charter payments

[Bon]

Can someone please tell me what normal payment practices are for chartering a boat in Greece? So far I have contacted about 7 companies all of which require a 50% deposit and the rest due 60 days in advance. Is this normal? I am very apprehensive about doing this there is no guarantee that I am getting what I pay for and that last payment would be my only leverage to make sure I do.

[avournas]

Bon,

This 50/50 advance/60 days prior to embarkation is the usual practise, based in in the fact that in the passed 99% of the bookings where made through agents in the various countries, who had a sub agent in Greece. The foreign agent supposed to know the company he was working with in Greece, so the client had a kind of "guarantee" when he was paying his money in advance.

Now with the internet things have changed and the sooner the companies realise that, the better. To my opinion, for an internet booking, a 50% advance payment with the remaining 50% to be payed upon embarkation (and only after you have seen the yacht you will sail with) is a reasonable condition for both sides.

What you can do is:

a. Search. There are companies that offer this kind of terms, or
b. If a company''s boat and price takes your fancy, even if their terms are as you described, simply ignore them and make your count-proposal. Tell them "listen guys, I like your offer and I''m willing to book my charter with you, BUT I would like to pay my 50% payment upon embarkation". I give you a 90% of success in such an offer.

After all, if this is an honest company they have nothing to loose. If they refuse your offer something is "smelly" and I wouldn''t book with them anyhow.

Good luck
aLEX