A couple of things...

No one takes on the responsibilities of organizing a Do (whether large or small), thinking they might get stiffed on bills, or really thinking they'll get too many whiners. And presumably no one attends a Do thinking they'll stiff the organizer. Hopefully not anyway! Well, the whining - who knows on that one, although it's easy to do when one isn't the organizer, but one would hope there wouldn't be too much.

I think the Current Do organizers get more savvy & post upfront the parameters as Dos go on (I know I have), and I would encourage those who are considering organizing Dos to do the same. And remind everyone of the parameters, even if it's as simple as don't forget tax & tip. That one I think needs to be hit on the head a # of times.

But the do you publicly 'out' those who stiffed do organizers or not is an interesting question. I know of one thread where it was done, but not too many others.

And also along that line, if someone has flat out stiffed another person or organizer, or if they committed to attend an event where a nominal fee was being required to attend & then didn't show, but the organizer had to shell out some $$ - should they actually be allowed to attend a Do an organizer is organizing until they paid up for the last one?

At last year's LHR MegaDo I had a hotel ressie for the stay, but someone else had a cheaper rate for a dif hotel on the last night & I agree to take it over to save some $$. But then I got a call from another FTer who needed a room, and I agreed to stick w/ mine & let them have it w/ the understanding - up front - that they owed the fee to the original person (it had been a prepaid stay). I even walked over from my hotel to that one to check them in. They agreed & then never paid the person, despite repeated PMs. The original FTer asked me to pay up since the original agreement was w/ me, so I paid him the hotel fee & then called/PMed the person who first did 'the check is in the mail' thing (obviously a lie) and then just quit responding. So I'm out the $$ for someone else's hotel stay.

Let's say I organize another Do. Should that LHR MegaDo person be allowed to attend w/o paying me the amount they stiffed me? After all, FT's policy is open to all. And what if they're attending a Do that someone else is organizing? How do I say don't let them attend/they stiffed me, given it's not my Do. BTW - I'm deliberately not putting the FTers name here, but it's an example.

How does stuff like this get handled? Thoughts, or any policies to be aware of?

Or, when I organized the LAX Day After Freddies events, culminating in a party at my place & where I ordered food/booze based on the # of attendees, it had been agreed in advance we'd all toss in "X" $$ (I figured out the bill & divied it by # of folk who had rsvp'd to come up w/ the X). A # didn't show & the ones who did tossed in their original x (and some did a bit extra), but I was out $$ due to the no-shows. If I did that event again, if the folk who were no-shows (and didn't even post on the thread no-shows) do I say pay up from last time in order to attend or do I out them on a thread?

My inclination is no and I'm chalking it up as a learning experience - but in the future - should the policy be if you rsvp for something that the host has to front $$ on (whether food for a party, or tickets to an event, or a deposit on a venue), it's understood that you owe the $$ anyway as a good FTer even if you don't show?

And it should go w/o saying, but one that seems to crop up a lot, folk - don't forget tax & tip/service charge (ie, figure out your subtotal & then add T/T). And don't get mad/throw a fit if YOUR mileage-earning cc can't be used. If you're talking large groups, most places are not going to allow that many cc's & the unofficial policy is to let the FT host put it on theirs (unless they cede that bennie to others) for the trouble of organizing the thing. One other suggestion - even if you've tossed in 'your share', don't leave until the organizer is sure the bill is square. It's just common courtesy. I know I've gotten stuck w/ bills (at London exchange rates too) where folk left their share & then left the restaurant, and we came up short but because folk had gone didn't really know who had shorted the bill. I've also seen that happen domestically at other people's dos.

So the outing & how to handle stiffers are interesting questions. Other's thoughts?

BTW - glad the 4 Do descriptions have been made into a sticky.

Cheers.