December 23, 2010

Commitment Fees?

The guys at MCF have really outdone themselves this time. Rather than overcharging us with ridiculous exchange rates, they've taken the next step and called the recent RM100-per-participant in the 2010 MAS-SIN match a "commitment fee". I could argue it's a step in the other direction as they could just call it a "management fee", but I guess they think it looks less like a scam if it was a "commitment fee".

Really, guys? You must think we are a nation of idiots (Sadly, we have been proven to be exploitable, with 101 people taking part. That's RM10,100). What warrants this ridiculous fee? At the last MAS-SIN we had in Singapore, in 2007, seriously, how many did not show up? If I recall correctly, maybe a few. 5, perhaps? Does this justify taking RM10k off a hundred people?

Now, one (just MCF) might argue that it is to deter people from signing up but not showing up. I call bullshit. There are two reasons for this:

First off, MCF made it crystal clear that nobody will be getting their RM100 back. If that was the case, it would be called a deposit, and MCF being MCF, would only give refunds if they grossly implied it. Here, it's the opposite. Being called a fee, we're obviously not going to see our RM100 again. It's like "paying" bail (which is the case in some countries, but you and I both know that I don't mean them). If the point of the RM100 is to make sure we lose RM100 for nothing if we don't come, then the RM100 should be refunded if we do show up. That is non-negotiable.

The second point is the punchline: Players are allowed to pay the commitment fee on the day of departure, i.e. when they're already quite obviously committed. I can only imagine someone arriving in KL Sentral with all his luggage at 7:00a.m. on the 30th of December, paying the fee, and then changing his mind and deciding to go back home at 7:15a.m...or maybe get on the train, go to Singapore and decide not to partake, and ride the next train home. That image cracks me up.

I think you guys should have just called it a management fee. At least that way you're only insulting our ability to estimate the cost of "management".