Voted with my feet here! I had planned to do Desert Gold. When it was cancelled and this new ride was announced, I chose not to go based on what I know about the guy locally. Good point to ask about the RM's if you don't know. There are a couple rides very close to here that I do not do for some of the reasons you mentioned.
916-663-4140 home office
916-718-2427 cellular
916-848-3662 fax
> CC: medeirosblacksmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > From: lynne@xxxxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: [RC] Ride Manager Keeps Money > Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:00:17 -0800 > To: 4horn4@xxxxxxx > > Hi, Lauren. > > As a result, I also got a whole bunch of Matt-stories in private > mail. I responded to your initial post because you started the it > with a question: > >>Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do when a ride manager > says that they will refund your entry fee's but then never does and > doesn't return calls?<< > > But you weren't looking for suggestions! I felt it was just > disingenuous to ask for suggestions as if it was going to be private > whom the individual offender was, and then in the same post bring up > his name. Had you already gotten information from the NorCal types > about his business practices before making your post? > > I wrote because of your statement: > >>What do we do? I'm out $95. and that is easy to absorb but I sure > feel sorry for Cindy. That's a lot of money. This incident sure makes > me never to want to pre-pay again.<< > > That sort of statement, put out to all ride managers and riders out > there, implies that pre-paying is a Bad Thing. Yeah. It can be. I > once withdrew from a ride three weeks ahead of time, due to a horse > injury subsequent to a multi-day, and they withheld $20 as an admin > fee. Three weeks is a long time. That bugged me. Another ride, a > multi-day, I only did two of the days and never got the other two > days' worth--though I expected only a partial refund or even credit > on another event. Water under the bridge, but I would treat those > managers differently and probably pay the $10 late fee rather than > pre-register. I always read the refund policy. > > I did NOT defend Matt's actions in any way. I asked if there were > extenuating circumstances, which now that I've heard all this in > private about his family's business practices, it seems as if there > were none. AERC does need a way to deal with this sort of behavior, > with a sh!t list like AHA runs in their monthly magazine--in the > meantime, I guess all we have is voting with our feet, the ancient > practice of shunning. > > You did not respond to the irony of no refund to him from the Santa > Fe ride. He was pretty strident about that. Karma? > > Out of region folks have to be super-careful, yep. Even asking on > the list about a ride you're interested in attending would probaby > have elicited a whole bunch of advice in this case, don't you think? > > Lynne > > http://www.photo.lynnesite.com > > > > On Feb 12, 2008, at 3:37 PM, Lauren Horn wrote: > > > Lynne, > > > > I could have asked this question and not named the individual but I > > specifically choose to mention Matt by name for a reason. I put a > > lot of thought into this "public" outing and I'm not one to do this > > sort of thing, but based on the facts I think bringing it to the > > public may be the only way to solve this. Matt has had numerous > > opportunities to respond, not only to me, but to other people by > > phone or email. The issue is NOT if the refunds were valid as Matt > > told both Cindy and I that refund checks would be issued. The issue > > is non payment after being told he would mail the checks and non > > response to any attempts to reach Matt. > > > > This is not "trial by RideCamp", but a genuine, calm discussion > > about how to proceed and also to see if others did not get promised > > refunds. Looks like there is more of us out there. Lynne, your the > > only "negative" responder to my email but I've gotten numerous > > private emails with Matt stories. Being a past ride manager I'm > > sure you are sensitive to these issues but learning what I now > > know, I wouldn't be so fast to jump on the wagon and support Matt. > > > > I agree with you that pre paying does help out hard working ride > > managers that may need some up front seed money. What I wish I had > > known is that Matt had the reputation of not paying entries and > > other money issues and the many people who knew his reputation paid > > at the ride instead of mailing in the money. It's us trusting folks > > from another region, who had no knowledge of his reputation that > > sent in the money. > > > > There is this one ride manager from NATRC who never refunded a > > friends entry. For two years she was promised a check. She finally > > had to go to the president of NATRC and put pressure, but why > > should she have to do that? So now, I don't up front pay when I > > enter that managers ride. I'm glad I know what I know and I just > > play it safe. With Matt, it would have been nice to know too. Five > > Hundred dollars nicer for Cindy. That's a lot of nice. > > > > Lauren > > > > > > > > On Feb 12, 2008, at 9:10 AM, Lynne Glazer wrote: > > > >> Here we go, trial by ridecamp. This sort of thing sickens me. > >> Lauren, you could have asked this question without bringing up the > >> individual, couldn't you? > >> > >> "this incident sure makes me never want to pre-pay again". You > >> have the option on most rides to pay a late fee in order to enter > >> at the last minute, don't you? > >> > >> Pre-payment is requested by well-meaning, hard working, ride > >> managers who can't necessarily afford to front the up-front costs > >> of a ride like awards and porta-johns, meals for volunteers and > >> vets, etc. > >> > >> It is interesting to me if it is true about this person as he was > >> one of the folks who didn't get a refund from the for withdrawing > >> months ahead of Great Santa Fe ride and was most vociferous about > >> the organizer's behavior. > >> > >> Was this Medeiros ride's refund policy in writing? Were there > >> extenuating circumstances? Ride management is certainly not for > >> the faint of heart, remembering the year when we had 44 > >> withdrawals in the week before a ride, due to weather. Of course > >> the funds had already been laid out for lots of stuff, and of > >> course the manhours expended for ride packets, etc.. I hadn't > >> cashed any of the checks, but it was no less a loss just because > >> of the convenience of being able to rip them up. > >> > >> Lynne > >> http://www.photo.lynnesite.com > >> > >> > >> > >> On Feb 12, 2008, at 7:52 AM, Lauren Horn wrote: > >> > >>> Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do when a ride > >>> manager says that they will refund your entry fee's but then > >>> never does and doesn't return calls? > >>> > >>> Matt Medeiros and his wife put on the StageCoach Ride (W) last > >>> November and strongly encouraged paid pre entries. I pre paid > >>> for two days but only ended up riding one day. Cindy Crook on the > >>> other hand paid for 2 people for 3 days and is out over $500. She > >>> called and told Matt she couldn't make it. He assured her too > >>> that he would send a refund check. Matt has originally told us > >>> both that he would send the money but has never and ignores our > >>> calls and emails. I wonder who else he owes money too? > >>> > >>> What do we do? I'm out $95. and that is easy to absorb but I sure > >>> feel sorry for Cindy. That's a lot of money. This incident sure > >>> makes me never to want to pre-pay again. > >>> > >>> Lauren > > > > > > > > > > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. > Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp > Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp > > Ride Long and Ride Safe!! > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >
