 Poster: A snowHead
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We are a rag tag group of skiers and snowboarders looking for people to join us on our December ski trip.
We will suit most solo skiers with ages ranging from 21 - 39 and abilities from beginner - intermediate/advanced, although if you are travelling as a group there is no obligation to join the other groups.
The price is variable depending on your own optional extras/transport options.
Dates: 13th (coach travel) / 14th (air travel) - 21st December 2013
Tour Operator: Off The Piste
Resort: Val Thorens, France
Base Price: £299
Included:
6 Day Lift Pass
6 Day In-Resort Apartment Accommodation (self-catering, catered option is available)
Local taxes
Discounted shopping and bars
Extras:
Return Coach Travel from London - +£60 (equipment carriage +£10)
3 Vallees Lift Pass upgrade - (£54)
Equipment Hire - £80 - £120
Airport and transfers are an option but will need to be booked by passengers although expect £75 for transfers and £100 for flights.
I have about 7 places left which we would love to fill. This can be taken by 7 solo people or a group or a mixture.
A £100 non-refundable deposit must be paid to the booking agents by 29th September per traveller. This deposit is deducted automatically from your holiday cost. The booking cost is inclusive of a £40 damage deposit for the apartment which is returned after travel.
Final balance must be paid by the 15th November to avoid late fees.
If you have any questions please post below and I will try to answer them.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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really?
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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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as the vt lift pass is 199 euros on its own, seems to good to be true, and you know what they say about too good to be true!
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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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| ansta1 wrote: |
| as the vt lift pass is 199 euros on its own, seems to good to be true, and you know what they say about too good to be true! |
Not everyone on the internet is here to scam you 
Tour operator is Off The Piste LTD, member of TUI Travel PLC.
Registered in England, Scotland, Wales.
ABTA and ATOL protected.
You may know TUI as Crystal Ski, First Choice, Ski Alpine, Ski bound, Thomson Holidays, Thomson Airlines or one of the other 30 or so global brands that they use for the PUBLICLY limited company.
No money is expected to be paid to me (unless you want to be part of the group holiday insurance in which case its about £22). Everything goes via their own booking system.
In case you are wondering why it's so cheap the answer is simple. Apartments are shared accommodation filled to capacity and everything is purchased in 1000's.
When you buy a 199 euro lift pass in multiples of 1000 you would be surprised how cheap that lift pass does become.
I have used Ski Alpine in 2011/12 to Avoriaz and used OTP twice in the 2012/13 season to Val Thorens. Never been disappointed either times.
So are there any other concerns?
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Mon 23-09-13 19:45; edited 1 time in total
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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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Jin, yeah we know all those TO's. sure not everyone is here to scam but.............. so who is the booking agent?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I am the group leader but OTP are the booking agent.
Who picks up the lift pass?
OTP Reps
Who shows you where you pick up your equipment?
Me and OTP Reps
Who will physically make your booking with the coach travel, hotel, ski shop and lift pass office and transfer the money you have paid for them?
OTP
Easiest way to look at it would be, OTP would deal with 99% of issues, I would just help answer your questions, assist you in the resort and pass on any concerns to the reps for them to come speak to you in case you don't get to them before me.
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OTP are showing the VT trip for £283 base price.
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| ansta1 wrote: |
| OTP are showing the VT trip for £283 base price. |
Yep and a whole other prices going up to £700....
Not sure if I was suppose to gather more from your comment
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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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not at all,
So which accom is this offer for?
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It's terrible but I don't actually know.
I could find out maybe but obviously not until tomorrow.
When I went with a 10 person trip in Dec last year we were in Temples du Soleil but when I was doing the 140 person trip in March this year we were using Temples du Soleil and Cheval Blanc.
Cheval Blanc is nicer but the rooms were for 6 and 8 people sharing.
TDS is right at the base of the main resort area making it a lot easier to ski in and ski out. In March we had a 6 people in our room so we had one of the ground floor two storey apartments which was great as we could open the living room door and step straight out onto the snow.
