Planning an event can be hard enough. Creating the perfect all inclusive writeup to limit endless email questions even harder. I have led and co led alot of complex trips where money was involved and even a few more simple ones. I have a personal fear of newbies as I find most of them have unreal expectations and just overall have difficultly with the ODC ways. Some old timers can be tough too.

I thought I would gather a list of what makes the perfect ODC guest in hopes it will help those newbies. Leaders feel free to add on to the list as I am sure you can.

The 6 ODC guest commandments

1. Read the trip ID in full and follow it. For example, KNOW you may have to share a bed or pay a fee, drive in snow, take water, and don't email me asking if there is room as the trip id has that info. Do contribute to potlucks, for gas, and sleep where you are suppossed to. And remember plus ones are only ok if the leader says so-That is club policy!

2. PLAN your own carpools/transport after all it is NOT the leaders responsibilty to get you anywhere. For example, buy chains for the snow, mexican car insurance, and reserve your flight/boat/ect. Have  directions with you. Don't call and tell me you forgot them after I so kindly wrote them for you!

3. Please pay within 2 days of sign up without being reminded. I paid for you.

4. Be on time. It is the utmost of rude to be late and expect 20 people to wait for you. Even if you call it is still inappropriate to think they should wait for you. 

5. Don't be a no show-How hard is it to remove your name? TAKE IT OFF IF YOU CANNOT MAKE IT!!!! The earlier the better so someone else that wants to go can. 

6. Be responsible for yourself!! Don't lie about your fitness level-It is not right for an entire group to have to wait for someone that cannot keep up. Carry your own skis princess and yes you need to dig out the car too and guys put your dishes in the dishwasher I ain't your momma!

Ahh done. Did I cover it all? 

Quote: Originally posted by Kimberly :) on 25 July 2007

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Ahh done. Did I cover it all? 

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Nope.  Et Cetera is abbreviated with "etc.", not "ect."  ECT refers to electroconvulsive therapy.  But then again, maybe you meant that ECT should be given to the ODC guests who annoy trip leaders.

 

I dunno if that fits here as that is for leaders this post is for participants.

The leaders are a gift to the odc and it would be nothing w/o them. I think a leader should collect payment however they like.

But just to share  insite with you I have a paypal acct-the kind that is free so I can only take checking to checking or echeck and the majority of my participants have no clue how to use paypal. Even my closest friends continue to screw up! They continually don't follow clear directions and simply cause havoc with the acct and create work for me and themselves.

Getting Participants to learn paypal and have cash accts set up is the way to go I think or they should be willing to pay the extra fee paypal charges me to take their credit cards!  

PS I did paypal with you on mt wilson!

Lee u know I can't spell.

Quote: Originally posted by Kimberly :) on 25 July 2007

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Getting Participants to learn paypal and have cash accts set up is the way to go I think or they should ne willing to pay the extra fee paypal charges me to take their credit cards!  

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PayPal is OK for bank-to-bank transactions from/to Personal Accounts, but their Premier/Business Accounts now suck.  Why?  Read on....

For credit card transactions, the receiver is charged 1.9% to 2.9% + .30.

For bank-to-bank transactions, the receiver is charged the same as credit card transactions!!!!  What a crock!

And if you have a Personal Account, you are only allowed 5 credit card payments in a 12-month period, so that would be useless for accepting ODC payments on your average 20-30 person trip.

So I agree, Kimberly, a Personal Account with bank-to-bank transfers is the way to go.  But then for those people who don't have one, you have to explain that they need a checking/savings account and that it will take several days to set up because PayPal needs to verify that they actually own the account.  Then you have to convince them that it's free!

I am a newbie and I read the post and appreciate the info.  Thanks for posting it. 

OMG Kim, can I just put a link to your post on my events? I find that your #1, #2 and #6 are the core issues I run into (or, the ones that cause the most actual problems). Thanks for trying to tell others, post-miester - now I just need to get people that glance at my trips to actually read them enough to find a link to here.

There's an even easier way to do it. Organizers, go to Paypal and create a button for payment on your trip. You enter all the information then get the button done. Click on the e-mail link and copy the button's link. Paste that onto your event as a link that says "click here to pay" (you will have to link the text to the link you just copied)

when someone reads your event and wants to participate, all they have to do is click on the link to pay, Paypal does all the rest.

FYI, you don't have to have an account with Paypal to use it. You can use a debit or credit account.

You only need a bank account number (and several days of verification) when you want the money taken out of your checking account.

Once your participant has paid, move their name to "participating." I assure you they will show up.

Renae

Yes, all of that is true, BUT you as the organizer will be charged a FEE (see the table above that I previously posted) for each payment you receive from a credit/debit card.

You can either eat that fee - like most eBay sellers do - or bury it in the cost of your trip.

Two ways of solving that Lee:

1. Have people use their checking accounts to pay for the event. Those are free.

2. As you say, add one or two dollars to the cost of the event to cover those fees.

In all, it's worth it.

Not so easy.....

In order for a person to use their checking account, they MUST have a PayPal account and have their checking account verified (which takes several days).

BUT, without a PayPal account, a person can *only* send you a payment via debit/credit card, and you will be charged the PayPal fees (2.9% + .30).

So you have to have two different payment options for your events: (1) one for those with PayPal accounts who will use their checking accounts, and (2) one for those who will pay with a debit/credit card.

Of course, you could charge everyone a little bit more to cover your PayPal fees (2.9% + .30), but that really isn't fair to those of us who have PayPal accounts and who will transfer money from a checking account.

Of course, for a $5 or $10 charge to ensure that people show up, the fees are only 45 to 60 cents, but if you are having people pay for one of your multi-day trips costing hundreds, now you're talking a difference of real $$$.

I have been receiving OC.org emails for years now but have never gone on a trip. I'm an experienced outdoorsman. I hunt, fish, camp, explore remote areas in my Jeep, and backpack. My true love is just backpacking though new places and shooting photos and videos of the scenery.

I have never gone with the OC because I wonder whether the group moves extremely slow, or if people aren't properly equiped that you'll find yourself having to act as a paramedic to some poor person who got in over his or her head.

Can someone explain what the trips are truly like?