Marina Pricing

[DeLam]

I never thought that the current Editior of Yachting Monthly to be in the same
league as Maurice Griffiths ,Des Sleightholme or Geoff Pack.
The Editorial in the October Y.M. makes me query her sanity. To express delight
into a Parliamentary enquiry into Marina pricing can only be admitting Government
interference into our leisure activity is welcome.
Surely any form of HMG involvement should be strenuously resisted.
Just suppose the outcome was a system similar to the house rating one. Depending on the area and the value of the boat a percentage charge was made
would it be liked?. It might be fairer. Think 3% of 20,000 in an unfashionable area
is 600GBP but in the "in" Solent 10% on a 100,000 GBp boat would be 10,000 GBP
Would you like that?
Am I just a pessimist? What do you think?

 

[Guest]

Fight the power!

Jim

 

[Guest]

Governments and Business are like "oil and water".....the two do not mix. If a government gets involved in any aspect of what goes on in a marina....they'll become like "bedbugs" and "crabs"........and are a real pain to get rid of. Even the fire and icepick trick won't work on them. Our experience is that if a government agency get within a mile of a business.....it will die a painful death shortly after the government has stuck its cancerous paws into the affairs of the businesses.....

Over here we have enough problems with government and special interest groups like the manatee hugges who would like to see all boats piled up and burnt like Hitlers bookburnings. Lordy, the idea of a government agency looking into marina pricing is a frightening thing....... Shivers me timbers...... Slips here abouts are expensive enough without the guv'mint meddling about.

Reality is the cause of all stress!!

 

[charles_reed]

Sorry to disagree with you other posters. I think your paranoia is getting the better of commonsense - or perhaps you've not fully understood
The referral, surely, is under the Fair-Trades Act into the possible misuse of monopoly power and/or price-fixing by the current organisations.
Both are criminal acts under UK law and EC directives.

 

[pkb]

I take a similar view. There is no reason why this should be a precursor to wholesale government interference in boating although ultimately that will happen. All we will need is a horrendous accident somewhere like the Solent where, for example, a mad powerboater takes out a pleasure craft with several fatalities. You can just see the scenario:

Bodies in the water. Powerboater inexperienced and untrained. Outcry for system of sailing tests and licensing and instant, ill-thought out legislation as Government reacts to media outcry.

But back to marina pricing. Its hard to see how a "cause celebre" could be generated in favour of boat owners who are probably seen by the majority of the public as incredibly priveleged and well heeled - ie as pips who should be made to squeak to quote a marina developer of a few years ago as well as former Labour Chancellor.

Peter

 

[JeremyF]

I think it very much depends on the hidden agenda. It can be good news - just look at the fall in new car prices, after the govt finally showed an interest.

Pricing on the South Coast is always claimed to be due to the laws of supply and demand; and high land and rates prices.

On the other hand, a high % of the available berths are in the hand of one company. Although there is no overt price collusion, MDL has acknowledged it is, what economists call, a Price Leader, in that the prices it charges determines the price in the whole market. This is a characteristic of what I believe is called a 'complex monopoly'. If this is the agenda of the govt, then great news. I would want to see the investigations led by the OFT to be sure this wasnt going to be another govt regulate and tax project.

<font color=blue>Jeremy Flynn/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif
Dawn Chorus</font color=blue>

 

[andy_wilson]

Marinas and OFT

My understanding is that Marinas are classified as Port Facilities, and as such enjoy exemptions from MMC interest.

If this is true then this classification is what requires the attention of the Government.