 Poster: A snowHead
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A really good friend of mine has just returned a few days a go from the three valleys. He skied often in Meribel and paid 250 euros for a total of one and half hours ski lessons for his beginner girlfriend ! This was for a one to one with an ESF instructor. I find this incredibly expensive, I have taken many lessons over the years from the ESF and other companys and can't remember paying anything like this, my intial reaction was he had inadvertantly overpaid but he showed me the receipt/printout this afternoon still in his wallet (lonely I expect!!!). Am I out of touch, tight or just naive ? 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Bloody hell!!! Me and a pal had a shared lesson with Oxygene in La Plagne just after xmas, and that was only 41 Euros!
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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?
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I know, I think I'm going to get the receipt and scan it tomorrow.
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Frosty, you / they should take this up with ESF - that's totally out of order. One of the group I skiied with in Flaine before Christmas paid 67 Euros for a 2 hour 1-to-1 (and had a brilliant instructor too, so top marks for ESF Flaine and nil point for ESF Meribel)!.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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That's completely nuts. A 2 hour private lesson at Wengen with the SSS is 90 Euros. You can have a whole day for 210 Euros!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Unbelievable, there has to be some mistake, a one hour private session in La Rosiere for up to 2 people is 29 to 35 Euros. You can book an instructor for an entire day for 219 Euros. I'd better tell them they're charging too little.
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Frosty, wow lets's all get qualified as instructors and give private lessons in Meribel, I hope for that money the lady got a really good lesson
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Crazy Price! Is it possible to get back in touch with ESF and demand an explanation or refund, or both?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Eur 250 gets you just about a full day of a rufty-tufty mountain guide in Chamonix - so here's another vote for you having been done!
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Not good value (err... kind of stating the obvious?)
Have just booked today my lessons with New Generation in Courchevel - certainly not your budget outfit. Just over 400 Euros has me three lots of two hour private 1-2-1 lessons. I know that's not cheap (by any stretch) but it's under half the cost / hr of the ones you mentioned. Ski New Gen are very good too - at least they were last year...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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>paid 250 euros for a total of one and half hours ski lessons for his beginner girlfriend !
IS that cos he paid in advance for more and she only bothered turning up for an hour and a half's worth?
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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.
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Eek! A couple of years ago Mrs hyweljenkins and I paid €48 *total* for two hours in Livigno.
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well exactly my thoughts but he was adamant this was correct in fact he spent half an hour telling me just how expensive everything was. He has skied for several years and I have no reason to disbelive him, nonetheless I'm going to try and post the receipt tomorrow.
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You know it makes sense.
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All this interest has made me check their web site. My friend should have been charged 80 euros for each private lesson but it does not say how long the lesson is for and the link labelled "prices and timetable does not work when I click it" I'll check it out tomorrow......
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Charlatanefc
What were Oxygene like? I have a series of lessons booked with them in Feb.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I can't believe that wasn't supposed to be for a day, and that the girlfriend just gave up. Or perhaps she misunderstood the length of the lesson....
I recently paid €64 for a 2 hour 1:1 with Evo2 in La Ros, which seems to be about the going rate.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The ESF are obliged to stick to advertised rates, and although they vary somewhat resort to resort, they would not charge the sum mentioned. I suppose an independent could, butI doubt he/she would be in business long!
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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?
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My impression is that you should expect to pay more for anything you purchase in Meribel, (though obviously that skiing lesson can't be right can it? Last time we stayed in Meribel, (which was admittedly several years ago), I felt we had British MUG tattoed on our foreheads as we went around the resort. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Can't believe the price!! Get your friend to contact the ESF in Meribel advising them that their pricing structure is now on the UK's premier skiing and snowboarding chat room. Possibly they inadvertantly charged him for the week and when they refund him his overpayment you will be happy to convey this gracious gesture to all  's and talk in glowing terms about the ESF in Meribel.
Just a thought!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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In Courchevel, 1.5 hours one-to-one with ESF cost 60€. This was the price advertised on their website and brochure.
Now New Generation is a different scenario. 205€ for 3 hours. How they charge so much, I don't know? They have a smaller office and less overheads than the ESF. I realise that you probably get a better / better English speaking instructor but I can't wotk out the disparity in fees - Having said that, market forces prove that they can charge whatever the punters are prepared to pay.
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I've not been back to everyone over this as I needed to be completely sure of my facts before I further potentially defamed the ESF in Meribel . My friends has had the flu so has been out of touch for a few days but I met him today and he double checked his receipt. My initial posting was incorrect for which I can only apologize, genuine mistake, however he still paid for his girlfriend as follows. 95 euros for a one and a half hour lesson on Boxing Day and 145 euros for Jan 2nd. A total of 240 euros for three hours lessons. The lessons were booked and paid for by a mate in resort just a couple of days before he arrived. When he questioned the amount with the ESF (he was shocked by the bill too) he was told he could have had a lesson for as little as 80 euros by booking in advance / on line. I found it strange that the more expensive of the lessons was on Jan 2 and so did he, the ESF told him this was a bank holiday and instructors expected to be paid more so lessons were more expensive on this day. The first lesson for his completely novice girlfriend involved attempting a blue run in the first hour, she struggled through but felt considerably out of depth fortunately the second lesson (Jan 2) was with a much better instructor and she will ski again (she had to be persuaded to even turn up for the second lesson). The instructor on the second lesson new how much had been paid, felt extremely sympathetic to my friends and was able to give her some extra lesson time as he was not booked (there’s a surprise) immediately afterwards. I have asked my mate to lobby the ESF to refund him some money (for all our sakes!) but he does not really have the inclination or motivation,shame. The next best thing for me was, tell the Snowheads !
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Frosty, interesting. The parents of a classmate of my daughter are both Meribel ESF instructors, and another instructor is a friend of mine who coaches Hannah occasionally. Want me to find out more?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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yes certainly it would be interesting to know for sure as the pricing structure appears not only expensive but complicated. I can understand a high level expert skier who pays significant sums for the off piste guiding experience but this just appears to be bad value for money, confirmation either way would I am sure be of interest to all of us. It would also seem only fair to give the ESF perspective.
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