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Post by Rajiv on Nov 22, 2010 10:43:37 GMT 8
This thread currently deals with the above subject matter. Announcements and developments relating to the subject matter are posted below. Go to the last page (by clicking the largest number to the left of "NEXT >>" above) for the latest announcement/development. As the subject matter has been modified from time to time, as described in various posts below, any given post may not fall squarely within the subject matter. As at 17 February 2014, this first post on this thread was: Prepayment has come up as an issue in connection with late withdrawals and no shows. It has also come up in connection with ensuring places for popular games are not block booked by one person immediately after the scheduling thread is put up. Also, Sports Planet have informed me that from January 2010, I have to make advance payment for block bookings. As I am not prepared to bear the risk myself, I will only make advance payment if I have prepayment. The advantage of prepayment is that the price of each game is fixed, regardless of the numbers who actually turn up and play. I am considering the following prices to start with: * $10 per person per 6 or 7-a-side game on the big pitch at Sports Planet. * $12 per person per 7 or 8-a-side game on the big pitch at the Premier Pitch. * $9 per person for 5-a-side games. In time, changes in price may be used to move demand from more popular games to less popular games. As there is some urgency for the games at Sports Planet, I will introduce prepayment for the games on Tuesday and Thursday, 9 to 10 pm, at Sports Planet, in the second half of December 2010. Prepayment will be introduced for the Sunday games at the Premier Pitch early in the new year. Prepayment for other games will be introduced later next year. Prepayment can either be per game or by way of a deposit to cover several games. In the case of the latter, I will deduct the cost of each game you put your name down for from the deposit. You must make prepayment or have sufficient deposit to put your name down for a game. I will maintain accounts as a spreadsheet that can be downloaded from the message board. If you decide not to play anymore, I will refund the balance deposit. If a registered member puts names down for others, the deduction will be made from the deposit of the registered member who puts the name down, not the person whose name is put down. I will leave it to the registered member to collect payment from the person whose name he put down. If anyone who has not prepaid plays in a game for which I have made advance payment, I will attend personally to collect payment. There will be a surcharge for me to attend personally. For withdrawals: * If you withdraw more than 18 hours before the game, the deduction will be reversed. *If you withdraw 18 to 12 hours before the game, the deduction will be reversed, subject to a $2 charge. * If you withdraw 12 to 6 hours before the game, half the deduction will be reversed. * If you withdraw less than 6 hours before the game, you will still have to pay in full. * The above charges will not apply if there is a reserve, or if there is no reserve but you find a replacement, and you confirm with the reserve or replacement that he will take your place, and the reserve or replacement confirms on the message board that he is taking your place, and the reserve or replacement has sufficient deposit. A reserve will usually have sufficient deposit before he puts his name down, and the deduction will be made from the reserve's deposit upon his confirming that he will play. If the replacement you find does not have sufficient deposit, the usual price will be deducted from your deposit, and I will leave it to you to seek reimbursement from your replacement. I will confirm modes of payment by early December 2010. |
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Post by Rajiv on Dec 24, 2010 7:31:39 GMT 8
guys, shouldn't it be less than $10 cos it's $120 an hour shared by 14 players? .... It's going to start with $10. The game will go ahead even with 12, in which case, that's $120 shared by 12. I also aim to build up a surplus for the following reasons: * I will be prepaying for the pitches, so I need the security of a surplus. * To subsidize less popular games (after the prepayment system is fully implemented). * I will have to hire a part-timer at some stage to do the increasing amount of clerical work involved. That is a cost. * In the longer term, I am looking to develop a dedicated website to replace the current generic one. Again, costs will be incurred. The difference whether you share 12 ways or 14 ways is small, and I will probably end up out of pocket any way. Further, as price will be used to moderate the demand for more popular games, the price may increase in future. |
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Post by Rajiv on Dec 1, 2011 18:31:15 GMT 8
The Cage e-mailed me a few weeks ago to say that from my next payment onwards, GST (7%) will be added to the price. The next payment cycle for The Cage starts next Monday. I will "absorb" the GST until the end of the year, but I need to consider whether I need to put the payment for the Monday night game at The Cage up to $11 per player in the new year. .... The Monday night game at The Cage, which used to require a lot of SMSing to fill up, has for a few weeks now been filling up primarily on the message board. In fact, this week and next week, it has filled up entirely on the message board. There seems to have been a sudden increase in the number of players who only want to play Monday night at The Cage. .... I'm more likely to increase it to $11 if the Monday night game at The Cage continues to fill up quickly, with several reserves. .... I have two tools for dealing with excessively popular games - price, and opening up a new slot. .... , I will keep it at $1 less than the Monday night game. On the other hand: We've ended up with 6-a-side at Khalsa several Wednesdays now: .... However, as with 16 for Turf City, the aim is to have 14 players so that we still have at least 6-a-side even if there are withdrawals. Previously: .... The Wednesday game filled up within a day again. Although there was subsequently one withdrawal, the place was taken up quickly. .... Therefore, until I get the Wednesday night booking at The Cage from the end of November 2011, the price for Wednesday night at Khalsa will be $10 per player. .... For December 2011, I'll reduce the payment for the Wednesday night game at Khalsa to $9 per player. Using payment to influence numbers works both ways. This was envisaged at the outset: .... In time, changes in price may be used to move demand from more popular games to less popular games. .... |
