Pre-booking at MDL

RIbberdrystack said:
Nothing stops you turning up on the day or phoning through to book a space but you gamble one not being available, at least if you book and pay in advance you garantee a berth and can plan your day. Its just another choice.
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I don't think anyone really disagrees with that particular choice, to be honest - that's always been the case.

It's more how completely rigid MDL's particular booking policy has become, such that even if you planned well in advance and gave good notice that you no longer needed the berth, there is no option for a refund.

I'm someone who likes to be really well organised ahead of a trip, and so would absolutely reserve a berth ahead of time - and in the event that my plans changed I would always let the marina know that I could no longer make it. I would normally be happy to pay a booking fee upfront for that, if I knew I could get a refund by giving them notice of cancellation. I might even be prepared to lose a £5 deposit on cancellation.

I've had at least 2 of my big (for me) trips up the East Coast disrupted by erratic weather this year, to the extent that it would have been unsafe in my 28 footer to have pushed on through. In those situations I would have lost £30-40 a night, not just for the first night, but for several nights - I can't afford that.

So my (and others', I believe) issue with it is that it has zero allowance for respectful boaters who simply get caught out by the conditions / other very normal nautical factors. They've just hardened the policy up so much that it's become hostile to normal leisure boaters.
 
I have berthed in Chatham for 9 years and last August Bank Holiday was the first time the staff said they could remember putting up the full sign. Earlier this year there were about 70 vacant berths as they kicked out at the end of March IIRC 32 liveaboards as they were in breach of the berthing contract and made MDL in breach of their lease for the marina. The lease is currently up for renewal and some local residents had complained about people walking to their boats during lockdown. The marina facilities were shut as well, so every boat breached the rule of no black water discharges inot the marina. Even now there are a limited number of liveaboards who have managed to show they have a permanent land address as well. One couple who used to live aboard were forced to rent a flat at £1200 a month, despite him working for the marina.
 
MDL's policy could be a safety hazard, causing someone to press on to their destination because the berth is paid for, when turning back would be the safer option. In leisure flying it's called 'get home itis'; I've got to press on because that's where my car is etc. Shouldn't happen? Agreed, but people are only human.
 
After posting the problems noted here on the Medway & Swale Boating Association website (www.msba.org.uk) I got a rather defensive reply from Tim Mayer, MDL's Sales and Marketing Director. I think he problem is that he has no background in the marine leisure industry and simply doesn't "get it." He thinks that only two clubs have been deterred from booking visits to Chatham and that visitors will be thrilled to get loyalty points on MDL's Otiose scheme.
 
tony_lavelle said:
After posting the problems noted here on the Medway & Swale Boating Association website (www.msba.org.uk) I got a rather defensive reply from Tim Mayer, MDL's Sales and Marketing Director. I think he problem is that he has no background in the marine leisure industry and simply doesn't "get it." He thinks that only two clubs have been deterred from booking visits to Chatham and that visitors will be thrilled to get loyalty points on MDL's Otiose scheme.
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Having read a little about Tim Mayer, he is very aggressive and abrupt to say the least. The more bad press MDL receive about the new booking system will ultimately get it changed. In places like the Solent the booking of berths in places like Lymington and Yarmouth, have also been taking payments with no refunds if you cannot make the trip for any reason. Imagine booking a hotel and then cancelling it due to unforseen circumstances and still being charged. That is what it is like. The busy flesh pots of the Solent with these booking rules are now spreading outward.

The Otium scheme is trying to replace the old Freedom Berthing they offered. I am still a Freedom member and everyone is finds it has much better benefits than the new Otium scheme. I am currently in Brixham MDL and shortly will be spending nearly a fortnight in the Hamble, all at not cost to me.

My regular neighbour in Chatham uses Freedom Berthing and stays in the Solent for about 4 months, just moving his boat from one MDL marina to another for free.

My biggest gripe is I have been away from my berth of 4 months, yet I know it will regularly have visitors in it, yet I get no rebate at all under either scheme. As it is such a good position, I was forced to pay the fees for the year, even though for the summer months it will be empty and not using any of the facilities.
 
Concerto said:
Having read a little about Tim Mayer, he is very aggressive and abrupt to say the least. The more bad press MDL receive about the new booking system will ultimately get it changed. In places like the Solent the booking of berths in places like Lymington and Yarmouth, have also been taking payments with no refunds if you cannot make the trip for any reason. Imagine booking a hotel and then cancelling it due to unforseen circumstances and still being charged. That is what it is like. The busy flesh pots of the Solent with these booking rules are now spreading outward.

The Otium scheme is trying to replace the old Freedom Berthing they offered. I am still a Freedom member and everyone is finds it has much better benefits than the new Otium scheme. I am currently in Brixham MDL and shortly will be spending nearly a fortnight in the Hamble, all at not cost to me.

My regular neighbour in Chatham uses Freedom Berthing and stays in the Solent for about 4 months, just moving his boat from one MDL marina to another for free.

