THSCC Forums

There is a lot of talk going around about AAO run groups vs. 2+2(or more).
At G-boro and G-vegas (and most events actually), I have been thinking about what would make the registrar's job easier. Technically, this could make worker assignments easier to assign too (when you have a final count, worker/run groups can be made).

This is not going to happen right now. At this point I am only gauging interest and soliciting feedback!

So here goes....
Pre-Register and Pre-pay entries ONLY.

What I'm thinking:
People who want to autocross would pre-register online.
Then they would pay - either via paypal, at the meeting, in person or by mail, by the Thursday before an event.

People who want to cancel could have the money credited to a future event if an email is received (and confirmed) by 8pm the Friday night before the event. After 8pm Friday, if you are a no-show you have made a donation to the club.

How this would be helpful:
At the event, all people would initial a "verify this" sheet - like the Paypal list we currently use. No one would have to sit at a table and collect money. The sheet would be available from the time the bus is at its final location until 15 mins before drivers meeting.
15 minutes before the meeting, the people who didn't show could be clicked out of the event and changes (from the verification sheet) could be made if necessary in the computer. No cash/change would have to be carried to or from the event. Monies could be safely deposited in the bank instead of being at the site location. Oh, and a bonus - Registration staff could get more than one course walk in.

Please discuss - Do you think this could work? How do you currently pay for your events? Is this the suckiest idea ever? Tip of the hat? Wag of the finger? What are the holes in this method?


-Amy

in a perfect world, everyone would prepay, but i just don't think that is going to happen...some folks won't use paypal (or any sort of online payment) to save their lives and you are always gonna have walkups...i don't see a way around it.

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05 MCS

Like Chris said, you will always have people who walk up that morning...

Now for the holes:

1. Only a credit for a future event? Why no refund if cancelled in the appropriate time? This would mean a lot of check writing for Bowie or a lot of fees lost to Paypal. How would Paypal people get back their $20? You would need to credit them $20.90 in order to cover the 2.9% + $.30 (which you lost on the front end as well)

2. Fun run change? How would we make change for fun runs? The daily input of cash has always supplemented the starter for fun runs.

3. Registration... Would we still be checking driver's licenses? I believe our insurance requires that each driver has a valid driver's license. If someone doesn't have one with them or their's has been revoked, do they lose their money because they didn't cancel in time?

4. No Paypal - If a person pays via snail mail, are we going to give them a "cost of stamp" discount? I would see no reason why any form of payment should cost anyone extra.

5. More Registrar's? - If course walking is a problem, potentially the solution is to have two teams of registrars, thus one team works the first 45 minutes of registration and the other team works the last 45 minutes of registration.

Just some ideas. - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

Nope. Like Aaron said, there will always be people who show up without pre-registering, for whatever reason. Unless we're way over the entry limit, or it's a freaking school and they show up after the freaking drivers' meeting :x , I don't think we should turn them away. Also agree with his other points.



I don't like that one, either. What if there's a very good reason? What would qualify as a good reason? Wife in the hospital? Car done blowed up? Overslept? It was raining? I'd just go ahead and give a refund or future event credit for those who don't show.



What about all that time between 7:30 and 8:30?

Just to clarify, PayPal is actually *the* easiest type of payment to refund everything to all parties. If we (THSCC) refund the original transaction, the *entire* original transaction is reversed -- i.e., the payor is refunded his/her entire $20 and the transaction fee charged to THSCC is refunded to us. So, (at least the way PayPal currently works) no one loses in a PayPal refund if the *entire* original transaction is refunded. We only lose if we try to issue a refund for more (as in Aaron's example) or less than the original transaction.

I'm not totally certain, but I *think* folks can also pay THSCC with a credit card via PayPal, but without signing up for a PayPal account.

Amy, while I think it would be *fantastic* if everybody preregged & prepaid, sorry to say, but I think that's a pipe dream. Folks'll never do it on their own and they'll be screamin' bloody murder louder than most anything you've ever heard if you (THSCC) try to enforce it. If I were in your position, I think I'd be trying to come up with ways to make paying via PayPal as attractive as possible since it requires the least amount of work to handle and is the easiest to refund.

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Amy... or whomever...

If anyone would like to discuss the pros and cons of MotorsportReg.com, I'd be happy to fill you in on it.

I think it might be able to make more efficient (if not solve) some of the issues you seem to be concerned about.

I agree with the other posters that you're never gonna get full pre-pay/pre-register with autocross (same for most small $ entry fee events like car shows.) Having said that, I think MSR makes it EXTREMELY easy for people to at least pre-register (if not pre-pay). Yeah, its a little more expensive per paid transaction than just pay-pal (and you'd still use pay-pal for refunds), but the tools it provides in terms of streamlining, organization, and reporting make it well worth it. IMHO the track program would not be where it is today without it.

My 2 cents anyway, whatever thats worth

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Stacy King
Midlife Crisis Participant