"We have a duty to set market rates for our moorings. With this trial, boaters will directly influence the price, and the process is more open and transparent"
"It will also open up the opportunity of securing a BW mooring to many more people than currently" Too many have replied to paraphrase this so I wont ! But recount a tale with regard to the above snippets. I tired to book tickets for the V concerts this year and went to a reputable Ticket Retailers website. I was there before the launch time and had my booking ready to trot. I pressed the go key and waited. It told me that my requested had been received but due to high traffic it would take up to 15 minutes to process my request and to be patient. I did. I saw the counter of minutes first decrease then increase (people barging in, in a cyber queue??) don't know?? I stayed there and waited. I watched. I saw it fall, then rise again. Finally 20 minutes later I got a reply. "We do not have tickets to meet your request" Undeterred I tired again but cunningly opened another browser to EBay. Searched V Chelmsford 2007 and lo and behold touts were selling tickets for the event on EBay above the face value that I was trying to secure tickets at! Surely you cant have booked too many tickets on the same day they go on sale and be a genuine person getting rid of excess tickets ! I was even more disheartened to find out later that day, that my mate got tickets for his son by queuing until lunchtime the same day in Chelmsford and there were plenty to be had and the queue round the block virtually all got tickets. BW and any other issuers of tickets or services need to ensure that the people buying them are genuinely going to use them rather than re sell them to the next highest bidder and therefore put more money into the Black economy that all other law abiding citizens are being told they have to fight. I would be intrigued to know if I, a non boat owner, indeed anyone else without a valid BW licence can bid for a mooring ? That would satisfy the "many more people than currently" stated above. Is there any reason why I shouldnt buy one? I could be the next guy with moorings on the inside of my coat along with fake Rolex ! Oh and by the by "Transparent" is as about as opaque as the phone in debacles that have engulfed the TV programmes of late. They didn't know it was being conducted in their name like that. So BW if your doing it make sure your Website and IT services are all in house and above board and not contracted out to someone trying to add a penny or two profit to the measly contract they bid for ! Trevor
