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TroutWrestler


Posts: 162
Joined: Jan 2006
Last Visited: 18:01
16th Feb 2021
Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 16.33hrs on Fri 18 Jan 19
Has anyone achieved any traction with this? If so, where?

Operator?
Administrator?
Chargeback/Bank?
Small Claims?

The situation seems to be lurching from bad to worse.
Doug_R


Posts: 3
Joined: Oct 2018
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 12.37hrs on Sun 17 Feb 19
I've just had the full cost of my season pass refunded by my credit card issuer (RBS) using their online form -

[personal.rbs.co.uk]

Only took 5 minutes to fill in and I had my money back within 8 days. I also included links to press articles about the various issues at Cairngorm to support my claim.

If anyone paid with a debit card you may also be able to submit a claim through the chargeback scheme -

[www.moneysavingexpert.com]

Hope this helps.
bogbiker


Posts: 110
Joined: Feb 2009
Last Visited: 17:33
9th Apr 2019
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 20.24hrs on Sun 17 Feb 19
Chargeback from Santander has worked for me so far - I have had the money refunded to me by the bank and now awaiting a response (if any) from Cairngorm.
TroutWrestler


Posts: 162
Joined: Jan 2006
Last Visited: 18:01
16th Feb 2021
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 20.40hrs on Sun 17 Feb 19
I am pursuing a Chargeback with RBS too. I started mine on 18 January and I am still waiting. I have supplied a considerable amount of supporting information. I am encouraged to hear that others have been successful too, especially with RBS.
TroutWrestler


Posts: 162
Joined: Jan 2006
Last Visited: 18:01
16th Feb 2021
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 19.53hrs on Wed 20 Feb 19
Eventual success here too.
h1ghlander


Posts: 57
Joined: Jan 2011
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 15.39hrs on Sat 23 Feb 19
My Credit card initially refused. Then I got somebody else to look at claim when I called to contest it and they said that it should be refunded. They then changed their mind again as they said Cairngorm had provided alternative arrangements with snow making and an area at the bottom to ski on!

I am now going through complaints procedure with them before going to Ombudsman. This is a necessary step unfortunately.
Gpats


Posts: 5
Joined: Feb 2019
Last Visited: 17:07
22nd Mar 2019
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 15.52hrs on Mon 25 Feb 19
I applied for chargeback in Dec, my credit card company accepted it and paid it back, on the basis that Cairngorm then had 45 days to object. Today I have received a letter from them saying the administrators of Cairngorm have indeed rejected the claim as the season ticket will be honoured by the new operating company so no loss.

I now have the opportunity to comment on their response which I will be doing, in some detail...



Edited 2 times. Last edit at 15.56hrs Mon 25 Feb 19 by Gpats.
LBRodders


Posts: 37
Joined: Feb 2019
Last Visited: 12:07
22nd Apr 2021
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 20.41hrs on Mon 25 Feb 19
Next year, CG will realise what it's like to try and openly sell 5hit sandwiches to people who previously bought them under the guise of a BLT..


growwild


Posts: 3550
Joined: Oct 2005
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 22.22hrs on Mon 25 Feb 19
If I was Cairngorms I wouldn't be fighting it and would offer discounts next year tae those that have bought, same with other centres...

I wonder how many folk will take up the 'early burd' offers next season. I know of some who will probably be buying later on if it's worth it fae now on....
Gpats


Posts: 5
Joined: Feb 2019
Last Visited: 17:07
22nd Mar 2019
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 23.16hrs on Mon 25 Feb 19
Yip - good PR practice would be to refund and/or offer a discount on next year’s ticket to thank Season ticket holders for their patience/loyalty and ensure we come back. I’m sure many of us have been buying season tickets for many years. However, the current approach will simply ensure they never get another penny out of me and the other skiers in my family ever again.

There’s a fairly significant mistake in the refusal letter from the administrators to my bank, which suggests they don’t understand the terms of the season ticket so that’s my starting point for my counter-argument. This is going to be fun!
remote_patrol


Posts: 1013
Joined: Apr 2007
Last Visited: 22:53
20th Apr 2021
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 11.36hrs on Tue 26 Feb 19
Gpats Wrote:
This is going to be fun!


