How to Give a SEBA Gift Membership
Giving a SEBA Gift membership is simple. There are slight differences in the steps, depending on whether you have a SEBA website account or not.
If You Have an Existing SEBA Website Account:
If You Do NOT have an Existing SEBA website Account:
Repeat steps 1-3 from the above “Existing Website Account” instructions.
Do I have to be a SEBA member to give a SEBA Gift Membership?
No! Anyone can purchase a SEBA Gift Membership. And there is no limit to the number of gift memberships you can give.
What if the gift recipient never claims the gift or claims it months after receiving it?
SEBA Gift Memberships are similar to gift cards with expiration dates. The recipient’s membership term starts on the date it was purchased by the gift-giver — not on the date the gift-recipient claims the gift and creates his/her website account — and it extends for 12 months.
How will I know if the recipient of my gift membership has claimed the gift?
Once you have purchased a Gift Membership, a tab will be added to your Account page from which you can view the status of all gifts you have purchased. Here’s an example of what that might look like:
Note that there is a link in the “Status” column for “Send Gift Email”. When you first purchased the gift membership, you would have sent such an email to the recipient. That email contains a link that allows the gift recipient to claim the gift and begin his or her membership. If you see that your gift recipient hasn’t claimed the gift after a period of time, you can resend that gift email as many times as you want from this screen.
If I purchase a gift membership for someone, will I continue to pay for that membership every year?
No! SEBA Gift Memberships are not the gift that keeps on giving. Once the gift membership expires, it will be up to the gift recipient to renew.
Why is my membership expiring so soon after my registration date?
If you receive an email notification that your annual SEBA membership either has expired or will expire soon, you may notice that your expiration date less than 12 months from your registration date (i.e., the date your membership was created), and you may wonder why.
The answer is that your registration date is not the same as the start date of your current or recent membership term. If your membership was imported into our new system in 2023, the date you were imported will show up as your registration date.
Know also that if you were one of those active SEBA members who was imported into the new system, we extended your membership term by six (6) months.
So, the bottom line is that you can rest assured that your membership term is not being cut short by any means.
If you still have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us..
What happened to the SEBA FAMILY MEMBERSHIP?
Yes, alas, the SEBA Family Membership option has gone away. Let us explain…
Although the SEBA Family Membership option was once popular, very few members have chosen it in recent years. At last count, only seven of our members are enrolled in this “family plan”, and of those, only two took advantage of having multiple family members receive email copies of the Breakdown.
When we did the math, we saw that fewer than 10% of our members found the Family Membership attractive, and over 70% of those who did ended up paying 20% more than the cost of the Regular (“Personal”) membership without any additional benefits.
For these reasons — and in the interest of keeping things simple as we developed our new and vastly improved SEBA website — we decided, after considerable thought, to retire the Family Membership option.
But don’t despair! We’re taking care of everyone.
First of all, with the cutover to the new website, every current member will have his/her membership extended six (6) months past his or her official expiration date.
In addition, we are giving FREE Personal Memberships to all individuals who were added to Family Memberships that are still active. These free Personal Memberships will extend to coincide with the terms of their “parent” memberships.
Here’s an example:
Suppose you have an active Family Membership whose term started on April 1, 2022 and officially ends on March 31, 2023. Further suppose that you had added two children, Jean and Pat, to your Family Membership. In this scenario, your membership will extend to September 30, 2023, and both Jean and Pat will have FREE Personal Memberships that also extend to September 30, 2023.
Thank you for your understanding.
What is the easiest way to sign up as a new member? On-line or Email?
You can sign up online right here on this website, here.
Payment can be through PayPal or Check.
What are the requirements to qualify as a Business Bluegrass Band?
If you consider your Band to be a Bluegrass band, that’s probably enough to qualify.
Head on over to the Sign-Up Page to create a Business Membership for your Band.
How old do I have to be to join?
There is no age limit for SEBA Membership on either end of the age spectrum. However, if you are too young to hold a pen to fill out the Membership Application, you might want to seek adult assistance….
Do you have handouts I can give to potential members?
Yes, there is a page in each Breakdown designed specifically for this. We expect to have that handout available directly from this website, soon, too.
Benefits of SEBA Membership
The benefits of Membership in SEBA are many. More than will fit in this FAQ
Look here, please: Benefits of SEBA Membership
Do I have to be a SEBA Member to attend a Jam?
No, of course not. All are welcome at SEBA Jams regardless of their Musical/Experience level. These are open acoustic Bluegrass Jams for pickers, singers, and audience of all levels. Everyone is welcome regardless of your skill in picking, skill in singing, or skill in audiencing….
You may be offered an opportunity to join SEBA, but that is not a requirement for participating in a SEBA Jam either as a musician or audience….
Do I need to live in the South Eastern United States to join SEBA?
No. While SEBA is focused on the South Eastern states, we are a part of the nation-wide (world-wide) Bluegrass Community and are open to all for Membership regardless of where you reside.
