GABIT attendees thread

[Skydiver]

we evacuate regardless - with several hundred people in a 14 story building, you play the 'better safe than sorry' card. however, other than two times in 10 years, it's always been someone burning the popcorn or some other kind of false alarm

I will say, i prefer the 'better safe than sorry' aspect though. I used to work on the 10th floor and it'd take us 15 minutes or more to get out (in another building) because the stair ways just backed up with slow moving people.

[rderoch]

We are not able to use pay pal due to thier terms and conditions. Ie they have a nasty habit of suspending the account and then won't let us have any of the the money until after we have "delivered" the service.... ie after the event. Sorry we can't run an event on credit.

Sadly the credit card companies are also getting very antsy about events companies... Michael Jackson has a lot to answer for. hence we no longer have that facility either. In order to keep the facility one of us would have had to sign over the deeds to our house.

With regard to charges, you may not be aware when you hand over your credit card, but the reciver of the payment has to pay fees. These are usually at least a monthly subscription and then 3-5% of the value of the transaction. If we were usuing credit cards ( or even pay pal) that would have had to be added to each ticket price.

We will be taking Pay pal for the pre orders of t-shirts and fleeces/ hoodies when that all gets going. But even then would you believe we had to provide pay pal with invoices to prove we had actually bought the merchandise we were selling!!!!

Cheques and transfers keeps the costs down for everyone overall It is a huge ammount of extra work for the reg department but it is the only way we can continue to operate until one of us wins the lottery.

Best Becks

That's awful! Anything to make people's lives more difficult. Sorry you guys have had to jump through so many hoops. But your dedication is greatly appreciated.

[ames]

My first year at uni I lived in a 7 storey building with four wings ... and I lived on the top floor. If you didn't evacuate and got caught, you were fined. Which wasn't too bad except we had a month-long period where the fire alarm went off between 8 and 11 pm and/or 5:30 and 6:30 am at least 3x a week. Not only were the elevators disabled, we had these heavy magnetic doors which would close automatically, sectioning off each floor...oh how I loved living on the top floor! On the other hand, better safe than sorry ... and I definitely went to bfast the days my alarm clock was the evacuation alarm

[NZNeep]

In my first year of uni my student hostel was right in the central business district, near the train station. For a while the alarms kept going off around 7-7.45am and all the students would have to congregate on the street in our pajamas/boxers/singlets as the first wave of commuters in business suits swarmed around us.

Some of the muslim girls would be holding their hijab around their heads, others would just throw on a hoody with the hood up and hold it under their chin. I couldn't have cared less about standing in the street in my boxers (in fact I have walked along the same street in wet ones after jumping in the harbour) but I always felt bad for those girls who were horrified for cultural/religious reasons.

[SWMBOTGSG]

Once at an event(not one of ours) we were getting up and ready for the day and the fire alarm went off. We looked out in the corridor and the room maids were going about their business so we ignored it. Suddenly they were banging on the doors and yelling that there was a fire! We trooped out into the car park (Me in PJs and a kaftan with my outdoor coat on top) and there was a huge fire in an electrical room on the first floor (upstairs - we're talking UK). We were out there for ages and I got a chest infection that took three lots of anti biotics to shift.

Mumsey

[Skydiver]

within reason, they do try to verify that it's legit before they sound the general evacuate sign, simply because it takes the better part of an hour to get people out, to the other building, then get them back in. (800ish people do not move quickly, especially with 6 elevators to go back up)

There was one time, however, when it was real, and we had made it down from the 10th floor, and people below us, that were in front of us, they were stopping the second they got outside to light up thier cigarettes and to chat...the woman that was with me, all 100 pounds and 60+ years of her, started yelling 'there's a real fire! Get out of our way!'

Even though you don't panic, you always treat it like it's real.

If I can, i grab my purse and stuff and coat and take it with me, because if its' real I could be locked out or the such for hours and hours.

I'm one of those people that, when I'm in a hotel, counts the doorways to the stairs, or gets a notion of the exit row on a plane.

If all hell breaks lose you usually have no one but yourself to take care of yourself, so any info you have is a good thing.

[Jumble]

Done.
I was going to wait til my new credit card came in but I decided it's easier to amend the card details than to explain to my roomie why we there's no room at the inn!!
I have to admit, every time I do something for AT6, it reminds me it's another step closer to an awesome weekend and I get all excited! Then when that wears off I'm kinda nervous about the prospect of travelling all that way alone-ish. But then I get all giddy again coz it's gonna be wicked...I'm riding a merry-go-round of emotions! Oi!!!

Don't worry about travelling alone - I was terrified of going to Seattle on my own but it was a doddle in the end Airports are full of people that are there just to help you

[llp]

Chelle DB I've been flying back and forth to my parents home for so many decades (almost always alone) that taking a longer trip by myself (such as to the UK) never even bothered me. I figured it would be boring on the plane (usually is unless I can sleep) and up to me to have a good time in the UK. Met people at the con really easy and started making friends quickly. Couldn't help it, they came up to me and introduced themselves. People are really friendly at a Gabit con....it starts with the "organizers" and works it way to almost everyone attending!