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Post by Rajiv on May 18, 2014 9:23:41 GMT 8
The "Payment modes" section of the "Current balances & payment modes" thread included the following: I have replaced it with: A reminder not to delay payment on "The GIFFA system & playing rules" thread as well: .... .... As with making sure you turn up for a game and being punctual, making prompt payment is about setting aside time to fulfil a commitment. It is ultimately about time management. ... on the "Latecoming, late withdrawals & no shows" thread, after pointing out that no one ever sets out to be a no show, late withdrawal or latecomer, I went on to state: .... .... It's really about time management. Some of us are good with it, others are not. Sometimes, it's as simple as learning to use a scheduler, calendar or alarm. Other times, it's about allowing sufficient time to do the things that need to be done, and not to persist in under-estimating the amount of time needed. Finally, making whatever works for you into a habit. ..., I'm prepared to give players the chance to sort themselves out, even if they require closer monitoring by me. .... .... Prompt payment involves the same requirements of remembering, setting aside the time, and doing, as showing up for our games, and on time. After a new record of $90 as the amount owing for previous games (including payment for guests). And from the "Filling places & choices" thread: .... ..., when I first discussed prepayment: .... In time, changes in price may be used to move demand from more popular games to less popular games. .... From June 2014 onwards, if a game fills up too fast, the payment per player will be increased by $1 in a subsequent week, and the less/least popular game at the same venue will be reduced by $1 the week after, as follows: - If a game fills up within 6 hours of the schedule thread being put up, the payment per player will be increased by $1 the subsequent week. The week after that, the payment per player for the less/least popular game at the same venue will be reduced by $1.
- If a game fills up within 12 hours of the schedule thread being put up two weeks in a row, the payment per player will be increased by $1 the subsequent week. The week after that, the payment per player for the less/least popular game at the same venue will be reduced by $1.
However, if the game for which the payment has been increased by $1 is slow to fill up, after 48 hours, I will reduce the payment to the usual amount. There will also be no reduction the following week for the less/least popular game at the same venue.
....
And .... ... from the schedule thread for the game on 23 April 2014: Can someone give up his spot to me? I will be travelling on Friday for 3 weeks and no football for 3 weeks is too much to bear... .... Rajiv, you want me to test the market rate for your Wednesday night games?  You'd have to pay not only the player who gives up his place, but those ahead of you on the waitlist. Could be expensive. If the player wanting the place is the first on waitlist, then the player giving up his place can just swap with him, and take his place on the waitlist. However, as stated above, if the player is not first on waitlist, each of the players ahead of him on the waitlist must agree to swap as well. And if the the "deals" are made after the team selector/captain poll goes up, it's additional work for me, so the player offering to pay will have to pay to me 10% of the total he is paying to the other players  ; subject to a minimum of $2.
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Post by Rajiv on Sept 21, 2015 12:32:36 GMT 8
I have used "payment information" to mean both the modes of payment and the amount owing by each player as provided on the schedule thread. From now on, I will use "payment status" for the latter. Currently, the payment status is usually put up on the schedule thread at the same time as the team selector/captain, less than 30 hours before the game. This was introduced in February 2013, to allow players in deficit more time to top up. Before that, the payment information was provided about the time the team selector poll closed, 5 hours before the game. The change didn't really have the desired effect. What has been slightly more effective is this (from the post above): .... With effect from 21 February 2015 (after Chinese New Year), when I provide the payment information for a game, if a player owes for more than one previous game, I will give the player a choice, pay an additional $1 admin fee or be moved down to the bottom of the list of players. If there are players on waitlist who do not owe for more than one previous game, then the player may be moved to waitlist. .... As a matter of practice, although I indicate the $1 admin fee against the player's name when providing the payment status on the schedule thread, I waive it if the player makes payment within a day or two. Only one player has paid the $1 admin fee to date, because it took him more than a week to top up. As there is a risk of games being cancelled due to the haze, over the past week, I have sometimes held back the payment status until I am sure the game will go on, so as to save myself the work. Providing the payment status and chasing for payment are the more time-consuming things I have to do in relation to the GIFFA System. In order to save myself time, and to increase the pressure on players to pay promptly, I will make the the following changes: - With immediate effect, the payment status will be provided later, around the time the team selector/captain poll closes, or the line ups are confirmed.
