Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today reported results for the first quarter of fiscal 2023 ended October 31, 2022, provided season pass sales results, reaffirmed its guidance for Resort Reported EBITDA for fiscal 2023, provided additional detail on its calendar year 2023 capital plan and declared a dividend payable in January 2023.
Vail Resorts sold 2.3 million Epic Pass products for the 2022/23 season, which is down by 12% over last year.
Source: VailResorts
Tag: season pass
“Vail resorts & specifically Northstar are horrible”
Vail resorts & specifically Northstar are horrible! We came up to ski for the day. We are family of 4 & have a 14 year old disabled son & a 17 year old snowboarder. The plan was that I would ski with the 17 year old & my husband would hang back with our disabled son. When we arrived to the resort my special needs son would not let me out of his site. My husband & I decided to switch places. He was going to ski with our older son & I was going to hang back. So as my husband was getting on the gondola they confiscated the past because his picture did not match. We had no idea that the passes were non-transferable. We figured we had two skiers and two passes. It is written in the smallest possible letters on the back of the card which why would you even think to look there? When we explained our situation to the resort they were not only rude but had zero compassion for our situation. We were treated awfully!!! I will stick with the small non corporate ski resorts where they tend to treat people with respect & don’t belittle them, especially during a difficult situation.
Carmen Petti via Onthesnow.com
From the team: Yep, the whole Vail’s idea with “epic pass” is to sell as many passes as possible and cancel/revoke/suspend/etc as many passes as possible as well. The Vail & Northstar gestapo is making sure that stupid rule is enforced so their CEO gets her $6M+ bonus.
“What is this rental facility fee? Seems like a scam for them to charge more. (It’s Vail resorts)”
This is the same company that charged $4 shipping for every online pass purchased earlier this year, even if you reactivated a pass you already had, or picked your pass up in person without any shipping.
they will continue to pull this shit as long as people accept it.
Forget “experience of a lifetime” this is clearly turning into “whatever it takes to make this quarters number”
And they’re going to continue to do so as long as people accept their shitty business practices. F**k Vail. Stop supporting them, people. If you complain after paying the presumably hundreds of dollars shown here, it kind of doesn’t matter. They got what they wanted and the consumer put up with it.
Source: Reddit
“Why get a pass if you still have to stand in the long lines at the resort with everyone else”
Similar to others, the passes never come. Impossible to get any help. Prices change on whims. You have to call to stop the auto-renew and that can be a huge hassle. The customer service is far from stellar. If you love to ski/board at their resorts and know exactly what you want it may work for you, but if you are doing it for the first time or wanting to try it out, spend the time to make sure you know what you want/need and see if it’s worth it. They are little to no help and they seem not to care much about your experience.
Michael B via BBB.org
Do not expect to get your ski pass in the mail, ever. I ordered mine 15 business days ago and it still has not shipped. I spent an hour on the phone with customer service, and they said they did not know why it had not shipped and could not say when it would. Kept referencing that it should have arrived in ** business days and that there may have been shipping vendor delays
Rachel R via BBB.org
I order passes previous years but this year is crazy. Ordered passes 16 Nov and 5 Jan still nothing. ** * and they just tell you we will mail them. Can’t say when or anything. I ordered 2 months in advance so I don’t have to stand in lines but looks like I will be. I emailed them several times and no reply. Logged on line nothing. No one can tell you anything just we will mail them. Might be last time using them. The customer services call center is completely incompetent. confirmed the names and shipping address multiple times with the agent and STILL Nothing almost 2 months later. I agree Why get a pass if you still have to stand in the long lines at the resort with everyone else?
Richard H via BBB.org
If you happen to get your passes when you order them, then you will be happy. If there is a problem in getting your passes (paid in full of course), then the true agony begins. We ordered passes in October and 10 weeks later we still do not have them. I spoke with support services twice, sent multiple emails to **** resorts and had a live chat. One of our two passes was sent to the wrong address twice and the other one was never sent. The support services call center is completely incompetent. I could not reach anyone who was fluent in English. I confirmed the names and shipping address multiple times with the agent and STILL the wrong number of passes were sent to the wrong address. Why get a pass if you still have to stand in the long lines at the resort with everyone else? No compensation for this major inconvenience was ever offered.
