill me?

[BobT]

Be careful there. Read the fine print. By signing on as a member you might be also giving permission to send you those things. In that case, it is not unsolicited.

Bob

[Phred52]

They have No Am Fishing, No Am Hunting club,No Am house remodler club. If that Steve P. can figure a way to wiggle out a few bucks from someone, He'll start the "North American Toilet Paper Club"! Empty Promises of FREE equipment to test and rate (then it's yours) ANYTHING from that Twin Cities address goes into the "burn bag" and I JUST burned a load of their trash. Do a google on the name of the club. The only one that's showing ANY profit from that SCAM is the clown that is on the TV show of the same name. Don't waste your time or energy even opening their junk mail. If you want to help, SHRED EVERYTHING except their sase and send it ALL back to them at their expense! IMHO, Don't get involved with them, You're just headed for 'mailing lists'. From experience. Phred52

[PerchJerker]

 Originally Posted By: Craigums

So if I sign up for this club to get the magazines and they send me a bunch of books and dvds I can just keep it and tell them to shove it if they try to bill me?

Yes .... but don't get your hopes up. They are not going to send you a bunch of unsolicited books and dvds. You will probably get one unsolicited book or one dvd. If you keep it and don't pay for it they will not send you any other items, solicited or unsolicited.

And just because you can't be turned over to a collection agency and have it reported against your credit record DOES NOT mean that they won't try very hard to collect from you via bills and telephone calls. They will try to get you to pay, or to return to them at their expense.

This next comment is not directed at you Craigums, it's just a general comment. I fail to see why some people think the fishing club is trying to take advantage of them, and why some people think they are going to get "something for nothing" by paying their $12 dues and expect to be showered with free items, and then call it a scam when they don't get a bunch of free stuff. They are a business, you can't take advantage of them and they can't take advantage of you.

And like any legit business, if you don't like what they're doing to you, call their customer service department and talk to them and they'll go out of their way to try to keep their customers happy. And if that doesn't work, then don't be a customer of theirs any more.