 Poster: A snowHead
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I read that season passes have a photo on them so you can't borrow one... But how is this enforced?
You don't get your photo checked ever time you go through a lift.
I'm doing the season in 3V, but I'd like to swap apartments (and lift passes) with someone in another French resort for a week or so...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Don't come crying to us when you both have your passes blacklisted. This is theft of services & yes they do check.
(btw its nanobots in the passes that detect a change in the DNA of the wearer then grass you up)
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Fri 2-10-09 15:27; edited 1 time in total
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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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d.brophy, In Paradiski the pass photo shows up on the monitor screen on virtually every lift. Staff 'man' the monitor screen on each 'key' lift, on other lifts the lifties keep an eye on it. In addition the lights on the pass reader gate show red and green if an annual pass is detected.
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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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Surely if they did find someone else using my season pass the worst that would happen is the pass gets confiscated. I would just ring up afterwards and say I'd lost it, and they would give it back to me... No?
Has this happened to anyone?
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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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>In Paradiski the pass photo shows up on the monitor screen on virtually every lift
Oh that sucks. Boo.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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d.brophy, and how would your swapee explain how he'd come by it?
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The season pass in La Plagne is hands free but you have to send a photo when you buy your season pass. When your pass is scanned, each time you go through a lift, your photo is displayed on a screen for the operator to check.
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>In Paradiski the pass photo shows up on the monitor screen on virtually every lift
But if I've got a helmet and goggles on, is he really going to get me to take them off so he can verify I'm the guy in the picture?
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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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No, hopefully he will just bat you with his big aluminium snow-shovel 
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>and how would your swapee explain how he'd come by it?
Found it on the floor? They'll just keep the card and tell him to sling his hook I'd think.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
But if I've got a helmet and goggles on, is he really going to get me to take them off so he can verify I'm the guy in the picture?
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Yes, frequently. Lift companies are hot on fraud, and when they catch you they will fine you, prosecute you and pass your details on to other resorts.
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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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If I was running a big resort I'd concentrate my pass fraud activities on season passes & certainly would have heard the "oh I lost it" excuse so many times it would trigger an automatic call to the local fuzz. Lost & reported unused - fine, stolen - simple blacklist, lost it and reported only after someone had been busted.....now let me think.
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| d.brophy wrote: |
>and how would your swapee explain how he'd come by it?
Found it on the floor? They'll just keep the card and tell him to sling his hook I'd think. |
That'd be handy if he had a long walk back up in order to get back 
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You know it makes sense.
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fatbob, that's exactly what they do. I had mine checked umpteen times last season and I work for the bloody lift company! 
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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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| d.brophy wrote: |
>In Paradiski the pass photo shows up on the monitor screen on virtually every lift
But if I've got a helmet and goggles on, is he really going to get me to take them off so he can verify I'm the guy in the picture? |
Yep I have seen just that on the Arpette in Plagne.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| d.brophy wrote: |
I read that season passes have a photo on them so you can't borrow one... But how is this enforced?
You don't get your photo checked ever time you go through a lift.
I'm doing the season in 3V, but I'd like to swap apartments (and lift passes) with someone in another French resort for a week or so... |
Probably not the best idea in the world to be telling us all on here that you intend defrauding the lift companies next season. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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d.brophy, I know people on here are a bunch of boring law-abiding old farts, but seriously if you scam a season pass you are likely to be caught the first day you try it. Control focus on season passes, particularly discounted worker ones, because that's where most of the fraudulent use occurs. Their staff have targets to meet regarding how many scammers they catch each month, so don't expect them to let you off.
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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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Few years back, ran out of funds around March so had to head home, however not before selling the pass on along with the beanie I was wearing on the pass!
Still speak to my fellow partner in crime and we got away with it...guess we might have just been 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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Lizzard, ....and I would guess CdA are even hotter on fraud than other lift co's.
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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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| Quote: |
we got away with it
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yes, quite a few people who commit theft get away with it - sadly. However, they're probably the ones who are smart enough not to advertise in advance on a website full of BLAOFs that that is their intention.
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d.brophy, just to add quite simply NO!!!
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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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fatbob, Lizzard, alex_heney, come on people - a little common sense please.
Technically maybe I'm considering something that the lift companies would see as fraud, but remember I'm considering swapping season passes with another seasonnaire for a week.
It's not like I'm increasing the number of people on the slopes... My conscience is completely clear on this one.
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| d.brophy wrote: |
fatbob, Lizzard, alex_heney, come on people - a little common sense please.
Technically maybe I'm considering something that the lift companies would see as fraud, but remember I'm considering swapping season passes with another seasonnaire for a week.
