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Ski A La Carte

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi guys

Ref thread http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=86483&highlight=

Just a quick update to let you know that I have heard back today from Ski A La Carte, who have agreed to refund the £960 odd pounds charged for my little ones lift passes. The transaction is still in process, but I wanted to let you know the final outcome, as I promised.

Perhaps if their form online disallowed people to apply for teenie passes (past a certain birth year for eg), it would save all the mix up in the future for someone else. Assuming I wasn't alone when they dished out odd moments of ditsyness Very Happy

Thanks again to those snowheads who helped me here. And thanks too to the kind pass folk at La Plagne and Ski A La Carte.

SBM x
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
snowboardingmum, Great news & thanks for letting us know Very Happy
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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?
Great result.

1. You're very lucky.

2. They know they were taking the mick.
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snowboardingmum, nice one, informative and honest reporting on your ski a la carte experience.wouldn't blame you for not using SH again after the response the original post got.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
yay!!!!

Rightfully so.

Wonder if thefatcontroller had any influence on the decision wink
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You'll need to Register first of course.
SmileyCentral.com
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
That is really good news.
Its really so easy to make a nonsense of some of these things isn't it - plane/train bookings, insurance etc - we all think we look, look again and re-check before we tick the box but sometimes we only read what we think we are reading - it was a good post snowboardingmum, in the first place to alert others to the mistake you had made. Very easy to be too clever after the event.
Now in my book that £960 is 'pure profit' to be put towards the next trip!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Glad to here you are sorted.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Thanks everyone!

Pamski, Absolutely!! It means we can go next year, without made it distinctly questionable....

Shimmy Alcott, I've no idea if thefatcontroller was involved as he didn't update the thread. Perhaps we shall see?! Cheers me dears x

James the Last, I know believe me Wink

waynos, I have questioned my sanity...but to quote the fantastic Porridge... "Don't let the b@@@@@@s grind you down Wink Very Happy
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
waynos wrote:
snowboardingmum, nice one, informative and honest reporting on your ski a la carte experience.wouldn't blame you for not using SH again after the response the original post got.


C'mon. Who said that they actively agreed that SALC were morally in the right? Just because some people pointed out that legally there wasn't a leg to stand on and interpreted the original post as a bit of a Pandora, doesn't mean the OP isn't welcome here and had sympathy. Some of the disagreement could equally be attributed to the overreaction e.g. "let's boycott the shysters" type posts.

Glad you got a result - good business practice from SALC recognising a situation which was clearly a mistake they'd benefitted from in the extreme.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowboardingmum, Well done!
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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.
fatbob,

snowboardingmum, has, I assume, started a new thread so as to put all the negative cr@p behind her.

A great, well deserved result, which I suspect only occurred as Ski a La Carte got wind of this thread.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
fatbob, +1

snowboardingmum, Glad you got it sorted. A lesson for us all. Stick around eh? snowHead
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Niiice!! Cool
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Shimmy Alcott, Disagreeing on an internet forum isn't negative crap. I wouldn't be here if everyone agreed with each other all the time and each thread would be a sucession of +1..+36, which is approximately the number of sockpuppets even boredsurfin could be bovvered registering.


And anyway waynos started it ner ner ner! wink
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:

Disagreeing on an internet forum isn't negative crap

+1

Having apologised for rudeness in that initial thread, I trust that the moral outrage brigade aren't going to start again in this one.

I expressed great sympathy with the OP, whilst pointing out (politely!) some factual inaccuracies in her account.

I'm delighted the company have come up with a full refund - that reflects very well on them. Some of the bile being directed their way on the initial thread was unjustified, to put it mildly. It's always a good idea to hear two sides of a story. wink
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
fatbob, I'm staying nice and calm and serene Little Angel

No company gives back £960 unless they kind of felt they were in the wrong so comments like
Quote:
So you've been stung for a load of money. Perhaps that possibility should have made you engage brain before signing up
shouldnt have been made in such quick judgement?

Those are my thoughts on the matter. Im not going to comment any further. Feel free to pm me your views, Im happy to argue them out there - but I wont drag the OP through a re-hash of the argument.
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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?
Shimmy Alcott Failure to give a refund immediately despite the OP having contributed to the position by not having checked her CC statements for a month = shysters, give a refund= proof they were guilty. No win in your moral outrage world.
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Assumptions I'm afraid fatbob, which are rude and unfounded. I did manage to check my statements. In fact I was billed on the 6th of the month. February. Not the month we skied. January. Monies taken, around 10th February.

Complaint filed middle of last week. Answered today. I'd say prompt response from both parties?

I see the thread is heading the same way....
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
snowboardingmum, Apologies for the erroneous assumption. All straight to lift billing systems I've come across bill on an individual transaction basis within a few days (admittedly in N America).

Actually I think quite highly of Ski A La Carte as a result of their responsiveness on this and I'm glad you posted because it proves that common sense can prevail in a "computer says no" world . Not all businesses actively go out to be evil on a daily basis and some do believe in customer goodwill, despite what some consumers may believe.
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fatbob, NP. Thanks. Smile SALC bill monthly, following the month skied.

I also admire SALC. I will use them again as an adult in the future. They have succeeded in restoring my faith, and while I hope I've raised awareness for others, I wholeheartedly recommend them for adults for long stays and flexibility. It's a great scheme and suited Mr SBM and I perfectly.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
snowboardingmum, Really pleased to hear your news. Thanks for the update.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Summary:

1)Business provides a 'service' that could prove financially disadvantageous to an unwary customer.

2)Unwary customer becomes financially disadvantaged and subsequently complains to company.

3)Company not willing to make good financial disadvantage.

4)Customer uses forum to complain about company and post a warning to others.

