BE events why do some not keep waitlists?

Santa_Claus

Santa_Claus

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www.katiemortimore.com
Ok seriously why do so many events not keep waitlists? I have withdrawn from tweseldown on Saturday and have been told no waitlist so no refund.

I suspect there are lots of people who would love my spot considering all the cancellations but they can't get it. Although suspect it will get filled but can't exactly prove that.

I hopefully won't be out of pocket as should be getting my money refunded from owners of horse responsible for the injury but that isn't the point as its depriving someone else from getting a run. I purposefully made my decision before the final withdrawal date so there was time to fill my space but ho hum!
 
Of course it will get filled.

The event will take a double entry and the competitor looses.

The one huge flaw in BE IMO.

Event should be forced to run and declare their waitlists.
 
A local event to me never holds a waitlist but the sections are always "very" full and if you turn up with an extra on the day they will be fitted in somewhere - there are always a good few handwritten on the sheets. The other local event holds waitlists and are totally genuine with their refunds policy. I fail to understand why one event can and another can't.
 
For exactly the reason you state above - because doubtless someone will fill the space on the day, the event gets double the money and the rider loses out. I know some events accept a few more than can run to ensure full sections, but I think the waitlist issue is one of the biggest scams going in BE. The day I w/d and the pro rider behind me said they had an extra horse on the lorry, took my space and I got no refund was pretty low!

IMO if Amanda Ratcliffe had been at all serious about representing the grassroots rider, she should have been campaigning for a change to this setup. I think all events should have a # per section, then whether they ballot or just close entries they should have a numbered waitlist based either on date of entry or order of ballot, and these should be published. It's funny how the smaller events can always manage to run a waitlist but the bigger ones that attract the pros never seem to....
 
Am very tempted to count number in section today and again after it runs to effectively see if my slot is taken. If it has I feel a complaint coming on but in same vein don't wish to be 'blacklisted' by event secretaries as normally I'm a nice obliging and even helpful competitor!
 
easy way to make money... just like if you have paid an entry fee, and have to change both horse and rider... you have to pay again!
 
I think something should be formalised. I was really keen to do Borde Hill and I missed out my a nano second. I literally opened bdwp, had to go into a meeting, came out and it had closed. I called and asked if they had room for one more and also whether there was a wait list. They said no.

Someone then messaged me through my site to say they were gutted they have to miss Borde Hill because they have broken their foot. She called them and they confirmed she couldn't have a refund and there was no waiting list. I would really like to go and we could effectively swap but we can't. Its frustrating and it would seem its possibly us lesser people that don't turn up with 'an extra one on the box' that lose out.

Surely this issue must come up time and time again..? I ahven't really seen it debated much in here?
 
Totally agree, its a total rip off. I have been lucky really as have only had to withdraw due to injury, and got a refund with a vets note. However the one time I had to withdraw Mini TX was down to the fault of the organisers. I ticked No Day Before Dressage on BDWP, and guess what they did, yep, day before dressage. Event was in the middle of the week, and I know Mini TX would be allowed one day out of school, but not two. Explained this, very, very nicely to organiser, who is someone who used to be high up on the Pony side of things. Asked, very nicely if this could be changed and got the following response:

Organiser - Do you live a long drive away.
Me - no, about an hour.
Organiser - well, what is the problem.
Me - daughter is at school etc, etc, etc,
Organiser - does she take this seriously then?
Me - what has that got to do with it?
Organiser - wel, if she doesent take it seriously I will just ballot her out. I have my pros, plus the people who need to travel a long way to think about first.
Me - why?
Organiser - hung up.

I know who you are and I know this event was well oversubscribed, particularly as it was the BE100 she had entered. I did not get a refund, even though I chased up. Am of the opinion that
 
Apparently vets note entitled me to no refund either as mentioned that and fct wa withdrawing due to lameness at same time in withdrawal email when enquiring about chance of refund.

SC good thinking will take screenshots of my section as it stands ;)
 
Some events are fab. I withdrew from one recently and later the same day a friend posted as their FB status how thrilled they were to have had their entry accepted from the waitlist. Another took my entry and squeezed an extra horse in when I rang 24hrs before the event.

Some events are less than fab.... :(

I think it's not even just keeping a waitlist but making the waitlist public that's important. I always tick the waitlist box but one event which has just balloted has asked balloted competitors to email if they wish to be waitlisted. What's the point of the tickbox then? I will wait with interest to see whether they add a waitlisted list to their bdwp page ;)
 
ps. have withdrawn from two events this season, refunded for both. I offered a vets certificate which neither secretary wanted to see, they were happy to take me at my word. One event was at the stage of allocating sections and numbers, the other hadn't reached the ballot date.
 
This year most of the events up north seem to be keeping wait lists, (and ones which you can see):D which is fab!!
There was one event who really annoyed me last year. I was on a waitlist that was hidden by the secretary. When I asked her to make it visable so others would see and perhaps withdraw, rather than leaving to last minute, in the hope they cancelled she said no. I can only assume it was for exactly the reasons you have stated - 2 make the money twice!!
Luckily I did get in in the end at 5pm the night before, but who knows if the person I replaced got any refund!!
 
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