#1 The term "at least 4 CDs" led me to believe that there would be more than 4 albums sent during the year, or at least 4 separate albums. 100%

#2 I saw the tourbook ad where an NPGMC Advertisement appeared illustrating album titles and it looked to me like separate planned releases. 85%

#3 I am not happy that NPGMC has sent only 1 cd with mostly previously released music from year 1. 80%

#4 I am disappointed that NPGMC is reportedly releasing a 3 CD set of old songs performed live to customers at the same time that it is being released to retail at a cheaper price. 80%

#5 Whatever happens, good or bad, i'll think twice before signing up next year. 80%

#6 I feel that positive criticism of NPGMC's service is the only way to make it better. 70%

#7 I think NPGMC posts rude commentary responses to consumer concerns on the website or in its cryptic emails. 65%

#8 NPGMC in the past 10 months has not sent me what I would call exclusively new music. %60

#9 I agree that NPGMC is guilty of false advertising through a PR company posting misleading information that subscribers receive books, instruments and other services for $100. 55%

#9 I think the value of the membership was better last year with the downloads.

#10 NPGMC is ending the service on December 31, 2002 and I was misled to believe that it is a year membership.

#11 NPGMC is not answering to my satisfaction, my paying or potential customer inquiry or complaint.

#12 I have or am thinking of complaining to the BBB or Press about the misleading advertising, the poor customer service or a delivery delay/problem.

[Sure, go ahead and complain if you feel you have received a bum deal. I am satisfied after this years club, and, if givn the chance, will rejoin next year.

If anyone from Prince's camp bothers to read these messages (and who could blame them for not), don't let people put you off doing the club again next year. I love being able to buy direct from a music artist, and have done that more often these days (Ellen Reid, Thea Gilmore, Michelle Branch and more.)

I don't give $.02 about him either, but he sure is one heck of a musician. I wouldn't want him as a friend, but I enjoy listening to him jam.

I just wish that he didn't have a mindless fan base who are willing to pay $15 plus S&H for a zip-lock bag filled with his feces, and then try to shut up others who feel the feces was overpriced or whose feces got lost in the mail.

#10 NPGMC is ending the service on December 31, 2002 and I was misled to believe that it is a year membership.

PhilBH said:

I don't have time to respond to all of the lies you just posted... but please, get out of Prince's but for one minute.

I keep seeing people suggesting contacting the BBB so I am curious:
What do you think the BBB can and/or will do?
Is the shutting down of NPGMC an objective?
70% of those who answered the survey say positive criticism is the only way to make the club better.
Is complaining to the BBB considered positive criticism?

Everyone want to know why this interests a Prince music lover like me? Well 10 years ago, before I became a corporate big shot, I used to be an editor for a newspaper called 'the advocate' and let me tell y'all something. NPG Music Club's whole operation is very VERY sneaky and misleading.

Savannah said:

Are you basing this last statement simply on the concerns expressed at the top of the thread - or do you have some other information that supports this assertion?

We have access to books, instuments, scented candles, the Celebration, concert tickets, sometimes a chat room, the odd downlads.

Ahhh yes, the downlads. We had one of those in London. It was the sight of Candy strutting her stuff in those split leg trousers, which prompted all the women to tell us that!

Savannah y dont u take ur negativity and spend ur time chasing and hounding some1 who gives a ***. All u do is moan moan moan about npgmc, if u hate it so much y dont u just leave? Ur full of negative comments, whinges and complaints. U r not a fam, ur not even interesting. Leave the moaning 4 a while, we here who enjoy the club r sick of hearing u!!!

Prince has said for a while now that record companies were just money grabbing middlemen and unecessary. Well Prince has his freedom now and with that freedom comes the responsibility of running an ethical distribution business. From my experience this year, the NPGMC is at the least very poorly run and possibly a scam.

To me the term "at least 4 CD's" means 4 discs worth of material. Leagally I would say that the NPGMC covered themselves with this statement.

Legally, when unspecific language is used, the rule of thumb is to assume the "common" perception as the message intent. In other words, if someone told you they bought 4 cds at the weekend, what would you think they meant ? If you say "Well, I thought they meant 4 physical disks, possible 4 seperate albums, but equally it could have been two doubles, or a single and a triple.." THEN YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT. Legally, you might say NPGMC covered themeselves, but you'd be wrong.



I think the phrasing of the tourbook is along the lines of - join the NPGMC to access these new albums.

