While purchasing my Vail Resorts Epic Pass for the 2021-22 season online, an additional US$4.95 shipping charge appeared in my cart. I clicked on the info link and was presented with this text: “If you are a renewing guest purchasing the same pass type as last year, you can use your existing pass card and will not be charged shipping.”
Upon reviewing my credit card statement, Vail Resorts did indeed add the shipping charge, even though I am a “renewing guest” (a.k.a. return customer) and have been for many years.
I have since contacted Vail Resorts and a refund is apparently forthcoming—the telephone clerk was unable to process the refund, and had to send an internal email to Vail Resorts’ accounting department, indicative of a bureaucracy where a telephone clerk can’t even fix a small problem. The clerk did comment that many people are calling with the same complaint.
The US$4.95 is not a lot of money. But consider that in 2020 Vail Resorts reported selling approximately 850,000 passes. Add US$4.95 to even half of the passes sold and that’s a cool US$2.1 million of free income, an added tax for no services rendered.
A similar situation exists on the Whistler Blackcomb website. Returning pass holders wishing to use their existing pass have no option to opt out of a shipping charge.
One has to wonder, is it intentional on Vail Resorts part that their websites do not allow returning users to deselect shipping charges?
Dave Milligan // Whistler
