Through no one's fault, a local swim meet was recently cancelled in our area due to the northeast snow storm. This is the first time in my 8 USMS years I know of a meet being cancelled at the last minute (some past were cancelled with notice).
Several of our team members sent in registrations for the meet. Of course there are expenses with organizing/planning a meet that must be paid, but the meet directors have indicacted that no fees paid will be returned. Needless to say, this has upset some members, especially those paying more by entering the maximum number of events.
I ask what past experience others have had when a meet is cancelled at the last minute. Did meet directors make contingency plans, especially for winter meets? Were there partial refunds? (It would seem that some expenses would not exist - mailing results, officials, pool rental) Were other types of redress offered if money was not refunded? How did swimmers affected understand and accept their forfeit if any? Do host teams share some/all/none of the risk of hosting meets? How usual or unusual is this?
It would seem to reason that if upfront costs were incurred and a cancellation was made at short notice that a partial refund would be in order. Typically meets require a meet registration fee as well as a cost per event. Swimmers should be refunded the cost for the events they were not able to swim due to cancellation, unless, of course, there was a disclaimer on the meet registration form clearly stating all entry fees would be forfeit in the case of a cancellation.
It would seem to reason that if upfront costs were incurred and a cancellation was made at short notice that a partial refund would be in order. Typically meets require a meet registration fee as well as a cost per event. Swimmers should be refunded the cost for the events they were not able to swim due to cancellation, unless, of course, there was a disclaimer on the meet registration form clearly stating all entry fees would be forfeit in the case of a cancellation.
