 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
So I was skiing in Chamonix last weekend in Brevent area.
On one of the 4 person chairlifts (Parsa lift) my girlfriend and I had our ski jackets covered in leaking black oil from the cogs as we passed under one of the supporting towers. Unfortunately her jacket is white and I noticed straight away that she was covered in oil spots. I looked at my blue jacket and it had the same oil drops all over one of the sleeves.
As soon as we got off the lift we reported the incident to the person operating the lift and showed him the mess on our jackets. He responded by saying several other people had complained earlier, and we should go to the lift directors office at the main lift. So we did this immediately and after waiting for ages we filled out a form and were told to take it to the main office near the railway station in Chamonix.
Later that day we went to the main office and all we were offered 20 euros each towards the dry cleaning! We took our coats to the cleaners but they said they thought it unlikely the oil would come off and also they would need our jackets for 2 days minimum. We needed them to ski in and also we were leaving the following day. So now back in the UK with the ruined jackets. I asked a dry cleaning company here and they were equally negative.
So after further discussion with Compagnie du Mont Blanc they told us we can get a partial refund if (and only if) we have original receipts and in line with the terms below:
0-6months old jacket: 90% refund
6-12months: 75% refund
12-24montths: 50% refund
24+ months: 20 euros!
I only wear my jacket for about a week a year, so although it’s a couple of years old (not exactly sure as I don’t have the receipt).... it’s pretty much brand new.
Unfortunately I’ve been through bank statements but to no avail.
Likewise my girlfriends jacket is literally never been worn, this was the first time. It was a gift from a relative and she lives abroad and doesn’t have the receipt.
I’ve checked online and the new values of the same jackets are £200 and £350 respectively
I don’t feel they are being very fair to us and think we shold be compensated for the full cost of our jackets (with or without receipts). They know the make/colour/type as we showed them the damage in person, and I have offered to send links from websites which still sell them so they know the retail value.
Also feel we should be compensated for time wasted/lost skiing time (probably about 2hours in total) trying to resolve the issue.
Accidents happen but what is v annoying is that this was completely preventable – several other people had also noticed according to the lift operator.
They should have stopped the lift or at the very least warned people not to use the two middle seats of the lift. Instead of which they carried on operating the lift for hours just ignoring the problem even after it had been reported.
So anyone else experienced this before?
Any suggestions as to what we can do? Going to keep ploughing through bank statements tomorrow.
Sorry for the long post!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Rule 5
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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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| alex99 wrote: |
So anyone else experienced this before?
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Yes, and I don't want to be really annoying, and I'm genuinely trying to help… I had this last season on the back of my white jacket and I didn't notice until one of the local instructors came and pointed it out to me as I got off the lift… I thought it was probably permanent and to be honest it didn't even occur to me that the lift company would care. There are no dry cleaners where I am (in a small alpine village) so I just stuck it in the washing machine on a gentle wash and hoped for the best… and much to my amazement, it came out perfectly clean.
I can't say the same will happen for you (I did wash mine the same day that it had happened, though with a good 8 hours' delay so the stains had dried) but, if you get no luck with the compensation, you could try washing the jackets and hoping you get lucky…?
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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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and yes it's quite common, e.g. try riding a chair in Scotland's or Coastal Canada's maritime climate after any maintenance has been done.
and Rule 5
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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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I have some stains, on a new jacket, which I think are from oil, probably from a lift. Have washed it with stain remover, no joy, the stains have faded but are still very much there. Just got to put up with it, I guess. Doesn't affect the performance of the jacket.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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sorry ...rule 5??
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The middle seat of a 3-man chair is notorious for this problem, particularly for dirty grease picked up from the seat. the only sure answer is to avoid middle seats and wear darker colours.
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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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alex99,
Please don't complain, they aren't interested in compensating you. C d MB will just use it as an excuse to continue to run the four man chair at Argentiere as a two when the queue is massive on a powder day. Don't sit in the middle.
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I do all my car maintenance in my ski jacket anyway, so hard to tell one oil from another, but yes this happens quite a lot.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Perhaps my jacket is teflon-coated or something? I've successfully washed vin chaud and black coffee off of it too, on more than one occasion  It was super cheap as it was the only one in a North Face outlet store in Italy… wouldn't have been brave enough to buy white otherwise.
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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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fatbob...ok yeah but oil marks all over a new jacket is pretty annoying, might seem trivial but if its your jacket etc...
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| alex99 wrote: |
| ok yeah but oil marks all over a new jacket is pretty annoying, might seem trivial but if its your jacket etc... |
I repair most holes with Seam Grip, it might just do to cover an oil mark !
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You know it makes sense.
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#firstworldproblems
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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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Have you tried weeing on it?
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Poster: A snowHead
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I put a newly sharpened ski edge through the bridge of my nose on the day I was also wearing a new jacket. I took the copious blood stains as a badge of honour in making me look a bit like a gnarly mountain warrior (other similarities sadly absent). I did however apply rule 5 in order to not miss any skiing.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Had the same on my yellow ski trousers, could equally easily have been self inflicted coffee or vin chaude stain. Stuff like that happens, if you don't want your new jacket getting battle scars leave it hanging on the coat rack!
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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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| davkt wrote: |
| Had the same on my yellow ski trousers, could equally easily have been self inflicted coffee or vin chaude stain. Stuff like that happens, if you don't want your new jacket getting battle scars leave it hanging on the coat rack! |
Yellow ski kecks come with an automatic +10% skill upgrade but unfortunately a -40% rating in getting tramp like filthy instantly.