BTW - Got a non confirming email that they got my money transfer okay (minus 6 lbs. they kept out on the English side - inspite of the fact I was reassured 3x's there would be no fee). Apparently the "confirming" computer got sick (has a virus) and is in need of repairs....so I have to wait until they sweep it clean! But at least the money is there so I'm safe. My "roomie" made the reservations at the hotel already. YEAH ..... is it November yet?

[llp]

My confirmation from GABIT just got here and that the money arrived (-$10 fee which wasn't suppose to happen ) and my seat is paid for (less the amount due in November to cover the fee that didn't exist!)

[XFchemist]

My confirmation that the money arrived (-$10 fee which wasn't suppose to happen ) and my seat is paid for (less the amount due in November to cover the fee that didn't exist!)

same here (-6 £ )

[SWMBOTGSG]

It seems to be happening a lot this time Such a pain. Not anyone's fault but the banks. It would be nice if they could get together and all work to the same patterns.

Mumsey

[Fresh_Horse]

Banks never do....heck most of the time the employees don't even know that there is a charge. It's like a ghost programs it into the computer. It's like how my bank couldn't tell me what the ATM fee would be in canada.

It's like the 'foreign currency fee' that banks tag onto a credit card...they're the ones that do the exchanging, they're charging me a fee for them to change the money to themselves.

lol
Re about fees at ATMs: we've had several court decisions about ATM fees. Basically, the banks who have ATMs don't want to supply their service for free to customers of *online* banks.
Several banks offer online service only, they do not have any other customer service, no branch office, no point of presence, no ATM only their website and a hotline.
The regular banks offer ATM service for free to their own customers and similar banks but charge customers of online banks up to 10 Euros (this bit has changed, I believe).
If you have an account with a savings bank you do not pay ATM fees at any other savings bank, you may however pay an ATM fee at Deutsche Bank for example.

So, yeah, I can totally see why your bank wouldn't be able to tell you what the fee for using an ATM in a foreign country would be. I am not sure what the fee would be in my own country.

I just know that I do not have to pay if I use the ATM of a savings bank. If I use my credit card I can use any and all ATMs without a fee.

[Celandine]

I know the last few times I've used my debit Visa overseas with the ATMs, I asked and was told that my bank would waive the fee on their end but couldn't be sure on any charges on the other end. They lived up to their word. No surprises so far.

Also, I know Sky mentioned this, there was a bank next to the Wall Centre in Vancouver that didn't charge fees of any kind for using their ATM. I went there many, many times because of this fact so I wouldn't have to carry so much cash around. Not sure how or why they were able to do this, but I didn't question it. Wish all banks were this way. I know...totally dreaming.

Mocha mentioned the special 'chip' in the credit cards. I know I had this problem at one place for AT5 but that's about it. I know my Visa debit is due for renewal in March so I might ask them about it when I next go to the bank. If the UK (Europe?) is slowly changing over, it might be a good thing to look into.

No confirmation on payment...yet. Think it's been three days now cos it was definitely withdrawn from my account Thursday morning. Good thing my roomie has her confirmation so she can book one for us. Next on the agenda, airfare and plotting the days beyond AT6.

[Skydiver]

Yeah, the bank by wall center would change up to 200 for free i believe. I found a small currency exchange down on robson street i think that would change whatever amount for free....musta been a government backed exchange, i dunno.

Now Discover has stopped with 'foreign currency fees', but they're not as well accepted out of the US as they say they are. Visa and Mastercard still do charge the fees...that said I know there are several class action law suits going on where they may stop that because they've been told to stop it (I'm guessing it's along the line of 'so you're charging customers a convenience fee for you to exchange the currency'..in other words they're charging the customer fees for them to do a job for themselves)

dunno how that will work out, but that's one reason I've used a lot of cash and kept my card for emergencies and the hotel....that 3-5% can add up fast.

anyway, no such thing as too many questions because it's best to know all you can before you head out.

[lame moose (mocha)]

i will definitely be bringing cash, but use my card for the hotel.i'm not sure, but i think that maybe they accepted paypal for the auction? but that still costs a money conversion fee. i'm thinking i'll bering some cash and then get more at the barclays bank which is about 2 1/2 miles from the Ren. and keep it in the hotel safe. actually, it's not like i will have thousands of dollars available, but i feel uncomfortable carrying more than a couple hundred on me. can't remember, did the Ren have room safes?

i just made my reservations. the marriott guy said that the block was for Nov. 3-15, not 7th-12th like gabit said in their payment confirmation. but i tried to reserve a night on the 4th and the 14th and they were both apparently sold out.i can't imagine that many people have reserved rooms on those dates yet, so i don't know what's going on. i emailed gabit to tell them what the marriott guy said about the dates. but at least i have reservations in. now i have to figure what nights i will actually be staying there. i want to do some travelling, but don't know what or when yet.