GOLFERS..what about the new 8 dollar charge?
 

Is there anyone out there that is angry about the "new charge" for all of us that use our computers to make a teetime? Do you know there will be an additional 8 dollar charge to do so. I think if there is enough STINK about it from users, maybe the VIllages will quit trying to "tap us out."
Can you imagine how much extra money this brings in to do this? Someone is getting richer, and it is not we that use the teetimes and are going to be charged for it.

Yes, everyone I know- No one is happy about it.
But like the Buffalo, not much the residents can do about it.
But I warn you, this site has people that will always defend the developer.

From my understanding, it is ComCast this time, not the developer. TV had a contract with Comcast to try using the system online with Comcast. TV paid the fee. I've heard variouis rumors from Comcast inisted on a very hefty new contract to the original agreement stated that once the first year was up, it would be up to subscribers. I don't which is true. Either way, the contract with Comcast is up and the developer did not renew it, so the cost is now on the consumer. I'd suggest people write both the devleoper and Comcast about this. Those who are Comcast subscribers might be able to get the fee removed. Can't hurt to try.

Thanks Red. First I had heard that.

Are you a resident?

If you don't like the $8 fee, access the system for free with your phone.

Is that $8 per month?

Yes, that's $8 per month, beginning next summer. If you do some math with the number of Comcast customers there are in TV, some of us think this is an outrageous amount, way more than the actual cost to The Villages to provide the tee time service as part of Villages.net. After all, The Villages already has huge computer capability, servers, personnel, etc. The tee time software was purchased a few years ago because it was far more efficient than using the phone. It may cost a little more to run that program now that there are more residents, but does that warrant an increase from an annual fee of zero to $100!

One of our members is researching this matter and I for one can't wait to read what she discovers.

When I lived up north, there was no telephne or computer system.
Just call the course and make a ressie a week in advance.

Of course as technology became available a telephone system and computer system started up.

It wasn't free - they charged a yearly charge for access TO BOTH,

I think $96 a year is a little excessive but the telephone IS FREE.

Again, carefull what you ask for !

That is not correct. The Villages was trying to create their own cable company. They had originally picked Clearlink. Clearlink became the cable provider in Marion county and had costumers in Sumter county. I am not sure what happened but the Villages gave up on Clearlink and went to Comcast. The Clearlink customers had free Villages.net. When Comcast took over, they made a contract with the Villages.net to provide free access for all broadband customers to the villages.net until June, 2009. Personally i am not sure why they extended it to all Villagers as only the ones that had to be moved from Clearlink had the free access . But, that was a business decision.

So, in June, 2009, we will all have to pay the $8 a month for the online Tee Time system. For us that really use it, it is and expense bit it is not that bad. Personally I do not want to pay it but I will because I use the system and the few times I have had to use the telephone system, I never got what I wanted.

My only question is why did the Villages.net decide to stop the annual charge and go to a monthly charge?

are you saying that ALL comcast customers will be charged $8/month or is it a charge to only those that use it to schedule tee times?

Only those who use the golf sign-in.

I have been disappointed w/ Comcast TV, phone and internet... we all should threaten to drop comcast. That'd:boxing2: get their attention

RS,

I agree....that is one way to get some attention to this. Getting tee time system for 'free' is one factor for me in retaining Comcast (the company you love to hate). Once it is no longer free, I'll be more inclined to switch to DirectTV and DSL. I plan to alert Comcast to this upcoming choice long before the June deadline.

I stopped in at the Villages.Net office on Thursday and spoke with the receptionist....she didn't provide a lot of information...basically saying that the Villages (meaning the developer and his various companies) owns villages.net and the tee time system and sets the fees as they see fit (read a level at which people will pay). It is totally separate from the amenities we all pay for. She did not know how many comcast subscribers will be hit by the new fee nor was she privy to the overall operating budget for villages.net/tee time system.

I plan to also speak with local comcast, amenity authority committee and a few others to try to get some more info on this.

My basic gripe is that $8/month = approx $2M/year for 20,000 households....that seems like a lot of profit for the services provided. $4/month I could see..... $8 seems way too high.

The research continues....

You may have to go higher in the food chain than a receptionist to get answers to questions like that.

Just wondering how the figure of 20,000 households that are on the villages.net computerized tee time systems is calculated or verified?

Mallory.... that was just an estimate... may be way high, may be way low; there are almost 40,000 households in TV, so, just used half that for estimating purposes. Once all the Comcast people have to start paying for tee time system, the number of paid subscribers may drop.

