Marinas & money for old rope

[Bergman]

I like Nigels idea.

You are almost certainly right about having to pay. Only suggestion I can add is to enter into long and futile correspondence with them to make them wait as long as possible and spend as much of your money as possible to get their hands on it.

Much fairer if contract said you were liable to pay if berth was not relet.

Suspect fairness not on their agenda.

 

[Peppermint]

First Challenge the grounds of the charge. Laying out your reasons for so doing.

Second. If that won't fly. Decide what your prepared to settle for.
Negotiate on the amount of the fee.

If they won't negotiate go back to your first position adding their refusal to negotiate to your grounds.

At all times be seen to be reasonable. You may well get nothing out of taking these steps, other than delaying the payment and being awkward, but for a few stamps you might.

Never go to law on a principle. If it's only a few hundred quid it'd not worth you getting a lawyer involved.

 

[hillyarder]

We,re being watched

Can you believe. I have just been emailed by the marina direct, complaining about my post. someone is obviously on line from the marina management and has deduced who i might be. this person has also passed on details about the person who owns the boat on j pontoon which i think cannot be the right thing to do.
i have never said i would not pay. i have said the fault is mine for not reading fully the terms of the contract. my post was a warning to others

 

[Gunfleet]

Re: We,re being watched

<<I have just been emailed by the marina direct, complaining about my post. >>
You are hurting them. If you weren't they wouldn't complain.

 

[clyst]

Re: We,re being watched

This thread is not dead yet!!!!!!
Maybe the marina chiefs would be brave enough to POST to explain to us all why they adopt this policy. HEAR WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING THEN YOU MAY GET SOME GOOD PRESS. Be it on these forums or boating press I'v never seen any good press for marinas------WHY?????????? Over to you Mr Marina!!

 

[Plum]

Would you please tell us which marina you are refering to so we can all avoid it. Thanks.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Plum on 11/11/2002 08:30 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Guest]

Re: We,re being watched

I would have thought that passing any information about anyone is an offence under the Data Protection act.

Geoff W

 

[Trevethan]

Re: We,re being watched

Must say I concur - it would be great to hear the marina's point of view - They might have a perfectly legitimate reason for the penalty structure employed - or they might be sharks screwing the last penny out of us boatowners....

From my perspective, a failure to respond would imply the latter, so please. confound an old cynic and explain why, even with huge waiting lists for berths, this type of thing is justified?

Regards,

Nick

 

[Chris_Robb]

and electricity cost a fortune

Last year the first month with a dehumiifier costs me more that the equivalent house bill - 5 bedroom - 2 fridges 1 freezer. lights etc. £75 for 6 weeks ! iether their meters were wrong or ...... anyway got pulled out at Wilsons yard - same dehumidifier - 3 months £34 - metered.

 

[bedouin]

Re: and electricity cost a fortune

I seem to remember hearing that the marinas have been forced to stop that particular scam

 

[Chris_Robb]

Re: and electricity cost a fortune

yes they have to charge the cost to them, but they can charge what they like for the facility.

 

[Trevethan]

Re: and electricity cost a fortune

I think I read the same - marina electricity prices now fall under the aegis the UK electricity watchdog (Offlec?), which is why a few are now including power in their rates so they can disguise their exorbitant charges.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Wot marina?

Err - I think that'll be Chichester Marina, Plum.

 

[Joe_Cole]

Re: We,re being watched

Why don't you post their E mail up on this thread so that we can all respond to it. If they want to complain to you then I would certainly like the opportunity to complain to them.

Regards

Joe

 

[ianwright]

Just don't pay, at least make the buggers work for their pound of flesh.Leave and let them chase you. Have a little spine.
It used to be common for marinas to claim 2% of the sale price if your boat was sold in the marina. That one was easy, take the potential new owner for a trial sail, agree the details and shake on the deal at sea. Back to the marina with the new owner in charge.
IanW.

