Why is it that Dave Latourette and the Vinemen crew can put on a successful race which incorporates a decent (dare I say good) refund and wait list policy while so many others simply stick to the “No Refund, No Exceptions” rule?
Let me take a stab at an answer from the other groups: “Because we can”.
I know others will rush to the defense of race directors, but I agree. It’s one thing if race directors can’t resell the vacated spots or if the race is within days or weeks, but in the case of the most popular races, resale is a guarantee. The absolute “no refund” policies have always struck me as selling the same thing twice.
It’s all about the $$$. They sell way more spots than they expect to have participants on race day and pocket the $$ of those who paid and didn’t show up. Easy pickin’s really. If they had a refund and wait list policy they would make less money and have to deal with more hassle.
The most popular races in my area occur during times of the year when we’re most prone to massive ‘Acts of God’ events. Trying to sort out who should get charged when 100 people suddenly try to withdraw after the hurricane watch goes up is not something a RD wants to try to handle.
yeah, i probably only got in to Vineman this year, because of the refund policy. so many people dropped out that i got in. I was like 180 on the waiting list. and then after everybody got in they emailed everybody saying they still had 50 slots left.
yeah that is what gets me about these big races. No refunds.
last year i signed up for the OC Tri and it was cancelled and changed to a Duathalon. So the RD said he sent out an email and said i can get a refund or roll it over to the next race the Pac. coast Tri. Well i did the OC Duathlon. and i never got the refund i was due(the Duathlon was less than the Tri) he said he gave it to Charity. So i said then send me my Charitable receipt. Emailed him several times and he never emailed me back. so now i boycott his races and try to get my friends to do other races instead of those.