Lay My Hat

could someone fill me in on what type of newspaper this is please? (as I'm in the US, so have no clue - never seen it before!) have been approached about the possibility of giving away a holiday week in a contest they run (?)
Thanks!

I would not give a prize for that kind of competition anyway, whatever newspaper. You have absolutely no control over who will be in your property. We give weeks in our property for charity but only for silent auctions, where someone has to pay a reasonable amount of money and therefore want to come.

good point, that certainly does make sense!!

I'd run a mile from offering my property for any charity event for entirely the reason Margaret mentioned.

We offered a weekend in our place for a Silent Auction (around a $600 value). It was bid for by a woman who told us she was using it for Mothers Day, to take her kids for some 'quality time'. We did ask her to complete our rental agreement and pay a damage deposit, and are glad we did.

During the weekend we had a call from our neighbours to tell us the place was overrun with teenagers - drunk, noisy, building huge campfires and generally running amok. By the time we were able to get there, the kids had gone but it was a complete mess. I think they had done everything imaginable ( and a lot that was unimaginable) in the hot tub. There was food everywhere - as if they'd had a food fight; beer bottles all over the place etc.

Our neighbours said the first group to arrive were driven up by a woman who just dropped them off, and another car full of kids arrived a few hours later. About 9 of them (in a cottage that sleeps 6).

Cutting a long story short, we immediately claimed all of the damage deposit ($500) which did cover our costs of cleaning as there was no permanent damage,but it sure was a lesson learned. We normally screen our guests so carefully and make sure the group matches the facilities and features of the place. This time I had wanted to give back to a charity I strongly support. Next time I'll just give the cash!

Margaret wrote:I would not give a prize for that kind of competition anyway, whatever newspaper.

Nor would I; not in a month of Sundays.

Alan

We have had 4 or 5 lots of guests in who have bought via silent auctions. Without exception they have been lovely people who have treated the place as well as the best of the usual guests and no bad behaviour. Over £2,500 has been raised for good causes in that way and we are well pleased with the experience. We did have to withdraw one offer for a charity event which we made recently when the organisers decided to switch from silent auction to raffle prize. Our argument was that someone could win it who had no interest in it and could sell it on for a few quid in a pub!

Gosh, I had never thought of the issues of "prize draw", so thanks everyone.

I do put both my properties up for auction for a charity that I support regularly, and one of last year's winners couldn't get their act together in time, so came out in November, which meant that they actually paid over 50% more than the "rack rate".

But, as others have experienced, they were a charming group, and have even successfully bid in the same auction to return again this year.

All very gratifying.