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Why is ski hire so expensive in St Anton (AMENDED - not Austria!)?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I have been looking for discount ski hire for an upcoming trip to St Anton - the cheapest I can find is €82 just for skis for 4 days in mid-March. I’m also going to Tignes at Easter with the family where ski hire for 5 including boots and helmets for 3 kids for 6 days is only €200 in total for similar quality equipment.

So why is St Anton so expensive when everything else (passes, hotels etc) is broadly similar to Tignes/Val d’Isere? Anyone got any insight into how to find the best value rental in St Anton?


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 19-02-18 8:40; edited 1 time in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@MontyP, It's not 'Austria' it's just the Arlberg

It's a cartel - there is no escape...
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Just returned from Hinterstoder in Upper Austria ( small resort, zero Brits), and the Intersport rental prices were eye watering there. More or less the same as in St.Anton. ( correction - €110/3 days of skis only)
Furthermore, the ski school prices were also fairly steep with kids group classes €50/ session/ child ( 2 hour long AM or PM sessions).
The food was reasonably priced. The mountain well maintained, the hotels were not rip offs but not cheap either.
Lift tickets came to roughly €40/ day per head. Much cheaper for kids if adults bought simultaneously.
I hadn’t estimated the slightly increased costs, thinking a smaller resort would mean slightly reduced costs but not quite so.


Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Sun 18-02-18 20:33; edited 1 time in total
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Same price in the Ski Welt, Austria as the French resorts I've hired in (about £50 for 7 days).

(Edited: £s, not euros)


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 18-02-18 23:59; edited 1 time in total
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We ski in Germany near Austria and after the first trip we bought our own equipment for everyone, even our kids (now 5&6). We drive and have an inside slope an hour away so we jus make sure to make use of it all year round now!
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2nd to red 27's comments its not austria it's the Arlberg. you can get basic kit in zillertal for 60 euro for 7 days, mid kit will be 80 euro and brand new or high end race skis will be 110-120 for 7 days
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@enduroaid, thirded.
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Thanks all. So there is nowhere in St Anton to get the sort of discounts available everywhere else?
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Just a word of warning, hired from the cheapest in St Anton (Hervis) last year and ended up returning and going to Intersport. (Awful condition of skis, even for rentals although supposed to be premium and no better when asked for different skis)
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MontyP wrote:
Thanks all. So there is nowhere in St Anton to get the sort of discounts available everywhere else?


No because it's a cartel. Hervis is likely cheapest but probably more than Hervis elsewhere.
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Drive and reny en route cheapest option.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
On our last trip to St Anton we took a taxi to Pettneu (next village), asked the driver to wait, hired skis and came back - saved a fortune. Can't remember the name of the hire shop but you'll find it in a google search.
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As @baddersmad wrote. Hervis will be the cheapest as it is a national chain with fixed prices.
The equipment can be... errr.... 'changeable'. Toofy Grin

In Ski Amadé area we recommend a place that offers €90 / €100 / €130 (skis boots and poles).
Then you get -10% off as they like your face wink wink

All excellent gear, often current season boots (expect them out of a box in December/January).

The Arlberg is the most expensive part of Austria I'm afraid but it really isn't the whole of Austria as the thread title suggests.... maybe an edit would be worth while?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I thought the authorities cracked down on that particular cartel just 2-3 years ago? levying large fines on the three biggest family run hire operations in St Anton. Has it flourished again?
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Try here

http://www.skiwest.at/

http://www.hervisrent.at/filiale/ski/st-anton-am-arlberg/
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
MontyP wrote:
Thanks all. So there is nowhere in St Anton to get the sort of discounts available everywhere else?


cheapest with decent selection we found was at the bottom of the Sonnenkopf gondola with some online discounts codes. Worth skiing there the day you hire in case of any issues that need tweaking...

https://www.milanovic.at/
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks again all - unfortunately as I'm time-limited on this trip and won't have a car, will probably just have to pay the going rate.

I'll amend the thread title if an experienced user can tell me how to do this Puzzled
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@MontyP, amen the first post- click on the scissors icon to the right of the post
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Do a Google search on price fixing and at Anton and that will pretty much answer your question.
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Quote:

On our last trip to St Anton we took a taxi to Pettneu (next village), asked the driver to wait, hired skis and came back - saved a fortune.