<<opens popcorn>>

It's kind of interesting to watch this form the sidelines,given there's obviously major problems with the legitimacy of Natural Retreats early bird sales last year, coupled with a disaster season in which season tickets generally haven't been much use (1/2 day on my Glenshee one so far smiling smiley )

I guess HIE/Administrators can argue (somewhat legitimately IMO) they made a good faith attempt to operate a normal season but the weather was against them. Can anyone comment on what difference the funicular would have actually made this season?

That being said, good luck to everyone, hope you get refunds.


alan


Posts: 10768
Joined: Nov 1994
Last Visited: 17:02
27th Mar 2024
What's this?What's this?What's this?
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 13.39hrs on Tue 26 Feb 19
remote_patrol Wrote:

I guess HIE/Administrators can argue (somewhat legitimately IMO) they made a good faith attempt to operate a normal season but the weather was against them. Can anyone comment on what difference the funicular would have actually made this season?


We are now the latest into the season we have ever been without the Top Basin tows having opened - and it's not because there hasn't been the snow to either operate them or at times access them via surface lifts.

The Ciste Gully was being skied from the top bowl right down to the old boardwalk location for several weeks November into December, but there was no uplift on the mountain at all. There were several periods where the Top Basin could have been open to some extent or other and thus lift served snowsports available but it didn't happen because of the Funicular. Thus the situation on CairnGorm has made this Scottish season overall appear even worse than it would have done under normal circumstances.

Given at least a factor in many families going for a CairnGorm season pass was access to high level gentle terrain by non surface uplift and indeed the ability to access the full Cas side of the mountain by the Funicular which is the difference between CairnGorm being a go to for families and no funicular when frankly it is a place to avoid because of the difficult and steep surface lifts to the top.

The above really ties into the big push on early bird season passes in September, when they were aware that even that early in the autumn there were hardly any days the Funicular could run under it's 'restricted operating parameters'.

The continued push of early bird passes and the concurrent sale of 2-4-1 funicular tickets on ITISON in September, with the funicular closure being announced just after the early bird offer concluded was quite simply a disgrace. Any families who bought early bird tickets in that period should also at least speak to trading standards so this shameful behaviour by Natural Retreats can be formally investigated.

It is also the case that lifts did not run when they could have done, indeed a number of lifts (top t-bars, Cas T-bar, Fiacaill Ridge Poma) were lacking t-bars / buttons when they could have been operating earlier this month.

TroutWrestler


Posts: 162
Joined: Jan 2006
Last Visited: 18:01
16th Feb 2021
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 21.54hrs on Tue 26 Feb 19
The family ski argument is mine all the way. We bought Cairngorm passes as with a 5yo and a small 7yo the train was essential for accessing meaningful skiing, Both in terms of the more snow-sure nature of the Ptarmigan Bowl and the longer Top-Cas-Middle run. Using the train, we can ski as a family. That is fundamentally why we bought a CGM pass over anywhere else.
growwild


Posts: 3550
Joined: Oct 2005
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 22.23hrs on Tue 26 Feb 19
Same auld ground, but I'm sure it said on the T&C they could close any time lift blah bladyboop etc. I would have a look again if I could be arsed.

Selling em while not advertising that the shitty train was oot of 'action' is a bad state of play and they should refund any requests withoot greeting. If anyone bought a season pass after the fact was known the train was gubbed should get feck all if they want a refund, but good luck tae em if they get it for being a chancer....





h1ghlander


Posts: 57
Joined: Jan 2011
Re: Caringorm Season Pass Refunds...
Date Posted: 23.57hrs on Tue 26 Feb 19
h1ghlander Wrote:
My Credit card initially refused. Then I got somebody else to look at claim when I called to contest it and they said that it should be refunded. They then changed their mind again as they said Cairngorm had provided alternative arrangements with snow making and an area at the bottom to ski on!

I am now going through complaints procedure with them before going to Ombudsman. This is a necessary step unfortunately.


Update on this. Today I got an email back from credit card company saying they had reviewed my complaint and will not uphold the complaint as the correct decision was made to decline the Chargeback. However, they apologised for not considering it under Section 75 of the consumer credit act and are now referring to their Section 75 team. They also credited £25 to my account by way of apology for not doing this in the first place.

The wait continues...
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