I would imagine I wouldn't get a solid answer on the rooming until after the 29th September cut off when they can be provided with better numbers.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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well i am 1999 posts so i will leave it for other to ask questions or express further interest. But as Duncan B puts it..... Iiiiiiimmmmm oooooot.
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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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It's terrible but I don't actually know.
I could find out maybe but obviously not until tomorrow.
When I went with a 10 person trip in Dec last year we were in Temples du Soleil but when I was doing the 140 person trip in March this year we were using Temples du Soleil and Cheval Blanc.
Cheval Blanc is nicer but the rooms were for 6 and 8 people sharing.
TDS is right at the base of the main resort area making it a lot easier to ski in and ski out. In March we had a 6 people in our room so we had one of the ground floor two storey apartments which was great as we could open the living room door and step straight out onto the snow.
I would imagine I wouldn't get a solid answer on the rooming until after the 29th September cut off when they can be provided with better numbers.
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what, no takers?
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You know it makes sense.
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Apparently not, but I have had 3 takers from reddit and 1 from NS so only 3 places left.
I can live with 3 places going spare, rather take a group of awesome people with 3 short then a full group with 3 victor meldrews.
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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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| Jin wrote: |
Apparently not, but I have had 3 takers from reddit and 1 from NS so only 3 places left.
I can live with 3 places going spare, rather take a group of awesome people with 3 short then a full group with 3 victor meldrews. |
sorry a few years short of Victor, a few brain cells wiser, a few pounds better off and more manners to boot.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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i am neither apologising to you or defending myself just responding in part to the thinly veiled insinuation that asking a question meant i was a miserable old sod, as opposed to a dead hard young (ish) dude who is also a particular party hard kind of bloke who can ski from first lift to last and drink in the period in between as opposed to haveing a little lie down.
I asked a few questions, didnt get a clear answer as to why I should join you, and it seems nobody else on here did either. I didnt give or want abuse back. but hey ho.
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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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10 posts Jim, and nobody believes you
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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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| ansta1 wrote: |
i am neither apologising to you or defending myself just responding in part to the thinly veiled insinuation that asking a question meant i was a miserable old sod, as opposed to a dead hard young (ish) dude who is also a particular party hard kind of bloke who can ski from first lift to last and drink in the period in between as opposed to haveing a little lie down.
I asked a few questions, didnt get a clear answer as to why I should join you, and it seems nobody else on here did either. I didnt give or want abuse back. but hey ho. |
If I came across being abusive I do apologies but I would like to clarify that not everything on the internet is about you.
I don't quite understand your vendetta. I post a cheap holiday opportunity, you don't like it for whatever reason so walk away....
Not sure why you have to come back a day later and start poking at the number of takers? Unless of course you are the forum troll in which case all of it would make sense.
| Standee wrote: |
| 10 posts Jim, and nobody believes you |
Believe what?
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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 the deal is genuine, as has been said, way too good to be true, we've had our fill of leg lifters over the years
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Standee wrote: |
| that the deal is genuine, as has been said, way too good to be true, we've had our fill of leg lifters over the years |
New life goal:
Win the lottery, build a ski resort because it will obviously be profitable if everyone thinks this way.
How else can I convince you? Don't even care if you want to come or not I just want others to be able to say.
"That was a genuine offer".
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then why make the 3 awesome, vs 3 victor meldrew comment. I asked some simple questions, made some points and then came back to see why there were no response (unusual on this forum to have no responses).
Your apology is accepted and i am happy to apologise if you feel 4 posts is a vendetta. Feel free to look at all of my post history while i can be a little funny (at least in my view), ironic, ascerbic, defensive and on occasions a little cautious i neither make anything or take anything personally.
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| Standee wrote: |
| that the deal is genuine, as has been said, way too good to be true, we've had our fill of leg lifters over the years |
Does this help?
http://i.imgur.com/KncJjIR.png
Before anyone says it, booking fee is £5.95 and damage deposit is £40.00.