Vertue 203, Patience

 

[hillyarder]

here is what they sent me

"Dear Davis (sic)

I see your comments on YBW.com website regarding your contract, I am sorry that you feel it necessary to post your feelings but I would suggest that firstly you have all the facts , it was pointed out a certain vessel on J pontoon that seems to be rotting awaywhile the marina does battle with the the owner for bething fees 's.
I would like you to know the full facts, this vessel is fylly paid up to date and has never in my time at the marina (5 years) defaulted on his payments, I have not seen this boat move but that is entirely up to the owner and what he wishes to do with the boat, he has had numerous offers on the boat but simply does not want to sell it.
As I explained in my emails you do have a get out clause in your contract which is the 25 %, other marinas do not have a get out clause. You also signed the contract which had your monthly payments printed on it, so you were fully aware of the payments you would be paying every month. I recall from numerous conversations and emails from you that it was the getting in and out of the berths that was your main worry and this was why you decided to leave."

O.K. The bloke on J pontoon I don't care about. Why they felt they had to tell me I do not know. If I was the bloke on J pontoon, i would not be very happy. What are they trying to say about him.
I have a hillyard 9t. abot 10 metres. i was on a pontoon wher i touched bottom. i askesd to move and they put me on a 7 metre pontoon which was too small. I dont remember the bill contract saying £295 a month, but that might be me.
I have never defaulted, and I will not. I signed and it is my fault. All I say is be careful what you sign.
Finally, they deduced it was me from my post. This I find the most offensive. If they have an opinion about me, and many do, post it here. Do not listen in then make assumptions which may or may not be true.

Phew

 

[EdEssery]

Re: here is what they sent me

Hillardyer,

Chichester Marina say "other marinas do not have a get out clause". Well actually they do. I am an MDL Customer. When I got my berth allocation this year I got a leaflet with it entitled "Marina Regulations and Annual Berthing Refund Policy" It says (and I quote):

Cancellation of Berth

Should a customer require to cancel the berth for any reason at any time during the year (for which four weeks notice is required) and no longer requires future berthing facilities, MDL will credit the annual invoice and re-invoice for the period from 1st April 2002 (annual contract start date) to the date of termination (the date of cancellation of the contract) using the published monthly tariff rate. If there is a credit balance due this will be refunded.

Seems fair enough. What would your position be if Chichester Marina fulfilled these terms?

MDL also offer a facility that if you are giving up your berth because you are "between boats" - they will hold the unused pro rata cost of your annual contract as a credit to be offset against future berthing fees on the new boat. The credit does have to be used within 24 months though.

Ed

 

[Joe_Cole]

Re: here is what they sent me

Remarkable isn't it?

As they are so concerned that people should have the facts then you may decide to post a copy of the note in the J pontoon boat.....he should have the facts as well. Quite why they decide to tell you this when it was Jeremy who raised the point, I just don't know.

Their comment about other Marina's is both wrong and irrelevant. The only reading I can put on it is; "Other people rip you off, so we will as well"?

As far as I can see you have handled this in a perfectly decent way. You are entitled to publicise a thoroughly rotten policy and you have also made it clear that you recognise that you signed the contract so at the end of it it's down to you. However, this lousy policy is down to them.

COME ON CHI MARINA. COME ONTO THIS FORUM AND JUSTIFY YOURSELVES!

Regards

Joe Cole

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Joe_Cole on 11/11/2002 21:14 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[bedouin]

Re: here is what they sent me

It's worth pointing out that monthly tariffs can be so much higher than the annual tariff that you could end up paying them if you want to cancel early

I think you might find that the Chi offer is more generous...

 

[EdEssery]

Re: here is what they sent me

I've calculated that for my boat in my marina the break even point between annual and monthly is the second week of January for a contract starting on 1st April.

The refund system and policy used by MDL is the same as that used by the train companies for termination of annual season tickets.

Ed