uktrackdays.co.uk and focused events

[deej]

Focused Events launch dirty tricks campaign in Track Days market Track Days allow people to take their own cars or motorbikes for a day's driving on their favourite circuit, in a fun and safe environment. There are a wide variety of agents who operate and sell these events. All work in relative harmony to ensure everyone is having a good time, but it would appear that one Track Day organiser, 'Focused Events,' has become hell-bent on disrupting this harmony by deploying bully tactics against fellow agents - all in an attempt to reap the profits for themselves. We spoke to a representative from UKtrackdays.co.uk, who are a non-biased agency and portal for people to book track day events through a wide variety of organisers. They showed us an email that has been sent around from Focused Events prompting customers to 'Save this website into your favourites instead of UKTD (uktrackdays.co.uk) because there is no need to pay extra!' - and suggesting that uktrackdays.co.uk charge booking fees to customers to book their events. In actuality, Uktrackdays.co.uk do not put any mark up on their prices. Their margin is taken as a commission from the organiser, as a fee for displaying their dates, so has no bearing on the price to the customer. Uktrackdays.co.uk were recently contacted by Focused Events, who said they would only allow uktrackdays.co.uk to sell their events if they added £10 to the price. Uktrackdays.co.uk subsequently ceased advertising Focused Events days, and now refuse to sell them to their customers. Incidentally the email that Focused Events had sent suggested they could lower their prices by not using uktrackdays.co.uk, but that has not proved to be the case. Another Track Days organiser has also been in touch with Uktrackdays.co.uk, claiming to have received a call from Focused Events, threatening that if he did not stop advertising his events on uktrackdays.co.uk, Focused Events would run 'free' events either side of his in order to stop him getting any bookings. Unfortunately it appears a handful of organisers have succumbed to Focused Events' bullying tactics and pulled their events from the uktrackdays.co.uk listings. Uktrackdays.co.uk has recently received feedback from customers who attended Focused Events track days, claiming the staff were rude and unhelpful, and that they had been prompted by Focused Events staff to stop using uktrackdays.co.uk and book directly with Focused Events instead. "For over five years we have worked with most of the major track day providers, who have all been happy paying a small commission for us to market," said the representative from Uktrackdays.co.uk. "Their events appeal to a wider audience. As we do not run our own events we need to trust the organisers we use and be sure our customers are not ripped off and have a great day out. Since Focused Events have tried to dominate and bully the market, and after hearing feedback from customers, it is obvious their focus is purely on making more money, so we are not prepared to use them anymore." Focused Events director Kevin Healy boasts on his site that his business is based upon 'a safety first and financial gain second basis'. However his recent behaviour suggests financial gain is his primary motivation. We at Motorsport.co.uk simply do not condone this kind of behaviour and take our helmets off to uktrackdays.co.uk for sacrificing a large percentage of their income in the interest of their customers. You can be sure the events advertised on Uktrackdays.co.uk are run by trusted organisers and offered at fair and reasonable prices, so let's hope that everyone takes our advice and steers clear of Focused Events when they want to arrange their Track Days. Date published : 11 Mar 2010 - 15:48:29

[Rsv4Col]

[Funky]

Is there a small synopsis available?

I just need to know the plot...

[Chris K5]

I have never been with focused events but heard so many bad stories about them I wouldn't use them anyway!!

[deej]

Is there a small synopsis available?

I just need to know the plot...

Yes,they're robbing front bottoms which we all knew anyway

Explains why simon couldn't find any listings on there last month

[tomr6]

All track day companies can be tw@'s. I used Hottrax last year for Almeria and was disgusted at the way the ignorant ill mannered woman spoke to me at registration. I did mention to her that I thought she was out of order but being the owners Mrs she could basically do what she wanted.

Focussed = Tw'@s too though.

[DynaMight]

I'm wondering if there's another side to the story tho. Obviously these companies take X pounds from the TDO for the booking, maybe they wanted more of the pie and Focused told the to F OFF. You cant blame Focused for pushing people to book on their website tho, if you had a business which could get you 100% on your website or say 90% on a third party website you would probably push people towards yours

Not trying to defend them, they're not known as the friendliest in the business but there's normally two sides to a story.

[deej]

Very true,uktrackdays could be shitty they've had a discount reduction,its not like focused need them is it

I'd never use a intermediary company unless they were way cheaper, I always go direct and start by looking at each tdo's website in my order of preference and go from there

[Maver-Nick]

I thought Focused were very good at Cadwell last October...

Far better than Phil Bevan's 'Hitler' outfit at Pembrey...

[deej]

I thought Focused were very good at Cadwell last October...

Far better than Phil Bevan's 'Hitler' outfit at Pembrey...

yeah true,close one though.at times focused attitude really sucks.

take the trip to almeria were on, i paid 399 ( no hotel) and they tried to charge shane 425 for the same package, plus what we have to pay for extras n tyres is far more than it would be with no limits

[Rsv4Col]

I couldn't believe what you said about what you were allowed to take with " focused"

But then nothing surprises me with "focused"

[deej]

Col. In your bag,I put lid,visor,back protector,boots,leathers, under leathers clothing and a as way adapter for my tyre warmers and that was just over the 17kile limit,had to take my extension lead out for it to be below the limit

[norfolkinchance]

Personally i have found FE to be very rude to the paying customer.................very helpful before they take your cash though.