Virigina Beach race cancelled due to COVID 19 refunds refused

It’s not a scam. Of course it’s cancelled. Your healthcare system and economy are about to fail due to a worldwide pandemic.

The scam isn't that the race was cancelled. The scam is that the runners aren't being given their entry fees back.

lorettob wrote:

The scam isn't that the race was cancelled. The scam is that the runners aren't being given their entry fees back.

This is happening EVERYWHERE. I had 3 races cancelled today. It honestly pales in significance when you realise we are entering very serious and trying times.

This always has been a for-profit operation. I get that they can’t take a big loss here via a full refund, but I suspect they are trying to lock in a tidy profit. Here are alternatives to the no-refund: (1) reschedule the race (if people can’t show up, at least they had the option), (2) subtract the fixed costs per racer and refund the net.

These race companies all will not be in business in a year and are most likely in financial ruins from this epidemic. I'm sure there was a no refund policy clearly listed when you signed up.

I'm not how many races will bounce back from this, but handing everyone their money back after most if it was spent will pretty much guarantee the event won't occur next year.

The scam is that they're charging for a deferral, especially when the refund isn't an option. I get that a lot of the costs have been incurred for this year's race, but the right thing to do is allow free deferrals and just try to budget around it. I know New York is charging full price for deferred guaranteed entry, but at least they also are giving the refund option.

lorettob wrote:

They also said you should have gotten race insurance.

Sounds like they were right. You chose to take a gamble and lost. Be happy you don't have any real problems.

A free deferral would put the event further in the hole for next year. Just budget around it? Maybe they can just send everyone $1000 and just budget around it while they have their team of financial analysts crunching the numbers for 2021.

New York Road Runners is a massive organization and I am sure their operating budget and insurance policies aren't comparable to an organization like J and A.

lorettob wrote:

Virginia Beach Shamrock Races cancelled due to the COVID19. J& A Racing refusing refunds. Telling everybody they are offering a virtual race or for an additional fee they will let you run next year. They also said you should have gotten race insurance. What the hell? Each half marathon entrant paid $118. This is a SCAM

The money has already been spent on permits, food, shirts, medals, and all the other costs it takes to put on a race. The deferral fee is because there are still administrative costs to defer your entry to next year. Yeah, it’s sucks, but believe me, no race director wants to cancel their races.

dark cloud wrote:

lorettob wrote:

The scam isn't that the race was cancelled. The scam is that the runners aren't being given their entry fees back.

This is happening EVERYWHERE. I had 3 races cancelled today. It honestly pales in significance when you realise we are entering very serious and trying times.

This. People are going to get wrecked economically from this shock, especially hourly low wage service workers. UMC hobbyjoggers complaining about loss of race fees will look tacky by comparison

The whole road race industry is going to get destroyed from this epidemic. I personally know more than a handful of people in the road race industry that are going to lose everything from this.

It's hard to hear these stories of people trying to get their $50 back when I have friends that won't be able to pay their mortgage or feed their families from the losses they are about to sustain from canceled events.

d2 wrote:

These race companies all will not be in business in a year and are most likely in financial ruins from this epidemic. I'm sure there was a no refund policy clearly listed when you signed up.

I'm not how many races will bounce back from this, but handing everyone their money back after most if it was spent will pretty much guarantee the event won't occur next year.

As has been stated before by others in other threads, the money for the race is spent on expenses before the race. A person who works for one of the large registration companies told me that he thinks that if just 10% of registrants force a charge back via their credit card company to races then many of those races will no longer be able to afford to operate in future years. The money we spend on races is something we can afford or we would not race. If you want to be able to run a race in the future then do not request a charge back from your credit card company. If you signed up weeks or months before a race you knew that you could become injured, the weather could be terrible, or there could have been other reasons you could not actually participate and would not receive a refund. So don't do a charge back now.

If you don't want to loosing money in the future then don't sign up months in advance. Pay the higher, late registration fees and in the case of races like Boston, Chicago, NYC and others with a narrow registration window many months before the race just don't ever register again for them. I registered for all my 2019 races less than 2 weeks before the race date after running one prior major marathon injured and having to skip another due to a different injury.

I think those numbers are BS. The policing and road closures are the biggest expense for most races. You don't get charged those if the event is cancelled.

What I will say is some of these small or medium races better have a ton of people working race day for sign ups if their policy is no refunds.

Oh and Carlsbad...thanks for emailing me this week (2 days ago) and offering a reduced entry. You must know at this stage there is almost no chance of the race happening. And no refunds!

John Akii-Bua's Training wrote:

Oh and Carlsbad...thanks for emailing me this week (2 days ago) and offering a reduced entry. You must know at this stage there is almost no chance of the race happening. And no refunds!

They sent out an email 2 days ago that it was rescheduled for September 20

That's what you get for giving your money to for-profit race companies, no?

Hardloper wrote:

John Akii-Bua's Training wrote:

Oh and Carlsbad...thanks for emailing me this week (2 days ago) and offering a reduced entry. You must know at this stage there is almost no chance of the race happening. And no refunds!

They sent out an email 2 days ago that it was rescheduled for September 20

Maybe to people registered. Mine was for the all day 20km and still had the March date.

MARCH 21-22, 2020

The All Day 20K just keeps getting better! NEW for 2020, All Day 20K participants get EVEN MORE!

In addition to entry into all four 5K age-group races and special access to the All Day 20K lounge, participants will now receive:

Special Edition Carlsbad 5000 Knockaround Sunglasses ($20 value)

Exclusive All Day 20K trucker hat ($20 value)

Performance tech race shirt

and

TWO FINISHER MEDALS!

There are less than 100 spots remaining, so don't delay. Sign up today!

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Every All Day 20K participant receives a pair of Knockaround sunglasses! Each pair comes with a special edition Carlsbad 5000 protective pouch and commemorative runner's bib. Sunglasses will be available for pickup at the Knockaround booth on Saturday & Sunday of race weekend.

I believe you got the email, just saying it's already been rescheduled, so the email with the old date was probably sent by accident

No

That's the last thing I got from them.