Pontins told to stop screening Irish names

[Eric Mc]

Crumpet said:

My wife had a similar encounter at a hotel in Sheffield. It must cost these places a fortune in refunds as everyone (‘normal’ guests) was at the front desk in the morning demanding their money back.

I completely sympathise with Pontins on this but their method of filtering was always going to get caught out at some point. I’d guess losing a fair few innocent Irish named customers is outweighed by the costa incurred of fixing and paying for the damage caused by the bad ones.

So, in your eyes - acting illegally is OK as long as the economics weigh up?

[Eric Mc]

I found the full list -

The full list of blacklisted surnames:
Boylan
Boyle
Carney
Carr
Cash
Connors
Corcoran
Delaney
Doherty
Dorran
Gallagher
Horan
Keefe
Kell
Leahy
Lee
Maclaughlin
Mcalwick
McCully
McDonagh
McGinley
McGinn
McGuiness
McHarg
McLaughan
McMahon
Millighan
ans
Murphy
Nolan
O'Brien
O'Connell
O'Donnell
O'Donoghue
O'Mahoney
O'Reilly
Sheriadan
Stokes
Walch
Ward

I would be fun making a list of famous people who would be banned from Pontins.
I'm feeling a bit aggrieved that my surname is not on the list. I feel left out now.

[SpeckledJim]

Eric Mc said:

Crumpet said:

My wife had a similar encounter at a hotel in Sheffield. It must cost these places a fortune in refunds as everyone (‘normal’ guests) was at the front desk in the morning demanding their money back.

I completely sympathise with Pontins on this but their method of filtering was always going to get caught out at some point. I’d guess losing a fair few innocent Irish named customers is outweighed by the costa incurred of fixing and paying for the damage caused by the bad ones.

So, in your eyes - acting illegally is OK as long as the economics weigh up?

To some degree, yes.

If you had a group of customers who cost you money and damaged your reputation, and the law said you couldn't discriminate against them, are you telling us you'd just keep working for them, doling your money out of your pocket, until there was no money left?

Not a chance. You'd find a way to sack them, legal or not.

Pontins are out of order, but only in response to an identifiable problem from a section of their customers. The Pontins situation is a rational reaction to a problem.

They haven't invented this risky and embarrassing and illegal policy for no reason. They've done it to try to protect their (very precarious) business and I don't really blame them.

[MikeT66]

Eric Mc said:

I found the full list -

The full list of blacklisted surnames:
Boylan
Boyle
Carney
Carr
Cash
Connors
Corcoran
Delaney
Doherty
Dorran
Gallagher
Horan
Keefe
Kell
Leahy
Lee
Maclaughlin
Mcalwick
McCully
McDonagh
McGinley
McGinn
McGuiness
McHarg
McLaughan
McMahon
Millighan
ans
Murphy
Nolan
O'Brien
O'Connell
O'Donnell
O'Donoghue
O'Mahoney
O'Reilly
Sheriadan
Stokes
Walch
Ward

I would be fun making a list of famous people who would be banned from Pontins.
I'm feeling a bit aggrieved that my surname is not on the list. I feel left out now.

Mine's not there, either. And I assume The Nolan Sisters won't be providing any entertainment any time soon.

[anonymoususer]

MikeT66 said:

Mine's not there, either. And I assume The Nolan Sisters won't be providing any entertainment any time soon.

I don't see why you choose to pick on The Nolans ?
For some they are family friendly entertainment that many people enjoy
I feel you owe the Nolans a big apology

On the plus side Bonnie Bramlett could be booked to perform as she is still singing long after the loss of her partner Delaney

Edited by anonymoususer on Wednesday 3rd March 10:28

[Type R Tom]

Do pub licensing laws allow refusal of service due to any reason? I've been turned away from a bar due to age, sexual orientation, race and gender over the years. Not that I would stand and argue the Equalities Act with a bouncer but those points have been the sole reason to refuse service.

[BOR]

The bad news: I won't be going to Pontin's
The good news: I won't be going to Pontin's

[eldar]

Electro1980 said:

Insurance cannot price based on gender, or race.

And because of that, the lower risk categories pay more to subsidise the higher risk people.

[SpeckledJim]

eldar said:

Electro1980 said:

Insurance cannot price based on gender, or race.

And because of that, the lower risk categories pay more to subsidise the higher risk people.

No good deed shall go unpunished!

[pquinn]

Eric Mc said:

pquinn said:

Did the instruction say blanket ban them based on name, or did it read more as "for fks sake if you see these names on a booking please triple check it!"

They'd have been better hiding it behind automation in the booking system not sticking it on paper as a list, that way no one could run to the press with it.

Ah - you mean hide their illegal behaviour. That's good advice.

It looks like they WERE trying to hide this policy - and were only found out when an employee called them out.

If it's just a name list of previously banned guests, and not explicitly created straight from a database of common traveller names then where exactly is the problem? If there are 50 Nolans on the list so what, as long as they're there for being barred not just because someone copied the Rathkeale phone book.

It's no different from people triggering the no fly list because they share a name with undesirables.

Everyone knows this policy will continue but will just be reworked to avoid upsetting the sensitive.

[Dog Star]

littlebasher said:

No different to some (holiday) caravan sites that used to put in clauses like "no twin axle caravans" - especially on the continent.

A quick phone call (so they can establish you're not a traveler) and they'll happily let you stay.

