 Poster: A snowHead
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| a.j. wrote: |
| kerb wrote: |
And my suspicion is most of posters on here saying "pay up" would take a different stance if they were the customer. And to say you should have got written confirmation of the name of the ski school or whatever is ridiculous. You're on holiday, using the 'professional' services of the rep, you expect them to take the lead in providing clear instructions.
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Nope, something similar happened to us this season, it never occurred to me the tour op might fill in the missing cash and yes many of the group did chase the rep up for the voucher and ski school number/confirm meeting point when he didn't give it originally (lesson learnt in previous years). In our case missing red team instructor, red team made a reasonably hard headed attempt to refuse a refund and 'reschedule' to an inconvenient day instead of refund. While in this case the rep was outraged for us, and did go and yell at them with us, it didn't occur to me if that didn't work he would make it up from his own pocket, and if it had been US that had been in the wrong place rather than the instructor, I wouldn't have expected a refund at all, I would have tried, but written it off as lesson learnt if we ended up paying/having it. The reps are usually kids, I don't really rely on them for anything more than telling me where the bar is, I appreciate others feel they should be more professional, but loads of them are pants, so I cross-check them if it's anything important to me.
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Of course you wouldnt expect the TO to pay up in this situation, from what you have said, the TO/rep was not at fault, the ski school was, so therefore the ski school had to pay up or compensate.
In the situation of the OP, the rep was at fault, and then compounded this by telling them that they didnt have to pay for the first lesson, and that they should still take the three lessons from the correct company. The bottom line is that if the tour operator told them that, acting as an agent or not, that is what they should get. If after the lessons they realise they were in error, they are liable for this, not the customer, who did as they were instructed!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Truth is none of us were there apart from the OP amd have not heard the story from the TO or the instructors so none of us can do any more than speculate without knowing all the facts. Invariably there is a temptation to blame one party where as when there is a misunderstanding it is partly down to all parties to a varying degree. First day is usually chaotic. We normally check very carefully and get everything in writing as the TOs are usually enthusiatic and helpful but young, inexperienced and low paid. Personally as I got 4 lessons, I would have expacted to pay and paid for 4 lessons but would not have paid if I had not got the lesson.
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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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Last year at a Ski Olympic Chalet in La Roz, we were asked if we wanted to enter the weekly resort chalet slalom comp for the San Bernardo Trophy, a fun giant slalom race for the whole resort, but the rep said we needed a team of four and as only two of us were interested in taking part, said she'd get back to us. So much later, on the day of the race as we were sat in a bar, some other guests who watched the race said they heard that the race organisers were calling for the two of us and that they said we'd lost our entry fee as we didn't turn up... It was the first we'd heard that a) we'd been entered and b) that the entry fee had been paid...
We were disappointed that we'd missed competing in the race but doubly annoyed that the rep hadn't told us, but triply hacked off when she asked for the fee later - but we were on holiday and rather than have bad feelings and long drawn out arguments with her I just paid up and put it down to experience.... and told myself to double check with young reps just out of school in any future holidays.
I think there was a big mix-up here and it was probably down to the Rep but they did take the extra day’s lesson but what’s the point in dragging it out all and arguing for months over it... offer to make a nominal payment to make everyone happy and chalk it down to experience...
(edit for spelling)
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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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It's mad when effectively you have to ask for every single little thing in writing.
I suppose you could ask the rep to text you confirmation of the conversation. A ballache all the same.
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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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Hello everyone, Moira from Ski Total here.
As you'd expect we are communicating offline with this group but I thought I'd better repy as this thread has created so much interest.
As many of you have suggested there are two sides to every story and this is indeed the case here!
The bottom line is four lessons were taken and four lessons needed to be paid for - standard commercial procedure.
I can't comment in further detail as this is being handled through GR to the guest directly.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just a receipt with who, where, when, how many and payment with any changes is normal and suffecient
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Moira,
Thankyou for Acknowledment of this thread, if you could please get back to us in a timely manor that would be greatly appreciated.
and i look forward to hearing from yourselves at the earlyest opportunity. I appreciate you will be getting your reps side on the story i do hope this can be optaind soon as i would like for this matter to be closed.
Also i would like to thank all SNOW HEADS for there view on the situation, hopefully many will sympathise on the distress it puts on a holiday, and i do hope in future it does not happen to snow headers.
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OP has gone away and I doubt will post again here.
What I want to know, though, is what was the reaction of the group to their extra, free lesson. I'll bet an Aperol Spritz that it was "oh we're so clever, we've got a free lesson."
