UPDATE: Shop loses my skis(!) - advice sought

A snowHead

So this is a weird one ...

I dropped my skis into my local ski shop today for a 'while you wait' service and they've ended-up going missing whilst in their care. The current theory, based on the CCTV footage, is that another customer picked them up, along with his other skis, by mistake.

The shop in question is trying to get hold of the other customer (they seem to have his address/tel number), but so far no joy making contact and the shop manager is under the impression that he may collected the skis before going straight on to the airport for a holiday - which, if this does turn out to be the case, means I may be waiting a while for their return.

I've been trying to be relaxed about the whole thing. I haven't kicked-up any sort of fuss and I am allowing the shop to investigate - but the thought of someone 'borrowing' my pride and joys for an undetermined period of time is starting to get me a little annoyed.

So what would other SnowHeads do in this situation?

Obviously, in the event they don't end-up being returned (i.e. they have in fact been stolen) I will expect reimbursement for the skis from the shop (enough to buy an equivalent make/model and binding). But, even if they do get returned, I'm really rather unhappy about having some random punter taking a free 'rental' of them for 'x' amount of time.

The shop have offered the loan of some demo skis, should I need them - but, I'm not sure how much time I should give the shop to locate and return them (I really don't want this dragging on for too long).

Thoughts/advice would be welcome!

A snowHead

where are you? At home or on holiday? Was the service being done "while you wait"?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Here in the UK. Yep, it was a 'while you wait' service (my partner was getting boots fitted in another part of the store - so I was with her whilst the skis were being done).

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How does another customer pick your skis up by mistake ?

If they only had one pair in themselves and took two pairs out that is theft.
If they had two pairs in and took yours rather than the second pair of their own skis are they identical or in an identical bag? if not then theft again.

How does a customer pick up the wrong skis ? The skis should be in a staff only area and brought out to the customer by a member of staff.

If the shop are not doing everything they can and more to sort this out I would give them till Tuesday daytime to get your skis back maybe a day more at most and if any damage they will have to pay to fix or replace. If not returned by then report the theft to the police and start a claim on the shops insurance.

See how the shop respond as to how quick you instigate a claim on their insurance. Hopefully they will bend over backwards to get this sorted as it is their fault not yours.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

if the person who took your skis made a genuine mistake their skis should still be there.

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I would have told the store to call the police right there and then.

Why wait?

They have CCTV don't they?

Wait til Tuesday....what for?

Get the ball rolling!

I would not have left the store until I had the skis returned with an additional good will voucher or new replacement skis.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Loan skis......they're having a laugh! They should replace with like for like, they haven't lost your skis, they've been stolen from under their nose! It's not your issue to see where they've gone.

I'd be getting it sorted straight away, sort it and deliver to my house by Thursday latest, I'm going away Friday etc, it's not your problem. If you'd dropped your car in for service and they had it stolen from the garage you'd be excited wouldn't you? Same as........walk away and tell them to sort it is my advice.

After all it is free

Hmmm. Maybe I'm being too easy going with the shop!

Apparently the other customer was picking up 3 pairs of skis - but you would have thought he'd have noticed the extra pair in the back of his car. Wouldn't you?

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@abj, I'm confused. Did the other customer pick up bagged skis?

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@abj, I think your approach of ABC "Always be cool" is the right one- if not the easiest in terms of emotional self management.

The easiest thing would be to blow your top. But it appears that someone has been a bit of a tit and taken your skis by accident. This sort of thing happens. Whilst it is sometimes more emotionally satisfying to believe the conspiracy theory rather than the cock-up theory life tells us (me) that the cock-up theory wins (almost) every time because- most people are nice.

At my most serene and Zen I'd be happy to accept a loan of a demo pair pending return of my skis. I'd have to say I'd expect my skis to be taken to me- I'd not want to have to visit the shop to get them, I'd not be paying for the service and I'd expect something to sort the problem- a couple of free services?

At my most irritable - I'd discuss the whole incident in detail in a (very) loud voice with the manager- ask what their insurance was and demand replacement skis. But you know I'd feel drained at the end of it and would probably not be able to bring myself ever to return as they (and I) would think of me as a bit of a poo-poo.

@abj, some top class demo and a free service for yours when 'randon punter' brings them back (probably unused) from her holiday sounds fair.

No need to go nuclear yet but you may wish to keep detailed notes of everything just in case the services of m'learned friends are required at a later date

You know it makes sense.

@abj, Ahaaaaaaaa..... those skis of yours.... were they not the 2015/2016 limited edition rather rare Lacroix/Core/UltraExpensive custom skis costing half a year's salary?

Feast on this............. Name and Shame!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Skullie

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I'll keep you posted on how we go. Manager is back into the store tomorrow, so we'll see what he says. Police have been informed that there has been an 'incident'.

