Rising costs of events
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PJT posted 1 year ago.
Who do they think they are, Ironman North America? :D
In all seriousness, $28+ in processing & shipping fees sounds excessive. I understand that active has a business to run, but I have my doubts that their costs are really so high as to justify these fees. Maybe their market is ripe for a competitor. Personally, I would like to see the option of signing up the old fashioned way (involving a check and a $.39 stamp) at least offered.
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1591 days
beads1985 posted 1 year ago.
I would love to see the breakdown of costs that make the race cost $160.00
I am getting a ''Free"(?) performance training shirt from Accelerade for being one of the first 1000 entrants.
Other than that I don't know what else is being shipped.
And what is involved in "processing" that costs $12.31?
If there are any race directors out there that could offer some insight I would love to hear it. :D
754
Member
702 days
cayman posted 1 year ago.
Whoa, talk about sticker shock. I was ready to sign up for this event, but at a $200+ day with tolls and parking it's too rich for my blood.
I'll be going local with the NJ tri on the 22nd, at $99.
I know, I know it's not the same as a Big Apple race, but I have to keep a happy home.
Good luck Scott.
john
I don't need to get faster, I just need to get older!
4096
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beads1985 posted 1 year ago.
Well if I don't get some good answers from the Race Director I think I will pass on this event in the future.
Cayman - What event are you doing that weekend in NJ?
4096
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1591 days
beads1985 posted 1 year ago.
I got and e-mail from active about a mistake.
It explains the one charge but I am still waiting for an answer to my first e-mail about the other cost and the $12.31 for "Processing"
_________
Dear NYC Triathlon Registrant,
While registering for the 2007 Nautica New York City Triathlon you were
incorrectly charged a shipping fee on top of your total. This was a mistake on
our part (Active.com) and we will be crediting the appropriate amount back onto
your card. Depending on your creditor/banking institution you will see the
credit on your statement within 5-7 business days. We are sorry for any
inconvenience this may have caused.
If you have questions or concerns please e-mail .
Congratulations on your entry into the 2007 Nautica New York City Triathlon and
happy training!
903
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1069 days
PJT posted 1 year ago.
It appears that those processing fees are tied to event costs. I checked out a few other events and here's what I found:
Chicago Tri -- $120 registration, $7+ processing fee
High Cliff Half Iron - $105 registration, $7+ fee
High Cliff Sprint -- $55 registration, $4+ fee.
There does not seem to be much relation between the size of the event and the fee size (Chicago is huge--8,000 athletes, High Cliff is relatively small, about 1000 or so).
4096
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1591 days
beads1985 posted 1 year ago.
Usually when I am registering on active.com for an event from a 5k to a 1/2 IM it is $3.00 for the active processing fee.
They make it easy to find events and register so I understand it is how they make money.
Since they pretty much do the same thing for any event, why would one event cost more for them to process?
:confused:
3913
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1510 days
kylie posted 1 year ago.
Signing up for IM Ky I found it was a $20 processing fee!! Ack! And also, I was registering 2 people, which then meant $40 in processing fees -- all for running one credit card :( Admitedly, I didn't do it exactly the right way, since the link to registeranother person wasn't visible/obvious/explained, so I did them as 2 separate registrations. But still! $20???? Damn. I really don't like Active.com. Processing fees, often poor event info (I know it is based on what the races input, but still), and HUGE time delays to signup for IMs that might fill...
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cayman posted 1 year ago.
NJ State Triathlon Olympic and Sprint.
http://www.lin-mark.com/race/details.asp?race_id=572
Active definately seems excessive on the processing fee, but then they're the only game in town for a lot of events.
I have heard though that for the $160 NY Nautica entry fee you get your own private swimming lane and a nice romantic carriage ride thru CP at the at the finish line.:D
john
I don't need to get faster, I just need to get older!
830
Member
1237 days
JamieM posted 1 year ago.
I did the NJ sprint last year as my first tri. I'm doing it again this year, though I may do the olympic if I can.
And Lin-Mark does charge a processing fee, but it's under $5 and given the quality of races on their calendar it seems reasonable.
I have yet to get myself to pay over $100 for a race, especially the at sprint and olympic distances.
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630 days
bps posted 1 year ago.
A few months ago, I went to sign up for the Skinny Tire Festival in Moab on active.com. But when I found out about a $12 processing fee, I balked at the idea since I was also registering my wife (it would have been $24). So I emailed the organizer and sent in my registration via snail mail for the cost of a 39 cent stamp.
I know that active.com makes it easy for an organizer to collect entry fees, but their charges have gotten out of hand. I now refuse to register through active.com for any event.
Bryan
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1233 days
Anton posted 1 year ago.
We want perfect races and lots of free swag and packed aid stations and insurance and...yada,yada,yada.
Road races and endurance sports have become big business with lots of money being made on them...From full time Rd's to full time set up crews to full time staff for Charity groups.