Bogie... agreed, but, it was a face and a starting point. Given the intricate and somewhat secretive nature of villages-operated businesses, it may be a real challenge to actually find someone with answers who is willing to share.

As an aside, I started a list of all the businesses directly or indirectly owned or supported by the Villages developer....it fills up 2 columns on a piece of steno paper. A few examples.... libation stations at the Squares, golf cart store, katie belles, Daily Sun/VNN/WVLG, movie theatres, fitness centers, polo field, charter schools, bowling alley, championship golf, etc. Again, these are just a few. I am pro-Developer...I think they created a great concept here, do everything first class, and the risk they took earned them their rewards. But, it is a far and wide operation.... well beyond just selling new houses. Even after buildout, whatever and whenever that is, the Developer will continue to have a huge presence in this community.

07 - Thanks. I'm sure it's a hard number to calculate. Most I know use it, but surprisingly some golfers don't even know the computerized system exists.

____07

A good starting point for info would be the T-Time office on Wedgewood LN

I have nothing against the Developer either; but, as you said, they have their hand in a lot of side businesses designed to pick up extra $$$$. You can add the furniture stores to the mix as well. When you add in this extra golf fee, its pretty obvious there's a bonus in there for them moneywise. I can see making some profit, but after awhile, it seems like its going overboard.

It isn't like our golf is cheap. If you're a single and play 3 times a week on the championship courses and have a priority membership the annual total comes to almost $5000 per year, or $9000-10,000 per couple. And that figure is based on the latest winter, fall and summer (golf in the morning) rates.

This is ridiculous. I have never paid a fee to my cable company or anybody else to do online T-times.

Yes, you can use the phone; however, if the convenience of using online is available, why the charge? I'm guessing Comcast and TV will be pointing fingers at each other.
What does that tell you !!

I think that sounds about right - I'm used to the $100 per week but up here it is only for 5 months. Holy crap I better start saving my pennies!

Comcast Fees
 

The real problem is lack of competition.

Comcast being the only cable company in TV, can charge whatever they want.

We use Dish network...I think they have merged with the other satellite provider and will follow in Comcast's footsteps one of these days.

:shrug:

Tony C

Small Dog Sez

just another fee added onto my free golf :ohdear: ..... wait, wait whose hand is that in my pocket again ........:cus:

Maybe it would be appropriate to email Roger Kass who is President of our 'Village's Homeowners Assn.' The VHA might/should be able to provide a more detailed analysis and opinion re: this issue.

The $8 charge is not from Comcast. Dish/Direct vs. Comcast vs. Fios etc. is a separate issue. The $8 is called 'member services' from villages.net. You can access this from any internet connection once you are a member.

At least that is what I can gather from looking at the villages.net website.

To Villager07
 

I'd just like to thank you for pursuing this issue of the $8 added charge for the golf tee times in July of 09. It seems to me that everyone figures that there is no use in complaining to the folks in charge (I for one have written to support@thevillages.net which is an address that I was directed to) to voice my dissatisfaction with this additional charge, but I wish there was something more we ALL could do to insure that our voices and concerns are heard. I admire your resolve to contact those who make these decisions and let your opinion be counted. If you do find an email address or contact person that we can reach, please put that information on Talk of the Villages and maybe people like yourself will follow your lead and try to make a difference.

I haven't had Comcast for about 2 years and I've been paying $6.00 per month so it's actually a $2.00 a month increase, and the $$ goes to TV.

I think it would be very tedious to use the phone system, when searching for tee times, or trying to fit in a group at certain times, as compared to using the internet where you can see at a glance what times are available. At home, where we paid much less for unlimited golf on a nicer course, we of course would just call the pro to get a tee time.

Using the same logic, playing twice a week is $3400. Doesn't it depend on your personal choice of how many times a week you want to play and pay. One could be living in Orlando and paying $75 to $100 per round.Even comparable courses in our area are priced the same as TV.

The key word here is course. You had one course to choose from and maybe it was nicer, here you have 9. You said you played much less, for golf?, membership fee? monthly restaurant?, etc. Its like comparing apples to oranges.

Bogie - I think Rekop is from northern NY - It is apples and oranges trying to compare prices from there. I have a couple of friends from the Buffalo area and their cost of living is so low that I considered moving there many years ago. For example - the cost to park an RV at the Buffalo Bills game was $20. That same RV costs us $120 at Gillette stadium in Mass. A nice motel room cost me $35. His house was valued at $180K and it was better than mine valued at $450K (at the time). etc.

