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London Marathon Place on Ebay
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There is a London Marathon place for sale on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190639097525
The seller is "injured" which is the reason why they are selling their place with a starting bid of £250!
If they are injured then why don't they defer to next year? (and try reading the bloody rules!)
This is not sour grapes on my part as i did not enter this year but it does p*ss me off when someone tries to make a fast buck like this and is a slap in the face to those who where unsuccessful in the ballot.
If like me you think something should be done then give VLM's offices a call on 020 7902 0200 and let them know about it!
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Comments
ebay will remove the post soon I'm sure. And if not, VLM will ask to have it removed.
This happens every year and they've all been removed quite quickly so if VLM or ebay are informed I'm sure they will do the same again.
I like deans idea though
Does anyone know what the minimum sponsorship is you have to raise for a charity place? Is it always £1000, or do any do it as low as £250?
Also, while I'm asking, I've always wondered how binding the agreement is? If you take the place, do you basically have to write a cheque for the full amount, and then it's your hard luck if you can't raise the sponsorship?
Or do you have to pay it later, and make it up with your own money is you fail? How can they then enforce it?
I have sent the following question to them. Will interesting to see if it gets published on the item;
"You are aware that the place is non transferable aren't you? If someone were to give you money for the place, at a mark up of over £200, they would be running under your name but will most likely end up being disqualified.
Can't you not just defer the place? Many people get injured training for races but feel the need to profit from it."
Bugger - just noticed an essential "need" from it.
*Edit - or a "don't" even.
Just noticed its a female place and there are still no bids
Wouldn't you be equally liable if you placed a bid?
Out of interest, why would the person be likely to be disqualified if the seller did actually turn up with ID, then gave the buyer the number and chip?
I doubt they have someone employed on the course checking 40,000 runners faces match their numbers?!?
Occasionally I've been slack or indecisive with entering a race and late on have been sniffing aorund for a place.
However, when the organisers won't change the name over I've rejected the chance. To work hard in a race and not have it recognised would be a waste of time to me...wouldn't be much different from just running it without a number.
Apparently they do haul people off the course who don't have a number on. Unfortunate if it's legitimately ripped off somehow!
Also surely some people are cynical enough to mock up a decent looking one, or counterfeit one?
I don't think it is the same market -if you really wanted to go to a particular concert then surely you would make sure that you were at the head of the queue when the tickets were released for sale. VLM applicants don't have that option(unless they are "good for age" or have a charity place) and have something like a 1 in 7 chance of being successful.When this issue came up up on this forum a few years back one of the race directors posted a thread to say that one of the most important reasons for not transferring your place was in case of a runner having a medical emergency and VLM having the details of the original entrant instead.
As i said in my first post I feel for the people who try year after year to get in the legitimate way only to see someone possibly with no intention of running trying to make a fast buck which this appears to be, especially with a starting bid of £250. The other annoying thing is that the consequences of that persons action will ultimately result in a wasted entry which could have beeen filled by a legitimate runner. Some may think that there is no harm in swapping/selling entries but I feel strongly about it hence the thread.
Well I've reported it to ebay. I assume others have too.
Not because I'm peeved at not getting a place cos I've got a ballot entry - but because its wrong.
Nothing gets people as riled up as the London marathon! The entry system, celeb runners, fun runners, selling places etc...same every year
They were trying to shame me into doing "The" marathon last year at work..while i'm supposedly "at my peak".
One guy said he'd "get me a place".
I wonder how. I doubt some supplier is going to put 2k up just for me to run it as a favour to the guy!
I'm not one for the right of legitimate runners etc getting a place. It's just luck of the draw and market forces if people apply and get a place. What I don't like is people being ripped off and breaking the rules.
That sounds really pompous I know.
If I was the ebay seller I'd get one of Tommy the Clown's mates to "run" it for me, then flog my finisher's medal to the highest bidder on ebay afterwards.
Simples.
Very contradictory. "Market forces" means that something is worth what someone will pay for it.
Therefore, £250 for a place is surely fine, as that's "market forces" working.
I'm certain that some people take a charity place to get into the race, and just pay the fee themselves as they're so gagging to take part. For some £250 would seem a bargain!