Lynne M via BBB.org
The online ordering process is terrible. After you provide all the information including credit card information you get an error message telling you to call the 800 number… You call and have to wait a long time to be assisted over a terrible call quality line. I could barely understand half what the guy was saying.Over the phone I was told to create an account online (which I tried unsuccessfully). They completed my order over the phone but I could only get the passes mailed to me if I created an account online and sent pictures of the whole family.I tried to create an account after the attendant instructed me to do so and got an error again… It said I already had one and should reset my password. The link to reset was never received. Then after some time my wife (different email address) got an email with the link. She tried to reset the password but got an error and instructions to call the 800 number (again…). Summary: terrible customer service and I’ll need to wait in line at the resort to retrieve my passes on site…
Fernando C via BBB.org
Source: BBB.org
“Auto-renew is a Scam”
Resorts, what should be a proud company, is just a scam business committing fraud. When I purchased online a 4-pack pass for my 17-year old daughter last year, they claim I clicked on auto-renew for the upcoming year. I did not intend on auto-renew and it is impossible to get out of auto-renew. They automatically charged my credit card and my daughter does not intend on skiing this year so we are paying them without receiving any benefit. I think that is their scam. Bump up their revenue from people that will not be visiting their resorts and adding to their long lines. Resorts refused to refund my money. They directed me to their insurance process for a qualifying loss, which is impossible to meet the document requirements because there are a very narrow set of circumstances in which to get a refund. I filed a complaint with the AG directed me to file a complaint here. I likely will not receive my money returned but I will NEVER visit another resort or shop at EPIC Sports, owned by Resorts. I have likely spent over $2000 there in the last two years. Never again and I will tell everyone I know what a fraudulent operation Resorts has become. Resorts, I hope you are proud. Now, I just want as many people as possible to know the truth. Read the entry below from 9/23 and 10/9. They have no remorse, just their shoddy explanation of claiming “we sent you an email”. The employees should be embarrassed to work for such a fraudulent company. Be aware.
Connie B via BBB.org
“Vail will collapse. It’s not IF but WHEN.”
Vail will collapse. It’s not if but when. When pass prices go up by 20% they can only muster a 6% revenue increase associated with a 12% drop in units sold their upper tier passes while buying FOUR new areas. This all in an economy with huge inflation and huge labor cost increases. The financials just don’t add up to sustainability.
Their Experience Of A Lifetime (TM) is turning people away. Limited snowmaking this year (disasterous last year).
…
Poor grooming quality. I laugh at some of the pics posted to the pass group on Facebook talking about the amazing conditions when there’s huge grooming ruts, 2 foot ice boulders, death cookies galore, etc. in the pics.
Lack of maintenance to their lifts leading them to break down all the time (Attitash last year, Stowe this year). Lack of running lifts. Non lifties running lifts. Grumpy employees some that scream at you for no reason. Bad traffic. Long lines. Charge you to park with no lifts running. I can go on…
Interest rates are through their roof. Their line of credit they’ve been using to fund their upgrades is now suddenly much costlier. Meanwhile their bread and butter resorts — Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckinridge, Keystone — have a ton of aging detachable that need to be replaced within the decade.
obienick via Snowjournal
“Epic pass is a money-grabbing scam”
Vail resorts is the worst company running multiple ski resorts!! Absolutely horrible! They declined my request to cancel my auto renew and basically live to just steal money from people!!! I’m tempted to file a class action lawsuit but debating if it will be worth my time!! The lines are stupid long constantly… can be our skiing or snowboarding for a full day and only get max 2-3 actual runs in… it’s quicker to hike the mountain than actually ride the lifts!!! DONT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY WITH AN EPIC PASS THIS YEAR!!!!
Daniel Ryan via Facebook.com
I just compared what I used to pay a few years ago for a specific ski resort before Vail took it over in 2020. Wow – didn’t realize what these guys are doing. The group has great resorts that we like a lot but will definitely be more conscious choosing where we travel to next time.
Michael Livi via Facebook.com
I purchased tickets in advance to Paoli Peaks, to find out the day of that 12 of the 15 slopes were closed (only 3 open). I called over 10 times to speak with someone about canceling my tickets, but no human would answer a phone. I had to drive 2 hrs to speak with someone at the ski lodge. When arriving, even though I pre-purchased tickets that all claimed to “save time– don’t wait in line,” there were no signs explaining where to go; I still had to wait in the ticket line to speak with someone, who then sent me to guest services in a completely different part of the building. I used the restroom on the way to find it disgusting and out-of-date with no paper towels or driers working to dry my hands. The guest services manager said that a machine wasn’t working to blow fresh snow, so they had to close 80% of the slopes, while still charging people full price and not answering the phones because they were too busy. I’ll choose Perfect North from here on out.
Eric Bivens via Facebook.com
Tried vailresorts epicpass this year. Their level of transparency was abysmal. Be sure to read the fine print before buying (if you can find it). No transfers, no refunds. You can upgrade, but it will cost you 200% of what you paid originally. 20% off on food/beverages? Only if it is a non-alcoholic beverage. They overpromise and don’t deliver
Russell Huffman via Facebook.com
Nothing surprising from this company and it’s low rating when they hire lying, purple-haired pigs to work in dispatch. The way your employee treats people coupled with your low rating explains it all.