My biggest gripe is I have been away from my berth of 4 months, yet I know it will regularly have visitors in it, yet I get no rebate at all under either scheme. As it is such a good position, I was forced to pay the fees for the year, even though for the summer months it will be empty and not using any of the facilities.
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So, you want free berthing in other MDL marinas, whilst receiving a rebate for not being in your home berth ?

Sounds like a good deal :ROFLMAO:
 
Concerto said:
Imagine booking a hotel and then cancelling it due to unforseen circumstances and still being charged. That is what it is like. The busy flesh pots of the Solent with these booking rules are now spreading outward.
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Probably not a good comparison. A vast number of hotels now require you to book and if you cancel there is a charge for cancelation. We booked a week away in June this year at a hotel and if we cancelled within 5 days we would have lost 55% of the cost.
 
alandalus11 said:
Probably not a good comparison. A vast number of hotels now require you to book and if you cancel there is a charge for cancelation. We booked a week away in June this year at a hotel and if we cancelled within 5 days we would have lost 55% of the cost.
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I think it's a comparison worth making, and as I said in my previous post I'd personally grin and bear a small cancellation surcharge (let's say 10-20% of the booking fee) if I'm cancelling within say 24-48 hours of the booking if it helps recognise the inconvenience and 'potential' lost revenue for the marina. 'Potential' being the important word in many cases.

But the comparison falls down, I think, when you consider the type of factors that lead to someone no longer needing a hotel room at short notice compared to the types of factors leading to a short notice cancellation of a marina berth.

I wouldn't generally abort a hotel stay due to strong winds, but I'd certainly make a last minute decision to avoid risking my life or my boat on a rocky lee shore in an un-forecast onshore F6.... to use an extreme example.
 
MattS said:
I don't think anyone really disagrees with that particular choice, to be honest - that's always been the case.

It's more how completely rigid MDL's particular booking policy has become, such that even if you planned well in advance and gave good notice that you no longer needed the berth, there is no option for a refund.

I'm someone who likes to be really well organised ahead of a trip, and so would absolutely reserve a berth ahead of time - and in the event that my plans changed I would always let the marina know that I could no longer make it. I would normally be happy to pay a booking fee upfront for that, if I knew I could get a refund by giving them notice of cancellation. I might even be prepared to lose a £5 deposit on cancellation.

I've had at least 2 of my big (for me) trips up the East Coast disrupted by erratic weather this year, to the extent that it would have been unsafe in my 28 footer to have pushed on through. In those situations I would have lost £30-40 a night, not just for the first night, but for several nights - I can't afford that.

So my (and others', I believe) issue with it is that it has zero allowance for respectful boaters who simply get caught out by the conditions / other very normal nautical factors. They've just hardened the policy up so much that it's become hostile to normal leisure boaters.
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Guess thats the point if the weather stopped you going or the boat failed then a you can request a refund as they have confirmed before. @Concerto if you book out of your berth when freedom berthing and they use your berth you get a daily fee credfited to your account.......
 
RIbberdrystack said:
Guess thats the point if the weather stopped you going or the boat failed then a you can request a refund as they have confirmed before. @Concerto if you book out of your berth when freedom berthing and they use your berth you get a daily fee credfited to your account.......
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Is that definitely the case?

The impression I've got from others (and based on me asking another MDL marina earlier this year) was that there was no refund in any situation. If there is indeed a 'conditions prevented passage' refund then maybe it's a bit more reasonable than I understood.
 
MattS said:
Is that definitely the case?

The impression I've got from others (and based on me asking another MDL marina earlier this year) was that there was no refund in any situation. If there is indeed a 'conditions prevented passage' refund then maybe it's a bit more reasonable than I understood.
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100% the case, its taken on a case by case basis, if a real issue there is no problem with a refund. . Main point is it deters those that just book up space and dont turn up.
 
RIbberdrystack said:
100% the case, its taken on a case by case basis, if a real issue there is no problem with a refund. . Main point is it deters those that just book up space and dont turn up.
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This is the cancelling wording when i cancelled my berth.. "We’re sorry to see you cancel your booking. As per our Terms and Conditions, we have a no refund policy on visitor berth bookings unless your cancellation is due to exceptional circumstances. If you feel that your cancellation was due to this, please contact us to discuss further."
 
RIbberdrystack said:
This is the cancelling wording when i cancelled my berth.. "We’re sorry to see you cancel your booking. As per our Terms and Conditions, we have a no refund policy on visitor berth bookings unless your cancellation is due to exceptional circumstances. If you feel that your cancellation was due to this, please contact us to discuss further."
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Fair enough that it has the space in the contract to allow discretional refunds - leaves a lot of room for "exceptional" to be subjective i.e. if MDL don't consider the conditions to have warranted you changing your plans they don't have to give the refund. I could still see this being problematic, but really it just needs to be tested a few times to know for sure!
 
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