Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Chat

[Imagine]

Just looking now for a savings account that pays more than 2.5%

Good luck with that one

I'm on top of the world today - I've got my first job interview in around 20 years on Friday

[Marc J]

Just looking now for a savings account that pays more than 2.5%

Doesn't need to be better than 2.5%, just take the year's interest free loan and stick it in Marcus Bank for 1.2% - free money

I'm on top of the world today - I've got my first job interview in around 20 years on Friday

Good luck!

[Excalibur]

Good luck with that one

I'm on top of the world today - I've got my first job interview in around 20 years on Friday

For a change, I'll forego the opportunity for a humorous jibe, and wish you good luck, too.

[Benny Smyth]

A venue near me is incredibly confident in being able to hold weddings in July. So much so that they posted on Social Media saying so on the same day that The Chancellor announced that he's planning on paying 80% of people's wages for another four months and I would imagine that is because he's anticipating people not going back to work soon over poops and giggles.

I suspect that couples getting married at this venue in July are going absolutely 'kin ape right now.

[Imagine]

A venue near me is incredibly confident in being able to hold weddings in July. So much so that they posted on Social Media saying so on the same day that The Chancellor announced that he's planning on paying 80% of people's wages for another four months and I would imagine that is because he's anticipating people not going back to work soon over poops and giggles.

I suspect that couples getting married at this venue in July are going absolutely 'kin ape right now.

THIS is going to be a major problem moving forward. There's SO much talk of weddings going ahead that it's frightening.

Sadly - it's a contractual thing and some venues just don't "get" what's going on at the moment. Yes, if the couple cancel then they're within their rights to enforce their contract terms...I completely get that, but....

I have several couples at the moment fighting with venues to reschedule their dates because, well....we all know the situation.

What the Government are talking about is the possibility of a couple of registrars with the happy couple and their witnesses, and from what I've read so far, only in circumstances such as terminal illness (might be misinformed on that point). What they're NOT talking about is full blown social gatherings (so the wedding breakfast and evening reception is out of the question!). Let's face it - the weddings that we're used to are out of the question until a vaccine or at least drugs to alleviate the symptoms in hospital are found.

We're off the road for a long time to come sadly - despite what the media are promising! We hopefully ALL get that, don't we?

From a venue's perspective (and I've got several on my patch adopting this attitude....grrrr!), weddings will be allowed so the fees must be paid. It's not the wedding that was planned, but....the legal bits will be done on their premises. They're "open" for business and the couples are still due to pay.

We all KNOW it's wrong (and hopefully the CMA will show its gums). Common sense dictates that weddings aren't going ahead as planned no matter WHAT the restrictions. They might happen in 2021, but I'm not willing to bet the farm on even that at the moment!

This thing must be serious - the government have now extended the furlough scheme until at least October. It's costing billions to do this - they're truly worried about what could happen.

BUT, the venues have their contracts, and have bills to pay (some of my local ones have multi-million pound business mortgages let alone staff costs!). If they can enforce their contracts because the wedding itself can go-ahead, they're going to do it. It's not right....but it's legal.

[rth_discos]

Just looking now for a savings account that pays more than 2.5%

As interest earned over 11 months is going to be negligible (any decent interest earning accounts require a lengthy investment), I'd suggest popping it into Premium Bonds.

You may well come away with nothing - but it's equally not cost you anything. Or you could make something decent from it.

From a venue's perspective (and I've got several on my patch adopting this attitude....grrrr!), weddings will be allowed so the fees must be paid. It's not the wedding that was planned, but....the legal bits will be done on their premises. They're "open" for business and the couples are still due to pay.

This looks similar to the Ryanair approach. Lots of noise from them about resuming flights soon that people booked 8 months ago for the summer.

Yes, Spain may not be accepting anyone into the country without a residencia, and the UK may well be imposing a 14 day quarantine on your arrival, but the flight you booked is running, so if you choose not to travel on it, then no refunds...

[DJ Jules]

Yes, Spain may not be accepting anyone into the country without a residencia, and the UK may well be imposing a 14 day quarantine on your arrival, but the flight you booked is running, so if you choose not to travel on it, then no refunds...

My daughter is supposed to be going to Spain on a school trip at the end of June. It's not going to happen (we all know it's not going to happen) but the school are waiting for the situation to become sufficiently clear to know where we stand on refunds. It's likely to fall at just the wrong time (things will probably be sufficiently open for her to technically "go" - but probably have nowhere to stay and nothing to do when she gets there). I feel for the school having to sort that one out with 60 parents on their back...

Julian

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Well as of Sunday things have gone mental at the Badlands Ranch.

Mass reschedulings (I was doing 1 or 2 per week for impending weddings, now I'm dealing with 3 a day for way further in the year)

2021 brides panicking and trying to get everything tied down.

Hopeful, optimistic, glass half full people - the dreamer of life possibly? - who enquire as to wether I, a going business concern, would be kind enough to block off a date for them in the possible slight we don't really no but we might move our wedding type.

And worse than that, a creature I've largely managed to avoid until now:

The one sentence, Facebook recommendation person who has clearly BCC'd the 47 other DJs that were no doubt touted to her.

[Benny Smyth]

Hopeful, optimistic, glass half full people - the dreamer of life possibly? - who enquire as to wether I, a going business concern, would be kind enough to block off a date for them in the possible slight we don't really no but we might move our wedding type.

In this scenario, what I've said to clients is that while I can't hold the date due to the nature of the beast, I will pencil them in and if I get an enquiry, I'll let them know so they can make a decision.

If they want to secure the backup date, then it's a new contract and booking fee. If the original date goes ahead, then the cancellation terms of the backup date kick in. If the original date is postponed, they get a refund of the booking fee for the backup date.

That's about as fair as I can make it.

[Imagine]

In this scenario, what I've said to clients is that while I can't hold the date due to the nature of the beast, I will pencil them in and if I get an enquiry, I'll let them know so they can make a decision.

If they want to secure the backup date, then it's a new contract and booking fee. If the original date goes ahead, then the cancellation terms of the backup date kick in. If the original date is postponed, they get a refund of the booking fee for the backup date.

That's about as fair as I can make it.

Exactly what I'm doing now, and really the only fair way to handle things.

What's NOT going to help at the moment is that both the W.H.O AND the UN virus chief have said in the past 24 hours that a vaccine might never be found and what we're experiencing now is going to become the norm.....I really hope not - I can't face rescheduling next year's weddings (which were this year's weddings again), or even worse cancelling them because that sort of wedding will never be able to happen again