Charged $3100 in racing expenses without racing?

[M.Tornel Jr]

So I raced the tijuana desert challenge because you could start in the order you finished for the baja 1000. For this to be possible you had to pay your full entry for the baja 1000 by Nov 11 I believe. Anyway, I had unforeseen issues with my motor a week and a half before the race and was not able to make it. So I didnt race but I still ended up losing $3100 in racing expenses from my entry, is this not slightly excessive? I understand I wont get my money back but it should at least be credit for a future race and I understand some fee but THREE THOUSAND dollars is a lot of money. What do you guys think? help me out

 

[bajafox]

At the very least you should have credit towards another race IMO.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[M.Tornel Jr]

At the very least you should have credit towards another race IMO.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Yea i got $615 in credit the rest was charged as racing fees. But how many expenses can you have if you didnt race? It cant be that expensive to put you in the system, it just seems like a ripoff

 

[bajafox]

Odd to pay for "racing" fees if you didnt race...

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Dave Cole 4454]

Did you contact Score before the race or just no showed?

 

[M.Tornel Jr]

Did you contact Score before the race or just no showed?

We talked on phone the day before

 

[Wendell #527]

It takes a lot of money to put on a race. SCORE spent the same amount of money whether or not you showed up. I used to hate giving away entry fees or even giving away an extra $4000 in race fuel to Checkers when I DNFd early but that’s the way it goes.

 

[Dave Cole 4454]

We talked on phone the day before

So I know this isnt popular and I should just stay out of this one...but here it goes.

There are several issues....

Promoting events is way more risk and financially stupid then most people realize.

There are decisions still being made, even that late in the game that are based on revenue generated...

I have added cameras to the live show, paid for additional water trucks, been bent over by land owners and Land Management orgimizations...all at the last minute.

Secondly, there is the precedence that is set regarding refunds.

I would like to think you would have gotten a different answer if you contacted them 2 weeks earlier.

Would you think its fair to ask for a refund if you rolled your truck shock tuning the day before the race?

That being said, if you cant make one my races, we give full credit to a race within a year IF you back out before the event starts. (Not the green flag dropping...before the event opens)

I also will give full cash refunds for extenuating circumstances...family stuff etc

Backing out the day before the race is like ordering takeout and telling the driver you decided you werent hungry when he knocks on your door.

Flame away. Im sure its wont be popular.

 

[M.Tornel Jr]

So I know this isnt popular and I should just stay out of this one...but here it goes.

There are several issues....

Promoting events is way more risk and financially stupid then most people realize.

There are decisions still being made, even that late in the game that are based on revenue generated...

I have added cameras to the live show, paid for additional water trucks, been bent over by land owners and Land Management orgimizations...all at the last minute.

Secondly, there is the precedence that is set regarding refunds.

I would like to think you would have gotten a different answer if you contacted them 2 weeks earlier.

Would you think its fair to ask for a refund if you rolled your truck shock tuning the day before the race?

That being said, if you cant make one my races, we give full credit to a race within a year IF you back out before the event starts. (Not the green flag dropping...before the event opens)

I also will give full cash refunds for extenuating circumstances...family stuff etc

Backing out the day before the race is like ordering takeout and telling the driver you decided you werent hungry when he knocks on your door.

Flame away. Im sure its wont be popular.

I understand I would have backed out sooner but I held out hope that turnkey would get the issue fixed before the race. I STILL think its pricey though considering I didnt actually race. I lost all my money once before when my car lost power steering on the way to the start, we started the race anyway hoping we would get issue fixed quick, we did not and left race after 50 miles I understood I was going to lose my money bc I took the chance I thought it was fair. I really think credit for race next year is probably whats fair.

 

[NIKAL]

I think Score keeping the money is a joke! I totally get Score’s got some administration fee’s and some fee money being kept for that. But the balance should be refunded or rolled over to the next race or a race within the season. Does Score clearly state anywhere on the website when you give them your entry fees that the money is non refundable, or what portion is not refundable?

I would say once you show up and register, get your wristban or go through tech, then the money is Scores. But if you don’t even show up for registration, then the entree fee is really just a deposit In my mind.

 

[Robin Hood]

You bought the ticket and didn't take the ride. Unless they are not honoring their written T&Cs it's know one's fault but your own.

 

[mrmatt]

it is a tough one for sure.....i being on the racer side of things feels that if you didnt start race then there should be a credit for the next (or within a year) race. i completely understand that there could be some admin fees that shouldnt be refundable but what your saying seems kind of excessive in.my eyes
but i am not a promotor and i have no first hand experience with what goes on behind the scenes. dave has good points. seems to me.like dave has an extremly fair structure on this matter. considering he puts on an event the magnitude of koh, i would say his input is pretty valuable. MORE is also very fair on this matter, and gives credit for next race if you fail to start race. Snore i believe has their policy on the website and also is fair, i.believe they will credit your deposit to another event.
the best advice on here is to find out what scores written policy is on this, i am sure there has to be one?