- From next month onwards, The $1 admin fee will be imposed on anyone who owes half the price ($5 for weeknight game, $6 for weekend games) or more for a previous game, when the payment status for the current game is provided. The admin fee will be waived if payment is made within 3 working days, or before the player next plays after that game, whichever is sooner.
The requirement is to prepay for games. I allow some leeway. Players should not take advantage.
Currently, the three players who owe the most are:
- Andrew Y, who owes $47 for games played between May and August 2015.
- David M, who owes $40 for games played between the second quarter of 2014 and June 2015.
- Jensen, who owes $30 for games played between December 2014 and July 2015.
The players concerned have had many reminders to make payment. I operate on a system of trust. If players don't make payment promptly, why should I trust them? From next month onwards, The maximum amount I will let any player owe me is $40, inclusive of admin fees and penalties.
On a separate note, from the "Filling places & choices" thread:
.... ..., there is a general trend of players rushing for the more popular Wednesday game, while the Thursday game is a struggle to fill. If enough players kept an open mind, we'd find that both games were similar. However, I've given up trying to ask players to switch from oversubscribed games to games that are slow to fill up, as the responses are very poor. When prepayment was first introduced in November 2010, I considered using price influence numbers between more popular games and less popular games. This was last discussed on the "Payments, credits, penalties & usage" thread on 18 May 2014 (see more generally here giffas.proboards.com/thread/1429/payments-credits-penalties-usage?q=demand). For next quarter, I am considering the following: - If within 48 hours of the schedule thread being put up, there are more than 4 players on waitlist, the price per player will be $1 more. If, however, by the time the payment information is put up, there are no players on waitlist, the price per player will return to the original.
- For each game that is charged $1 extra per player, a game that is struggling to fill up will be reduced by $1. If there is no game struggling to fill up not already subsidised, I will create an extra slot, with the price per player reduced by $1 for that game.
However, if the game at East Coast on 24 September 2015 fills up, I will consider keeping the Thursday game at East Coast for October 2015, instead of implementing the above. .... Also from the "Filling places & choices" thread:
.... The following ( under the "Payments & penalties" section of the GIFFA System thread) was introduced with effect from 1 April 2015. For withdrawals 5 hours or more before a game: So far, only Calvin has used up all 6 waivers, and the $1 admin fee has not been imposed yet. Further, I have only been recording such withdrawals if they occur on the day of the game itself. It is, nevertheless, additional work for me. .... Withdrawing less than 5 hours before a game carries a penalty. However, instead of monitoring withdrawals on the day of the game over each 6 month period, it may be simpler to require those who do so, and wish to play in the same game over the next two weeks, to put their own name down if they wish to have their name added within the first 48 hours of the schedule thread going up. Therefore, no one else can put their name down for them in the first 48 hours, and they have to do so themselves. If they want to keep the privilege of having another player put their name down for them during that time, they have to pay a $1 admin fee, and have sufficient credit to cover the admin fee. On a separate note, from above: However, as I have been busy this year, for at least a few months now, I have only been been uploading the P & B Spreadsheet once a week. I have reflected the change in the "Overview" thread, and this month's thread. Also, there are the following post-game credits currently available: The credits are entered into the "Other Credits" section of the P&B Spreadsheet based on the date on which the first report is posted. However, if the first reported is posted after 10 pm, the following day's date is used. To simplify matters, with effect from this month onwards the credits will be recorded against the date of the game itself, no matter when the first report is put up or the ball credit claimed. However, the credits will only be given after the first report is posted. The credits are also stated in a post on the report thread itself. The credits will be posted on the report thread when the P&B Spreadsheet is updated. I started off updating the credits within a day or two of the first report being posted. However, for some time now, I have only been updating the credits at the end of each week. It saves me time. I will do so before uploading the P & B Spreadsheet, at least once a week. |
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Prepayment has come up as an issue in connection with late withdrawals and no shows.
; subject to a minimum of $2.