@Shimmy Alcott, the skis the other customer took were not bagged (his three seem to have been left out, long with mine, on a rack in the shop) so he would have seen what he was taking. I guess he may have been collecting on behalf of someone else, so didn't realise which skis on the rack were the one he needed to take - although you would have thought he would have noticed that he had mistakenly picked-up 4 pairs of skis rather than 3; or at least 'phoned the shop when he got home / airport when he realised his mistake.

@skimastaaah the shop are being helpful, so assuming they can get it all sorted promptly, probably not fair to 'name and shame'.

A snowHead

I dropped my skis into slush and rubble chertsey on Friday for a edge and wax, got a 'why don't you browse for 20 minutes and I'll get theses done' I thought I would get 'looked for / paged' when they were ready but about 30 minutes later walked back to the 'workshop' area and they were just on a rack pretty close to front door.

I paid and left but was quite surprised they'd been left out when anyone could have had them away...

A snowHead

@bertie bassett, we use that shop and 100% agree. It's a very poor system in place there.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Well, up on the mountain, everybody leaves their skis on the rack while having a drink, eat or pee. What's so unusual to leave them by the door of the shop?

Reading the first post, it seems to me the CCTV had record of the customer leaving with the OP's skis.

I bet the said "customer" didn't realize there's CCTV, so decided to help himself to an extra pair of skis. A casual observer wouldn't be able to tell he's carrying 4 rather than 3 pairs of skis but for the camera showing the before and after shot of the rack.

But now that the shop had called and offer him the option to return it by admitting the "mistake". Depending on how the wording of that message was left, the thief may still believe he's gotten away with that extra pair without anyone seeing. If that's the case, it's going to end rather badly for him. Or he wakes up enough to do the right thing...

(I once have some of my belongs "taken by mistake" from the boot of my car -- I did not close it fully. I found out quickly enough to call to police. The "taker" of my belonging immediately volunteer to return it the moment the police knocked on his door! He did invent a story for his "mistake". Though the police didn't believe the story, they didn't want to persecute because the witness -- me-- was about to leave the country in 1/2 hr!)

If I were the OP, I would asked for a demo ski as a replacement to be delivered to the house (because you're going to ski for a day in the frig, or Scotland). That creates an incentive for the shop to resolve the whole issue rapidly in order to get their own skis back!

If it were a "mistake" (true or not) by the customer, you'll get them back shortly. If it was a crime of opportunity, the skis become an evident of a crime. It may take longer to be returned to you while the police do their work. So having that demo ski in your hand allow you to plan any ski trip you may have in mind without having to worry about if you have skis to use.

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@abc, sounds like a plan. As "evidence" a friend had an expensive new ski jacket stolen, which the police recovered but had to keep as evidence. They gave him a note for his house insurer saying that there was no guarantee that he'd get it back or when, if ever, and to cover it for replacement.

So he got a new jacket. He was rather delighted 12 months later when the original was returned too, undamaged.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I agree with @abc, take up their offer of a set of demo skis whether you need them or not and also try to get something in writing from them today- you don't want them to try to wriggle out of it further down the line.

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i had a similar situation with missing skis at ellis brigham - however, they immediately gave me a demo pair for the season and a letter apologising and promising a replacement new pair when the next year's models came out - and when i went to collect them a free bag and poles! Push for a replacement pair since they "lost" them for you…..

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I had a pair that went missing from a shop years ago, they let me have my pick of any pair in the shop immediatly with any bindings as I was going away within the week. I wsa quite forcefull with them and said I wasnt leaving without a pair but certainly not over the top. They did turn up when I got back and it had been an honest mistake. The shop let me keep the new ones Smile

After all it is free

I wonder how the shop would be reacting if the other customer had 'accidentally' picked up and walked out with a pair of their own skis? I imagine they wouldn't have wasted any time getting the police involved, particularly if it was caught on their CCTV.

Spoke to the shop and still all quiet on the mystery customer front (he's not answering emails/calls using the contact details they have for him) - so not looking overly hopeful on this front at the moment.

A deadline has been set for a couple of days' time and if they're not back they've agreed to look at a replacement. Not exactly sure how the replacement side of things will work (should we get to that stage). Can't imagine they have that much stock this late in the season and they mentioned that they have a set out aside for me - which doesn't suggest they'll give me much choice of skis. But we will see.

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@abj, they seem to be telling YOU what's gonna happen.

It should be the other way around

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

It sounds like systemic failure by the shop and its process of dealing with your property (and all the other skis it services). To allow valuble items to "walk" out the door is negligent, doubly so as the skis are not even owned by the shop.

At shop opening time tomorrow, I would calmly instruct the shop to return your property, or replace with value-equivalent.

