I don't know if anyone can help with this. I entered Cotswold Marathon an event promoted by Beyond the Limitations. This was due to run on April 7th but was cancelled by the organisers due to low numbers. Despite being told over the phone and e-mail that a refund would be processed I have received nothing. Phone calls and e-mails are now not being responded too.
Does anyone have any advice on what I should do? The only option I can think of is to take them to the small claims court. It just seems madness that things should come to this.
Comments
That's very interesting.
Lots of us entered the Gloucester Marathon in January this year, which got cancelled at short notice due to snow. No refunds have been seen.
Norman and Ann Wilson are the two people who are trading as Beyond the Limitations. They live in Gloucester.
What have the Wilsons told you about refunds?
What a nifty way to completely cut out your overheads.
🙂
Hmm. No contact details or company number on their site, and nothing that's easy to find at Companies House. Be very careful of entering events run by such organisations.
I've rung the land-line and the mobile and e-mailed them and received nothing. Personally I feel like i've been robbed. I'm going to see how far I can go with getting my money back. If you want to PM me your details i'll keep you updated with how I get on.
A lot depends on how they constituted Beyond the Limitations. If a Limited Company then I think that the liability stops there and if it goes bust then we would just be unpaid creditors. If Beyond the Limitations is legally the same as Norman & Anne Wilson then they are personally liable.
I think their track record MUST alert runners to enter events with extreme caution.
cancellation because of the weather is not the organisations fault and as its last minute and overheads have been paid for I totally can accept no refunds as it is in the clause usually..
but the organisers cancelling last minute due to lack of numbers is there own organisational fault and I would expect a full refund.
you need to get some amateur detectives onto the case to find out where they live and then we can send a posse around for the money
glad they are not doing tewkesbury half this year as a couple of clubmates are running it
From the Website
A note for Gloucester Marathon entrants. Entrants to the 2013 Gloucester marathon 2013 (which was cancelled) will be offered a discount entry to the 2014 Gloucester marathon.
but that doesn't explain the refunds for the cotswold marathon they cancelled and haven't refunded.......
Someone's cashing in big time here!
thats not on.I wouldn't trust them with my cash.........lack of entrants is not a reason to keep money
My partner & I have lost £64 due to the cancellation of the Gloucester marathon. Personally, I don't imagine I'll be giving them any more of my money - that would just be risking throwing good money after bad.
Unbelievable pair of jokers in my opinion.
If you do a whois.com check on their domain name, it does give an address for them (which I won't post here - RW towers gets funny about that sort of thing ). But have a look if you wish to persue this further, which I think you should by the sounds of things!
someone needs to knock on their door
If you paid with a credit or debit card you could contact your card issuer and see if they can help you.
Cotswolds and Gloucester were run by the same people I believe both cancelled. Organisers should learn a lesson they cancelled Gloucester due to the weather which was unavoidable however they chose not to refund, is it any wonder Cotswold was cancelled? who would throw good money after bad. Pity as they were both good races last year, but I can't see any more confidence in this outfit now.
The full address is given on RW in the event pages. No need for super sleuths.
Many newspapers have some sort of consumer champion column (e.g. The Guardian), you could try contacting one of those.
I know where they live.
I know that he has had health issues, but I would expect that the protocol would be to draw a line in the sand, cancel what they can, refund, and be honest. It's the lack of communication that is their undoing at the moment, it has contributed to a total lack of trust.
BEWARE, bad pracitce, money grabbers, BERWAR *********************************
3 amrathons to be cancelled without refunds is beyond reasonable isn't it
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
Perhaps I should exercise my right as an Englishman to write a strongly worded letter....
If you've paid with a credit or debit card get in contact with your issuer and ask them to raise a chargeback. They should do this without much hassle and it forces the merchant to prove that they provided the goods or services you've paid for. Each chargeback actually costs the merchant, and if they get enough chargebacks the card processor that they use (acquirer) will consider closing their merchant account ...
Thanks to all those who have replied. I have been in contact with UK Athletics who have responded quickly. I've fed back the history of Beyond the Limitations to them. There has to be more to protect runners from people like this. Races are held under the UK Athletics umbrella and if people are not fit to organise races they should be held to account.
The Boddington Marathon has also been cancelled and reading this doesn't fill me with confidence getting a refund