Not finished sponsored ride

natrix
natrix Posts: 1,111
edited August 2009 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
Should you still expect people who have sponsored you to pay up if you don't finish the ride??

What about if they paid in advance, via a justgiving website, should they be offered a refund??

It seems a bit tight to say that you don't want to pay somebody sponsorship if they didn't finish the ride, but if you pay up regardless, it takes away the point of doing a sponsored event?

What are your thoughts??
~~~~~~Sustrans - Join the Movement~~~~~~

Comments

  • teulk
    teulk Posts: 557
    I supose that people do expext you to complete what ever they are sponsoring you to do, i guess it depends on just how much you completed really. If you didnt do anything then it would be wrong to expect people to pay you anything and i think any donations from people you may have got in advance should be given the choice of having them back - just giving donations could cause a problem.

    I guess if you completed half or more of the distance you said you were going to do then i dont see why the donations shouldnt go ahead but you will need to give your sponsors the choice of paying or not - im pretty sure that most people will still pay you as after all the money is going to charity.

    Another thing to think about is the reason you didnt complete what you set out to do - was it due to injury or that you gave up or mechanical problems. I think any problems that were beyond your control that contributed to you not finishing people will still pay.

    Ultimately though you should speak to the sponsors and explain the situation and leave the decision up to the individual people if they still want to donate or not.
    Boardman Team 09 HT
    Orbea Aqua TTG CT 2010
    Specialized Secteur Elite 2011
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    Hi,

    This is something that I have considered.

    My view is that if I don't complete then I will fess up and give donators the option.
    Any refunds will come out of my pocket.

    There's an incentive if I ever needed one :shock:

    My reason for doing it for charity is 2 fold. First of all the charity will benefit but it is also a constant boot up the proverbial to me. Now people have donated it is not just me that will fail, I have given myself a level of responsibility that bailing is not an option.
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    I guess it would depend on how much completed and why abandoned.

    If I sponsored someone doing LEJOG and they bailed-out in Penzance because it was raining, I'd expect my money back. If they got to Fort William and were hit by a car, I'd pay-up happily.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,273
    andy_wrx wrote:
    I guess it would depend on how much completed and why abandoned.

    If I sponsored someone doing LEJOG and they bailed-out in Penzance because it was raining, I'd expect my money back. If they got to Fort William and were hit by a car, I'd pay-up happily.

    I agree... if there was a significant effort, but things went pear shaped, fair enough... but if you didn't finish without a very good reason (i.e. you wrecked your bike) then you should refund
    left the forum March 2023
  • Woodchip
    Woodchip Posts: 205
    Friend of mine failed to complete the South Downs Way (accident leading to concussion and dislocated shoulder) but everyone still paid up. He did say that he'd go back to the point he bailed and finish the ride but this was 3 years ago. I think he's lost the nerve.
    I have nothing more to say on the matter.

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