Olena Pearson via Facebook.com
Bought lift tickets through epic pass. Ski school for my daughter and ski rentals. Had to cancel because of winter storm Elliott and the southwest debacle. No flights out of Texas. 25,000 flights cancelled. Couldn’t make the trip. Spent over 1,200 on the trip. Zero refunds. Nada. Because my house wasn’t inhabitable I couldn’t get a refund. Unbelievable. No compassion. Zero common sense.
Donnie Elliott
Let’s get this straight. Vail Resorts does not care about its customers. All they care about is money. The internet is riddles with people talking about the many deceptive business practices Vail Resorts engages in. These policies are absolutely abhorrent and border on theft, if you and I were to do it.
Todd Chamberlin via Facebook
They show absolutely no empathy towards their loyal customers at all and as such do not care about retaining customers. They will simply cycle onto the next sucker and screw them next. That is their bottom line business, please stay clear if you can, there are other friendlier ski resorts to ski or snowboard at that actual care about you as a person.
Worst customer support of all time. If you can actually get someone on the phone, good luck with them being able to resolve any issues or actually help.
Kimberly Paige Buchanan via Facebook.com
Source: Vail Resorts reviews on Facebook
“Vail’s “Auto-Renew” policy is completely designed to entrap you and take your money”. DON’T “Auto-Renew”!
This company needs to be sued for being predatory, DONT click “Auto Renew” thinking your can just cancel it if you don’t want it. Their policies are completely designed to entrap you and take your money. You can’t be forced to buy something and I can’t believe this company wont work with you if you didn’t use your pass and don’t intend to.
I get that companies need to protect themselves from fraud, but if you make the process so specific and restrictive on purpose, then you are obviously trying to steal peoples money with their “terms and conditions” that you “agreed to”.
they need to be sued.
Catherine Cellini via Facebook
I was able to cancel my auto renew but only after it renewed. And of course they won’t issue a refund because I don’t have a “qualifying event”
Vinny Maronna via Facebook
EPIC pass misleading! Checked epic profile and no indication of auto renewal. Then got text today eluding to auto renew (after website indicated not) called to cancel/fix before it got renewed – customer service said they could not help & we had to email, emailed address they provided & immediately got a response saying Must Call. Representative still on phone said no & provided a corporate number “to try” which is CLOSED until after auto renewal date
laketahoetoday via InstagramNotify CC company to not process further charges as they are not authorized
doclocke33 via Instagram
That happened to us too. Vail makes it purposely hard to cancel auto renew. They suck.
tahowaiian via Instagram
“Horrible experience with Epic Pass”
Horrible experience with Epic Pass that ruined our vacation plan and we left Tahoe without any skiing.
Chenyun Wu
The pass office refused to give me the pass we bought online because it was suspended for an accident last year (I was badly hit by someone from behind and I had zero fault in that accident). There was no warning when I payed for the pass or in my account page. They kicked me back and forth around ~5 different offices. From 9am to 1pm I made 20+ phone calls on the mountain and walked to different offices in my ski boots. On my way leaving the resort around 1 pm, they called to tell me the suspension was finally resolved and asked me to wait for another hour and try again at the pass office.
They suspended my pass for no good reason and without any warning. All the offices have no clear idea who is in charge of the suspension, and are very impatient to help on an issue outside their duty, even when they know a customer is desperately waiting to get onto the mountain.
Two days later I received my pass in my mail that’s sent out the day we bought it online, days before the hassle on the mountain. So if it’s OK for them to send me the pass by mail, why on earth can they refuse giving it to me at the resort??
“Wasted 3 hours waiting in line to get our pass”
Wasted 3 hours waiting in line to get our pass that we ordered online ahead of time, closes at 4 so by the time we got to the slops the whole day was gone. DONT go
Carolyn Davidson
“Be willing to wait on just about everything”
Be willing to wait on just about everything from lifts to rentals if needed. If you plan on stopping by the day of without reservations in advance, you can expect 3 plus hour wait for gear rentals. Average wait time for main lifts is around 10-30 min. Also have a photo of or your actual vaccination card on hand to be able to enjoy any food from northstar themselves.
Matthew Jeff
Biggest issue, if you plan on using the free parking lots expect an hour wait at times just to get to and from the ski area. Just didn’t have a good time but maybe you will.
How Vail Resorts Makes Its MONEY
“Vail is in the business of selling season passes not managing their resorts.”
“Yep, their CEO only knows to sell stuff, not deliver what’s been promised”
“The whole consolidation of all these resorts has been a huge negative. I hate the hoops they make you go thru to buy the pass. What do you get for it? Spamming and them selling off your data. Tell me how many ski runs I have done? Who cares? Every scintilla of data is examined and a way found to monetize. You are being herded into chutes to be sold off to the highest bidder.”
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NorthStar California Sucks | VailEpicFail 