I wonder what became of that taxi driver? Skullie
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Always funny this "it's a cartel" nonsense, only when talking about ski-rental....
Why is nobody mentioning the hotel-cartel in St.Anton or Lech? Or in St.Tropez, Courchevel etc etc etc? And what about the apres-cartel; the restaurant-cartel?
And hey, isn't that Arlberg-skipass actually quite reasonable for such a large area?
Stop the complaining, you came to St.Anton knowing it is worldfamous, didn't you? Pay for it!
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We used the Sports 2000 place next to the Nasserien gondola, and booking through AlpinResort using a discount code. This was closest to where we were staying.
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@Langerzug, Exactly.....they'll be complaining about the price of beers next.....agree with your comments, best ski pass, fantastic lift system and very reasonable price too. That's one of the reason the US visitors come.

There's competition for ski hire in St Anton like every other free market economy in the world, if you hire from Alber Sport and Sport Jennewein you are paying for the best gear and also location, plenty of cheaper places down the valley if you want older and lack of convenience. My friends have just got discount off from one of the above two, by talking to them and doing a deal, this cartel nonsense is like a broken record......or just get your hand in your pocket and buy gear, it pays for itself over 2-3 seasons even if you are skiing one week a season and you buy what you want not what is there for you. If I was cycling in the Alps in summer I wouldn't rock up to the nearest bike shop to Alpe D'Huez and complain about the cost of bikes and want to go down the valley to get an older cheaper bike, I'd want the best to get the most out of my trip, or even better take my own......its a 1-2 week trip to the Alps in the best resort, you've chosen it after all, why start complaining, beats me rolling eyes
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@pam w, hope it wasn't him...I give him quite a generous tip Shocked
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@Markymark29, a bit harsh, as the OP points out (and I agree) the hire pricing in the Arlberg is more expensive than similiar sized quality resorts ie Tignes. On the reverse the beers, lift pass and eating out are cheaper than France in my experience so it probably balances out!!

Also "hiring down the valley" is not at all "older" kit, we've had great gear hired from Sonnenkompf.
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@kitenski,
Quote:

Also "hiring down the valley" is not at all "older" kit, we've had great gear hired from Sonnenkompf.


Take it you mean Sonnenkopf? Either way its not very convenient from St Anton if you want/ need to swap it over is it?

A friend of mine with a team of 6 people hired gear from Sport Matt in Pettneu 2-3 seasons ago, he said it saved him about £180 in ski rental versus hiring next to Galzigbahn, spent 3 mornings of the week, about 3 hours on each occasion, plus a late start day one, and an early finish final day sorting out gear issues, swap overs etc. He said after that holiday it definitely wasn't worth it, and he hires now in town for the younger members of his team, and the older guys have all bought. Depends what you want to do with your time, I think his is worth more than £12 an hour, I know mine is when I'm skiing in St Anton, i'm in the powder not sat on buses and in shops down the valley. Nowadays he is too. Laughing
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@Markymark29, I've hired there 3 times, went back one evening after skiing to get a set of boots swopped. No hassle at all and missed zero skiing.
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@kitenski, Great, maybe you were staying in Stuben though, and had use of a car? Hey, its up to you, I know where i'd be hiring, and my friends are at the weekend, all 10 of them at Jennewein and no complaints, they are there for skiing not running around looking for bargains.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
So why is it that it's so expensive? Just thought I'd nudge the thread back on track Toofy Grin
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@Matrski, because of price fixing is the answer.

Our group when we visited almost all bought their own skis in the weeks before we left, many secondhand, and including ski carriage it was cheaper than renting in any of the local shops we could find.

Given the quality of the rental equipment, it was a complete no brainer, could have chucked the skis in the bin at the end of the week and still made sense, effectively many had a free pair of skis vs the rental cost.

Can't argue with the service in the highly profitable shops though, I took boots purchased in the UK to a local shop and they spent a good half an hour with a range of expensive looking machines to get them fitting better, and simply wouldn't accept payment. I ended up agreeing to put 10 euros in the tip jar, which they almost refused to allow!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:

@Matrski, because of price fixing is the answer.

You sure about that?

Maybe I should suggest the leading shop owners make contact with you to discuss?
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Markymark29 wrote:
Quote:

@Matrski, because of price fixing is the answer.

You sure about that?

Maybe I should suggest the leading shop owners make contact with you to discuss?
Marky, you seem to be taking this very personally? snowHead

I should say that I have never been to St Anton, but I would like to go one day. In Zell the other week we paid €110 for a the week to hire "premium" skis, so not sure what to expect from St Anton after this thread.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Quote:

Maybe I should suggest the leading shop owners make contact with you to discuss?

Ah yes because a member of a cartel is bound to be honest about the situation to a random rolling eyes
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@kitenski, comparing Tignes with St.Anton is an insult Toofy Grin
We are not contesting that Arlberg is more expensive. We know it is; and we think we Toofy Grin are worth it.

It is just this nonsense of "it is a cartel" ("those blasfemists", "those devils who are not playing by the "free market rules")
Is anyone complaining about the price of a Coca-Cola, or an iPhone? Do you think that type of huge multinationals have fair prices? Think again...


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Mon 19-02-18 12:20; edited 1 time in total
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MontyP wrote:
I have been looking for discount ski hire for an upcoming trip to St Anton - the cheapest I can find is €82 just for skis for 4 days in mid-March. I’m also going to Tignes at Easter with the family where ski hire for 5 including boots and helmets for 3 kids for 6 days is only €200 in total for similar quality equipment....

For a fair comparison you should look at the same dates for both resorts. Hire prices / discounts vary over time, in the same way as flight & hotel prices. It could be that St Anton is giving a lower discount because you are within a month of the hire date.


Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Mon 19-02-18 13:49; edited 1 time in total
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@Sack the Juggler, I know the people well that people are putting down on here. I’d want to know if people were doing same to me on a forum. These people have built up very successful businesses over the years and don’t need armchair internet warriors putting their businesses down imo.
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Well a quick search for 25/2 - 2/3 and platinum skis only gives £87 (or 116 euro for Diamond grade skis )in Val d'Isere and 175euro in St. Anton (on-line hire via Skiset) or 170euro on-line at Jennerwein.


Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Mon 19-02-18 12:41; edited 1 time in total
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
pam w wrote:

I wonder what became of that taxi driver? Skullie
I understand whilst waiting he posted a few trolling threads on a certain skiing forum. Laughing
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Markymark29 wrote:
@Sack the Juggler, I know the people well that people are putting down on here. I’d want to know if people were doing same to me on a forum. These people have built up very successful businesses over the years and don’t need armchair internet warriors putting their businesses down imo.
If all was fair and reasonable can you explain the near 1/2 million Euro fine the ski shops (four I understand) in question received for running a cartel?

Quote:
Four sports shops in St. Anton am Arlberg have been sentenced to fines in the total amount of 419,200 euros on account of illegal collusion over twelve years. The judgment of the Cartel Court fell on April 28, it is legally binding.

Due to this reason, if present are further inquiries into sporting goods and ski and winter tourism in the running, the Federal Competition Authority (BWB) of the APA said on Friday.
Agreements in goods and services

The companies were accused of anti-competitive price-fixing in winter sports equipment and related services, such as rental and servicing of skis taken. In addition, the company had the market by "Nichtabwerbevereinbarungen" divided and prohibited recommendations.

As the BWB announced on its website, was against the company "Sport Pangratz & Ess GmbH" a fine in the amount of 144,000 euros, against "Alber Sport GmbH" 136,000 euros, against "Sport Jennewein Martin eU" 128,000 Euro and against the company "Sport Fauner GmbH & Co KG" imposed a fine in the amount of 11,200 euros.

The defendants incidents occurred between 1 July 2002 and March 4, 2014. The Company and the office parties waived an appeal, the decision is now final.
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Markymark29 wrote:
@Sack the Juggler, I know the people well that people are putting down on here. I’d want to know if people were doing same to me on a forum. These people have built up very successful businesses over the years and don’t need armchair internet warriors putting their businesses down imo.
so why are the Sports 2000 ski rentals so much more expensive in St Anton than in Pettneu?

I've just done a quick price check on the same skis and they are €25 more expensive in the Sport 2000 Jennewein stores than in the Sport 2000 Manfred Matt store in Pettneu.

And the Intersport prices in St Anton are exactly the same as the Sport 2000 prices. And the St Anton Alber are exactly the same price too Shocked - all €150.30 for same skis, no price variation at all

ok, maybe there isn't a cartel, and maybe you know these owners really well, but from here it looks like their prices are all matched and are on the high side.

We are all in business to make a profit, but based on this, I'll leave the slopes of St Anton well alone, which means more space for you and your mates to go skiing, so everyone's happy! snowHead
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