Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Chat

[Excalibur]

Ah, but Google search does...

You could have given examples, Smartbottom!

Post 13

and especially post 36

[Vectis]

Just in case anyone missed it, the Scottish Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund is now open for applications. One-off £2k grant to s/e persons that started business on or after 06/04/2019 with 50%+ income from self-employment and no help from other schemes.

I don't believe there is an English/Welsh/NI equivalent but might be worth a look.

https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot...-hardship-fund

You have to apply. They won't contact you, unlike the HMRC run scheme for the long-term self-employed.

[DJ Jules]

Just in case anyone missed it, the Scottish Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund is now open for applications. One-off £2k grant to s/e persons that started business on or after 06/04/2019 with 50%+ income from self-employment and no help from other schemes.

I don't believe there is an English/Welsh/NI equivalent but might be worth a look.

The UK equivalent is the new small business loan. They're loans, but open to any small business, regardless of circumstance. 100% state backed, interest and repayments frozen for the next 12 months.

Julian

[Vectis]

The UK equivalent is the new small business loan. They're loans, but open to any small business, regardless of circumstance. 100% state backed, interest and repayments frozen for the next 12 months.

Julian

But limited to 25% of turnover as I understand it. Which might be enough to help some escape the short-term.

[scoopd]

Did anyone see Martin Lewis last night?

Got the impression that a couple are entitled to their deposit back and or p[payment in full if they made it in light of Coronavirus.

It's 12 mins in here if you have an ITV.com account https://www.itv.com/hub/the-martin-l...al/7a0222a0006

Would be interested to hear what folks thoughts are.

[ppentertainments]

Did anyone see Martin Lewis last night?

Got the impression that a couple are entitled to their deposit back and or p[payment in full if they made it in light of Coronavirus.

It's 12 mins in here if you have an ITV.com account https://www.itv.com/hub/the-martin-l...al/7a0222a0006

Would be interested to hear what folks thoughts are.

My Standard Reply :


As it stands most (there are exceptions) venues and suppliers are changing dates in advance, as far as September for me, free of charge.

If this legislation is pushed, the only liability we have is to deal with weddings during any lockdown period – ie any weddings until next Friday at present.

Couples will not be able to rearrange future weddings and, for example, if next Friday Boris was to announce the lockdown was over, weddings for the following day would have to go ahead as normal. Not very nice for couples planning their wedding but if a lot are asking for full refunds this is the way things will change.

Also, couples will cancel, then when they do come to rebook (let’s face it most will still want to get married) they will be faced with huge price increases as the industry tries to recover.

So couples have a choice – be flexible as is the current stance and the only thing that will change is your date OR demand a refund, that refund will only be made on your wedding date and pay a higher price when you rearrange your wedding.

Overall a silly and pointless legislation which will not help ANYONE

[DJ Jules]

If this legislation is pushed, the only liability we have is to deal with weddings during any lockdown period – ie any weddings until next Friday at present.

This isn't new legislation, it's basic consumer rights. If a couple aren't able to use goods or a service through no fault of their own, then why should they be expected to pay for it?

Next Friday is not going to be the end of it. As others have said on here there are likely to be ongoing restrictions on non-essential activity (leisure businesses, social gatherings, etc) for some time - possibly until the end of the year.

BA is appealing to their customers who are due to fly between now and the end of July to gamble and take a voucher now vs waiting for their flight to be cancelled and getting entitlement to a refund. This removes the stress and uncertainty from planning, but reduces their rights. We're asking our customers to do the same by rescheduling to later in the year or next year, the question is where do we draw the line right now and when do we decide to move that line as the situation becomes clearer? The law might technically side with us if we drew that line at the 8th May, but would that be considered reasonable behaviour given what we all know is coming next? Probably not...

Obviously what we don't want is for restrictions to be lifted in July and us all to be sat looking at empty diaries, but we also don't want to be rescheduling events and pushing back dates again and again because couples have been unrealistic in their planning.

Julian

[rth_discos]

This isn't new legislation, it's basic consumer rights. If a couple aren't able to use goods or a service through no fault of their own, then why should they be expected to pay for it?

And this is where it gets a bit grey. If some service has already been supplied, then why should the supplier need to refund that aspect?

For example, a photographer may have already conducted the pre-wedding test shoot.

As a DJ, I spend a considerable amount of time during the planning phase in contact with my clients. I also give them access to planning software.

So that's why it gets quite grey, and isn't as simple as a 'full refund'. Typically, the deposit should cover the pre-event work. Obviously any additional payments made above that should be refunded. That's why, where possible, rescheduling is best, as it avoids that conversation about a refund.

I've made contact with the CMA, but don't expect a quick response. I'm trying to get som clarification over how we can protect ourselves better against cancellations in the future (outside of Covid-19 related cancellations), where we hold a date for a customer and turn away work for that date.

[Nakatomi]

Next Friday is not going to be the end of it. As others have said on here there are likely to be ongoing restrictions on non-essential activity (leisure businesses, social gatherings, etc) for some time - possibly until the end of the year.

Julian

I've been assuming that too based on what's been hinted on the news but then got to thinking .. once lockdown starts to come off & London tubes start to get rammed like sardine tins again, what would be the point of restricting social gatherings etc? Then I remembered not all the decisions made so far about this virus have necessarily been logical.... I think if any kind of staged lockdown release happens it should be based more on geography than type of activity.

[Benny Smyth]

And this is where it gets a bit grey. If some service has already been supplied, then why should the supplier need to refund that aspect?

I think this is where we as DJs are going to be fine with the CMA. I know that this is a sweeping statement and I'm sure that there are exceptions, but I honestly do not know of a single DJ who takes a booking fee that couldn't easily justify how that sum covers the admin in creating the booking. It's not the sexist part of the service that we provide, but still an important part so the client pays for the work that has been done.

I think that the whole Martin Lewis/CMA storm is going to be primarily aimed at venues and services that come at a not too dissimilar cost. I can't see them wasting time going for DJs who take a £50/10%/whatever deposit.