If they have CCTV footage, then they will know which other skis were being serviced, they almost certainly have a card transaction for the other party, and can request the police to pursue the individual via the bank transaction.

You should in no way be inconvenienced by their negligence, and you are within your rights to invoice your time to the shop, time taken dealing with this situation. Usually the threat of this is enough!

By not 'making a fuss', you allow the shop to continue with this unsatisfactory servicing system - one where no value is attached to "guest" equipment.

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If they can't replace with skis of your choice to the value (new) of your original skis, they should be compensating you with cash!

It would be interesting to know which shop this is. One of the big high street stores or an independent?

@CathS, yep, I realise this thread must be a slightly frustrating read without the details of the shop - sorry!

However, I think it's fairest that I give the shop a chance to make things right before naming them.

Thanks for all the replies so far. Definitely been helpful getting second opinions on the situation.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@abj, You are under no obligation to accept the skis they offer as compensation unless they are the exact same make model and bindings as your set and in the same length. If they are low on stock that is their problem may be it will teach them to take more care of someone else's property.
On a side note being reasonable is good, if they can not offer the same see if they have something better and offer to meet part way on the difference.
Not sure of exact mark-up these days but if say a set of skis are £400 in the shop they will have paid say £200 a set at around £600 they will have paid around £300 so you could offer to pay just over £100 and they are better off and the good will of cheap upgrade will not go unmentioned wink

A snowHead

I once had a similar thing with Canon, over a rather expensive lens which they lost in their notoriously bad UK service department. They tried to deny they'd lost it, then they tried to argue over a replacement. I had clear proof, and arguing is for internet forums, so I just "issued proceedings". Their legal team were much more grown up than their "customer services": they paid in full, plus my court costs and expenses on the steps of the court.

The retail price difference between a new pair of skis and a pair which has been used for even a day is, what, about 50%? The idea of them lending your gear to other people is pretty wild - who's going to pocket the rental fee?

So yeah, I'd be calm and cool and polite, but you have them at your mercy, and the cost of this stuff to them is significantly less than the price to you. They should come up with a very good deal for you.

A snowHead

@abj, are you sure that it was another customer who took your skis and not some light-fingered employee?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

If you put your car in for a service and the garage "lost" it, would you be so calm and understanding and give the garage a few days to locate it for you?

I wouldn't, and my skis are more valuable to me than me car!

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Geez, relax people!

From the sounds of it the store screwed up and have held their hands up to it. They are trying their best to resolve things by first-off trying to get your own skis back, giving the other customer the benifit of the doubt that it was an honest mistake. If you need skis while it's resolved that way they have offered them to you and if it starts to look like a criminal act they have offered to replace. If that's the case, just stay chilled for a few days more.

Unlike so many fellow SnowHeads I'm not perfect so can see how this could happen - someone in a rush to collect a few pairs of skis before heading straight off for a weeks skiing and being told "Those are your skis over there." by someone in the shop. Now they were rushing so just grabbed and ran without thinking/counting and this week the shop are calling/emailing someone with no access to pick up the landline/emails because they are in a ski resort.

If it does turn out to be theft (from a shop you've given your personal contact details to, which is dumb) you can start negotiating with the store about compensation, where you don't have to just take what they offer but can expect either identical/mutually agreed equivalent replacement kit or the cash equivalent.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Mjit, I think I can distinguish between 3 and 4 pairs of things fairly easily...and I would expect when sent by chum to collect skis that I'd be briefed on how many pairs to grab.

I can't think of any ski shops (not mind you that I pay so very much attention) where I get pointed at a rack of skis and asked to pick out the ones I want. Not even the shops I know well and who know me well.

I would absolutely definitely want the replacements (even if just for my holiday) to be at least as good and probably better than the ones that they've lost.

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@under a new name, if more than one of you were collecting multiple pairs of skis that weren't all yours I could see how it could be easily done, but I would have thought you'd notice pretty quickly - unloading the car if not before. I do find it weird they haven't been able to contact them unless they only have a landline phone number for them.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Gämsbock, and if it was me, I'd have been straight back to the shop, red of face and full of contrite embarrassment at my stupidity.

After all it is free

@under a new name, agreed, I find that quite weird.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Mistakes do happen. On last year's EoSB I thought my skis had been misplaced/nicked from the locker room. They turned up on the last day - someone had bundled them up with lots of other skis and locked them in their locker. Only when they came to go home at the end of the week did they realise that there was a set of skis there that didn't belong to anyone in the group. They had each thought they belonged to one of the others.

It wasn't until after I'd bought a tonne of stuff from Swiss Tim and Spyderjon that I found out tho!

Help!!

UPDATE: Shop loses my skis(!) - advice sought

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