Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/30/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a 3-day lift ticket from Grand Targhee at the full price. I then was made aware that my ************** season pass entitles me to 50% off Grand Targhee lift tickets via a ******************* benefit. I contacted Grand Targhee to ask for the 50% off benefit, and they denied it. The difference between what I paid (full price) versus what I should have paid at 50% off was $180. I would like a refund of $180.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2023

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Grand Targhee Resort is consistently working toward the highest quality of ***** Services possible. 
  
  In this situation, the refund requested was not granted because the tickets ************************* was looking to refund had already been used. Per our policy, tickets with two or less scans are eligible for a Snow Check. ****'s tickets do not fit the Snow Check qualifications. Further, it is stated multiple times throughout the checkout process that all lift tickets are non-refundable. 
  
  For this specific situation, there was a 3-of-4 Day lift ticket purchased through our website. On the same page used to purchase those tickets, there is information stating that guests wanting to use the ******************* Reciprocal benefit must purchase individual day tickets in person at the resort. Additionally, communication between **** and Grand Targhee surrounding this scenario began after ****'s visit to the resort. I assure you that if this same communication occurred before the tickets were used, Grand Targhee Resort would have made the adjustments necessary for **** to use his 50% Off Benefit through *******************. 
  
  The knowledge and responsibility of discounted tickets, especially for ******************* reciprocity, falls on the guest rather than the resort employee. Each ******************* resort clearly states the benefits to a season pass holder of their resort and what they get if they are a ******************* resort. If **** were to visit Grand Targhee Resort in future, and provide sufficient proof of his eligibility for ******************* Reciprocal benefits, we would honor that price, as we do with many guests daily. In ****'s situation, we are following our policies which we have in place for a reason.

   

  Thank you

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/05/2023

   
  Complaint: 18663767
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  1. I am entitled to ******************* benefits through my ************** season pass.  These are benefits that I pay for, not a "favor" Grand Targhee is doing.  I was unaware of my ******************* benefits prior to my visit to Grand Targhee, but that doesn't mean I'm not completely entitled to them.

   

  2. When communicating with Grand Targhee, the first person to respond to my emailed request that Grand Targhee honor my ******************* benefits was ******** at the ****************** Her reason for not honoring my ******************* benefits: 
  
  'Unlimited lift tickets at 50% off the 1-day in-resort rate for the passholder at all ******************* destinations.' Per this policy and ours, 50% discounts are only given on single day tickets. Since you purchased a multi-day bundle of tickets, you already received a discounted rate since you purchased multiple days. The discounts are different, but they cannot be bundled. At this time, we are unable to provide you a refund." 

  Because I purchased a 3/4 day lift ticket, the multi-day ticket came with a 4% discount.  ******** claims this 4% discount can't be bundled with the 50% discount I'm entitled to.

   

  3. The second person to to respond to my emailed request that Grand Targhee honor my ******************* benefits was *******, the ******************* & ***** Services Manager.  Her reason for for not honoring my ******************* benefits:

  "As ******** mentioned, our website informs visiting ******************* resort passholders that they must purchase tickets in person. This is so staff can verify the discount for each guest based on our internal ******************* database."

  In a previous email with ********, she confirms that she confirmed with ************** that I'm entitled to ******************* benefits and am in the database that states this.

   

  ******** and ******* have entirely different reasons for not honoring my entitled ******************* benefits - despite having confirmed that I'm entitled to these benefits.  Seems to me like they're looking for whatever dishonest and unethical reason they can find to steal $180 dollars from me.

   

  Grand Targhee owes me $180, and I will not accept anything other than a full refund.  An apology would be nice, too.

   

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business Response

  Date: 03/09/2023

  As stated before, we are not providing a refund. Our ******************* ticket policy is very clear - the 50% off tickets must be purchased at the resort. Additionally our lift ticket policy clearly states "All lift tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable" 

  **** did not email us until 8 days after his visit, after he used the tickets he purchased online. Additionally, as stated in the email from our team to ****, he was NOT in the ******************* database and still is not. Please see attached screenshot that was taken today 3.9.22 showing the list of people from ************** with ******** as their last name. **** is not in the list, which is ordered alphabetically. Our team called ************** to verify his pass, they verbally confirmed but they also said that he should not receive a refund. It is his responsibility to know about his benefits and not on the resort to retroactively refund him for a product he already used. 

  Furthermore, after speaking to our legal team about this matter, there is no legal basis to refund the 50% ticket price he is arguing for. Our clearly stated Terms and Conditions will result in the credit card company not issuing a charge back. Legally, he does not have a meritorious claim for a refund and the notion of theft by technicality is better characterized as his own failure to understand the terms and conditions associated with the products he purchased.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/20/2023

  Complaint: 18663767
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Grand Targhee is now making categorically false statements. 

  I just called ************** customer service (I spoke to *****) and confirmed that I've been in the ******************* database for the entire season (as well as the previous two seasons where I was an ************** Premier passholder).  Furthermore, ***** told me that I do not need to call and manually add myself to the ******************* database - all ************** Premier pass holders are automatically placed in the database upon purchase of the season pass.  When Grand Targhee states "Additionally, as stated in the email from our team to ****, he was NOT in the ******************* database and still is not", they are lying.

  Grand Targhee then states "Our team called ************** to verify his pass, they verbally confirmed but they also said that he should not receive a refund".  This confirms that I'm in the ******************* database, but Grand Targhee provides no evidence to support "but [*****] said that he should not receive a refund." There is no record of Aspen making this statement, and Grand Targhee has no proof supporting this statement.  Another blatant lie.  

  While Grand Targhee's legal team may have identified fine print that they think permits them to steal $180 from me - basing their argument on "the letter of the law" - their refusal to do the right thing clearly violates the "spirit of the law."  And while it's clear that Grand Targhee will stop at nothing - including lying - to deny my entitled ******************* benefits that I purchased as part of my ************** Premier pass, the most important piece of this BBB complaint now is to warn existing and future Grand Targhee customers that Grand Targhee will deny them entitled benefits and then lie about it.

  Grand Targhee is a wildly dishonest and unethical organization and shouldn't be permitted to conduct business this way.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************