The Fridays Tour

[dellzeqq]

it's unusual. I'm pretty sure that I've not handed card details out at all, although I had to send a cash deposit to one place.

Are you booking direct or through a booking service?

 

[iLB]

I'm dealing directly with the owner, in the email she says she has a card machine but I can't see how that would help in the circumstances- and she won't take a cheque.

 

[dellzeqq]

I'm dealing directly with the owner, in the email she says she has a card machine but I can't see how that would help in the circumstances- and she won't take a cheque.

hhhmmmmmmm................

 

[Aperitif]

I often take payments from people over the 'phone, using any sort of card bar American Express. It is no problem, Andy - obviously the person needs to be trustworthy...but you'll be along to trash the place anyway, if she rips you off! You'll give the SCC number, the postcode to which the card is registered and the house number. The screen on her maching will ask if the cardholder is present, that's all. (Don't worry, it doesn't ask if you're a layabout student )

 

[srw]

I think I used a credit number to confirm almost all the places I booked over the phone. I'd view it as absolutely standard - and I'd be more worried about someone who didn't ask for one, on the grounds that you've then got no evidence of your booking when you show up in sweaty lycra.

 

[iLB]

Credit card is quite different to using a debit card though right, more secure? I guess as long as I don't give the 3 digit security code then it is useless online, the other place I have contacted doesn't seem to want a deposit, we shall see.

 

[Aperitif]

Your debit card should be protected by Verisign etc and a registered (your?) address matching the delivery address etc. any variation and the site usually starts asking more sensitive questions as to the card's provenance. Who did you pinch the card from anyway, Andy - is it someone we know?

 

[iLB]

Deposit has been er deposited, fingers crossed my account will remain undrained. I even charmed her into giving us free breakfast in the morning

 

[Aperitif]

Oh, the old 'three breakfast trick' - you've been conned.

 

[dellzeqq]

ah1 I've been speaking to Gail and Norman up at D+E Coaches. I'd forgotten how speech changes once you get to Inverness. It bears no closer relationship to lowlands Scots speech than cockernee does to Brummie.

The anticipation's growing.....

 

[GrumpyGregry]

chortle... I was booking Highland b&b's y'day for my own trip north later this month, and they got all hot and bothered when I said "don't you want a card number to secure the booking?" as it implied they were amateurs...

 

[ianmac62]

ah1 I've been speaking to Gail and Norman up at D+E Coaches. I'd forgotten how speech changes once you get to Inverness. It bears no closer relationship to lowlands Scots speech than cockernee does to Brummie.

The anticipation's growing.....

Ah yes, the finest English is spoken in Inverness (and Dublin) but the real connoisseur of Scots speech would choose Aberdeen since Aberdonian / Doric can be impossible for Lowland Scots to understand. Hence my home town is known to other Scots as Furry Boots City ... as the locals are likely to ask visitor whereabouts they're from. If an Aberdonian starts a conversation with "Fit like?", you should reply, "Nae bad an yersel?"

 

[ianmac62]

If you haven't sorted out any travel south yet, and you're aged 55 or over, ScotRail have started their Club 55 promotion again - £19 (return) between any two stations. Wick (or any station south) to Carlisle/Berwick for £19 until the end of June.

 

[Zee]

Hey chaps, just saw this article: Samsung Hope Relay.

The gist of is that the folks at Samsung committing to donate £1* to a charity such as Kids Company and International Inspiration for each mile the users of their tracking app cycles for each day in the period of 16-24th June. Familiar dates to all of you I expect

*The small print states users are limited to accumulating donations for a maximum mileage of 26miles per day and £667,000 in total for the whole programme.

That's less than half the expected daily mileage and if multiplied by say a couple of dozen keen cyclists armed with smartphones - LonJog could make a sizeable dent in Samsung's £667k. The dates seem too much of a coincidence not to take advantage of it, and we're on holiday after all. Those are my two cents Look forward to riding with you all soon!

 

[CharlieB]

Just to bump this thread to the top again… …and to offload a confession from my soul.
We are now T-3 weeks away.
Now be honest, people - is anyone as bejasus scared of this venture as I am?