Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort Deceptive business practice regarding MVP Season Pass Club, lied regarding opening to public Mammoth Lakes California
I've been a season pass holder for Mammoth's MVP Season Pass (Mammoth Value Pass) since 2001 and my boyfriend has been a season pass holder since 2005. Every year starting April 1 through April 30, Mammoth starts their season pass sale for the upcoming winter season. Prior to 2005, the MVP pass sale was based on first come, first serve until the maximum number of passes were sold, and it was completely open to the public. This method seemed to work just fine, and the passes would usually sell out within a week or two. i myself would usually buy it the first day the passes were available. If you didn't have the money or just didn't want to buy one for that season, it wasn't a big deal because you could just wait and buy it April for the following season.
Starting in 2005, Mammoth stated that their MVP pass would now be PERMANENTLY closed to the public, and that you would have to continue to buy your pass year after year if you wanted to remain eligible and stay in the MVP program. That means every year you had to buy it and "pay to stay", otherwise you'd be kicked out of the program. So, if you break your leg or become ill and basically can't head to the snow that season- too bad, you still have to buy your pass to stay in the program for the upcoming years!
My boyfriend who was a beginning s****.>
So in early March 2009, we get an email from the CEO of Mammoth (Rusty Gregory) about how members in the MVP program have dropped out and that the MVP program would now be opening to the public again. This is deceitful on Mammoth's part because Mammoth specifically stated in 2005 that it would close to the public and that you'd have to buy a pass year after year to stay in the program. My boyfriend and I would've bought the pass regardless of what happened to us physically just to stay in the club because the assumption is you buy ever year, or you're out! My friend who was a season pass holder from 2001-2004 and couldn't buy into the 2005 pass when it closed to the public specifically told me in 2005, "I'm not worried, I'm sure they'll open it back up to the public". What Mammoth has told us in 2005 until now is considered FALSE ADVERTISING.
I'm not sure why Mammoth chose to close it to the public in 2005 when the method they used in the past (first come, first serve, open to the public) was working those previous years. It seems to me that they wanted a lot of people to buy in at 2005, the last year it would be supposedly open to the public, and "lock in" their members each year. It was a scare tactic they used so that people would continue to buy year after year, whether or not they got their money's worth that season. They made it sound as if we were part of some exclusive deal that would no longer be offered to the public, and many of us were loyal to Mammoth Mountain and spent our money there when we could've easily spent it at other big resorts in Tahoe, Utah, or Colorado for the same amount we'd spend at Mammoth and possibly for less!
Mammoth is now stating on their website for the 2009-2010 MVP pass that "this will be last time it's open to the public". To those who think this is true, take it from someone who has remained loyal to this mountain- it is nothing but B.S. The truth is, they'll make you think it's the last time, but a few years from now it will open up again when sales are down. They're trying to maximize their sales so they can increase demand and raise prices in the future. You'll buy the MVP pass, but next year you'll find the price increased by $50 or more, and it will keep increasing year after year. Then you'll find that the amount you're paying for the pass doesn't pay for itself in 7 days anymore, but you'll still continue to pay for the pass each year because you don't want to be dropped from the program. But people who get smart and realize it's not paying for itself will drop the program, and then one day you'll get an email from Mammoth saying that membership has declined and that they once again have the need to "open it to the public". This time they'll add a line about it being closed to the public (again), and they may have to add "WE REALLY, REALLY MEAN IT THIS TIME". But this time you'll feel ripped off, just like we felt ripped off and think twice about buying in again.
So save your money, don't buy into the hype. My boyfriend and I like Mammoth and we've been very loyal to this mountain, but this mountain is not loyal to us. We're thinking about opting-out this year and spending our money on a mountain that doesn't have such shady marketing practices.
Can Mammoth say "Class Action Lawsuit for False Advertising"?
Elaine
Encino, California
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
E.p.
Encino,California,
U.S.A.
Update as of 4/15/2009
#2Author of original report
Thu, April 16, 2009
On 4/5/2009, I had a 45-minute phone conversation with the CEO of Mammoth (Rusty Gregory) in which I addressed my concerns regarding the false advertising Mammoth used in 2005, and how many others were locked into this program and kept paying year after year to stay in the program assuming it would never open to the public again. All he could do was apologize and make excuses as to why the program had to open up to the public again. He said this would be the last year it is opening to the public again. But then when I questioned him further about future attrition, he could not 100% guarantee that it would open up again.
Their marketing tactic didn't make sense because they cap the membership at 38,000, but are advertising this as being the last year. They keep raising the pass price by $50 ever year, and I mentioned attrition would naturally occur because people are only willing to pay so much before they consider the pass price to be too much or they are breaking even/taking a loss. It is safe to say that in 3 years it could possibly drop 3,000 MVP members, and at the current price of $576 that would be $1.7 million in lost revenue plus more each year after those 3 years. So if this is the last year it's open to the public, where would the new members to make up for this lost revenue come from? All he could do was say that Mammoth hopes and thinks there's enough interest in the program that there won't be that much attrition...typical CEO optimism!
I told him it was not right to make false promises to customers, and there are many who may buy into this program this year under false pretenses just like I did. I also mentioned if there are tons of people who are pissed off and ripped off, this could classify as a class-action lawsuit since the language on their advertising is very clear- "THIS IS THE LAST YEAR IT WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC". He said he would have his people check on the language used.
On 4/10/2009 I logged onto the website and noticed the language about this being the last year was completely removed and it now says "Open to the public for the first time in 4 years". It looks like they're covering their butts and preparing for the future, which leaves me to believe it is almost definite it will open again in a few years.
After my conversation with the CEO, we will not be returning to Mammoth for a LONG time. Considering I spend thousands a season on s****.> Goodbye Mammoth, Goodbye Wooly....the days of Dave McCoy are truly gone.