Usual YD Rules - What’s Reasonable?

[weazelz]

Originally Posted by Mark Davies

The suggestion isn't that YD become responsible for the trips, but that - as a business venture - they could provide insurance to cover the eventuality of unpaid trip fees. Each trip organiser would pay a premium for the cover (if they wanted it) and know they are then covered if people don't pay up.

so then everyone who drops out can say "nah, I don't fancy paying for my place, the insurance'll cover it"?

[pieater]

Originally Posted by Mark Davies

The suggestion isn't that YD become responsible for the trips, but that - as a business venture - they could provide insurance to cover the eventuality of unpaid trip fees. Each trip organiser would pay a premium for the cover (if they wanted it) and know they are then covered if people don't pay up.

Of course there would have to be the usual insurance stipulations (a set of rules to comply with when organising the trip) to ensure it doesn't get abused, but I think there's potential for YD to make some money out of it. And a useful service for the members.

Anybody in the insurance business who could advise whether it's a viable suggestion?

Ahhhh, a self insurance scheme.

I've been around such things in the past. You'd need some capital up front to start you off.

What would you do about acts of god?

[Mick F]

Originally Posted by pieater

What would you do about acts of god?

Sue God?

[principia]

You sign up and you pay. If you cant play, with luck you will be able to pass the space on.

Its dead easy, way make it any more complicated?

J.

[yazzyfooty]

Originally Posted by principia

You sign up and you pay. If you cant play, with luck you will be able to pass the space on.

Its dead easy, way make it any more complicated?

J.

Because some people dont play the game which leaves the organiser having to dip in their pocket if the diver that cant make it also cant be arsed filling the spot.

[TerryH]

Well TBH we have a blueprint for a system on this very site and it costs
nowt.

You can green people for a post, so why not green them for paying a bill?
Thats what ebay do after all.

Every trip done the organiser ads a mark next to the name on a separate
list. Get an independent mod if neccessary.

This doesnt stop people not paying, but it does mean that there is a
place to flag them when they do that and it highlights newbies who may
need chasing for dosh.

Maybe needs tweaking but the principle is sound.

[stevechesh]

well, i've been left out of pocket a couple of times. Some trips i've organised on various forums, and some i've organised privately off the boards.

There's 101 excuses as to why people can't pay, and i always try to be fair. I had 3 people drop out of a "private" (i.e non forum) Scapa trip last year, all due to unemployment eg: Money was a nightmare, houses on the brink of being repossesed, kids to feed etc, so paying for a diving trip is way way down the priority list, and to be fair, quite rightly so.

2 Spaces were eventually filled through YD in the end, and the remaining space was covered between the original guys who booked on the trip (not the YDers......)

I'm seriously thinking about asking for full payment up front in future, before i even book a boat. I have a friendly arrangement with a few skippers, which means i can book a date on the proviso i fill the spaces. If i can't fill the spaces then i have the option to cancel, BUT, the skipper also has the option to cancel me if he has someone willing to charter him on the same date, but i generally have to make a quick decision over the phone. . . .

So what are the thoughts on everyone paying for the space up front. it certainly seems like the best way to go for me.........

[machiavelli]

Originally Posted by Mark Davies

I've often wondered whether there was scope for the site to offer some form of 'insurance' for people organising trips through the site to cover them for the no-shows.

An unpaid no show is a bad debt and you can certainly insure against bad debts. The insurer would then be entitled to have a go at recovering its loss from the debtor.

Dunno how any insurer would go about setting a premium for this sort of thing though.

[Sparky750]

I'm not sure about the insurance thing, to me being named and shamed on here would be enough especially as we all know what the YD bongo drums are like it would be unlikely that any organiser would let you on again. The only way for the expensive trips in to ask for a large deposit in advance that would limit the damage to the organiser. Not ideal i know we only have to look at what happened to garf last year. I don't think i could ever let someone down and leave them funding me out of their own pocket if there are people doing that name them, i for one won't be diving with someone that leaves a person in the sh*t what would they do underwater? In fact start a thread anyone who's not paid gets their name on it and a chance to offer an explanation to the YD massive if voted not good enough we confiscate their kit and sell it to cover the cost of their space with any extra going to RNLI My hat goes off to the people organising trips without them we're fecked


I hope i don't owe anyone money now

[JasonP]

Originally Posted by stevechesh

So what are the thoughts on everyone paying for the space up front. it certainly seems like the best way to go for me.........

The trouble with that is that then you end up with everyone asking you for lots of money at the beginning of the year. And I can't afford to pay for an entire year's diving in February all up front.

So then you end up with people not booking on your trip.

I'm finding it harder to get people to even sign up in the first place. Still got spaces on my two remaining trips of the year.

Jason