They have given us what we demanded and they are making a living off of it. And that includes the folks who simply handle registration. If this is what we want...we really don't have alot of room to complain.
Anyone for a "Fat A$$?"
"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" - Vincent Van Gogh
My Blog: http://anton.trifuel.net
325
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1558 days
jeslol posted 1 year ago.
Here's the deal. Active.com charges a "processing fee" that is based on the cost of the registration fee. That fee covers credit card processing, database stuffis, advertising, etc. Let's face it, Active.com can't do this for free.
As a participant, I hate signing up through Active.com. I share the same feelings, as most of you do, in regards to the processing fee. However, as some have mentioned, it's the only way into races that sell out quickly.
As a race director, I hate paper entries. You can't read them, people refuse to give you email addresses and if they do it's incorrect, someone has to spend the time to do the data entry, and believe it or not people can't seem to write a check for the correct amount, etc.
Active.com or similar websites are a necessary evil.
903
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1069 days
PJT posted 1 year ago.
I agree they can't do it for free. However, the fees seem fairly high and active.com has no real competition out there--basically a sign that active may be taking advantage of their position as the only game in town. That said, I really cannot tell what active's costs/profit margins are, so this is all speculation.
3913
Member
1510 days
kylie posted 1 year ago.
Agreed that something is necessary... but for IM in particular it seems odd to me that they do all their advertising, don't really need help getting the numbers up, and then pick a slow site that is the only way to register -- oh and which adds a large fee. Although I know that they won't do anything since we do pay that because there isn't a choice (if we don't, the race still fills and then we don't get in) it would make more sense to me if IM used their own service (they have enough races) or if they at least used a technology like that of ebay that could process the number of requests in a reasonable timeframe and reliably.
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beads1985 posted 1 year ago.
Anton- I am all for a Fat @$$. Lets start planning this and get some other trifuelers and friends on board.
As far as active.com I do like the convenience and I became an active advantage member which reduces the processing fees. It pays for itself after about 20 events, if they are shorter.
I don't understand the concept of how more processing is needed and requires a larger processing fee.
I have done events with a lot more people and the race fee was less and the processing fee was less too.
It seems to be tied into how popular an event is and how fast it is expected to close out.
1331
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1260 days
christri25 posted 1 year ago.
its inflation for one thing ... , rising employment cost, every thing is rising. wages have gone up about 2% this year ( sounds pathetic) but that is a lot from the perspective of Wall Street. that trickles into everything.
i think cost have gotten a tad out of control process this process that handling fees.... its un real, but these CORP's are turning a nice profit in most cases. i personal hope for a depression and a lot of fat cats get washed out because they are over leveraged in assets that have been over hyped, irrational exuberance greenspam style. think of the housing situation all the over inflated home in SanFran that are dropping in cost. People who bought the last 2 years are gonna be sitting on a pile of deflated home. They will be stuck. As those prices fall ... and ALL PRICES will fall, triathlon will get cheaper ! It was nice of Ben B to continue the inflation fight but with all the money sloshing around it will turn into deflation.
I also would like to b1tch about NYC, everything in NYC is overpriced by a wide margin. Look at how much it cost to go over the GW ... 10 bucks ? Imagine going over this bridge everyday to get to work ?! I really don't feel sorry for those NY'ers having been one myself.
Chris
``It's not as if I'm going to sit around and be a fat slob,''
Lance Armstrong 2005
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wesmeyer11 posted 1 year ago.
I agree that strange hidden fees are inappropriate, but in regard to the hard dollar cost of entering a race, I think we can't really complain.
First off, corporations like WTC and other event producers are businesses and are in the sport to make $$$$$. Like any smart business person, they charge as much as the marker will bear.
Second, I do not mind paying the prices, even the almost $500 fee for IM. What I get in return for my $500 is the peace of mind knowing that when I am out there on race day, putting my body to its very limit, with the very real possibility that I may encounter an injury, medical complication, or anything else, that I will be taken care of well. WTC may charge a grip, but in my eyes the service provided is top-notch...Think what the best hotels in the world charge for a room, or a tour you have taken on a vacation, then think just what you get for your entry fee.
Third, you can always opt not to race, or choose less expensive races. IM events are filling within 24 hours or less these days. I imagine they coudl charge $750 and still fill the event. Granted they have a quasi monopoly based on their control of Hawaii Ironman slots, but still, most of the people that sign up aren't even thinking Hawaii when they do.
While we may view triathlon as a sport, racing, for the people that put the events on, is a business. While they are driven to provide fun entertaining races to the participants, they aren't going to cut costs so that they just get by...they, like any smart business person will charge what will return the most profits. I hate to be harsh, but if you don't like the race fee, exercise your option not to race!
4096
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1591 days
beads1985 posted 1 year ago.
Thank you for contacting Active.com.