In the next time you want to go skiing / snowboarding. Book through offthepiste.com, take a risk pay about £300 for your lift pass and accommodation for a week and sort your own travel out then come back to me and tell me whether you preferred it or not.
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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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Jin, happy that you got your deal, but really no need to get funny about it. I could have booked the same deal if i wanted, i guess you or your 'group' reserved too many places and you were looking to offload some, nothng wrong with that but no need to be sneaky, abusive or rude is there really.
I am sure you are your awesome dudes are going to have a great time, and i hope you do. I may well be in with my kids in 1850 that week if you fancy catching up for a ski or beer or 2 (the kids wont drink beer by the way as they are only 8 and 12) but are pretty good skiers.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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bobalexander1983, oooopsie 
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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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Group size is 25. I am on 22 now. I literally just wanted to offer people the spare places as it is cheap.
Gold hire and £100 off have gone to the two that have helped me a lot with organising their sub-groups. Lift pass upgrade I have helped myself to. Also OTP will do "free" places for every X number of people if you take large groups so in March I skied for £80 after the damage deposit was returned.
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Fair enough, good luck to you.
I appreciate that organising a large group is a pain in the back bottom having done it myself several times and have no problem with the group leader getting a perk or two for their time invested as long as they are open about it.
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You know it makes sense.
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I think OTP consider large as 40+ in case anyone wondered.
A snow club manage to take 150 people with OTP and were awarded 7 free places which was pretty sweet.
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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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| Jin wrote: |
Group size is 25. I am on 22 now. I literally just wanted to offer people the spare places as it is cheap.
Gold hire and £100 off have gone to the two that have helped me a lot with organising their sub-groups. Lift pass upgrade I have helped myself to. Also OTP will do "free" places for every X number of people if you take large groups so in March I skied for £80 after the damage deposit was returned. |
no problem with that, but give the folks here a little respect we are mostly well seasoned skiers (me i am just a pup) and are also pretty savvy. We generally dont bite if people are open and honest and dont try to pull the wool over our eyes or extrtact the urine. I get the impressions that you werent trying to fleece anyone just looking to spread the love and get a bit of the love back in return from otp from those who perhaps didnt know otp. but I could have got it for the same price direct with otp so why go with you?
Just dont mess with masque, he is a serious dude
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Poster: A snowHead
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My POV, it's a snow holiday for < £500. I have my own skis, my insurance is covered by my bank and I am not going to argue £100 when I am sorted for £428 + food & drink.
You can go with OTP direct in fact I encourage it because the savings are immense and your rooming options will be far more flexible. But if you wanted to just join this group for this price you can do too.
It really doesn't matter to me if the last 7 places went or not, I have name dropped OTP so many times in this thread that I think it is apparent I wasn't fleecing anyone.
What I don't quite get is that I have openly made an offer to anyone to join in on this price because it is cheap and the engagement I received has made me reconsider ever doing it again.
Either way I can take a positive note from this and can say I have truly learnt a lesson.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Jin, but you have to admit that you have been slightly, intentional or otherwise, disingenuous. You had a deal planned for a number of people, from which some of those got a, lets say small, benefit. At the time of the original post you did not in anyway declare that point did you?
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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andyman, 
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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so whats the dealio here then? Im interested in boarding that week but dont know if this is kosher or not? Whos going Jin? I just wanna board with a good crew...
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jicjoc, its kosher in that the price is correct, you can book direct with otp. Jin is trying to fill a load of spaces at once thats all.
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Very tempted but cant see that price on their website...
Also who would we be skiing with. Im going solo as my mates are going Dec 28 this yr but i cant cause im going surfing that wk with my GF in Morocco. I gotta get a snow fix.
Id be an intermediate boarder comfy on any piste but not there yet off-piste. And id be dying to go off-piste with guys who know a little bit about what they're doing...
Any details on the housing, hotel , food if you go for the catered option? Is there wireless internet there? Gotta work that wk too but can do it online... 
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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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jicjoc, i can see £317 on the otp website, you would need to speak directly with jin about whats on offer.
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FAQ
What are you apologising/defending yourself for....? 
