As a principle, paying up front is the way to go.
a) easy accounting - if you've paid, you've paid, so less faff than deposits
b) discourages players booking to bag a space that they won't use, esp. important on restricted numbers games
c) gives us confidence that a game is going ahead very early on
d) funds pre-game purchases
However, I do feel bad that some of the faithful are losing cash (and CiA a little goodwill) if they can't attend. And it does cause a hassle leading up to the game appealing for new players - and if it is late on as Wotan it gets desperate.
When Webby had to drop out of D-Day he asked me if he could make arrangements with someone else to attend in his place and they would sort cash transfer between themselves. Also Porta slipped Lewis in a space place at Wotan (although he got it free, which was nice!).
So, what I am proposing is that when next taking bookings that cash paid up front is non-refundable but is transferable by private arrangement. Stating that from the start means:
a) Players will be reasonably confident that they won't lose money
b) We won't have the hassle of returning cash and collecting again
c) No negatives for CiA reputation
d) Drop-out places are more likely to be refilled
All we need to do is state that we must be informed of exchanges ASAP and that exchanges must only be within a side unless they have contacted us first to establish a free place on opposing side.
so you book and pay for the place, if you can't come you have the responsibility of selling it to another . sounds ok to me, and we can alwasy be flexible in special circumstances/ people we know are not generally given ot fucking around - eg thinking of Webby's reason for having ot drop out of DDay .
Docktor is a case in point, booked in for CR, Wotan , DDay , never came to any of them , just a waste of space .
Looks like you've covered all points nicely there. Cash up front is definitely the way to go. It's so much quicker to book people in on the day for a start, and means we don't have to bother keeping a cash float. I like the idea of making it transferable as well. Don't lose any goodwill that way.
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........
Cool.
Completely off topic but the name came up - Andreas is getting himself into a German reenacting unit and talking about buying a shed load of gear to suit. Can't make him out at all!
Er.... mad as a box of frogs on acid ....
I think he likes to talk about things a lot as well .