However, if you live in a land Far, Far Away, it may be difficult to make it to the Chapter Meetings. You could, of course, start a new SEBA Chapter in your neighborhood! See any Breakdown issue for information on starting new Chapters…
Tell me more about Business Memberships
Business Memberships are for Bands, Promotors, and more.
Details for Business Memberships and differences with Personal Memberships are shown on the Sign-Up Page.
Can I have both a Personal and a Business account?
Yes, but you must register separately — with unique email addresses — for each.
Head on over to the Sign-Up Page to create a Personal and Business Membership for yourself.
What is a Profile Page?
Profile Page
Your Profile Page displays the information in your Membership Account. You enter this information when you Join SEBA and can update it whenever you like. Details for Business Memberships and differences with Personal Memberships are shown on the Join SEBA Page.
For about including Video, Social Network Links, and listing of Band/Team Members is shown there.
What payment methods are accepted?
We accept:
- Online Payment with credit card via PayPal – Preferred
Your membership will be activated as soon as you complete your registration and payment. Your membership auto-renews as long as you don’t cancel before the renewal date and your credit card is still valid. - Pay by check
Your membership will be active as soon as we manually update your account after receiving your payment. Make checks payable to Southeastern Bluegrass Association and send to: SEBA, PO Box 7286, Marietta, GA 30065 Please be patient and allow 5-10 business days for your account to be updated; we’re an all-volunteer outfit, and we spend a lot more time pickin’ than sitting in front of computers! - Cash
We also accept cash payments at SEBA events.
If I pay by credit card, will my membership auto-renew?
All SEBA memberships are annual, auto-renewing memberships. However, you can cancel your membership at any time before the next billing date, and your membership will not auto-renew.
Example:
Suppose your current membership started on Jun 14, 2023 and your next billing date is June 14, 2024. If you cancel any time before June 14, 2024, your membership will remain in force up until June 15, 2024. (Your membership will not be cancelled when you initiate the cancellation.)
Please note that you will receive email reminders one month before your auto-renew date and again one week before your next billing date.
Alto note that if you wanted to cancel your membership but neglected to do so for whatever reason, simply contact us within 30 days after your membership renewed, and we will refund your membership fee.
How to cancel?
Simply go to the Subscriptions tab of your Account dashboard and click the Cancel link.
“What if I paid by check or cash?”
If you paid your subscription by check or cash, you will still receive email reminder about your next billing date. We will manually renew your subscription upon receipt of your check.
How to Give a SEBA Gift Membership
Giving a SEBA Gift membership is simple. There are slight differences in the steps, depending on whether you have a SEBA website account or not.
If You Have an Existing SEBA Website Account:
If You Do NOT have an Existing SEBA website Account:
Repeat steps 1-3 from the above “Existing Website Account” instructions.
Do I have to be a SEBA member to give a SEBA Gift Membership?
No! Anyone can purchase a SEBA Gift Membership. And there is no limit to the number of gift memberships you can give.
What if the gift recipient never claims the gift or claims it months after receiving it?
SEBA Gift Memberships are similar to gift cards with expiration dates. The recipient’s membership term starts on the date it was purchased by the gift-giver — not on the date the gift-recipient claims the gift and creates his/her website account — and it extends for 12 months.
How will I know if the recipient of my gift membership has claimed the gift?
Once you have purchased a Gift Membership, a tab will be added to your Account page from which you can view the status of all gifts you have purchased. Here’s an example of what that might look like:
Note that there is a link in the “Status” column for “Send Gift Email”. When you first purchased the gift membership, you would have sent such an email to the recipient. That email contains a link that allows the gift recipient to claim the gift and begin his or her membership. If you see that your gift recipient hasn’t claimed the gift after a period of time, you can resend that gift email as many times as you want from this screen.
If I purchase a gift membership for someone, will I continue to pay for that membership every year?
No! SEBA Gift Memberships are not the gift that keeps on giving. Once the gift membership expires, it will be up to the gift recipient to renew.
Why is my membership expiring so soon after my registration date?
If you receive an email notification that your annual SEBA membership either has expired or will expire soon, you may notice that your expiration date less than 12 months from your registration date (i.e., the date your membership was created), and you may wonder why.
The answer is that your registration date is not the same as the start date of your current or recent membership term. If your membership was imported into our new system in 2023, the date you were imported will show up as your registration date.
Know also that if you were one of those active SEBA members who was imported into the new system, we extended your membership term by six (6) months.
So, the bottom line is that you can rest assured that your membership term is not being cut short by any means.
If you still have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us..
What happened to the SEBA FAMILY MEMBERSHIP?
Yes, alas, the SEBA Family Membership option has gone away. Let us explain…
Although the SEBA Family Membership option was once popular, very few members have chosen it in recent years. At last count, only seven of our members are enrolled in this “family plan”, and of those, only two took advantage of having multiple family members receive email copies of the Breakdown.
