Terms of Membership
These are the Terms of Sale in regard to the application for and purchase of membership of the Scottish Association for Country Sports - SACS.
Acceptable Payment Methods for SACS Membership are:
Cheque
Payment is banked upon receipt.
Post-dated cheques cannot be accepted.
Credit Card / Debit Card
On enrolment full payment is taken at the start of the membership.
Membership is by annual subscription.
At renewal, when you provide us with your credit card details, full payment is taken on that date, whether it be before, on or after the renewal date.
Direct Debits
With your written authority, your bank details are held on our records and your account is debited automatically each year with full payment until you advise us and your bank otherwise.
Please note:
SACS takes no responsibility for any charges or interest incurred where your bank or credit card account is approached for payment, but cleared funds are not available.
In the event that we take Direct Debit payment after you have cancelled your membership, we will refund that payment.
In the event of a change in your bank details there is a risk that we may take payment twice, in which case we will refund any money taken in error.
Membership Subscription Refunds Policy
Refunds on subscriptions will be made only in the following circumstances:
Where a SACS processing error has resulted in SACS overcharging the member for their subscription.
Where a processing or system error has resulted in, or allowed a duplicate membership record to be set up and charged.
Where a member has contacted SACS to cancel or amend a membership payment, but where SACS has been unable to process that request in time to prevent further payment being taken, providing the cancellation request was submitted prior to the payment collection date. It should be noted that even if a member contacts SACS before the collection date, because of lead times required for Direct Debit or annual credit card collections it may still not be possible to prevent collection of payment.
Where a member is transferring to a membership category with a lower annual cost having already paid in advance for a higher cost category.
Where a member wishes to transfer to monthly Direct Debit payments having already paid annually in advance.
Where a processing or transaction error attributed to SACS has resulted in the member incurring bank charges.
When will refunds not be made?
Refunds of membership subscription will only be made at SACS discretion.
On joining SACS as a member, you undertake to pay £1 to the SACS assets in the unlikely event that the association should be wound up whilst you are a member or within one year after you cease to be a member, for payment of the company's debts and liabilities and of the costs, charges and expenses of winding up.
Refunds cannot be made to members who indicate that they should retrospectively have been in another membership category. The onus is with the member to inform us of required changes to their circumstances or age brackets at the time of those changes.
Cancelling membership: Any member has the right to have his/her name removed from membership at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, there shall be no refund of any part of the subscription already paid.
Refunds cannot be paid in respect of previous membership years.
Information Processing & Data Collection
SACS is a not-for-profit membership association, which provides members with a number of benefits, including sector and Government representation and advocacy. As a strictly non-commercial entity, SACS collects members names, addresses, emails and contact telephone numbers solely for the purposes of membership administration and the effective representation of members' interests. Other than simply confirming your membership and insurance status to landowners, farmers, police or discount providers (e.g. to action a vehicle purchase discount) on request or acting on your behalf on firearms licensing or wildlife matters, we do not and will not pass your details on to third parties - period. SACS takes its responsibility in regard to the safe and secure storage of your limited personal information seriously and we host membership databases on encrypted drives and networks.
Communication from SACS to members will include administrative, advocacy, informative, benefit-oriented or case-based telephone calls, letters, emails or text messages. Amongst other benefits, SACS provides members with member-relevant industry offers, such as vehicle discounts or gun shop deals. These may be mentioned in more regular communications as updates on latest offers available to members, which we provide as a courtesy.
By subscribing to SACS as a member you are providing tacit consent for regular communication related to your membership or membership benefits on offer, which is the essence of your membership of this Association and a long-established norm for membership bodies.
Membership renewal reminders are sent by email, text and post. It is our experience that many members forget to renew and repeated reminders are necessary for those who did not with their membership to expire. Please inform us promptly if you do not wish to renew membership in order that we may securely remove your details.
Your Right to Cancel
You are entitled to cancel your membership up to 14 working days following the date of commencement (or renewal) of your membership.
A full refund of the membership fee will be paid upon cancellation within the 14 days.
If you do not pay to renew your membership promptly, we reserve the right to cancel your membership.
Proscribed Persons
SACS membership will be automatically invalidated for persons who attempt to re-join the Association, but have had membership previously cancelled or refused due to misconduct, criminal activity or actions which bring the Association or our community sector into disrepute.
Membership will be refused to persons who threaten or abuse SACS committee members or employees. The Association has a zero-tolerance policy for abuse of any form directed towards those who work on behalf of the Association and its members.
Any member who, by word or deed, abuses SACS committee members or staff will have their membership cancelled. No refund will be payable for any remaining period.
Social Media Policy
Any member who, by written comment on social media, brings the Association into disrepute or abuses any SACS committee member or employee will have their membership cancelled.
The Association reserves the right to pursue matters should any social media or any other public comment or other form of communication be defamatory.
Criminal Conduct
The Association is not permitted to become involved in membership matters or legal defence or guidance issues related to criminality, including domestic violence or abuse cases, whether historical, current, under investigation or following a conviction.
Please note that a criminal investigation or conduct may invalidate any claim made under the members' insurance policy. This is normal practice where insurance policies are bounded by lawful conduct. As a country sports and shooting advocacy body, SACS cannot become involved in criminal or related matters.
Ethics & Values
SACS operates by a strict code of ethics and values, which include integrity, commitment, passion and member service. Members take pride in the value and service based culture at SACS, which results in further recommendations to friends and family.
However, there are a tiny minority who, by their discreditable attitude and conduct, do not share the basic values supported by the majority of members. Any member who by their conduct or attitude brings the Association into disrepute will have their membership cancelled with immediate effect.
SACS Staff, Committee & Volunteers
SACS staff work long and hard to support members and protect our shared way of life. It is not unusual for staff to give up almost every weekend in the year to support members and work long into the wee hours on cases and Government consultations. Please support them for their passion and commitment. In turn, if you share this passion and would like to volunteer or have particular skills and experience necessary for the management committee, then you are most welcome to call us on 01350 724 228 for a chat.
If you have any questions or suggestions then please get in touch. We love talking with our members and taking member service to a new level.