Welcome to the boards, Tumbler! :beer:

tumbler wrote:

I registered for this board just to reply to this thread! While I will agree that technically, reselling the tickets might be against the law, I think if you look at the big picture, you will agree that no harm is caused by reselling the tickets. The price he paid for the tickets is actually irrelevant - as long as he is not trying to sell them for more. The mountain set a price and sold him the tickets - now he is trying to sell them to someone who can use them. Not really a problem in my book.

YES! My point exactly!

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As an example, if I walk up to the ticket window and buy a day ticket, then get notified of a family emergency (don't get caight up in the reason) that prevents me from being able to ski that day, would it be theft of service if I turn to the person in line behind me and sell them the ticket for the same price? I suspect the answer technically is yes - but the follow up question: "Is it worth it to do anything about it?", is where I say it's just good business sense to let the customer resell the ticket.

MY POINT exactly again!

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There's another angle I can also see, and that is that the reason the mountain sells blocks of discount tickets is the hope that they will not all be used, and that the un-used tickets will end up being a little bit of a windfall (or end up lifting the average price from the $35 they were sold for to something higher..). If this is the idea, then I can see why the mountain would frown on the resale (ie. you take your chances...).

I had not thought of this line...interesting though.

The harm is that somone who was liable to buy a full price ticket isn't going to. That is why they have theft of service laws.

It isn't about the tickets that he is selling. It is about using the tickets he bought under the agreement that they are not for resale to undercut the mountain's ticket sales.

Intereting to see how many people agree scalping is wrong, but that reselling tickets sold at a discount, not for resale isn't.

And as for them wanting the tickets to go unused, that is funny. Which days do you think the mountain would say that they couldn't fit fifty extra people on the lifts? A hundred? Two hundred?

They sell the tickets in bulk. You are welcome to use them whenever the mountain is open. The'll be happy to see you. You are not free to resell them. It is illegal.

Lostone wrote:

Intereting to see how many people agree scalping is wrong, but that reselling tickets sold at a discount, not for resale isn't. ....You are not free to resell them. It is illegal.

Scalping takes it one step further than this though, so the comparision is not a good one (the scalper is making a profit, and a scalper generally has no intent to use the tickets they purchase - the intent is to resell at a higher price and pocket the difference ).

Agreed that is illegal - but how much response do you think it warrants? Jaywalking is illegal in many places, but the laws rarely get enforced...

Lostone wrote:

And as for them wanting the tickets to go unused, that is funny. The'll be happy to see you.

....selling more food, gloves, goggles and beer....all nice markup items "on mountain"...

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Agreed that is illegal -

Ok... We've gotten part way!

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but how much response do you think it warrants?

I think if you sell tickets in view of any mountain, they will "confront" you.

Try it on any message board run by any mountain (should there be any left?) and I'd expect at least a complaint, and more likely a deleted post.

As stated above, when starting this board, we tried to get support from all three areas. The intention was to be able to relate any official info to those interested. We can't expect people representing the mountain to be here to assist but ignore when someone tries to illegally undercut their prices.

And as to the perceived harshness of the "confrontation"... I don't see it.

That said, I'm done with this topic. I've stated my opinion and further restating would be more than a waste. If you need further response from me, please see the appropiate post, above.

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....selling more food, gloves, goggles and beer....all nice markup items "on mountain"...

For the record, goggles and gloves are sold by Alpine Options. Now, if you could substitute rentals at the rental shop or demos and tune-ups at the Bullwheel...

In reality, we are not even going to check your bags to see if you need any of these things before we welcome you. Even more, passholders are welcomed as much as someone who is buying a ticket.

We welcome those who have come to have a good time. And most, despite the way it sometimes seems here, come to Sugarbush to have a good time. Mostly makes the job easy.

When you purchase a advance group of tickets, or a seasons pass, you are essentially entering into an agreement (or contract) with the mountain. They agree to let you use the tickets any day they are open, and you aggree not to wyne if you can't or don't use them. That is why they were discounted.

Mountains assume a certain number of unused tickets. that percentage is predicticted, and calculated into the discount price. The accounting term for this is "slippage" when tickets are resold, it slants the slippage persentage. This ends up costing everyone more money next year. Advance tickets can only be posted as assets when they are tendered, or after they expire.

This especially becomes a big issue on relatively bad seasons like this year. There are a lot of skiers who simply didn't use there tix, and wish to sell them at cost or even less. Every ticket that is sold illeaglally (or for that matter even given away) takes away the value of a full price ticket from the mountain, Hence, "theft of services" On any given day, this can add up to thousands of dollars, and make the differance between operating at a profit, or loss. No ski area can operate indefinately at a loss.

You can expect to see a more sofisticated system for issuing advance tix next year at most mountains .Probably readable magnetic cards with signature verification. If you do not like the terms, then do not buy the tix! Do not expect the mountain to change the rules, just because we are having a bad year.

Speeding is illegal too, and you never do this I bet. hope your backside is purer than proverbial driven snow. can I get eeeyyyaaaah, for the donkeys!

Hey-lots of things are technically illegal, but let us talk about the spirit here-if it is not profitable motivation, and someone is sliding a bulk ticket sideways at cost (or gasp below the purchased cost), and the ticket is purchased already for a service....what is the biggie?

Once again, SV punishes the loyal skier/rider, and come up with pathetic asinine excuses. Offer a better pass program.

Cmon, stop the eeyyaaahhing.

The service has been sold, does it matter whom uses it as long as only the mountain profits?
Sounds like a whining argument for folks whom do not know how to run a business nor market said business.

-Josh

I can't believe we are still going on this one

Windshield Ski Bum wrote:

When you purchase a advance group of tickets, or a seasons pass, you are essentially entering into an agreement (or contract) with the mountain. They agree to let you use the tickets any day they are open, and you aggree not to wyne if you can't or don't use them. That is why they were discounted.

That has been implied in this conversation, but it has not been stated explicitly. We can't assume it.

As to the confrontational approach, pppplllleeeaassseee. When someone comes in saying they were injured, can't use the tickets, and would like someone to use them, and the mountain's public response is, "stop, you're a crook." How is this not confrontational? You are challenging a customer in public to "make an example." Seems pretty black and white to me.

And now I got this E-mail today. Has the calvary been dispatched?

Anonymous SB Skier wrote:

Anyone interested in purchasing one ticket, all, or any combination inbetween, please respond to this email. The tickets are valid through the end of the season and are only $25! There is still plenty of snow at the mountain and retail ticket prices are currently $63! Thanks.