GolfNow's SHADY Business Model

[CMCSGolf]

> @GolfNowIsTheWorst said:

> Fade said:

> Interesting, so there is no point (for the consumer) to cancelling a hot deal, other than allowing GN to sell it again

>

> My exact thoughts, why even provide a "Cancel" option if you can't get credit or a rain check?? Seems VERY grey-area to me...

>

 

From a purely economic perspective, cancelling it allows for the best economic situation. If you cancel (and don't get your money back), you're in the same spot as you would have been - Paid money and still not golfing. Golfnow is in a better position because they get the same money and the potential to make more by selling it again. Thirdly, a new golfer is better off because they are now able to book the round that you the first golfer would have skipped (but still paid for).

 

I fully agree that the first golfer has no incentive to cancel under the current rules, but if they did, the situation would probably be better in aggregate. The ideal situation is giving some money back if golfnow is able to resell the tee time, but they don't really have much of an incentive to do that. As they say, caveat emptor.

[Skaffa77]

> @GolfNowIsTheWorst said:

> Fade said:

> Interesting, so there is no point (for the consumer) to cancelling a hot deal, other than allowing GN to sell it again

>

> My exact thoughts, why even provide a "Cancel" option if you can't get credit or a rain check?? Seems VERY grey-area to me...

>

This was my only thought on the situation. The customer is paying for some type of service or good and when no good or service is then provided, even with all the disclaimers...I'm not exactly sure how they can allow you to cancel with no form of compensation. In the event of a "clearance" sale with no refunds...you still have ownership of a good (even if it doesn't fit or work). Essentially, they have set-up a policy that allows them full compensation without an obligation to provide some type of good/service. I'm not saying the OP is right and GolfNow is wrong...obviously there are "no refunds", but I would think GolfNow lawyers would want to either keep that tee time on hold if it's been paid for and then cancelled so at a minimum they can say is that they provided the service of holding that tee time or charging the equivolent of a penalty on the refund if they intend to selling that time spot again and essentially making double the money on it.

[North Butte]

Every time I've booked my travel arrangements in the past 10 years I've had a choice between a pay-in-advance no refunds hotel rate (which is usually quite attractive since I book far in advance) or a higher rate that's refundable up to the morning of the planned arrival. Getting refundable often costs $30 to $50 more than the no-refund rate but I go for the refundable option every time because plans change.

 

A GolfNow "hot deals" booking is exactly the same thing. You get a dirt cheap rate but no refunds. Don't do it if you want the option of cancelling later.

[Rory4Pres]

Golfnow reminds me of Meg Ryan's career...

[vallygolf]

> @Skaffa77 said:

> > @GolfNowIsTheWorst said:

> > Fade said:

> > Interesting, so there is no point (for the consumer) to cancelling a hot deal, other than allowing GN to sell it again

> >

> > My exact thoughts, why even provide a "Cancel" option if you can't get credit or a rain check?? Seems VERY grey-area to me...

> >

> This was my only thought on the situation. The customer is paying for some type of service or good and when no good or service is then provided, even with all the disclaimers...I'm not exactly sure how they can allow you to cancel with no form of compensation. In the event of a "clearance" sale with no refunds...you still have ownership of a good (even if it doesn't fit or work). Essentially, they have set-up a policy that allows them full compensation without an obligation to provide some type of good/service. I'm not saying the OP is right and GolfNow is wrong...obviously there are "no refunds", but I would think GolfNow lawyers would want to either keep that tee time on hold if it's been paid for and then cancelled so at a minimum they can say is that they provided the service of holding that tee time or charging the equivolent of a penalty on the refund if they intend to selling that time spot again and essentially making double the money on it.

 

Discount airlines, and the travel industry have been doing this for years. Most "cheap fare" airline tickets are sold nonrefundable (unless you pay more or get insurance). When you buy something at a steep discount chances are your money is gone if things go sideways. I find it interesting that this is so shocking.

[MooJersey]

Just contest the transaction with your credit card company. You will get your money back. I've never complained to my credit card and lost.

[Skaffa77]

To those referencing discount travel...do they allow you to “cancel” the reservation (and then resell it)? My thought is that you wouldn’t cancel...it just would go unused, thus the company still provided a service...The customer chose not to use it.

 

It’s not so much a shock that you can purchase non-refundable goods/service. I guess my bigger thought was allowing a consumer to cancel and resell it.

[vallygolf]

> @Skaffa77 said:

> To those referencing discount travel...do they allow you to “cancel” the reservation (and then resell it)? My thought is that you wouldn’t cancel...it just would go unused, thus the company still provided a service...The customer chose not to use it.

>

> It’s not so much a shock that you can purchase non-refundable goods/service. I guess my bigger thought was allowing a consumer to cancel and resell it.

 

Airlines routinely fill seats of tickets bought and not checked in for. Common practice called overselling a flight. They oversell because they have no shows, easy double dipping.

[Skaffa77]

> @vallygolf said:

> > @Skaffa77 said:

> > To those referencing discount travel...do they allow you to “cancel” the reservation (and then resell it)? My thought is that you wouldn’t cancel...it just would go unused, thus the company still provided a service...The customer chose not to use it.

> >

> > It’s not so much a shock that you can purchase non-refundable goods/service. I guess my bigger thought was allowing a consumer to cancel and resell it.

>

> Airlines routinely fill seats of tickets bought and not checked in for. Common practice called overselling a flight. They oversell because they have no shows, easy double dipping.

 

Yep. Understand that concept...and they hope/bank on some missed flights and some delayed flights...likely based on statistical models.

 

But that isn’t exactly the same as allowing a customer with a non-refundable ticket to cancel.

 

My experience stems from B2B contracts and penalties related to not meeting commitments. My law department always looked at my very punitive penalties and had to comment that while it may be legal, it might not be deemed a “fair” penalty in the eyes of the court since we didn’t actually incur a loss or provide that service/good. It’s probably an apples to oranges comparison, but I had a similar mentality related to GolfNow selling a non-refundable tee-time, but then reselling that same tee-time (which means they incurred no cost on the original reservation), but still charging the original customer the full charge.

 

Like I said...maybe apples and oranges comparison...the situation just lit the match in my brain.

 

 

[DannyK]

Last fall I decided to play away from my home course with a friend. We booked a hot deal. It has rained the day prior but we thought nothing of it. The course we booked normally dries out. We get to the course it is closed and no one is there. It has a rope across the entrance that says closed. I call golf now for a refund. They say they were not advised that the course was closed and had to verify. Only issue is being they were closed there was no one at the course to verify they were closed. Golfnow refused to issue me a refund and only issues me a credit. They said they were only willing to do that because they saw it had rained the day before in my area.