Rude personnel, extremely strict rules… inconsistent feedback from people working here regarding the resort rules.
Not worth the lift ticket prices and f**k vail resorts altogether
This place is an absolute nightmare! Do not come here unless you want to wait in line for a shuttle for over an hour minimum and wait to park your car for an hour as well. Just parking your car will make you wanna leave it’s so chaotic. Have fun looking at the backside when you arrive, there’s fresh powder everywhere, however they won’t open it and force feed everyone into lines once you hit the front side. It’s honestly the worst resort I’ve ever been to. Just a giant trap to take your money away from you. Oh and when it’s time to leave be prepared to wait in another hour line to get back to your car and then another hour to leave. Avoid at all costs
2 hours to download from village to parking lot. 100+ people line built up from 3:30 to 4 waiting on first bus. Supply trucks were dangerously pulling in and out through the queue of people. Cutting left and right with no direction. Total mess.
No lights in the pitch black parking lot at 6 pm to top it off. This resort needs a total overhaul on customer service and parking functionality. Frankly unacceptable from an upper level management perspective. They have the $$ to do it right.
Don’t come here unless you stay on site. 4x Epic Pass holder. Heavenly and Kirkwood are visitor friendly.
After paying for very EXPENSIVE ticket during Christmas, we were informed by staff that the mountain is closed for the day due to safety reason and extreme weather, after only less than 2 hours of total time spent at the resort. When asking about partial refund or credit, nothing was offered and staff told us that “this situation happens frequently at the resort”.
Come to this resort if you would prefer to sit in your car rather than skiing. If you come on a Saturday-Sunday at least, that is all you will do. 2+ hour bumper to bumper traffic delay over 8 miles backed up from the resort on 1/21 (all entirely resort traffic) – they sell WAY more lift tickets and passes than people they can fit on the mountain or their infrastructure will allow. This was with an original departure time that should have had us to the parking lot over a half hour before opening. And good luck getting any customer service for all your wasted efforts and money – if they already have your money via Epic Pass or prepaid lift ticket, they couldn’t care less what experience you have from there. Many Tahoe resorts suffer capacity issues, but nowhere to the extremes of Northstar. If you do get in (we gave up today at least after 4 hours of trying) the skiing itself is average at best – better snow and better runs elsewhere.
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.
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…
I signed up for a month to month billing thinking I would be billed a small amount each month. Instead they just delay all of your payments until months later and hit you with hundreds of dollars all of a sudden that they will f**k you if you don’t pay. When they finally took the $577 out of my account they charged it again 2 weeks later. I called 3 times to dispute the charge and received no help. I have now submitted the double charge as fraud to my bank. My 19 year old friend was also double charged the same way. Luckily they didn’t have the funds in their account for the second transaction to go through.
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.
We went up to Northstar for 4 days and could only ski for 1 day. 2 Of the 4 was simple conditions and being shut down for good reason (rain and unexpected amounts of snow). However, on the 4th day: New Years Day, the day AFTER 36 inches of fresh powder had been dumped on the mountain, we arrived early (lifts were to open at 9:am). We parked, we arrived at the Gondola, only to be informed that the Express Lift is Closed and would likely not open and then we were instructed to get on the gondola line, which was so long that it weaved down and around and back up to where we just were.
We have had the same problem with Northstar before: they are under staffed and this morning, the excuse was “our people can’t get here”. We need a skier’s Bill of Rights! They charge big money for blackout day tickets so that you can expect to get on the mountain during peak days. However, and once again, we felt like the customer doesn’t matter and the Vale group doesn’t take their responsibility seriously to get people on the mountain! That’s the business they are in!
I sat out two days waiting for this day and fought off the family who wanted to to go home rather than sit around saying “these will be the best conditions ever”. So why doesn’t the lifts open on the best day of skiing? I talked to a manager and said this: I said “You do realize that thousands of people have spent hundreds of dollars per person per day to enjoy skiing here today. It is Northstar’s business to provide safe and timely access to this beautiful day of perfect ski conditions. Do you realize that that’s the business you are in? The manager said – Do you know why we aren’t open? I said, because of lack of staff which happens here virtually all the time- he replied no, we have plenty of people, they just can’t get here. I said, with the money you are charging and all the costs for people to get here, you should have places for people to STAY HERE AND OPEN UP. He said- wait for it – ” We don’t have the resources to do that.” I said “I am done. We waited, got here, and now we are going to wait for two hours to wait for the gondola line to start which will be 2 hours minimum (that’s what they told us!) We Are out of here. This resort sucks. Our friends arrived in Palisades and jumped on the slopes. What a waste of time and money.
I ordered a Stevens Select Pass and just learned that every weekend in January and February are blackout date. When I ordered the pass I knew it did not include Holidays but I specifically recall looking on the website to ensure the pass included weekends. Nowhere did it say the weekends were blacked out (or it was buried in the small print) I work during the week so this is an EPIC waste of $400. Vail thanks for screwing me over, again.
Do not honour season pass refunds. A consistent issue, well known by the ACCC and fair trading. They’ll take your money in a heart beat, but you’ll never hear from them when lodging a refund request (supported by the correct paperwork as dictated by their own T&Cs). No way to contact them aside from email; and as mentioned, good luck getting a response.
Another unhappy RIPPED OFF customer. Sold ski passes under the guise that because of the pandemic they could be refunded. Only to be denied over a year later because “we didn’t have refundable passes” someone needs to take accountability for the THEFT that vail resorts is getting away with.
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!!!!
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. 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.
Todd Chamberlin via Facebook
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.
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”.
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
Notify CC company to not process further charges as they are not authorized
doclocke33 via Instagram
laketahoetoday via Instagram
That happened to us too. Vail makes it purposely hard to cancel auto renew. They suck.
NorthStar California Sucks | VailEpicFail 