Hi HFJohnson,
I'm going to try and answer your questions based on my experience from a couple of years ago for answers 1 and 2. Hopefully someone will give you answers based on my recently soon.
Hopefully someone who has done this before can help...
1) I assume we get sent something by post before our APs expire giving us the option to renew. How far in advance is this usually sent out (our APs expire in a month)?
Don't count on it. My experience was that one year I did get notice, the next time the expiry of the APs passed without any notice/offer to renew.
2) I believe you get offered 6 months free if you renew in time. Can I use my shareholder discount in addition to this?
Previously it had been the case that these offers could not be combined. You either had an AP for 18 months (12months plus additional 6 months free), or you could have the 15% off (shareholders), but not both.
3) If I renew can I select a different type of AP? Ideally I'd like a Francilien this time if I can get it in advance.
Can't help you on this one, sorry
4) If I don't renew now am I right in assuming that I'll be able to apply by post for an AP later on? We're not going back until next May so the 6 months free aren't much of a benefit so if I had to choose I'd rather get the SH discount.
Yes, and this is what I've just done having not had an AP for nearly 2 years. Have a look at ThBa's thread -
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3076546 from earlier this year for details.
In summary what I did was
1) download, print and complete the renewal form. I had to print the 1st page twice to cover the 4 of us. Despite that fact that our APs expired 2 years ago I still provide the details from these APs for their reference.
If you are looking to use the Shareholders discount, then I also modify the payment form so that I could show the 15% being taken off, what I believed the total to be.
2) Included a covering letter which:
a) explaining what I wanted to do
b) that we'd had APs previously and the details from the previous APs (name, number, expire date)
c) explained that I was looking to use my shareholders discount and included a calculation (again) showing the total price, the discount to be taken off and the price I thought I should be paying as a result.
d) details on my shareholders card, including a scan of both sides of the shareholders card (probably don't need the back, but I included it anyway)
e) scans of recognised ID for each person. As I'm in the UK I include a scan from the UK passport.
Sent this all off to the address shown on the renewal form as international recorded delivery and a week (actually just in the last couple of days) later I can see my credit card has been charged, so hopefully these the completed APs are now on their way back to me.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Iain
