 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Surely everybody knows that those "snow guarantees" only come into play when there are no runs open? Caveat emptor.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
"terrified"
???
It's standard policy, refunds generally only if no skiing at all.
Why would this be news?
Oh, wait, the dailyfailclickbait?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
We had a similar experience going to France in about 1990. Snow was terrible, but as a few runs were open, the TO refused to pay out for the no snow refund. Took a long fight, by four law undergrads, before we got something like 25% back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Sure thing, if somewhat a technicality maybe! As someone who has used Crystal a few times (and for a trip in a couple of weeks) - I don't think I would be returning to them after that!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Typical Daily mail, every tour operator has a 'snow guarantee' and they all state "if the resort closes".
Well Borovets is open, albeit not much!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| under a new name wrote: |
"terrified"
???
|
I did snigger at that
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All the TOs have the same policy. If they had to refund people when snow is crap they'd all have gone bust years ago. If you need to keep losses to a minimum DIY. I have return flights to Turin for £50 each at the end of February. Will have to add hold bags later, but can do that a day or so before. Have paid £150 deposit on accommodation in Aosta. Will not buy passes in advance. Car hire - when I get round to booking it - is cancellable. If there's no snow, or any other problem crops up, I'll have lost all of £250, for two of us. For my April trip I'm driving - will be no financial loss at all if I don't go. At my age, and state of health, I don't pay big stakes on the future. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
While I have no liking for companies that refuse to compensate when they have screwed up, expecting refunds when the company are not at fault at all seems illogical. Do people demand refunds if it rains on their summer hols? The holiday companies have no more control over the weather than their customers do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
@Mcaff, do you work for Jet2? asking for a friend 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I went with Crystal to Sauze d'Oulx some years ago. The snow was poor but some runs were open and Crystal bussed us to both Montgeneve and Serre Chevalier (with better snow) at no extra cost so, so credit to them for that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
There's presumably no snowier paradise within striking distance of Borovets. Caveat emptor on choice of resort......
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
"...spent £4,250 on a trip to Borovets, but are now terrified they will be paying full-price for a third-rate holiday..."
Was it ever going to be anything other than that 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
@adithorp, good point well put
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Like Welshskier - Around 19 years ago, I was with Crystal in Courchevel, before Christmas - where there was only one run open. They bussed us to Val Thorens twice and Tignes once, at their own expense.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
We did a ski holiday very early 90's to La Molina over Christmas & new year. There was a ski guarantee associated witb that, so when the resort couldnt open due to no snow and too warm for snow canons we were bused to Pas de la Casa as the closest place with snow. During the holiday temps dropped enough for snow canons to operate and they got one run open which meant we no longer were bused to pas de la casa 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Two weeks in Sauze with no snow (the Clotes slope was open with artificial snow..). Other TO's bussed their clients to Sestriere ; Our TO (who remembers First Choice??) would do nothing - took an hour to get to Sestriere by lift.......!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
After Snowmageddon in Arabba, on the Birthday Bash, the lifts were closed for our first few days. Then one chair/short blue run opened. Fun for a day. Admin, working with the hotel, organised a trip up to the other side of the Campolongo pass where everything was open as there'd been far less snow. All vehicles were pressed into service, including hotel minibusses and mine. We were warned that we might not be able to get back. The pass was technically closed but the police were sometimes letting people through, sometimes in accompanied convoy. The 12' vertical snow walls were memorable. If we got stranded we were able to stay in some apartments which belonged to the hotel. So to take shoes (not just ski boots) and maybe a toothbrush. Most of us did, and I drove up with 6 passengers in my 7 seater car, and chains and and a very big shovel in what was left of the boot. Come the close of the skiing, the pass was indeed closed and we couldn't get back down to Arabba. The apartments were fine, and we (including a couple of plucky little Belgians who had been sitting disconsolately round the hotel and swept into our group by Admin) were made welcome. But the nearest food was a mile of so down the road. Not a comfortable walk for the one guy who only had ski boots. He'd also forgotten his phone charger but fortunately the PLBs had one to lend him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
When you have two little kids needing childcare and you're on a budget, the quality of skiing becomes less important than getting to go at all, unfortunately
|
Absolutely. We could never afford any holiday which involved paying other people to look after our kids!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
the best resorts are the ones you dont find on major tour operators websites.
|
Absolutely, one of the major advantages of a DIY trip. Either drive, or rent a car, then any resort is a cinch to get to, and with car hire prices coming down massively from the silly levels seen until recently, much more affordable. 3rd rate accommodation in a decent resort is much better value than 1st rate accommodation in Borovets.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
How do you spend four grand in Bulgaria? Were they expecting the snow that melts in your nose not in your hand?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| RobinS wrote: |
| While I have no liking for companies that refuse to compensate when they have screwed up, expecting refunds when the company are not at fault at all seems illogical. Do people demand refunds if it rains on their summer hols? The holiday companies have no more control over the weather than their customers do. |
Its not quite the same though, a ski holiday is booked specifically to go skiing, whereas a summer holiday is booked for various (or no) activities (of course appreciating that not everyone books winter holidays for skiing, but then those people are presumably not the ones complaining).
