Lifetime and etools
 

I have a question about etools. I have a monthly pass now and really love the etools. When I life (again), how much does etools cost? or does no one use it after maintenance?

In the past it has cost money (I'm not sure of the amount). Anyway, I have heard that one of the changes is being made in December is that lifetime members who weigh in no more than 2 pounds above goal each month will get etools for free. I'm hoping to get back there soon and look forward to that benefit. I don't know that it has been officially announced yet so check with your leader.

That's 2 pounds plus or minus for free etools.

I know that to become lifetime at the end of maintenance you must be not more than 2 pounds above or more than 2 pounds below your goal weight.

The website clearly says:

http://www.weightwatchers.com/help/i...pageid=1028501

But that isn't what it says to maintain your free status as lifetime (doesn't talk about etools yet since that isn't announced). What is says there is:

http://www.weightwatchers.com/help/i...pageid=1028541

Also:

http://www.weightwatchers.com/help/i...pageid=1028561

There is no point at which there is any indication that lifetime benefits are different if you are more than 2 pounds below goal. (It is possible that individual franchises might be able to set criteria that is different from Weight Watchers' own criteria -- I wouldn't know about that).

If they are going to set different criteria for free etools then that is going to be something very different from what they have been doing for years.

No it is not. When the big program changes were made last year, they made the rule about not being more than 2 pounds below your goal weight so that people didn't allow themselves too big of a cushion before getting any gain off.

Well, not where I live. Here, once you get to lifetime, it is fine to be more than 2 pounds under. This may vary in different locales and whether it is a franchise or not.

I reached lifetime right after all the big program changes and the "Terms of Lifetime Membership" brochure I was given states: "If you are more than 2 pounds below your goal weight, you do not have to pay the weekly fee. However, you may want to consider adjusting your weight goal, to be in line with our policy of being within 2 pounds of your weight goal. Ask your Receptionist for more details."

I've been more than 2 pounds under my goal weight several times and have not had to pay for e-Tools or anything else.

E-tools are not free for lifetime members. You still have to pay for it. They have a flyer up at our meeting offering a free 8 week membership for lifetimers to try it, but after that you have to pay for it.

Do you live in a franchised area? Sometimes franchised areas don't do things like WW owned areas.

Anyway -- here is how it works as explained in the meeting I go to. Basically lifetime members sign up for etools and give a credit card number and "pay" for it. However, if you weigh in and not more than 2 pounds above goal then you get a voucher. You go put the voucher in and you get a month free. If you don't get the voucher either because you didn't weigh in or you weigh in more than 2 pounds above goal, then you have to pay.

So - no - lifetime does not get a permanent free membership. However, if you weigh in no more than 2 pounds above goal every month then you get a voucher and each month you enter the voucher into etools and never have to pay unless and until you fail to get a monthly voucher.

You're right! I don't know about other places, but they just started it in my location. From what I understand, you still have to put in your credit card number for the free 8 weeks, and if you don't enter that voucher number in every two months, you get charged automatically (unless you cancel.) So that's something to stay on top of!