 

[M.Tornel Jr]

Thanks guys

 

[GBRACER]

Racing is expensive and risky, you should go after the motor builder for the fee's building motor's is not rocket science, and can be done in short order.
OR you were not ready for the race did not hve your shiz taken care of either way Score is not at fault, sorry the day before is way to late to get a refund.

 

[firedog]

So I raced the tijuana desert challenge because you could start in the order you finished for the baja 1000. For this to be possible you had to pay your full entry for the baja 1000 by Nov 11 I believe. Anyway, I had unforeseen issues with my motor a week and a half before the race and was not able to make it. So I didnt race but I still ended up losing $3100 in racing expenses from my entry, is this not slightly excessive? I understand I wont get my money back but it should at least be credit for a future race and I understand some fee but THREE THOUSAND dollars is a lot of money. What do you guys think? help me out

I guess I will be the hater/other perspective here! Feel free to flame away at me!
In your first post you stated you had a motor issue 1.5 weeks before the race, however in a later post you said you contacted SCORE the day before the race???? Why not sooner??? I guess you would handle the situation like I/our team would, burn the midnight oil until there is no more left and you cannot make the race and then call SCORE to find out about entry fees???

Maybe we can all use this as a lesson if we have an issue immediately leading up to a race and cannot fix it. Call the promoter as soon as possible? Let them know what is going on, trying to fix, but if not what happens to my entry fee????

We have missed a race before and our entry fee was moved to another race within the race year which seemed fair to me.

 

[Robin Hood]

Pretty Black and White...If you don't want to risk it, I would recommend you don't send in your deposit or payment if you are not sure you will make the race.

I personally don't see the difference if you don't make the race, break in qualifying or only go 1 mile. Look at it this way...at least you saved your travel expenses.

My own personal experience...I went to a race, registered, paid my entry, drove 100 feet over to tech and the motor died while having the tech inspection. I worked on it all night, sent people to Phoenix to get parts but couldn't get it started. It turned out to be a bad ECU. I had only paid 10 minutes before and didn't get or expect my money back. But I had a full tank of gas and an almost prepped car...LOL

 

[bajafox]

When I waited tables for 4 years no matter how much of a insightful tip I got, the customer was always right. Those days are long gone. 3100 is a drop in the bucket for score to keep a customer. Take your refund and go race a local org with it just for fun...fk it

By refund I meant tell them to cash your 615 out or donate it to a local race org lol

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[M.Tornel Jr]

I guess I will be the hater/other perspective here! Feel free to flame away at me!
In your first post you stated you had a motor issue 1.5 weeks before the race, however in a later post you said you contacted SCORE the day before the race???? Why not sooner??? I guess you would handle the situation like I/our team would, burn the midnight oil until there is no more left and you cannot make the race and then call SCORE to find out about entry fees???

Maybe we can all use this as a lesson if we have an issue immediately leading up to a race and cannot fix it. Call the promoter as soon as possible? Let them know what is going on, trying to fix, but if not what happens to my entry fee????

We have missed a race before and our entry fee was moved to another race within the race year which seemed fair to me.

Yea in another post i stated i postponed because i held out hope i could make the race if turnkey was able to fix the issue on the motor. They did not and that was when i got in contact with them, no malice intended.

 

[M.Tornel Jr]

When I waited tables for 4 years no matter how much of a insightful tip I got, the customer was always right. Those days are long gone. 3100 is a drop in the bucket for score to keep a customer. Take your refund and go race a local org with it just for fun...fk it

By refund I meant tell them to cash your 615 out or donate it to a local race org lol

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

I hear you, and it also seems like trucks are the only ones who matter now. Ive always been a buggy guy, who knows maybe in the future we can make the jump.

 

[firedog]

Yea in another post i stated i postponed because i held out hope i could make the race if turnkey was able to fix the issue on the motor. They did not and that was when i got in contact with them, no malice intended.

And I said our team would've done the exact same thing!!!

"I guess you would handle the situation like I/our team would, burn the midnight oil until there is no more left"

And then I said:
"Maybe we can all use this as a lesson if we have an issue immediately leading up to a race and cannot fix it. Call the promoter as soon as possible? Let them know what is going on, trying to fix, but if not what happens to my entry fee????"

I was not trying to throw your team or you into the fire but just trying to use this as a learning experience for all of us if we come into a similar situation. That is all.