I think the issue people take with this is that a 'snow guarantee' sounds like you have more protection than you do, however as you say it sounds like Crystal have done nothing wrong...that said offering people x% off to re-book for a future year probably wouldn't be a bad strategy, people might like to book early for an alternative resort next year, which provides security of booking for the operator too, so a win-win!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Boggles me that this is a thing.
Would you expect a refund if you booked a summer holiday and it rained every day?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
This is why I always DIY - normally I book cheap flights to somewhere that serves multiple areas like Geneva (used to have to do that early as we needed feb half term) and then everything else (apt, car, ski hire) was refundable. Ironically this year I only booked last week and went for non refundable apt so we are stuck with L2A but as it’s high and has glacier we thought it was worth the risk.
This is in total contrast to our sailing holidays which in the past have been booked 18 months in advance - and which are almost as weather dependent for max enjoyment. Sailing with no wind or in the rain is as much fun as skiing with no snow or on ice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
It's not hard to grasp what is and isn't being offered
THE CRYSTAL SNOW PROMISE
If the snow lets you down, We'll do everything we can to get you on the slopes in another resort.
Book your lift passes with us and if there's no snow in your resort and the mountain is fully closed, we'll do our best to arrange three ski-away days for free. Our local team will sort out the transport and lift passes, so all you have to do is hop on the bus. Didn't book your lift passes with us? Don't worry, you can still take the bus for free, but you'll need to sort out your own lift passes. T&Cs apply.
The Crystal Snow Promise T&Cs
The Crystal Snow Promise covers all destinations and all holidays between December 2022 and April 2023.
If the mountain in your resort fully closes due to snow, we'll organise a coach to an open resort within a 2-hour radius free of charge. This will be for a maximum of 3 days over a 7-day period.
If there are no open resorts within a 2-hour radius, the coach transport won't take place.
If the mountains are fully closed when you arrive in resort, we'll try to arrange coach transport on your first full day (I.e. on Sunday if you arrived on Saturday).
If you've booked your lift pass with Crystal, we'll sort and pay for your lift pass in the new resort, even it's more expensive. If your lift pass in the new resort is cheaper than a day pass in your original resort, we'll refund you the difference.
If you didn't book your lift pass with Crystal, you can still get on the coach for free, but you’ll need to buy your own lift pass in the new resort.
If the lift pass office has agreed to give lift pass refunds, we'll refund you for any days you weren't able to ski. And if ski school have agreed to refund any missed lessons, we'll refund you for those too. If the above suppliers don't agree to refunds, we won't be able to refund you.
If you go on the organised ski-away day, you won’t get a refund for your original lift pass for that day, because we’ll buy you one for the new resort.
Any refunds due will be processed in the UK and not in resort.
If the mountain in your resort is closed because there's no snow for more than 3 days, we'll do our best to sort out additional coaches to another resort so that you can ski every day of your holiday. We'll cover the cost of the coach (and your lift pass if you pre-booked a lift pass with us) for 3 days, but you'll need to pay for the coach and your lift pass on the other days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
@red 27,
Is the mountain closed though?
They could bus everyone to bansko where it is open. 1 single short red run, but the mountain is open!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Gored wrote: |
@red 27,
Is the mountain closed though?
|
Fuck knows!
The point is, it's Crystal (geddit) clear what is and isn't being offered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
My first ski trip was to La Plagne. I was bemused to see lorries tipping snow under an archway beneath a large hotel in Plagne Centre. Ahh said the instructor, they have a promise that you will be able to ski under the hotel. Shame about the 200 m walk across the grass to get to it. Luckily the higher nursery slopes were fine and a lifetimes expensive hobby began….
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
I’m bemused by the fact that in this day and age ski TOs still exist
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| franga wrote: |
| I’m bemused by the fact that in this day and age ski TOs still exist |
Im bemused people still go to Bulgaria. Cheaper to go West of Turin in Italy
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Mcaff wrote: |
| Sure thing, if somewhat a technicality maybe! As someone who has used Crystal a few times (and for a trip in a couple of weeks) - I don't think I would be returning to them after that! |
Ehhh? It's not Crystal's fault there's not much snow. Would you claim from Tui if it rained when you were in Spain in the summer? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Bergmeister wrote: |
| Mcaff wrote: |
| Sure thing, if somewhat a technicality maybe! As someone who has used Crystal a few times (and for a trip in a couple of weeks) - I don't think I would be returning to them after that! |
Ehhh? It's not Crystal's fault there's not much snow. Would you claim from Tui if it rained when you were in Spain in the summer? |
Yes! If guaranteed sunshine was a very visible part of their offer..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We know that the 'Crystal snow promise' is just marketing. It is unlikely to be fulfilled as there will always be a way to keep a run or two open. Most people know this and plan accordingly. Those who don't and were relying on Crystal to make good what they imply will know better next time and book independently / higher / later or a combination of the three 
I doubt they will book with Crystal again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
not my industry!