Don't get me wrong - it's a beautiful area to live but you can't use it as a comparison for prices.

There have been numerous 'arguments' on this site from those that live in relativly inexpensive areas of the country and then move to TV. For them it may seem expensive but for many others TV is relatively inexpensive.

I am not trying to compare the cost of golf in Florida vs other places. My point was only that for the amount of money a couple will pay, $10,000, and that is not even unlimited golf, that it seems like overkill to have to pay to conveniently make your reservations.

I think that is a valid point.

Rekop said "it seems like overkill to have to pay to conveniently make your reservations."

I don't understand what some hypothetical annual cost of playing Championship courses has to do with paying $8 a month to access the on-line tee time system........GN

Why the uproar
 

First...and i dislike immensely having to say this first...but since one poster actually asked if another poster was a resident or not....(as far as i know u don't have to be a resident to join this wonderful group at TOTV...nor do u have to be a resident to offer timely comments on various issues)....i am a wannabe....a dedicated one and a great follower of everything TV that appears on TOTV....without question, i get more real life info here than anywhere else and i have no doubt that all that info will be extremely helpful when we finally become TV'ers, this year.

That said, i am very aware of the T time system...both phone and on-line....i have seen comments on both...both positive and negative....my sense is that i will, upon our arrival, give the phone a try and if it does not meet my needs, head to the on-line system with its associated costs.

I guess i may be naive but i do not understand the furor about an $8 increase for on-line T time access. I understand that it is or appears to be a large increase....$96 additional per year is.....still $96 per year out of the household budget. But are some even more naive than I, to not realize that EVERYTHING...is going up. Remember a few months ago when food prices rose because of "increased transportation/fuel costs"...not that fuel has come down...has anyone seen a reduction in food prices???? Crude oil prices rose to above $45/barrel recently....now understand thats for future purchases of oil....but before the oil was even taken out of the gound...gas prices rose. How many of you have received notices from your credit card companies that your interest rates are going up and this from companies who have received part of the $350 b of our money used to bail them out.

Is someone making money from this increase...of course.....who is making it.....who knows for sure....Comcast, the villages.net...the developer...who knows for sure..but surely someone is.....is it pure greed?...is it trying to make up losses due to the economic situation? I have no idea. It is, lets be honest....the American way....its called profit motive.....its why people (including the developer) got into business in the first place.

I don't like the idea that Comcast is the only high speed internet provider available...but here in NY....i only have a choice of Time Warner Cable...or Verizon DLS which is far less desirable. I can't count the number of cable price increases i have seen in the last two years.

My trash hauler increased their charges due to increased fuel prices...but now that fuel costs are down.....i called and ask if the fuel surcharge was being reduced...the answer was no. I switched haulers to one that has no fuel surcharge.

This is already too long and i apologize..call it venting if you will....but i just don't understand the uproar over this charge. Justified or not....my opinion is....let the user pay the cost for the convenience...that way it effects only those that CHOOSE to use the service. If the cost is too high for some...if some object to the rate of increase or to whom it may be benefiting, either bite the bullet ...pay the increase for the convenience or...and yes there is an alternative....use the phone system....or organize a letter writing campaign to ask for a change.

Thank u TOTV...for being there...for residents and soon to be residents alike.

It may be venting but it sure made sense to me. I use the computer but really have no broad knowledge of cyberspace and how it works and how the charges might be incurred. I am a tight person, REALLY thrifty, but I love to play golf. Eight dollars a month seems reasonable to me to access 27 executive and 9 championship courses. (And more on the way!!)

tank, no need to apologize, you may call it venting, I call it a well thought out response, thanks for your input, to me it made a lot of sense.....GN

Thanks Tankdriver1950!
I am the one they asked if I was a resident.!!??
The answer is for many years! My golfing friends have been here since the beginning of this place.
So good to see new posters. Back to topic-I will now use the phone to make my tee times.

I repeat, my point was that for the amount of money a couple will pay, $10,000, and that is not even unlimited golf, that it seems like overkill to have to pay to conveniently make your reservations. After all, you've already paid for a priority membership, and will pay an additional greens fee to actually play golf. If paying for online tee time scheduling was to cover actual expenses it would be one thing, but it appears to be putting additional profits into someone's pocket.