It's not like I'm increasing the number of people on the slopes... My conscience is completely clear on this one. |
well it's not like the lifties are completely unknown for handing out some natural justice to people trying this trick..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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d.brophy, the company in question won't give a toss about the state of your conscience, dearie. However, if you choose not to take the advice of someone who actually works for a lift company, then more fool you.
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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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d.brophy, if you don't want to take the advice of people who work out there, live there and own property there - why bother asking the question in the first place?  I'd just go ahead and do it.... after all if your conscience is clear that's the main thing.
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| d.brophy wrote: |
I read that season passes have a photo on them so you can't borrow one... But how is this enforced?
You don't get your photo checked ever time you go through a lift.
I'm doing the season in 3V, but I'd like to swap apartments (and lift passes) with someone in another French resort for a week or so... |
If you Buy a season pass for one of the Tarentaise resorts (3V, Paradiski or Espace Killy) you get a certain number of days free in the other resorts! Last season I got 4 days FREE in the 3V and Paradiski each plus a free day in Ste Foy and a half price day in La Rosiere. I would imagine you will get the same for a 3V Season pass this season. The consequences if you get caught are simply not worth it especially when you already get free days on your season pass!
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You know it makes sense.
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d.brophy, OK I'll elaborate on my simple no!!
I seem to recall that there was a Snowhead who was concerned that he might be defrauded out of rent yet will quite hapilly defraud a company out of revenue.
If you are caught then;
> you will have your pass confiscated
> you will be arrested
> you will be charged
> you will required to pay bail
> you will be summoned to court
> You will lose
> you will have a criminal record
> you will be fined
> you will be blacklisted by all of the French lift companies from ever buying a pass that requires your name to be given (usually over 5days)
> you will deserve everything that happens to you.
As for the Snowhead massive;
> we will laugh our heads off!!
Now for some other constructive advice;
> buy your pass before a certain date and get a discount off it
> Use the free days in other resort tokens that you will be given with your seasonal pass
> ski the other areas legally and enjoy yourself!
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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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| d.brophy wrote: |
It's not like I'm increasing the number of people on the slopes... My conscience is completely clear on this one. |
Er - if your aim is to ski/board in different areas on slopes not covered by your season lift pass, that's precisely what you are doing! ie increasing the number of people (by one) on those slopes whose lift infrastructure you have not paid for.
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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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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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robboj, season passes are non-transferable. The photo may appear on the pass itself as a blue blur, but it turns up on the lift op's computer screen in glorious technicolour.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Go for it, d.brophy. If you get caught you're screwed. But if you don't care about that and your French is good enough to deal with a few legal questions, you got nothing to worry about.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The business model around season passes is based on the assumption that most people don't use them everyday i.e. weekenders or locals/workers who get out for a few half days a week. Real ski-bums clearly cost them money but they also keep the bars etc ticking over in quiet weeks of the season.
The US model is to offer very cheap season pass deals where ski areas are in competition and there are large urban catchment areas for the weekend market - because every family that is skiing effectively for free will spend on lessons, lunch, cocoa, ski tunes etc.
1 week holiday makers are the bread n butter that pays for it all however in Europe.
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I had mine checked a grand total of once all season in St Anton. Had an agency chef come work in our chalet for a week or two (so no lift pass/hire etc. included) who used the pass of one of our guys that was injured (collar bone properly f****d) and did get caught one day. Just said it was his room mates and he picked up the wrong lift pass in a hurry to get out on the slopes. They took it off him and said the guy who's pass it was just had to turn up at the office and collect it (which he didn't as both were flying home that weekend anyway).
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If you and your mate look a bit alike, chances of you getting caught is quite small.
Actually, I've seen someone being caught in the act while waiting my turn to get on the lift:
Liftie: Is this your pass?
Skier: Yes.
Liftie: The photo doesn't look much like you.
Skier: errhhh...well, erh, but it's me alright.
Liftie: Do you have another peice of id that has the same name as on the pass?
Skier: erhhhh...
Liftie: Mind stand aside so others can come through?
That's when I "went through" to got on the lift. So don't know what happened next.
I'm told there's a fine. So, if your mate got caught on the last day of a week, maybe he's still better off. But if he got caught on day 1, the fine far exceeds the cost of the day ticket.
I've also skied with a mate who has a season's pass for 4 days. She got asked to take off her goggle a few times so they can see if the face matches the photo. Not every time, but often enough. Usually at the bottom lift.
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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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Actually I think I'll just buy two 10 day passes. I've never been asked to show them before so for a saving of about 20 Euro it would probably be more hassle than its worth going by some of the accounts on here and the bother of sending money away in November to pay for it etc..
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FAQ
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