Active.com charges a 6.5% + $1.00 (or minimum $3.00) processing fee in addition to the event registration fees determined by the event director. The processing fee covers the cost to fulfill your registration through Active. This charge includes services such as processing and maintaining your registration data, providing customer service, and coordinating with the organizer of the event. The fee is applied to an entire order and both the activity organizer and Active determine the charge on an event-by-event basis. All processing fees will be displayed in your shopping cart before you submit your credit card information for payment and the fee is non-refundable.
Best Regards,
The Active Network
Customer Support
1-877-228-4881
903
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1069 days
PJT posted 1 year ago.
Here's a question: would you feel better if the race organizers just built that fee into the race registration rates that they publish on their websites and therefore told you the full price up front instead of having it as a separate line item that shows up late in the registration process? Me too.
4096
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1591 days
beads1985 posted 1 year ago.
I thought the explanation was still a bit vague but it at least provides a number.
I would like to see a line item review of the costs I was paying for in my race fee
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1510 days
kylie posted 1 year ago.
Yeah, having it just be part would be better. Also, I still don't see why the cost of the race should change how hard it is to maintain data for it! Oh, and I thought all data changes (address, etc) had to be made through the IM people and not active? At least that was what I had to do for AZ when I moved after registering. So I'm still not sure what the active people are really doing :/
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beads1985 posted 1 year ago.
Just for some perspective on the inflation of the registration for the NYC Tri
2004 - $132.26 Ford sponsored
2005 - $133.50 Ford sponsored
2006 - $144.78 Nautica sponsored
2007 - $172.31 Nautica sponsored:eek:
It went up $1.24 between the 2 years Ford was sponsoring it.
It jumped $11.28 when Nautica started sponsoring it
It jumped $27.53 since last year.
What causes that?
Could it be the change/loss of sponsorship money and now the costs are being put on the athlete??
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767 days
wesmeyer11 posted 1 year ago.
The active people are offering us a service. That service is the convenience of being able to go to a single website and contemplate doing an event. There are all sorts of technical and logical issues that we never think about when using Active that are in play every time you sign up. The reason you can't sign up for an IM event directly is most likely that WTC does not want to deal with creating an infrastructure that is reliable to sign up for its events. THat is not its specialty, which lies in producing triahtlon events. Pushing paper is one thing, and they can process that, but internet registration, the handling of secure credit card info, etc...is totally different.
IN providing its service active has several expenses such as fixed overhead which I am sure includes multiple servers, offsite data storage which is pricey, staff, rent, utilities...on and on. These are expenses that need to be paid for. They do this through advertising and charging us a fee to use the service they provide. triathlon events might be able to offer us online sign up directly, but I imagine that we would end up losing, because WTC would have to spread the cost of setting up and running an online registration over its users only. When you get hit with many small fees it can be annoying, but I think that active, in the end, is fair. If it weren't, it wouldn't be in business.
3913
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1510 days
kylie posted 1 year ago.
Being in the computer business, I see so many better web designs in terms of speed, etc... I also see a lot of "well we have always done it this way" especially when interfacing with the less technical side of the community that uses our software. So I wonder how much of it is active not staying with current best practices/etc.
I wouldn't oppose a fee if it made sense and you got a quality product for it -- but as it is I almost feel IM should just be an eBay seller and do registration that way. You could have a set "buy it now" price and offer 2000 of them or however many they allot to active. There go all the credit card issues.
Now they still need our info... well, I'm sure that could be handled with an online form.So when I buy my slot on ebay, I get an auto email with the "shipping information" that includes a username/number and a password to log onto the IM site and update my info. If I haven't done so in XYZ amt of time, then the slot goes to someone else, much like an ebay item you don't pay for.
No, that doesn't solve all problems. I just think that some companies that do all their own advertising and athlete information management should look at better solutions than active.
I agree that something that fills the niche is needed. I just don't think active is it. On that note, anyone wanna make a better one with me? ;)
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I just registered for the Nautica New York City Triathlon on active.com. I was a little annoyed by the fees.
This is the e-mail I sent to both the race director at the NYC Tri and active.com.
___________
I just registered for the Nautica NYC Triathlon on active.com. I am an active advantage member. I had questions about 2 fees that were in addition to the race fee of $160.00. One was a shipping fee of $16.00. I am getting a t-shirt for this event and it should not cost that much to send me the shirt. If it is costing that much I want to know why. The second fee was a processing fee of $12.31. What is being processed for that amount? What is being covered by my race fee? Race fees have been rising and these extra costs seem excessive. I would like an explanation why this event costs so much. I have contacted active .com with these questions as well. I would appreciate a detailed answer to my question.
Thank you,
Scott Fleming
____________
I understand it takes money to make a good event happen but in the last few years I think we as athletes and consumers are being taken advantage of.
The theory of supply and demand theory is fine but it is starting to get ridiculous.
I will follow up with any return correspondence I get.