When we did the math, we saw that fewer than 10% of our members found the Family Membership attractive, and over 70% of those who did ended up paying 20% more than the cost of the Regular (“Personal”) membership without any additional benefits.
For these reasons — and in the interest of keeping things simple as we developed our new and vastly improved SEBA website — we decided, after considerable thought, to retire the Family Membership option.
But don’t despair! We’re taking care of everyone.
First of all, with the cutover to the new website, every current member will have his/her membership extended six (6) months past his or her official expiration date.
In addition, we are giving FREE Personal Memberships to all individuals who were added to Family Memberships that are still active. These free Personal Memberships will extend to coincide with the terms of their “parent” memberships.
Here’s an example:
Suppose you have an active Family Membership whose term started on April 1, 2022 and officially ends on March 31, 2023. Further suppose that you had added two children, Jean and Pat, to your Family Membership. In this scenario, your membership will extend to September 30, 2023, and both Jean and Pat will have FREE Personal Memberships that also extend to September 30, 2023.
Thank you for your understanding.
What is the easiest way to sign up as a new member? On-line or Email?
You can sign up online right here on this website, here.
Payment can be through PayPal or Check.
What are the requirements to qualify as a Business Bluegrass Band?
If you consider your Band to be a Bluegrass band, that’s probably enough to qualify.
Head on over to the Sign-Up Page to create a Business Membership for your Band.
How old do I have to be to join?
There is no age limit for SEBA Membership on either end of the age spectrum. However, if you are too young to hold a pen to fill out the Membership Application, you might want to seek adult assistance….
Do you have handouts I can give to potential members?
Yes, there is a page in each Breakdown designed specifically for this. We expect to have that handout available directly from this website, soon, too.
Benefits of SEBA Membership
The benefits of Membership in SEBA are many. More than will fit in this FAQ
Look here, please: Benefits of SEBA Membership
Do I have to be a SEBA Member to attend a Jam?
No, of course not. All are welcome at SEBA Jams regardless of their Musical/Experience level. These are open acoustic Bluegrass Jams for pickers, singers, and audience of all levels. Everyone is welcome regardless of your skill in picking, skill in singing, or skill in audiencing….
You may be offered an opportunity to join SEBA, but that is not a requirement for participating in a SEBA Jam either as a musician or audience….
Do I need to live in the South Eastern United States to join SEBA?
No. While SEBA is focused on the South Eastern states, we are a part of the nation-wide (world-wide) Bluegrass Community and are open to all for Membership regardless of where you reside.
However, if you live in a land Far, Far Away, it may be difficult to make it to the Chapter Meetings. You could, of course, start a new SEBA Chapter in your neighborhood! See any Breakdown issue for information on starting new Chapters…
Tell me more about Business Memberships
Business Memberships are for Bands, Promotors, and more.
Details for Business Memberships and differences with Personal Memberships are shown on the Sign-Up Page.
Can I have both a Personal and a Business account?
Yes, but you must register separately — with unique email addresses — for each.
Head on over to the Sign-Up Page to create a Personal and Business Membership for yourself.
What is a Profile Page?
Profile Page
Your Profile Page displays the information in your Membership Account. You enter this information when you Join SEBA and can update it whenever you like. Details for Business Memberships and differences with Personal Memberships are shown on the Join SEBA Page.
For about including Video, Social Network Links, and listing of Band/Team Members is shown there.
What payment methods are accepted?
We accept:
- Online Payment with credit card via PayPal – Preferred
Your membership will be activated as soon as you complete your registration and payment. Your membership auto-renews as long as you don’t cancel before the renewal date and your credit card is still valid. - Pay by check
Your membership will be active as soon as we manually update your account after receiving your payment. Make checks payable to Southeastern Bluegrass Association and send to: SEBA, PO Box 7286, Marietta, GA 30065 Please be patient and allow 5-10 business days for your account to be updated; we’re an all-volunteer outfit, and we spend a lot more time pickin’ than sitting in front of computers! - Cash
We also accept cash payments at SEBA events.
If I pay by credit card, will my membership auto-renew?
All SEBA memberships are annual, auto-renewing memberships. However, you can cancel your membership at any time before the next billing date, and your membership will not auto-renew.
Example:
Suppose your current membership started on Jun 14, 2023 and your next billing date is June 14, 2024. If you cancel any time before June 14, 2024, your membership will remain in force up until June 15, 2024. (Your membership will not be cancelled when you initiate the cancellation.)
Please note that you will receive email reminders one month before your auto-renew date and again one week before your next billing date.
Alto note that if you wanted to cancel your membership but neglected to do so for whatever reason, simply contact us within 30 days after your membership renewed, and we will refund your membership fee.
How to cancel?
Simply go to the Subscriptions tab of your Account dashboard and click the Cancel link.
“What if I paid by check or cash?”
If you paid your subscription by check or cash, you will still receive email reminder about your next billing date. We will manually renew your subscription upon receipt of your check.