[Closed] Birmingham and Midlands Velo Cancelled ! ... No refunds !

That really sucks!! I did it last year (great event btw), and was scheduled to do the Tour of Cambridge (different organisers) this year... that's been cancelled obviously but everyone has been transferred to the 2021 event.

No refunds, otherwise the company would go bankrupt (and you probably wouldn't get a refund then anyway).

They haven't said that there's no entry to next year, they've just not said that you will get an entry to next year. They clearly don't know what will happen and if they can offer that at this point.

Give them a break, they're not a globalmegacorp, they're probably about ten people who are currently very worried about their future.

Given the contempt with which the organisers treated residents on the route of the (thankfully cancelled) Velo South last year, I for one won’t be devastated if they do go under.
I do feel sympathy for their customers, just not for them.

I won’t be getting a refund (£120’ish)

I understand why they’ve cancelled...

I don’t understand why they’re not insured for ‘acts of god’ or ‘force majeur’ or similar.

They are incompetent and deserve nothing but grief for being utterly useless!

I don’t understand why they’re not insured for ‘acts of god’ or ‘force majeur’ or similar.

I'm guessing because that's very expensive, and that cost would have to be a) absorbed into the cost of the event or b) added to the entry cost, so fewer people would enter, both of which would probably make it uneconomic to run (they do have to make a profit, to make a living).

I say again, we're not talking about Apple or Microsoft here. Their last filed accounts show 16 employees.

I don’t understand why they’re not insured for ‘acts of god’ or ‘force majeur’ or similar.

They are incompetent and deserve nothing but grief for being utterly useless!

Get a grip FFS. like most entities in the world, they don't get insurance for acts of God because they can't (at any sensible price).
Imagine for a second, if you can, an insurance company which WAS providing 4HotA cover at the moment.....

They'd be ****ed, simples.
Nobody would get a payout.

That's the whole point about shit at this level. You can't get insurance. There is no company, entity, organisation big enough to cover it.

Hence why it's called an act of God. If your 120 quid really means that much to you,thnperhaps we could put a sticky on the home page to do a collection for you. I'd certainly chuck in a tenner.

Interesting question isn't it? Should those 16 employees' jobs be prioritised over punters getting a refund?

Most cycle events businesses/bike parks seem to be offering refunds or deferred entry. Many of those are smaller fry. Perhaps they are protecting their brands or perhaps they just have more of an innate sense of fair play?

If the company is genuinely over-extended, could they have offered a partial refund?

Given the contempt with which the organisers treated residents on the route of the (thankfully cancelled) Velo South last year, I for one won’t be devastated if they do go under.

There's much talk of that ilk round these parts whenever the Birmingham one pops up on Facebook - I'd be interested to know what measures the residents of a 100 mile closed route expect that would be considered short of contempt. It's one day of the year, announced months in advance, that brings thousands along with their wallets and purses to the region.

There’s much talk of that ilk round these parts whenever the Birmingham one pops up on Facebook

When I did the event last year all the streets/villages etc were PACKED with thousands of locals cheering/supporting/having a nice time sitting in deckchairs drinking beer all day/etc.

Interesting question isn’t it? Should those 16 employees’ jobs be prioritised over punters getting a refund?

I'm going to say yes; I can absorb a 'loss' of £120, I doubt any of those 16 can absorb the loss of their job

Most cycle events businesses/bike parks seem to be offering refunds or deferred entry. Many of those are smaller fry. Perhaps they are protecting their brands or perhaps they just have more of an innate sense of fair play?

For an event like VeloBrum, all their costs are upfront and have probably already been paid. A bike park isn't the same model as their costs are more day-to-day. And I say again, they've not said there won't be a deferred entry to next year, they've said that they're trying to work out what their options are.

When I did the event last year all the streets/villages etc were PACKED with thousands of locals cheering/supporting/having a nice time sitting in deckchairs drinking beer all day/etc.

Done it twice now, and that is definitely the case.

Interesting question isn’t it? Should those 16 employees’ jobs be prioritised over punters getting a refund?

People are being laid off already, and I know of two companies (including the one my wife works for) who have already mentioned temporary lay-offs over the next few weeks. I know where my sympathies lie.

I’m going to say yes; I can absorb a ‘loss’ of £120, I doubt any of those 16 can absorb the loss of their job

I could afford to lose that money but on the other hand it's a week's shopping money for my family of 5.

Get a grip FFS. like most entities in the world, they don’t get insurance for acts of God because they can’t (at any sensible price).
Imagine for a second, if you can, an insurance company which WAS providing 4HotA cover at the moment…..

PMBA has cancelled rounds and insurance is paying out for full refunds. Just depends what insurance you paid for I guess.

Would it have been too early to commit entries to a potential 2021 Velo?

Maybe just a reference to something in their statement would have gone down better and avoided damage to the brand

it’s a week’s shopping money for my family of 5.

True, true, but it's a week's shopping money that had already been spent on a bike event.

