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Pricing structure
The Rentaballoonrace.com race system is highly complex and it costs the company many thousands to set up a complete race. So, to make it affordable we have devised a simple low set-up, commission-based pricing model with just two packages, A or B.
Package A
Designed for the smaller charity, school PTA, church or Scouts, for example.
A set-up contribution fee of just GBP695 / USD1000 / EUR850 / AUSD1300.
(subject to change)
VAT at 20% is payable by UK clients only.
20% commission is paid on the total value of balloon sales.
Credit card charges from Internet sales are deducted from the final revenue total.
Package B
Designed for sponsored charities, large charities and corporates engaged on CSR / ESG projects.
A set-up contribution fee of GBP1695 / USD2400 / EUR2000 / AUSD3150.
VAT at 20% is payable by UK clients only.
10% commission is paid on the total value of balloon sales.
Credit card charges from Internet sales are deducted from the final revenue total.
Credit cards costs in the UK are typically around 1.4%+20p or 24p for a £3 balloon purchase (around 8% of total) We will give quotes for all other countries individually but do not expect much difference.
Why Is my invoice due immediately?
If you make a wooden chair, you can sell it to anyone. So, if a buyer changes his mind, there is a physical product that can be sold to someone else. Web development is very different as your race website, video clips, for example are relevant to your organisation and your organisation alone. They cannot be sold to anyone else and are totally bespoke to you. And clearly, once we have started designing and programming for you, there is no turning back the clock.
What is a virtual race?
A virtual race uniquely uses real weather data and global mapping systems but a computer-generated virtual balloon.
Our patented mathematical and physics algorithms combine with your chosen balloon parameters (shape, latex thickness and amount of helium) and the prevailing real weather data, to simulate, as faithfully as possible, the flight path of your latex balloon if it actually existed.
All balloons in the race have their flight path calculated and virtual position recorded and plotted on real global mapping every thirty minutes. These computations last for the 7 days duration of the race using real live weather data from around 10,000 meteorological stations spanning the globe, including both polar ice caps.
To raise maximum funds from the race, you and your co-organisers need to sell as many balloons as possible to supporters, friends, family and colleagues. There is no limit on balloon sales so race as many balloons as you want.
How is the winner decided?
After a full 7 days racing, the winning balloon is the one that has flown the farthest in a straight line from the starting point. This is irrespective of whether the balloon has popped or burst at some point earlier during the race.
How many times can I decorate / amend parameters of my balloon?
Prior to launch time, alterations of your balloon(s) is unlimited because your balloon is virtual / computer generated. With so many design and selection options, a virtual balloon race is a hugely entertaining After launch, there can be no alterations of any kind.
Why balloons burst?
Virtual balloons are notoriously vulnerable and just as erratic as real latex ones. They never fly quite as you might think. So if you choose thin rubber to make your balloon fly higher and faster, your balloon could burst if the wind speeds become excessive. High altitudes also increase the risk of bursting from excess swelling through intense sunlight or orbital debris.
At lower levels of around 300m above the ground, balloons are often struck by geese flying higher than normal birds. And if your balloon is at a really low level and heading for rocky Earth, it could even strike an electricity pylon, church spire or tree.
Similarly, sudden squalls are known to pick them up and send them in the wrong direction, even backwards which defies normal logic. And finally, in high pressure zones of no wind, your balloon can appear to have flown nowhere. The reality is that it will have moved a little but not enough to register on the system.
To create a potential winning balloon, it definitely pays to check the prevailing weather patterns before your race starts and chose your balloon parameters accordingly. All that said, many balloon purchasers do nothing and just decorate their balloon with their favourite colours or design. It is important to note that, on purchase, all balloons are given randomised variables (helium content and rubber thickness) so that they are not thousands flying all the same.
We are sorry that it is not administratively possible to get into correspondence over individual balloons.
How am I paid?
Your race revenues minus commission and back charges are paid within 7 days of the race end by BACS. A breakdown analysis will be attached to a notification email.
Are there major benefits beyond money?
Emphatically Yes. In addition to the vital funds raised, there are many extra benefits to running a Rentaballoonrace.com virtual balloon race.
Firstly, there is a strong appeal to the younger, Internet generations, so this is a unique opportunity to create brand awareness for your charity or organisation in that market segment. Rentaballoonrace also perfectly interacts with all the social media platforms, especially Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Secondly, many race entrants will provide new database contacts, hopefully lifelong, to aggregate to your existing email lists. Remember that emails cost a fraction of paper.
Thirdly, the system has major educational aspects such as being able to teach young people about archaeology as their balloon flies over burial mounds or more straight forward human settlements or industry.
Fourthly, Rentaballonrace is global and multi- lingual when appropriate
Finally, it sends out a real and positive message of technological progress and innovation from your organisation.
Is Rentaballoonrace.com gambling?
Gambling is defined by Dictionary.com as the activity or practice of playing at a game of chance for money or other stakes. Chance is defined as an event where there is no predictability of outcome or ability to control it in any way.
Therefore betting money on the result of a professional game of football or horserace is classed as gambling as the outcome is uncertain, and you, the gambler, cannot influence or change the football players or lawfully manipulate the race horse.
Similarly, a lottery is gambling as the prize winners are chosen at random and winning is just pure luck or chance.
In contrast, the Rentaballoonrace.com virtual balloon race is a game of skill where you, the balloon purchaser, can personally alter the helium content, thickness of rubber and balloon shape in order to gain advantage. This is after studying the prevailing weather patterns to decide what parameters to choose to maximise performance under those conditions. And to finally ensure that there is no chance of luck, we ask questions of the winner.
Are real balloons dangerous?
Companies that manage and organise real latex balloon races will say, for example, “The acceptable way to run a balloon race is to only release items that are biodegradable. All of our balloon race kits contain these items. Our balloons are made from latex which is a natural product which will break down at the same rate as an oak leaf….Our balloon race tickets are made of thick paper and DO NOT involve string or the use of plastic valves when attaching to the balloons.”
What they say is possibly true – latex balloon fragments can biodegrade at the same speed as an oak leaf when contaminated with soil, but that statement is misleading. The full question is really ‘how long does it take the balloon fragment or oak leaf to fully disintegrate and what happens if it falls on grass pastures, not a ploughed field’, the answer being years not six weeks.
However, the biodegradability of the balloon fragments is not the primary issue at all. The real issue is that birds, animals and sea creatures such as turtles try to eat the balloon fragments because they are brightly coloured.
Similarly, those balloons that do not burst i.e. just lose helium but remain intact, also kill when being attempted for eating by birds and animals. When a bird pecks at one of these deflated balloons, the rubber envelops the bird’s beak and asphyxiates it.
The companies are also disingenuous when it comes to how many balloons come back to Earth intact. It’s far more than they would have you believe. They don’t all get to five miles (8km) altitude and burst into bits. There is lots of empirical evidence to suggest that most balloons do not rise above 2000 feet (600m) altitude because of wind, turbulence and gravity. So far more come down semi deflated than actually burst into bits as suggested.
Further Environmental Reading
Should Releasing Helium Balloons into the Sky be Banned?
Balloons Pose a Risk to Wildlife & the Environment
The Alarming Truth About Biodegradable Balloons
Do I have to decorate my balloon or change its flight parameters?
The simple answer is no to both. All purchased or gifted balloons are given randomised parameters when created so that no two are exactly the same in terms of helium content or latex rubber thickness. Of course, after checking the projected race weather data, you may want to change your balloon parameters to help win the prizes on offer.
And decorating your balloon isn’t mandatory either. However, putting on your name and graphics is great fun for all ages !