Be honest, be correct
 

When ever a traveler stays at someones home, he (or she) is representing the enture bike-travel-community. So be correct and be honnest.

Unfortunatly I have a nsaty experiance myself with a "less correct and honest" couple. I would like to share it, not to point a finger (although I am really pissed about it) but to explain exactly what I mean.

A few years ago me and my wife were visited (in Thailand where we lived at the time) by a biking couple from Switserland. We picked them up from the airport, took them into our home and tried to make their stay a nice one.
Unfortunatly the girl recieved some bad (medical) news and had to leave for Switserland asap. It took some time to arange it all, but a few weeks later she left. Her boyfriend and her bike stayed behind.

The boyfriend stayed an other month in our care. We coked for him, shared our 2-room appartment and when he finaly left we took care of there bikes.

All was well so far... untill we received the next months phone-bill. It was at least 10 times higher than usuall, so we asked at the phone-office what was wrong.
Well... It seemed our nice visitor (the boyfriend) had made several international phone-calls and 70 (!!!) times he connected to the (dial-up) internet. Ofcourse he forgot to mention that to us when we brought him to the airport.

I send them an email in which I explained we were not to happy about that phonebill... and received an emidiate awnser: Ofcourse they would pay the bill, but they wouyld do so when they came to collect their bikes.

We left Thailand before they came to collect their bikes, but we made (solid) arangements for them (which also cost us a bundle) so their bikes were stored safe and sound untill they came back to pick them up.

Ofcourse they "forgot" the phonebill when they collected their bikes. They forgot it when they arived home in Switserland 6 months later, and they forgot it the next year... untill I stumbled onto their old promise to pay that bill.

So I send them a mail and, very friendly, reminded them.

Ooops.... Suddenly I was told that they had paid it already (and we never even met).... Later I was told they had already paid it twice (but how then???)... and in the end (when I told them exactly what I thought of them), they transfered the amount by bank and let charged all the bank-cost to that payment... We reveived exactly 0,72 cents.

Now, I don,t care to much about that money.... but my my feelings have taken a blow.
We took them into our (small) home for two months. We helped them any way we could. We never asked for any payment or any help (nor did we receive any help like washing the dishes or cleaning the house). We accepted a 20 euro payment for initial phone-cost... no more.

And this is how we were rewarded, by sneeky use of the phone for international calls.... and then the refusal to pay them...

I hope these are the only "sh&:censored:ed!-travelers I ever meet.

For all the others... My house is always open, for as long as needed (as many of you know).

Have a good 2009 with manny miles of tarmac, dirt and fun.

Maarten

Gone
 

Hi, I can only say, don't let them make your life sad any longer. They did wrong, now they've gone. Watch Monty Pyton's, "Life of Brian and laugh".
Linzi.

Let this go now. I would think considerate guests would not impose as long as the boyfriend did. You were supposed to be helping them out, not adopting them.

The thing to do is to make all the house rules clear before people arrive and explain them again when they get there.

We have stayed with people and have had people stay with us without any problems at all.

Steve

That sucks to read...but it is a distinct possibility anytime you chose to host somebody. Another distinct possibility when hosting somebody, is that your life will be impacted in a very positive way....and vice versa.

Don't let this idiotic experiences bias future possibility...
As you learned on your trip, the world is more beautiful when the unknown is viewed positively...like your stay at Eric and Gails;)

Agree with the first part but, 'strip' the bikes....don't burn them!:death:

i had many biker guest from different countries (visit: ODT-2006) and had no single problem. all were lovely. there are always good people and bad people, lets hope to meet with the good one. if we meet the bad one as Lichtenstern said just forget it. you did the right thing mmarten..

Totally agree with Patrick.

If someone is staying with you for that long in THAILAND they obviously are leeching!
We are in Bangkok now, have found a fantastic apartment to rent for a month. It has worked out cheaper than daily food costs at home in Oz.

The length they stayed with you is excessive I think.
I would welcome anyone into my home, but 2months is a definate no.

Just try to forget it and move on.

Karma will sort it out...

Im a great believer in Karma through experience.....

You will be repaid for your fantastic hospitality in one way or another and they will no doubt get some horrible bad luck........

Its only money after all.... Shrug it off and please dont let it affect your decision to host other weary travellers... 99.9% will leave you with more than you started with !!

Here in Mazatlan, I invite long-riders en route further south to overnight here and wind up with visitors several days out of a week. But I also make it clear this is a brief stopover, not a free holiday. It got darned expensive feeding and hydrating so many guests so I now announce that every morning, I'll cook a big (cheap) breakfast of eggs and oatmeal. Beer and other meals must be supplied by them.

Despite numerous invitations to stay longer when I rode the planet, the best rule was a maximum of three nights and that was mostly in tribal villages. Let's face it, if willing to abuse hospitality, you could spend years on the road just staying with generous people for free. Theoretically, this could go on indefinitely.

You're too generous and insisting you wait for payment after your hospitality just adds insult to injury. I would have insisted on immediate payment by BACS or PayPal and if they'd refused, I'd have sold one of their bikes to cover it. There's certainly no way I'd have arranged safe storage at my cost for them.

Harsh I know but you can't say it's not fair. I'd definitely be dropping in on them in Switzerland, better still post their details in the "Places to stay" section, see how they like it :thumbup1:

Fish, visitors and family, (except the kids and grand kids) all go off after three days. Ride safe.:welcome::nono:

Onya Mmaarten
 

Come on guys, mmaarten was trying to be a great host and support to some travellers, was very patient, and tried over some time to get his money back after feeling upset at being ripped at bit.

It's all really just come to a head now, even if it's been two years and he's come here for some support. He is just a bit angry.

I have hosted travellers for way longer than a week many times and had numerous travellers who have returned and stayed for a total of way over a month (longest was 5 months in total). I have stored and sold bikes for people, lent my car so broken bikes can be trailered 700km back to my workshop and picked up travellers too numerous to count, from the airport. I have hosted 5 mini-meetings with food and drinks and am about to host my sixth this months, and only the last one and the next, did I ask any contributions to the food and beer I provided. I do all this because I like to help, to make sure people get a great experience of NZ and to "Pay Forward" for our trip.

We have had at least 6 travellers a year stay over the last 9 years, and I have enjoyed something about every one of them. Some I have enjoyed more then others. I have never been really ripped off, although my wife says occasionally I have been taken advantage of. But over all, the good HUGELY outweighs the bad and we will keep on doing it. I'm sure mmaarten is the same (check out how many sections of the HUBB he moderates), but he is just venting a bit. Keep up the good work mmaarten, it's people like you that make the world a better place.

Kind regards

Nigel in NZ

P.s. I bought a copy of your book and enjoyed reading to too. If people on the HUBB buy a copy too then every copy you guys buy will help off-set what these scum-bags did to him.

I hope you all did read that part :clap:. Nigel you are my new "best friend for life".

Maarten

Ordered your book from LuLu yesterday Maarten. Looking forward to the read.

Patrick

I think it's really nice of you to help those people out. You must be good people.