Clearly, some people can afford to lose the £120 cos, well, they can afford it, some people could probably do with it back but will manage, some people really do need it back because maybe they've lost their jobs cos of the Covid19 mess. I suppose my point is that it's a much, much, bigger situation than any one person, company or indeed government can be expected to handle on their own, flawlessly, and when people are trying their best in a situation they can't control, they should be cut some slack. That may include taking some financial stuff on the chin.

Would it have been too early to commit entries to a potential 2021 Velo?
Maybe just a reference to something in their statement would have gone down better and avoided damage to the brand

Their statement says this

We are currently doing everything we can to try and navigate our way through this incredibly challenging period to give ourselves the very best chance of bringing the event back in 2021. Should that happen, you can rest assured that your understanding and support at this difficult time will not be forgotten.

They clearly can't commit to anything, and how could they at the moment.

it’s a week’s shopping money for my family of 5.
True, true, but it’s a week’s shopping money that had already been spent on a bike event.

Absolutely. But if I had booked tickets for anything over the next few weeks, I'd hope the companies involved throw me a few crumbs* - rebooking, rescheduling, not taking the mick, basically. Even if it was just to inspire a little loyalty. Are music gigs cancelling and taking the money? (Asking genuinely because I haven't got anything booked..)

*maybe like the post above mine? ^^

But if I had booked tickets for anything over the next few weeks, I’d hope the companies involved to throw me a few crumbs – rebooking, rescheduling, not taking the mick, basically. Even if it was just to inspire a little loyalty.

Me too, and I'm sure they would too, and I think that is what VeloBrum are hoping to be able to do by the looks of their statement. They just can't commit to anything right now.

Are music gigs cancelling and taking the money? (Asking genuinely because I haven’t got anything booked..)

The one I had booked (Mr Ben & The Bens) has been rescheduled for September.

PMBA has cancelled rounds and insurance is paying out for full refunds. Just depends what insurance you paid for I guess.

Cool, I guess Kev got insured to the hilt after the Beast from the East disaster year.

Anyway, can I be the first to say "£120 for a bloody sportive? are you nuts?" or similar?

Anyway, can I be the first to say “£120 for a bloody sportive?

Sorry to disappoint, but Mick at work beat you to that by about six months 🙂

I think that's the "fast track" price which gets you a few (marginal 😃) benefits! The normal price is around £80 (I think there were early bird discounts as well?) which I think is excellent value for a 100-mile closed road event!

Their statement says this

We are currently doing everything we can to try and navigate our way through this incredibly challenging period to give ourselves the very best chance of bringing the event back in 2021. Should that happen, you can rest assured that your understanding and support at this difficult time will not be forgotten.

They clearly can’t commit to anything, and how could they at the moment.

Hinting rather than committing, but I guess that's understandable

Anyone who thinks a business has the cash to refund potentially 100% of their annual turnover in one go is living in cloud cuckoo land.

It's just not how stuff works. A portion of the money will have spent anyway, maybe even most of it.

I'd be happy with a partial refund and an explanation. Monies already spent I understand completely.

I'm not happy with "Put plainly, refunding participant entry fees now is not something our business could absorb"

Better planning would have avoided this - and I can and will absorb the £120 loss IF I'm treated like an intelligent and valued customer.

Monies already spent I understand completely.

I assume that will be nearly all of them. I suppose they could have explained this better if it is the case.

Better planning would have avoided this

How could they have planned for this (other than the insurance question, which has been answered above)

You would have thought they would have planned better after the Velo South cancellation, due to a storm.

The VeloSouth cancellation was covered by insurance, because you can insure for that, and people were offered a refund or a rebooking (to the next year's VeloBrum for some, like my mate)

As someone said above, if they’d throw us a few crumbs then people would have been happier.
I get it that a transfer to next years event may have not been finically viable, like a full refund isn’t. But, a discount off next years would have helped PR no end.
The worded of the statement basically read all too “sorry, but tough luck” to me.

The worded of the statement basically read all too “sorry, but tough luck” to me.

That's the trickiness of messaging I suppose. I read it as "we're trying to work something out and if we can, we will."

I wouldn't be asking for my money back unless I was literally on the knife edge of bankruptcy. If everyone did, then that's the company gone.
But asking everyone to accept the loss if indeed that is their plan rather than roll it over to next year (and give out refunds then, once someone else has taken "their place") is not a company I'd ever give money to in the future.

Mad March Hare was cancelled this week too. All riders get an automatic entry in to next year's event.

If they can do it, I don't see why the Velo series can't.

So does the new company wages announcements by Rishi Sunak mean Velo Brum will now at least partially refund riders? 80% wage supplement backdated to March 1st.

Christ, I ****ing despair.

Whilst the people that run the thing are currently shitting themselves about their future, their mortgages, their bills and their families, you're bitching about £80 to £120 you've spent on a ****ing bike ride.

Get a sense of ****ing perspective.

Right, I'm off for a beer and to sit out my probable ban.

Get a sense of **** perspective.

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