One nite alone - shipped and in CD rack

best of - not going to be crying over this one (then again the live album could constitute a best of?),

Xenophobia - We never know, we could still see this one

Last December - i never really thought of this as an album title, rather a tab for an an unannouced CD.

In what way have you answered the point here ? In what way have we "accessed" these new albums ? Are you kidding me with this shit ?



About half the CD is music that we had heard from the first club years downloads. Some of the tracks were proper individual MP3's, whist others were mixed in the NPG Ahdio thingy. People were begging last year for the Ahdio tracks to be available standalone tracks.

Who was begging ? I dont remember anyone begging ? And lets make this clear, since you seem to be unable to grasp this point. WE PAID FOR THOSE SONGS IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. Okay. Just like when I bought Cream and it had Horny Pony on the B-Side, and then it turns up as one of the monthly downloads. Prince is laughing his arse off at all of this. He's putting out the same music over and over, and hey ! The fucking idiots are paying for it.




Don't really mind, as long as I still get my copy. Were we ever promised exclusive CD's? Only exclusive I remember is the Premium section of NPG retail.

Okay. AGAIN you miss the point. Its not that it isn't exclusive, its just that IT COSTS MORE AS PART OF THE MEMBERSHIP THAN IT DOES IN THE FUCKING SHOP.



My $100 is well spent, gave an opportunity to be in the 2nd row at a concert, close enough to touch Prince. Cost nothing to go the Afterparty - no performance, but still a Nightclub playing nothing but Prince tunes.

Well, that's your choice. Plenty of people have had "ONA" as their single part of the membership. Oh, and two downloads. Whoop.



Criticism where it is due is fair enough, but Prince fans are doing nothing but complaining about every little detail and bringing Crystal Ball stories out allthe time. (by the way, I received my Crystal Ball, Got a free t-shirt and additional disc + a free copy of the War cassette, in a special edition packaging. Only had to wait a couple of extra weeks from the retail release, which I also bought.)

Okay, I have never mentioned Crystal Ball. But if NPGMC really wants to expand its membership (Without sending begging emails asking us to "share with a friend") then they should provide a club in which the members feel they get more than they expected. Then they'd tell people.



Prince doesn't give them the information, they receive requests every day for answers thay can't supply. Wasn't it recently quoted here that Prince only contacts his staff via text messages on the mobile/cell phone. No wonder the posts are cryptic, they must just be copying what he sent.

Part and parcel of NPGMC is to create a little mystery and keep people guessing. Cool. If they didn't have such a bad track record. It's because Year 1 let people down that they are nervous about Year 2. The fact that so many old members signed up for Year 2 shows that people had hope. If they sign up a third time then they are insane.



One nite alone? I wasn't expecting exclusive music, just easier access to it.

Well, ONA is exclusive, so I dont agree with point 8.



Misleading, possibly. Has anyone seen the press releases? We have access to books, instuments, scented candles, the Celebration, concert tickets, sometimes a chat room, the odd downlads.

Okay, lets recap - I have personally had emails and seen ads on the NPGMC site, and seen flyers than were misleading. When I read all the stuff about the exclusive new music, and the fantastic 4 cds, I thought "Wow ! Maybe I should join this club instead" and send this Cd of elevator music back.



No thanks for the downloads, dial up conection in the UK meant it was taking 30 min to an hour per track, with the ahdio show being impossible to downlad due to 2 hour time out with the ISP. Give me CD's anyday, CDR's look ugly compared to printed CD's.

I agree. But how hard would it have been to stick a few tracks a month on download as a perk.



NPGMC 2002 - Hm, 2002 ends 31st December. If you joined after One Nite alone had already shipped what would you be entitled to? Would you expect to receive that album? If so, why should you also have access to the next years first release? We have bought into the 2002 package, not a 12 month subscription like last years club.

I agree. Let it end on Dec 31.



They have no answers to give sadly. No excuse I know, but until we reach the end of the year, please reserve all criticism.

This is the critical point. Until Dec 31st we don not know if the NPGMC is going to make good on all its promises. HOWEVER, I find it pretty doubtful that they will ship ONA live to all the members AND send them "Best of.." "Xenophobia" and "Same December" (or last December, or whatever fucking December it is)



Sure, go ahead and complain if you feel you have received a bum deal. I am satisfied after this years club, and, if givn the chance, will rejoin next year.

If anyone from Prince's camp bothers to read these messages (and who could blame them for not), don't let people put you off doing the club again next year. I love being able to buy direct from a music artist, and have done that more often these days (Ellen Reid, Thea Gilmore, Michelle Branch and more.)