Terms & Conditions Updated 09/22/2024
Registration for Tournaments and Events
Registration for tournaments provides for reasonable and customary provisions of a chess tournament per the rules in effect for that tournament per the appropriate sanctioning body. We have our events in multiple buildings, and those facilities vary widely, and the rules for those facilities vary. Players are subject to building rules, event rules, and Federal and State law as applicable.
Photographs/Video: By registering, players agree to allow photographs and videos of their image or likeness to be posted on our websites or related social media. Titled players and players at least age 13 agree to the use of their full name on our websites or social media along with images. Players under the age of 13 must be registered by their parents or guardians who agree that their names can be used in tournament standings or other listings, their first names may be used in general photos or videos, and their full names may be used in prize photos or videos. Participants or their legal representatives agree to these terms by registering the player.
Withdrawals
To withdraw from an event, go to https://cavechess.cc/withdraw and fill out the form. Emails will be ignored.
If you have any symptoms of coronavirus (fever, cough, shortness of breath, diminished sensory perception), please do not enter the tournament. We understand some conditions (allergies) can cause coughs, so please explain this at the time.
Suppose you withdraw after the start of an event. Even if you have not participated, no refund is available since plans were made for your participation, and related costs have potentially occurred.
Registration Payment Processors - Shopify, PayPal and Stripe:
Caveman Chess, LLC uses Shopify PayPal and Stripe for its transaction processing. For more information on PayPal's policies, terms, and conditions, see the PayPal acceptable use policy, and the Stripe policies, terms, and conditions may be found here.
These tools are how we process your credit card payments. You do not have to join Paypal or Stripe.
Prizes
General
We pay all prizes electronically following the event. Our reasons for this are:
Players don’t have to hang around at the end of an event waiting to be paid.
Payment processing and accounting can be tied together, especially as we build out systems, making processes more efficient.
As we complete the build-out process, we intend to save time and money, which will help us keep events cost-effective.
Eventually, an automated system will have little reliance on personnel time.
Players can have their payments auto-deposited.
Register for A Prize
See the prize list for the tournament. Prize lists will be posted on our website following the event. They are often located at the end of standings lists - so that they draw a little less public attention.
If you are due for a prize, go to www.cavechess.cc/prize and complete the online form.
Prizes are paid within fifteen business days of completing the form or uploading any required documentation, such as a W-9.
We will work to pay prizes as quickly as possible.
Many will be paid in days or within a week. Please help us be faster by avoiding emails for a while.
Remember what it’s like when players interrupt a TD trying to make pairings? It’s the same thing here.
Like you - we want to complete this as quickly as we can.
Our preferred payment method for speed, cost, and efficiency is ACH. We strongly prefer that.
When using ACH, we will send you a link to QuickBooks where you may securely - and without us seeing it - provide the personal information required to pay directly to your account.
Prizes can also be paid via PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, ACH transfer (direct deposit), or Deluxe e-check (a printable online check you can deposit at the bank.)
Additional methods, such as Wise and Melio, are available for those who need international payments.
Cash Distributions (Including Prizes)
Here are our rules regarding payments, including prizes:
All cash distributions, such as prize distributions or payments to vendors or independent contractors, are distributed electronically after the event - no exceptions.
Suppose a distribution is more than $600 or will take a person or entity above $600 in distributions for the calendar year. In that case, they will need to complete a valid W-9 tax form before we can make the distribution - no exceptions.
Prizes under $600 will be paid within fifteen business days of an event's completion. Prizes over $600 will be paid fifteen business days after a W-9 is filled out. Business days do not include weekends or national holidays. This has become the industry standard set by CCA.
Contractors will be paid on our regular bi-monthly payroll schedule.
Electronic distribution methods include ACH, Paypal, Venmo, Zelle, and Deluxe e-check. (An e-check is a printable check that can be emailed to you, which you print and may deposit at a bank.
Additional methods, such as Wise and Melio, are available for those who need international payments.
We strongly prefer ACH transfer as this reduces everyone’s paperwork and fees.
Refunds (Including Refunds from Withdrawals)
The refund policy may vary for each event. For this reason, we have a General Refund Policy, which may be supplemented by event-specific policies. Please contact us with any further questions after reading the below.
General Refund Policy
Due to how various intermediary financial providers apply fees and process refunds, our refund policy is as follows.
Timing: Refunds are paid within fifteen business days of the completion of the event (lesson, class, lesson or class series, camp, or tournament.) Generally, we will work to pay within faster. However, when we get close to an event, the priorities shift to those attending the event and ensuring the event goes well, so we have this policy. We believe we are rightfully focusing on the players who attend.
Refund deductions: Due to financial fees imposed on us and the time involved in refunds, in our standard refund policy, refunds take the following forms:
For registrations $20 and below, a $5 fee
For registrations from $20.01 to $60, a $10 fee
For registrations above $60, a $15 fee
.
Registration Corrections and Changes
For the past two years, we have been inundated with registration changes. These include name corrections, bye request updates, section changes, and so on. At times we have received 15 email changes for one registration. We are averaging over three emails per registration. Getting all this processed is untenable without adding staff, and adding staff would cause a price increase for events.
Therefore, we are taking three steps to better manage these changes:
For all of our events, we remind participants to verify their information before submitting the registration.
We are introducing a form and link, https://cavechess.cc/change, to assist in processing changes.
We are adding a $5 fee for all changes.