Is it worth it?

[Rob R]

Why the nominal fee? There's nothing to the breeders advantage in doing this, so how many will? Get rid of the fee and the vendor is far more likely to do it.

There must be an administration cost to the DCS for printing and posting out a new pedigree certificate someone has to pay it.

They (the buyer/seller) don't have to though, that's the problem. They could e-mail them and we could print our own/store them electronically with the option to pay extra for a physical certificate.

[Jac]

They could e-mail them and we could print our own/store them electronically with the option to pay extra for a physical certificate.

There are lots of ways that things could be done more efficiently but someone still has to process the request unless you want it part of the grassroots system in which case someone has to pay for the system changes - nominal fee?

[Rob R]

Yes, but what I'm asking is how do you get people to pay the fee? If the desired outcome is to get more members who will go on to register stock in the future then surely the payback would be better on the wider, but still targetted marketing. You can't expect individual vendors or purchasers to pay directly for marketing materials (which also have to be printed and posted out at a cost). It would need to be a levy, on all animals sold, but again, difficult to enforce, as the society has no control over the animal itself, merely the pedigree information relating to that animal.

[justmalc]

I'm also interested in what proportion of Dexters are registered compared to unregistered. Of the people I sell to at least eight out of ten have no interest in joining the DCS and see membership as adding only costs and paperwork.

What can we do to encourage membership and registration and do we even really need to bother?

What are the real benefits of pedigree registration if such a small proportion of customers are interested in their animal's pedigree status?

[Rob R]

The value you place on a pedigree animal goes further than the initial purchase. I have animals in my herd that have come to me via a third party & had they not had the bit of paper they wouldn't have contributed to my breeding herd. As pedigree breeders we should look beyond the first sale as resale value is just as important as it carries your name along with it & contributes to their initial worth.

[Mark Bowles]

Hi Malcolm, ref your comment:-

What is the extra £30.73 for? Did one of the Council members suddenly shout through a mouthful of chocolate digestives the random figure of "thirty pounds seventy three pence!" Before taking another slurp from their mug?

As a council member who has, over the years, put lots and lots of time into dexters, i find the picture you paint as more than unfair!!

[Rob R]

Hi Malcolm, ref your comment:-

What is the extra £30.73 for? Did one of the Council members suddenly shout through a mouthful of chocolate digestives the random figure of "thirty pounds seventy three pence!" Before taking another slurp from their mug?

As a council member who has, over the years, put lots and lots of time into dexters, i find the picture you paint as more than unfair!!

What is the true picture? I'd always assumed that the odd figures were something to do with the VAT rate at the time of registration but it always seems to come out at non-rounded figures whichever VAT rate is used.

[justmalc]

Sorry Mark, wasn't intending to be rude. Thanks for joining the discussion - how was the figure arrived at please and what is it's purpose?

PS. I'll bring some chocolate biscuits to Melton as penance for my earlier flippancy.

[Mark Bowles]

I believe it has been an historic amount from way back when, it has increased when fees were looked at but only by a proportion. Yes the odd figure is because of the increase to 20% on vat.

Malc....chocolate hobnobs please!

[solburydexters]

Hello Malcolm would prefer dark chocolate myself. Fully support all Mark says.
Maybe if you trot along to the Welsh Group meeting on 14th September there will be chocolate biscuits there and I'll make the tea?
Sorry Mark just trying to get a bit of free publicity.
Please, all DCS members don't forget to vote in the Council election (closing date 11th September).