We wanted to simplify our offer, give equal opportunities to all our Premium members to access Globes, and make it easy for our members to renew their membership automatically.
Of course, Premium members have complete control of their own account and can request to cancel automatic renewal at any time.
We're guaranteeing your existing price for your next renewal when the date comes around.
If you're on auto-renewal now, the existing price (USD 95) will be automatically paid for your next renewal. If you are not on automatic renewal, the existing price (USD 95) will be available to you next time to renew manually. Just don’t let your membership lapse!
We haven't made a decision about future prices beyond the existing guarantee.
Yes, absolutely. These changes are about what will happen after your existing membership expires.
Your next renewal is guaranteed at the existing one-year Premium price, USD 95.
As a 3-year member, you won't have an automatic renewal. When you get closer to your renewal date, you will be able to renew at the existing one-year Premium price (USD 95). Your renewal price is guaranteed as long as you don't let your membership lapse.
If you're a Founder, you can renew at any time, even today!
Your next renewal is guaranteed at the existing one-year Premium price, USD 95.
As a Founder, you can pay for your next renewal at any time, even today, as long as your renewal date is in 2024 (if you've paid for an additional period, our payment gateway won't accept payments for services further into the future, sorry).
Why would you pay your renewal early? Because your Membership Renewal Globe will unlock immediately upon payment, giving you even more exchange opportunities. This is a way to reward your loyalty.
Existing members are guaranteed their next renewal at the existing one-year Premium price, USD 95, as long as your membership doesn't lapse.
We charge a very reasonable and great value all-you-can-eat annual fee with the expectation that our members will continue to pay for our service while they use it. Unfortunately, that means that if membership expires, the benefits of membership will be removed: access to our site will be restricted, exchanges will be canceled and Globes returned to the system.
People who have previously been members, are not automatically removed from the system in case they want to rejoin. After a period of non-membership, profiles will be removed.
On the contrary, from now on, Trial members will be able to see everything on the platform (although we'll still allow Premium members to limit access .. privacy is of the utmost importance to us and our members), send messages to anyone including other Trial members, and to arrange their first exchange.
In return for the increased access, we are limiting our trials to 30 days. We know that our members get the best experience and a better chance of gaining an exchange when they have access to all PLU functions. We also want to develop a process that supports and encourages a high level of response between members. We know that Premium members almost always respond when they receive an enquiry.
We want new members to have a fair chance to experience our wonderful community and to see everything that we have to offer.
We are increasing the access to our system for Trial members, giving a full access to our Premium service. Trial members will be able to see everything on the platform (we still do allow our paid Premium members to restrict access if they wish .. privacy is of the utmost importance to us), send messages to anyone including other Trial members, and to arrange their first exchange. In return for the increased access, we will require a pre-authorisation for membership.
Of course, if you don't want to proceed, you can cancel the authorisation at any stage and end your trial of our service.
Yes, everyone needs to be Premium to join. If Trial, you can propose an exchange to them but they'll need to be premium to accept it.
Yes, you have full access to make enquiries and propose actual exchanges, even to other members also on a trial. If accepted, though, you need to be Premium to finalise the exchange. Exchanges are not confirmed until finalised.
Until now, we've allowed Trial members to host Premium members for a Globe. Any exchanges that have been agreed under this system will be honoured.
In future, you can also propose exchanges with members trialling our Premium system but they'll need to be Premium to accept your proposal. Exchanges cannot be arranged with non-members.
You can, but we ask you to consider that these new members have made a commitment to pay and pre-authorised payment.
If the pre-authorisation is cancelled, their trial of our Premium service will end and they will become a Non-Member of the system. In this case, their visibility of your profile will be governed by the settings for Non-Members.
Our new Trial membership of our Premium service is a full trial, meaning that you can access every part of our system.
Unfortunately, that means that if your trial expires, the benefits of membership will be removed: access to our site will be restricted, exchanges will be cancelled and Globes returned to the system.