Fortunately, as we know now their chosen professions, we know they can afford to pick up the extra bill....
When I was in St Anton two years ago there were definitely two big ski schools.
Finally, and this is the bit that really gets me, why would anybody want to book their ski lessons through a TO? If you book it yourself you know where it is and whom it is with, and don't have a spotty youth as agent. Ski Total are great, I've enjoyed my trips with them, and would thoroughly recommend them to anybody. But being looked after by incompetent pimply youth is a feature of downmarket TO holidays, and to expect it to be like the concierge in a Five Star Hotel is just plain silly. So book your own extras. I do let them collect my ski pass for me, as it saves queueing.
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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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| James the Last wrote: |
OP has gone away and I doubt will post again here.
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Apart from the post directly above yours?
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| bobmcstuff wrote: |
| James the Last wrote: |
OP has gone away and I doubt will post again here.
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Apart from the post directly above yours? |
Well, he had when I wrote the first sentence... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Fortunately, as we know now their chosen professions, we know they can afford to pick up the extra bill....
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Profession has nothing to do with been able to pay the Cost and people oppinions like that discussed me just because someone is willing to work hard and do a different type of job doesnt mean they should be singled out to have to pay for a service they did not agree to pay for.
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What I want to know, though, is what was the reaction of the group to their extra, free lesson. I'll bet an Aperol Spritz that it was "oh we're so clever, we've got a free lesson."
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As for the question regarding our response it was pointed out that Ski school Alberg did there best to cover up the mistake of the TO rep telling the group to meet at the naserienberhn Gondola. And that the ski instructor who took the group for the day should not be pushed aside. To which we where told it is in hand, we had our three lessons with ski school classic, and that we had no further fees for the day.
May i also point out when on the first day of a holiday and the experianced ones want to be on the slopes as that is what we go on holiday for. To start off with total confusion to say your lesson was not booked your trying to get intouch with the person who sold you the lessons, and you have then wasted the first hour of the day for 12 skiers.
You can understand there is a little upset.
We would have accepted and appology or a good will guesture for the probem and then two more lessons in total. We where however told we had a furthur 3 for the probem in the morning.
Please correct me if i am wrong but just about all of you if you had been told you have three more lessons and you had no further fee to pay, Would infact have taken them
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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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OP has gone away and I doubt will post again here.
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I will continue to post however it is etiquette to acknowledge someone is looking into the issues raised.
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Out of interest, where were you supposed to meet your original instructor on the first day? I know some of the smaller ski school outfits here are flexible as to where they meet clients for lessons, including St Anton Classic.
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You know it makes sense.
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we where told to meet the Ski instructor at the nasserinbahn gondola at the bottom of the slope.
It appears the instructor may have been at the bottom of the elevator near the road.
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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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Moira,
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The bottom line is four lessons were taken and four lessons needed to be paid for - standard commercial procedure.
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I think we all know that. The question is who pays?
Also is it Ski Totals "standard commercial procedure" to refuse people transport home if there is a dispute?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| boogwa wrote: |
we where told to meet the Ski instructor at the nasserinbahn gondola at the bottom of the slope.
It appears the instructor may have been at the bottom of the elevator near the road. |
Which is at the Nassereinbahn at the bottom of the slope as the slope does actually bend round and come past the Sonnegg restaurant to end by the Alber shop at the bottom of the escalators up to the Nassereinbahn. A much less chaotic location than uphill of the base station of the Nassereinbahn where SSA have their numerous meeting points.
Meeting at the Nassereinbahn can be a little confusing as there are different ways of accessing it and you can't see in all directions at once. I've had a friend waiting at the top of the escalators for us when we've been stood at the bottom for a few minutes waiting for 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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| Quote: |
Also is it Ski Totals "standard commercial procedure" to refuse people transport home if there is a dispute?
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They can have whatever procedure they like, but they'll find out at their expense that law overrides company policy
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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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| andy wrote: |
| Quote: |
Also is it Ski Totals "standard commercial procedure" to refuse people transport home if there is a dispute?
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They can have whatever procedure they like, but they'll find out at their expense that law overrides company policy |
Total aren't the only people that do it. I know of other companies that have done the same in the past when guests owed money, for example one instance was when a member of a party staying in a chalet smashed a door open, the group was refused transfer back until the damages were paid for.
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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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What is happening about the burglary thing? It is quite worrying.
St Anton seems to have quite a few problems, is there a drug problem?
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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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Alastair Pink, Gone fishing 
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