Webguy and AOG

keg

5-Year Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
86
A new form appeared on the admissions portal about the AOG. My parents are interested in the BCT Webguy photos, but the price is steep to pay every month for the course of 4 years- especially because 6 weeks of BCT is the only appeal.

Is there an option only to have a membership for those weeks or is it a "locked in" 4 years?

Thank you
 
A new form appeared on the admissions portal about the AOG. My parents are interested in the BCT Webguy photos, but the price is steep to pay every month for the course of 4 years- especially because 6 weeks of BCT is the only appeal.

Is there an option only to have a membership for those weeks or is it a "locked in" 4 years?

Thank you

I believe in the reading on the new Offering called Parent Plus there is a one year minimum if you sign up. Not 4 years, but 1 I believe if memory serves.
 
Take a HARD, HARD look at how much you (your parents) will pay for one year of photos if you decide to try it for a year. By far most of the pictures will be of BCT, but you will usually also see a few of Recognition. If I were a parent of an entering USAFA cadet, I'd call the AOG and let them know I'm only interested in a Lifetime Membership Plan for my cadet and WebGuy access. They probably won't give you that plan (anymore) but you'll at least be able to add your voice to those of any other parents that think the AOG is being greedy. IMHO...if enough people refuse to pay for this the odds will increase that they may offer some more enticing/affordable plans.

Good Luck at USAFA!
 
I agree that webguy is now too much, and I emailed back and forth and told them that. But my worry is if I don't sign up, hoping to prove a point about the cost, I will miss the BCT pictures. They may lower the price in the future but that won't matter to me if I miss this summer. I feel like I'm stuck :(
 
I certainly can't blame you for choosing not to take a moral stand and I understand why your family would want to see the pictures as soon as they are available. My wife and I went through that 3 years ago. Unfortunately I think the AOG is also aware of that interest and is leveraging it for maximum profit/benefit. At the end of the day your family has to do what they think is right for them.

Good Luck!:thumb:
 
I would look at it this way...the price you pay for Webguy to see a glimpse of your kid is priceless. USAFA is not your typical college...the cost of a regular tuition etc...itself should suffice to pay what the AOG/Webguy is charging...they do a lot for the cadets and raising the cost is the only way to keep up with inflation etc...We've been lucky to see at least a dozen or so pics of our DS from his Orientation to his upcoming Ring Dance. And just seeing a peak of the cadets special events is worth it. :thumb:
 
..the cost of a regular tuition etc...itself should suffice to pay what the AOG/Webguy is charging..
Does the AOG help to fund USAFA? I'm not sure I understand the reasoning of giving tuition "savings" to the AOG.
..they do a lot for the cadets..
Not necessarily disagreeing with you, but when you say the AOG does "lots" what specifically does the AOG do for the cadets while they are at USAFA? Also not sure whether this HUGE increase can be considered the only way to keep up with inflation ect.
 
Not necessarily disagreeing with you, but when you say the AOG does "lots" what specifically does the AOG do for the cadets while they are at USAFA? Also not sure whether this HUGE increase can be considered the only way to keep up with inflation ect.

Specifically for my son, the AOG paid the airfare and travel costs of the Powerlifting Team for away meets. Being a club sport, it is not supported by the athletic department so the AOG pays. I am sure they help the other club teams also. Additionally, the AOG paid for my son's travel and costs for his two-week immersion program to Spain his Junior year.

I know they also paid for other cadets summer internship costs while son was there. AOG also sponsors a lot of the speakers and visiting lecture series that elevate the experiences at the Academy.

Those are just a few of the specific ones that know. I am sure there are many more that I am not aware of from my limited experience

I am still convinced that the cost of the AOG membership is worth it - three years after my son graduated. Remember that the cost is actually for lifetime memberships for both you and your cadet. It is an investment in future benefits for both you and them. Trust me, the journey does not end at graduation by any means.

Stealth_81
 
I thought Webguy just cost $20.18/month for four years for the class of $20.18. Did it go up? During those 4 years, the parents are AOG members. After that, if you don't buy a parent membership, you are no longer members. An additional life time membership for the cadets seemed to be about $700, however it seems right around graduation, the AOG offers firsties a membership for about half off.

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I'm waiting to see what the offer will be for DD since DH is already an AOG life time member. Anyone know the benefits of membership for the cadet for those 4 years?
 
I thought Webguy just cost $20.18/month for four years for the class of $20.18. Did it go up? During those 4 years, the parents are AOG members. After that, if you don't buy a parent membership, you are no longer members. An additional life time membership for the cadets seemed to be about $700, however it seems right around graduation, the AOG offers firsties a membership for about half off.

Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app


For 2018 onward the only offering is the Parent Plus program. $20 + Class Year monthly cost is discontinued. Its a whole-nother ball game now to get web guy.
http://www.usafawebguy.com/aog-usafa-parent-member-plus
http://www.usafa.org/Membership/ParentMembership
 
I thought Webguy just cost $20.18/month for four years for the class of $20.18. Did it go up?
Yes.....substantially.
Additionally you can no longer just cancel the WebGuy portion and continue to pay for an AOG Lifetime Membership for your cadet.
I interpret this as 48 monthly payments of $39.72 per month ($1906.56)

http://www.usafawebguy.com/aog-usafa-parent-member-plus
"Dues
The Parent Plus Membership dues will be collected monthly by credit card in the amount of $39.72. This is a 4-year program designed to be enjoyed for a lifetime. Monthly payments stop when your cadet graduates, but your benefits will continue."

 
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I am still convinced that the cost of the AOG membership is worth it - three years after my son graduated. Remember that the cost is actually for lifetime memberships for both you and your cadet. It is an investment in future benefits for both you and them.
I looked at the future benefits for us (parents) and just don't see any (enough) value in them. My son is a different story. I was happy to purchase a lifetime membership for him. He will hopefully be a USAFA grad and should (IMHO) be a member.

I am concerned that in an effort to increase their membership (and funds) that this "new" plan may be too costly for some parents. Forcing it on parents that primarily are interested in seeing pictures of their cadets while at USAFA seems wrong to me. It seems as though the AOG is really taking advantage of their exclusive access to our cadets and I find it disappointing. JMPO...
 
I would much rather have all of the AOG products offered a la cart. Instead we are getting the all inclusive option. No way do I think Webguy pics are worth 48x$40, and at this point Webguy pics are the only AOG product I am interested in. If this is my only choice, I will sign up and definitely cancel after one year. However, I'm sure some analyst at AOG put some assumptions in a spreadsheet and determined that there will be a net increase to their bottom line. Good for them. They are free to charge whatever they want to for their products. The market will determine if they made the correct decision.
 
I would much rather have all of the AOG products offered a la cart. Instead we are getting the all inclusive option. No way do I think Webguy pics are worth 48x$40, and at this point Webguy pics are the only AOG product I am interested in. If this is my only choice, I will sign up and definitely cancel after one year. However, I'm sure some analyst at AOG put some assumptions in a spreadsheet and determined that there will be a net increase to their bottom line. Good for them. They are free to charge whatever they want to for their products. The market will determine if they made the correct decision.

+1
 
I looked at the future benefits for us (parents) and just don't see any (enough) value in them. My son is a different story. I was happy to purchase a lifetime membership for him. He will hopefully be a USAFA grad and should (IMHO) be a member.

I am concerned that in an effort to increase their membership (and funds) that this "new" plan may be too costly for some parents. Forcing it on parents that primarily are interested in seeing pictures of their cadets while at USAFA seems wrong to me. It seems as though the AOG is really taking advantage of their exclusive access to our cadets and I find it disappointing. JMPO...


Agree!
 
It seems as though the AOG is really taking advantage of their exclusive access to our cadets and I find it disappointing. JMPO...

I felt the same way about the AOG, even while I was a cadet.

The AOG controls fundraising for cadet clubs. When I was there, the football team got in the neighborhood of $500K/yr while the 90 other cadet clubs got a total sum of about $30K/yr. That among other things convinced me that the AOG's priorities and methods were not making it an organization I wanted to support. It is disappointing because it could be a great organization for cadets and grads, but my main interactions with it usually resulted in more frustration than benefits.
 
I'm waiting to see what the offer will be for DD since DH is already an AOG life time member. Anyone know the benefits of membership for the cadet for those 4 years?
Not sure what the benefit to your DD would be while she is at USAFA. Of course since your DH is an AOG life time member you already have "free" access to WebGuy.
http://www.usafawebguy.com/lifemembers

If it were me, I'd wait until my DD was a Firstie and close to graduation before purchasing any membership from the AOG. I suspect there will be some great deals to be had when the AOG is trying to convince all the future officers that a membership is a good idea. Additionally you won't have "wasted" a year or two of membership payments in the event that your DD doesn't Commit for some reason. Not saying THAT is going to happen but my understanding is that the AOG does NOT refund monies that you've paid for memberships if your cadet doesn't graduate.

Good Luck to you and your daughter!:thumb:
 
In my emails with them I asked what my cost would be if DS follows his sister to AFA. I was told since I would already have a lifetime membership my dues for his membership would be $5 a month. That's doable but I'm still struggling with $39.72 for DD.
 
I was told since I would already have a lifetime membership my dues for his membership would be $5 a month.
Wow! I wonder if parents of twins that both attend USAFA will have a Parents Plus Plus option for the low, low price of only $2146 and reasonable monthly payments of ONLY $44.71?

FWIW - Parents of the 2015 Class paid $20.15 per month for 48 months in order to access WebGuy ($967.00). However our cadet's AOG Lifetime Memberships cost $750.00 ($25 per month for 30 months). Total of $1717.00. We did/do have the benefit of cancelling one without affecting the other.

Good Luck with your decision!
 
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