 Poster: A snowHead
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Apologies if this simple query has been asked before about the hands-free lift passes that contain a microchip.
I have several of these ski-cards from various resorts in previous years which I didn't return for my 3 euro deposit. I'm going on holiday to a different place this year, can I get these old cards uploaded with my new pass, or do I have to buy yet another card for 3 euros? ie are they interchangeable with other resorts?
I know the Swatch snowpass watch microchip can be uploaded in various resorts, so I wonder whether the ski-card ones can too.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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different resorts use different cards so it depends on which resort you are going to and if they use the same type of card you have.
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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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bum, if it's a Skidata card they have serial number on them. In theory they can be loaded up from any Skidata terminal but... resorts like you to have one with their branding on it and they'll tell you your one won't work... even though it will. Somre can be loaded online though which gets around that.
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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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Yes, I think they're all skidata cards. But as you say, the ones I have have other resort names blazoned all across them, so I'm likely to get funny looks and comments in languages I can only marginally understand.
Perhaps I'll just stop being a cheapskate and cough up the 3 euro and keep the old ones as souvenirs!!
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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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Of course, they don't want to re-use your old card even though the technology used in most proximity access control systems is mainly universal. They buy the blank 'chipped' cards for less than 50p each and whilst they have the overprinting costs, they make a lovely profit on them.
They really hope you don't try and get your 'deposit' back otherwise they've made no profit!
They 'bin' any returned cards anyway if you bother to claim back your deposit. To try and wipe them clean of overprinting would cost more than 50p.
Their excuse for charging a returnable 'deposit' is normally to say that if they didn't charge it people would carelessly discard them and polar bears might choke to death on them on them. They might not use those exact words but that is what I think they are implying. I bet that less than 50% of the cards are returned to collect the deposit and I've heard of no stories about any polar bears choking on the others, because people haven't carelessly thrown them away but have instead probably kept them (as souvenirs?)
Anyone who knows the story of Disney Dollars will know how much money can be made through this type of process.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Mr Marmot, you know not of what you speak. 2Alpes is currently having a recycling drive - we re-encode every card which comes back to us vie the recycling boxes at every sales point and in multiple shops and hotels in resort. We will also re-use your card from any other resort as long as it's compatible with the Skidata system. The codeuse will reprint each keycard as and when you charge it with a pass - there's no need to spend time 'wiping them clean'. The lighter weight cards which we use for passes valid for five days or less aren't marked with a name or date, so we just stick them on top of the machine and re-encode them. We don't charge a deposit on them either.
Bode Swiller, we don't give a rat's ass about the branding on your ski pass, what are you talking about?
bum, you can recharge those cards anywhere which has a compatible system. They contain just the same chips as the Swatch watches do. You should also be able to recharge them online using the long serial number on the card. Tip: give the cards to the cashier BEFORE you start rambling on about what passes you want. The system asks whether you've already got a card before it does anything else, so if you make it all the way through to paying for it and then hand over the cards we have to start again from the beginning.
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Lizzard, I do know some of what I speak, since I sell the proximity access control equipment! I know how it works and what it costs. Obviously each operator can have slight variations in how their administration/operation process functions.
I'll admit I am cynical of those resorts that charge a 'deposit' fee for a ski-pass.
It is good that 2Alpes have the equipment to reprint the current users information on an existing card and, on some, don't bother with any info printing. Not every operator has this.
But then you admit that 2Alpes don't charge a deposit anyway! Thereby possibly confirming that some of those that do, might treat it as a money-making excercise.
I also have the skidata 'chips' in both a Swatch watch and a pair of ski-gloves. I also have numerous versions of proximity tokens/cards that I stock for my customers. If I offer these at the lift-pass station for use instead of issuing a new depost-attracting card they are invariably turned down!
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 11-03-11 12:25; edited 1 time in total
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Definitely scams going on. St Anton charge 5 euros deposit. Laax don't refund the deposit, it's for you to use on your next visit. people were trying to sell them outside the lift pass office.
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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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| Quote: |
I also have the skidata 'chips' in both a Swatch watch and a pair of ski-gloves. I also have numerous versions of proximity tokens/cards that I stock for my customers. If I offer these at the lift-pass station for use instead of issuing a new depost-attracting card they are invariably turned down!
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That's probably because the cashier doesn't realise that those items will work if you just bung them on top of the machine. I've had to explain several times to colleagues that we can charge the Swatches, for example.
Not printing info on the cards is handy for recycling but is proving something of a pain in the bum from a punter point of view since they absolutely refuse to listen when you explain that the receipt (which does have the information on) matches the relevant card and if they mix everything up they're liable to get stopped by control for trying to ski on a pedestrian pass.
Possibly we should look into chipping the skiers themselves, the same way you do cats - that way they couldn't lose the passes/get them mixed up/forget them/drill holes in them/whatever other whacky thing they've thought of to do this week. Trying to perch overweight British holidaymakers on the codeuse could have its entertainment value as well. 
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I've got about a dozen of these things now as many resorts won't recharge another resort's card, even though they're usually skidata. One exception to this was PdS in Champery seemed happy to recharge my Grand Massif card.
I admit I didn't try every place I've been to, as I gave up after showing a quiver of cards at some places and getting a shake of the head.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Whitters, so why don't you just take them back at the end of the week and retreive your deposit? It's not like it represents an enormous effort.
Alternatively, I believe you should be able to recharge any Skidata card on the internet using the long number printed on the back regardless of which resort you got it from in the first place.
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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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Wengen has a nice machine on the station platform on the way out which will refund your 5CHF
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Further to Lizzard's idea of 'chipping' the skiers, wouldn't it be nice if all skis were 'chipped' and readers were placed at ski level at lifts to identify stolen skis?
I suppose that the amount of skis stolen is small compared to the effort that would be required to apprehend any skier with skis that showed up as being stolen.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| Quote: |
I also have the skidata 'chips' in both a Swatch watch and a pair of ski-gloves. I also have numerous versions of proximity tokens/cards that I stock for my customers. If I offer these at the lift-pass station for use instead of issuing a new depost-attracting card they are invariably turned down!
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That's probably because the cashier doesn't realise that those items will work if you just bung them on top of the machine. I've had to explain several times to colleagues that we can charge the Swatches, for example.
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young lady in Les Houches tourist office obviously knew her stuff. I asked for the unlimited pass which was 250 + 3 Euro. Was digging about for my credit card to pay and produced a 3 valleys pass, a Navigo (for use in Paris trains and buses) and a Barclays contactless switch card. She told me she could use any one of them, but if I was going to Courmayer I would need to keep my receipt, as they couldn't overprint any of the above. I didn't want to risk knackering my bank card, so she used the Navigo card. Went to Courmayer on Wednesday and they just activated it with no questions. The girl in the tourist office told me that the tourist office have a target for recycling passes, while the pass offices just need to get get you on the slopes ASAP
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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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| wouldn't it be nice if all skis were 'chipped' and readers were placed at ski level at lifts to identify stolen skis? |
spoken by the guy who sells the equipment...
Not that I don't understand, I worked for the company that made the very first RFID chip for SkiData. I think a small amount of my intellect even went into making the chip 
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