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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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| fatbob wrote: |
| I put a newly sharpened ski edge through the bridge of my nose on the day I was also wearing a new jacket. I took the copious blood stains as a badge of honour in making me look a bit like a gnarly mountain warrior (other similarities sadly absent). |
Ouch. Have you now got a gnarly mountain warrior nose?
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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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Nah - bust it enough palying rugby for it to make no odds and technically it was a neat stitching job in the "spectacles groove"* so barely noticable
* technical maxillofacial surgery term
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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alex99, OK, so this is irritating. I understand that. However ski wear IS activity wear so you have to expect it won't stay perfect for long. It wasn't your fault that the lift was dripping oil, but would you rather that they didn't run lifts unless they are immaculate? I'm actually quite impressed that there's such a generous refund scheme in place.
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Rub a small amount of Fairy liquid into the stain, rinse out under the tap, then wash as normal. If you don't rinse it out, you will get suds all over the floor when you put your jacket in the washing machine. You could also rub some Tech wash into the stain or Vanish soap.
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or you could try a bit of Eucalyptus oil.
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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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Maybe cover the stains with duck tape for that authentic mountain guide look?
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Localised treatment with petrol on a cotton bud will probably help, but you will need to air it and re-proof it afterwards. Oil will often shift with an application of butter too - it's the old 'like' will dissolve 'like' adage - which is why white wine will often shift a red wine stain. Oil 'Stain Devils' are also quite good too. Another food organic cleaning substance I've found useful is a water paste made from a crumbled dishwasher tablet - if it can shift animal fat off of a pan it can also work on oil/organic stains in clothing. In all instances re-proofing will probably be needed so try and keep it localised to the stain.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I have found Swarfega - that stuff for washing really grubby hands - rubbed into greasy stains can work a treat.
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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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So many useful cleaning tips. Have I accidentally stumbled into mumsnet?
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little ms spock,
Obviously not. Nobody has mentioned putting Eucalyptus oil or Swarfega etc up your back bottom yet 
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You know it makes sense.
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Its a common problem in wet weather. One of the advantages of gondolas I suppose. We advise people in the Pennines not to bring their best pink ski suits for this reason
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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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Unlucky. However, you are out in the mountains; you are not on a fashion parade. The jackets are not ruined, they still work. And the stains give the jackets a sort of patena. Not as good as duck tape - but they do suggest you've been out and about.
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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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Cheers I'll try the swarfega and other suggestions.
Obviously I want the lift running but it wouldnt take much for them to put a sign up warning people etc, or a verbal warning especially as others had already mentioned it to them.
And I know its not a fashion parade, i'm not that bothered about my jacket but the gf's one was unworn so she was understandably frustrated.
Likewise I know the jakcets still work/doesnt affect performance....but in the same way a dent on a new car doesn't affect performance either, just a bit frustrating!
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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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alex99, my son had the same on his yellow kecks, I tried washing up liquid and vanish soap but it's still there, worth trying all the mumsnet tips though, otherwise a great excuse for a new jacket 
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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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Com' on guys, I know your all trying to be helpful but what this fella wants is a new jacket for him and his missus. Surely some one has a reference to an European court ruling which says C d MB must pay up!?!
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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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Oil from lifts on ski jackets is amazingly common. It's pretty much unavoidable if you spend any time near anything mechanical. My jacket and trousers are both spotted all over from lifts, the car and other mechanical things that need lubrication.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| alex99 wrote: |
0-6months old jacket: 90% refund
6-12months: 75% refund
12-24montths: 50% refund
24+ months: 20 euros! |
That's a fair offer (especially 50% for a two year old jacket). You wouldn't expect new for old as you have had use of it.
Better to have the odd oil drip than have the mechanisms grind to a halt and leave you dangling. Having said that, I have never been dripped on in Austria 
And yes, Rule 5.
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It's also quite common on drag lifts to see a patch of snow by the side of a pylon where oil has been dripping, at least on a drag lift you've got time to steer a bit away from it if you choose to.
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| fatbob wrote: |
| I put a newly sharpened ski edge through the bridge of my nose on the day I was also wearing a new jacket. I took the copious blood stains as a badge of honour in making me look a bit like a gnarly mountain warrior (other similarities sadly absent). I did however apply rule 5 in order to not miss any skiing. |
haha I broke my nose the back end of last season and covered my jacket in blood. I was a little disapointed that it all disapeared within a couple of days.
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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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Bode Swiller, yeah its a reasonable offer if you have the receipts, but i dont keeep mine longer than a few months normally (lesson learnt)
So as it stands all i'm getting is £32 (in total) for two pretty much new jackets.
Not experienced it in Austria either, or any other french resort.
Outside seats nextime!
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Have you tried cleaning it yet? I've had this happen a few times, it came out* when I washed my jacket in TechWash.
[* my jacket is dark blue though... ]
If that fails, have you looked in to claiming on your travel insurance or house insurance?
Rule 5 is a reference to the "rules" of road cycling, it's something people who think they are "proper" cyclists bang on about instead of actually getting out and riding their bikes. Rule 5 is "toughen up" (well, it's a slightly different wording but you get the idea). It has nothing to do with damage to jackets (in fact, see rule 53). Your typical MAMIL "rules" observer would just go out and buy a new jacket next season anyway so would not have to deal with issues like this. I suspect some people try to pretend there are similar "rules" about skiing too, but it came from cycling and if there is a skiing version it's just a lame copy-cat idea. [Sorry to sound so irritated (or irritating), I think the "rules" are quite funny really, but I didn't see any "rule 5" observing cyclists out the other weekend when I was riding in a biblical storm]
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