Quite - there are some in the UK that won't allow certain German caravan makes on site - Fendt, Hobby, LMC etc. My parents have a Fendt and have no trouble - I guess what is obviously a pair of OAPs don't actually fit the demographic of the Fendt owners they really want to exclude from the site.

[Fundoreen]

You would probably have to shut pontins down now. I cant think that they make any money once a large group smash their way through a stay.
Cant help thinking its due to them only paying cash and there being no way to find them and extract damages. A minimum £5000 deposit via credit card may sort the problem.
Hardly the worst sort of outrage after you see last nights covid19 documentary.

[coppernorks]

The list is fairly accurate, families with those names in my locality are ones you don't want
moving in next door, but are regularly seen down the RC church.

I thought the name White would be on it.

[AJL308]

Fundoreen said:

You would probably have to shut pontins down now. I cant think that they make any money once a large group smash their way through a stay.
Cant help thinking its due to them only paying cash and there being no way to find them and extract damages. A minimum £5000 deposit via credit card may sort the problem.
Hardly the worst sort of outrage after you see last nights covid19 documentary.

Problem being that you can't discriminate against someone by asking only people with "undesirable" surnames to give the deposit. Besides, if it's a CC deposit they'll just claim it as fraudulent and get it charged back. I wonder if there is mileage in saying that everyone who books has to have personal insurance and has to provide details of same so the operator can claim from that in the case of damage. I think I'm right in saying that it's not uncommon in lots of European countries for individuals to have personal insurance covering their actions (like car insurance but covering them as individuals) but it's not something we have here. Insurance companies won't continue offering cover to scum, I don't think.

[Ntv]

eldar said:

Electro1980 said:

Insurance cannot price based on gender, or race.

And because of that, the lower risk categories pay more to subsidise the higher risk people.

Yes, although strangely I've tested this with two car insurance quotes, one for me, one for the missus. Same car. No points. Small No Claims record. Same address. Slightly different age admittedly. But only 18 months.

The quotes were wildly different. Like £300 and £450 pa.

[rover 623gsi]

Eric Mc said:

I found the full list -

The full list of blacklisted surnames:
Boylan
Susan Boyle
Mark Carney
Jimmy Carr
Craig Cash
Jimmy Connors
Corcoran
Delaney
Ken Doherty
Dorran
Noel Gallagher
Nial Horan
Keefe
Kell
Leahy
Geddy Lee
Maclaughlin
Mcalwick
McCully
McDonagh
McGinley
McGinn
Paddy McGuiness
McHarg
McLaughan
Steve McMahon
Millighan
ans
Cillian Murphy
Christopher Nolan
O'Brien
O'Connell
Daniel O'Donnell
O'Donoghue
O'Mahoney
O'Reilly
Sheriadan
Ben Stokes
Walch
Shayne Ward

I would be fun making a list of famous people who would be banned from Pontins.
I'm feeling a bit aggrieved that my surname is not on the list. I feel left out now.

I’ve added a few for starters

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Ntv said:

eldar said:

Electro1980 said:

Insurance cannot price based on gender, or race.

And because of that, the lower risk categories pay more to subsidise the higher risk people.

Yes, although strangely I've tested this with two car insurance quotes, one for me, one for the missus. Same car. No points. Small No Claims record. Same address. Slightly different age admittedly. But only 18 months.

The quotes were wildly different. Like £300 and £450 pa.

Same occupation? Same credit score?

[Krupp88]

This type of screening is not unique to Pontins. Other UK 'holiday camp' business also **allegedly** had measures to prevent certain types from booking, not hard to understand why when your NYE celebrations are cut short due to a fist fight and subsequent death.

[poo at Paul's]

The hotel chains have been trying to control this with different methods for some, the business hotels with pools and decent rooms have been a target as the weekend rates are very affordable due to low demand. Most set up barriers to stop taller "vans" etc coming in, 2.2m, others do it similar way to Pontins.
There is a reason they do it. It is not to lose business or money, or customers. Sad reality is, it is quite the opposite.

We pitched up at a big chain hotel whilst on a MTB holiday in North of England, and saw a panicked Security guy flag us down at the barrier as i was in my H2L3 Ducato!! Cant come in here, etc etc, checking for the caravan on tow hitch...! !
Thankfully, when he realised we were just regular joes carrying lots of stuff with us for an active weekend, we were in, but his reaction was on of iniitial panic. Apparently, they had had a "camp" set up in the car park for a few weeks that emptied the hotel for the same period.

Sadly, all this will mean is that when holidays and hotels open up again, it will become more expensive for guest who are respectful of the place and others, and inevitably increase the chances of such people having ruined holidays due to the actions of less respectful people.
But the do gooders will be patting themselves on the back as a job well done, no doubt.
We're all mugs for putting up with it.

[Crumpet]

Eric Mc said:

Crumpet said:

My wife had a similar encounter at a hotel in Sheffield. It must cost these places a fortune in refunds as everyone (‘normal’ guests) was at the front desk in the morning demanding their money back.

I completely sympathise with Pontins on this but their method of filtering was always going to get caught out at some point. I’d guess losing a fair few innocent Irish named customers is outweighed by the costa incurred of fixing and paying for the damage caused by the bad ones.

So, in your eyes - acting illegally is OK as long as the economics weigh up?

Where in my post did I say that acting illegally is ok as long as the economics stack up? I suggested they probably did weigh up the economics to make this decision. If you can’t understand why they did it then you clearly haven’t had to deal with the clients in question!