Non-members, i.e. people who have previously been members, are not automatically removed from the system in case they want to rejoin. After a period of non-membership, profiles will be removed.
No. Trials are limited to one per person.
Non-Premium members are people who have previously had access to our system with a Premium service or a trial, but have allowed it to lapse, or those that have never signed up to a Trial but have completed their profile. Profiles are retained for a period and then deleted.
Non-Premium members can receive messages from Premium members but not respond to them.
Yes, this is likely, but we have no interest in having a large volume of homes on the site where members aren't engaged or responsive. We want our members to have the best possible experience and a great experience comes when other members are active and responsive.
All new members will receive a locked Globe. To unlock it for use, members are required to host another member for a period of 5 nights or more (this can be over more than one exchange).
If the Globe remains locked after a year, it will be unlocked on the member's first renewal.
Yes, you'll also receive a locked Globe. The Globe will unlock on your next renewal.
All existing Premium members will receive one Globe, locked until your next renewal. Your next renewal is also guaranteed at the existing price, USD 95.
Since they were introduced, Globes have been very popular. While we still remain overwhelmingly a reciprocal exchange community, Globes have become very popular for making exchanges easier to organise.
While their popularity is undeniable, we remain committed to keeping People Like Us a traditional exchange community.
Our 3-year subscription has been very popular, partly because of the discount, but mostly because of the Globe that was earned for the longer commitment. We want to align Globes with our aims for our PLU community.
We want our new members to experience a genuine, sharing exchange experience. We believe that is best felt from hosting another member. We're using Globes to make sure that all new members will do this first, before receiving their Globe for a non-reciprocal exchange.
We have a back stop in place that if someone truly can't host in their first year but wants to remain a committed member, that their Globe will unlock on the first renewal. We feel that's fair.
We're distributing one Globe for each existing member and one for each new member in our community. At this time, we have no plans to introduce further Globes with renewals.
We want our new members to experience a genuine, sharing exchange experience. We believe, is best felt from hosting another member.
This can be any type of exchange: simultaneous, non-simultaneous, non-reciprocal or hospitality, as long as the other member is staying in your place for 5 nights or more.
We're using Globes to make sure that all new members will do this first, before receiving their Globe for a non-reciprocal exchange.
When Globes were first introduced, there were more Globes than members in our system. At the time, we had no mechanism for introducing new Globes and the proportion dropped significantly.
When we introduced our Premium membership, new Globes were introduced but today still, over 40% of members do not have a Globe.
Our experience is that Globes are seen to be very valuable and, consequently, people save them. While a Globe can be used for any duration of time, typically they are used for around 7-10 days. They are hardly ever used for shorter stays.
We need to add Globes to the system but we need to do it steadily. The method we've chosen for distribution will introduce them steadily over the next 3 years. Existing members will receive their unlocked Globe as they renew. New members will unlock their Globes over time as they do exchanges.
Yes, a Globe will be allocated, locked, to all new members. It will be unlocked once 5 nights of hosting are achieved, or upon the first renewal, whichever comes first.
No.
While your membership status will be downgraded to Non-Member (as we don't have any more Trial members), your Globe will be held in escrow for you for another 12 months in case you join us as a Premium member in future.
No, future exchanges with Trial Members that exist at the time of the update won't be cancelled but if they do not become Premium members, they will no longer be able to message you via the platform. As the Trial Member is not committing to People Like Us, you're advised to communicate closely to ensure the exchange will still be honoured.
Yes. All members are expected to keep their membership current until all agreed exchanges have been completed.
Yes.
Globes never expire while your membership is maintained but they will expire with your membership.
In order to unlock your membership Globe, you have to host another member for 5 nights or more. Host means to have another member at your home (whether or not you're home).
This can be any type of exchange: simultaneous, non-simultaneous, non-reciprocal or hospitality. The important thing is that the member is staying at your home to qualify toward the count of days.