5)Customer encouraged to also use other media to highlight bad experience.

6)Usual arguments on forum that unwary customer somehow deserves to be disadvantaged because of misunderstanding the sales pitch and/or failing to read the small print no matter how morally indefensive it may be.

7)Customer eventually obtains refund from Company.

I believe that item 7) was only achieved because of items 4) & 5). Just a pity that item 6) invariably crops up on this forum!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Quote:

Usual arguments on forum that unwary customer somehow deserves to be disadvantaged

in fact people making all kinds of wild, incorrect, assertions... wink
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Mr Marmot wrote:

I believe that item 7) was only achieved because of items 4) & 5). !


You really think so - the power of snowheads? The moral outrage brigade really don't want to give SALC any credit on this one for doing the right thing? Maybe if they are paying close attention to snowheads next time they won't bother then if it doen't win them any friends.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
fatbob wrote:
Mr Marmot wrote:

I believe that item 7) was only achieved because of items 4) & 5). !


You really think so - the power of snowheads? The moral outrage brigade really don't want to give SALC any credit on this one for doing the right thing? Maybe if they are paying close attention to snowheads next time they won't bother then if it doen't win them any friends.


All credit to SALC for doing the right thing. Eventually.

Obviously, if they had considered the situation more carefully when first contacted, maybe they would have arrived at their eventual conclusion much more quickly. And they could have saved everyone a lot of bad feeling.

Unfortunately it seems too many businesses don't listen to customer complaints properly to begin with. It seems the default position is to always try and fob off the customer.

Fortunately these days we have the power of the internet to make sure our experiences (good and bad) are quickly and widely broadcast.

As long as we are honest and fair with this power, it is up to businesses to decide how much attention they give it.
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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.
How consumer complaints are handled.

1 Complaint arrives with some low function, low motivation drone
2 Standard proforma response issued
3 Customer persists
4 Complaint actually read by someone who is empowered to do something about it and can apply common sense


The better organisations actually empower step 4 to happen at step 1 and the worst get caught in an endless loop of 3 to 1. I'd say 1 week is a pretty quick resolution by most standards.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
fatbob wrote:
How consumer complaints are handled.

1 Complaint arrives with some low function, low motivation drone
2 Standard proforma response issued
3 Customer persists
4 Complaint actually read by someone who is empowered to do something about it and can apply common sense


The better organisations actually empower step 4 to happen at step 1 and the worst get caught in an endless loop of 3 to 1. I'd say 1 week is a pretty quick resolution by most standards.


I think you are right, fatbob. It's just a shame it has to be that way.

Looking through my daily newspaper yesterday, I noticed there was a large number of articles in the financial pages warning of 'scams' being perpetrated by big companies; they warned of confusing 'special offers' from broadband and energy providers, 'good' interest rates on cash ISAs but which are based on a short-term bonus and 'hidden administration charges' in pension funds. There were many more examples of this type of thing. I.e. what you get is not quite what seems to be advertised. What is happening to big business in this country?

The newspaper also runs a weekly feature where the journalist takes up long-running complaints on behalf of customers and negotiates a resolution. In most cases the journalist is spectacularly successful. I wonder why these companies are so helpful and generous after the newspaper had gotten involved. Wouldn't it have been better to have resolved the customer's problem before it was highlighted in a national newspaper?

I run a small business and I appreciate that there are some customers who have unfair expectations and want everything for nothing, and maybe it is these who sour things for everyone else. However, I honestly believe that too many big companies these days run their businesses as a series of scams and hoodwinks designed to catch out as many people as possible and not only just the stupid and unwary. Is it really necessary to run a business this way?

Fortunately, the internet is a wonderful tool for warning others of these type of things. And much more immediate and far-reaching than a newspaper!
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
snowboardingmum, I read very little of snowheads these days but someone pointed this thread out to me. Excellent news. Congrats. Sense prevailed. Yahoo..
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Mr Marmot, I don't disagree - anything in the utilities sector (including mobile phones) is price structured to be superficially attractive and fundamentally not directly comparable to anything else. There are definitely financial and insurance products out there that are really not necessary except for most tiny percentage of the population and just result in overinsurance etc. I do think however there is a certain amount of buyer beware necessary - it was blindingly obvious to anyone remotely numerically literate that PPI was pointless yet all banks' customers must bear the cost of their mandatory compensation. Mobile phone insurance - don't make me laugh etc etc..

To a certain extent consumers have created the situation by buying acutely on price. I was stung by an automatic renewal of a home insurance policy where the premium had gone up 70+% because the first year, sourced through a comparison engine had been articificially underpriced. However they wouldn't have had a shot at my business if they'd priced in the first year at the "true" level cos I'm a cheapskate and only want catastrophic cover.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Mr Marmot, indeed. As I mentioned in the previous thread, a packet of McVities Chocolate Homewheats (400g) last week in Waitrose is "pricematched" to Tesco at £1.75, just proving how cheap they are. The thing is, the week before they were about £1.45, not pricematched. Tesco bumped up the price so that they can offer them this week at half price - i.e. at 87p.

IT's designed to confuse the customer and IMHO it's dishonest.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
James the Last, I'm not sure your example is dishonest. Tesco's policy might be accused of being so but as I tend to only buy most branded foodstuffs on a promo basis I'm willingly fueling the problem. Most customers are shopping for the week so if that week Waitrose are pricematched to Tesco they are honouring their commitment. Plus anyone who expects Waitrose to be cheap for anything must be on crack wink

It might be nice if groceries were all statically priced and you could just do your shopping at the most convenient location without penalty but intense competition in FMCG and Retail sectors make it highly improbable.
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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?
fatbob, I consider myself to be an out and out capitalist. I think at best it's very sharp practice.
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