Questionable billing policy at Juneau Harbors

[twistedtree]

I encountered what I think is a pretty sleazy billing policy at Juneau Harbors. They charge for any portion of a day, midnight to midnight, not per-night. As a consequence, if you come in Monday afternoon and leave Tuesday am, you get charged for two days. So however many nights you stay, you get charged for that plus one day. It also means that on turn over days when one boat departs in the AM and another arrives later in the day, they double bill for that day. It just all seems really sleazy to me. Thankfully the rates are low so it’s not a big financial issue, but it strikes me as classic taking advantage of transients. Juneau is now one of my least favorite stops in SE AK.

 

[Ken E.]

Billing that way is borderline dishonest. Maybe not even borderline.

Here's another one in SE AK a couple weeks ago. We pull in and tie up. A guy walks up and says he's the harbormaster. I asked him how I should pay and he says to pay him. The nightly charge seemed very high to me so after he left I called the city office. I learned two things from the city 'administrator'. One was the guy really did work for the harbormaster. And second, the amount charged was double the correct amount. The administrator made it right, though. Came down to the boat, apologized and refunded my money. Not sure what the consequences were for the employee attempting this con. I'm not going to name and go broadband with where this happened. If interested, pm me.

 

[guy with a boat]

Someone there told me that it was their way of dealing with the day rate/overnight rate issue. Regardless, its the only time I remember encountering this way of charging and it didn't make me want to hurry back. We just stayed one night on a recent trip and had the pleasure of paying for two days. I guess if there is an upside its that checkout time is effectively midnight.

Juneau is so dominated by cruise ship traffic now that it doesn't have a lot to offer IMO other than access to a major airport. Everything that doesn't cater to the cruise ship customers seems to have diminished in importance and/or gone out of business. Other cruise ship stops have suffered from the same temptations, but Juneau really seems to have fully committed at the expense of much of its local business and most of its character.

 

[SeaDogAK]

I live in Juneau and know people on the Harbor Board, I’ll put in a word on this. This strikes me as something implemented at a lower level without higher ups being aware of the harm it is causing to our reputation. Don’t judge our town based on this.

 

[murofrelwart]

The harbor office in Juneau told me that if you leave before 8 a.m., you won't get charged for that day. Although this was last year, maybe it changed.

 

[Shrew]

I've heard of a Day Rate and an Overnight Rate. Most places act like Hotels with a checkout at 10am. Let's face it, you have to be moving fairly early to roll IN to a harbor at 8-9am. Most places the check in is also a bit after 10am (like 1pm).

Some places will charge a day rate (leave by 5pm), so if you stay after 10am, you get the day rate added to your bill.

Full disclosure, I have not stayed at a transient slip in almost 8 years. For all I know the world has changed.

 

[twistedtree]

I live in Juneau and know people on the Harbor Board, I’ll put in a word on this. This strikes me as something implemented at a lower level without higher ups being aware of the harm it is causing to our reputation. Don’t judge our town based on this.

That would be great. I’m sure the policy seemed like a great idea at the time to those who implemented it. But they will never know the unintended impact unless some tells them. And a bunch of people need to tell them for it to be recognized as a problem.

 

[Blissboat]

If transient marinas go the way of hotels, they will start tacking-on itemized extra charges, like maybe "dock walkway maintenance fee," or "marina concierge service charge," or submerged lands lease surcharge," or "upland overnight vehicle parking charge." IOW, junk fees.

 

[Mambo42]

This practice they also do in D-marin marinas. They say there daily rate is from midnight to midnight. Of course they charge an arm and a leg per day, but now they charge you for two days it gets even more idiotic.
Only result is that people will start avoiding these marinas.

Don't know if they have another policy as well in the US, but the same marinas will charge you a full day if you show up with your dinghy to go to the supermarket of the marina or to the chandler (so not staying with your boat in the marina).
Am not sure if this policy is because they are losing money or they are just greedy.

 

[Blissboat]

To a businesses, profits are like oxygen - necessary to survive and compete. Marina land is expensive and there are lots of alternatives uses to which marina operators could convert their waterfront properties. So, I get it that marinas need to charge us to use their little spots on the waterfront, but the nickel & dime pricing is annoying at best, and the advertised charges are sometimes deceptive.

 

[tpbrady]

Juneau is the worst managed harbor in SE Alaska. In Auke Bay specifically, the harbor makes no effort to efficiently accommodate boats by at least attempting to optimize space. The power situation is abysmal. That harbor is one step above anarchy. Now that Three Bears is open in Ketchikan, our only reason for going to Juneau, Costco, is gone. It’s a government town and it shows.

Tom

 

[Wild Blue]

Wrangell was pretty much the opposite of Juneau 10 days ago. Tied up in the newer transient dock at 10am. Walked to the Forrest Service Office and picked up Anan Bay tickets. Had coffee in town. Walked to see the beach. Re-provsioned at the market and left at 3:30PM. Asked the dock person how much, he said no-charge while provisioning.

Thankfully, didn't make it to Juneau this year.

Alex on Wild Blue