Sweden — Two weeks ago, skiers and riders at a Swedish ski resort discovered that April skiing can feature minimal snowpack and puddles.
The Guardian reports that tourists are requesting partial refunds following a disappointing trip to SkiStar Sälen in Sweden. Those who travelled to Sälen during the Easter week still paid full price for tickets despite the subpar conditions. The open trails had bare spots, puddles, mud, and grass. Some guests reported severely damaged equipment from the conditions.
“We’ve been here for a week now and we’ve been skiing for half a day, because there’s so much water and stuff,” said Emelie Åkerstrand, one of the affected guests at SkiStar, to SVT (Sweden’s public news station).
For context, SkiStar is a major ski resort chain in Sweden and Norway. It owns Åre, Sälen, Vemdalen, and Hammarbybacken in Sweden, along with Hemsedal and Trysil in Norway. They offer a weather check, which promises that a certain number of slopes will be open during your visit. If these conditions aren’t met, it allows guests to ask for a refund up until 11 a.m. the morning after their arrival. SkiStar had more than the trails open needed for the guarantee to be made available, but these trails had minimal cover. Meanwhile, some smaller ski resorts in the country offered free skiing due to the minimal snowpack.
In response, SVT reported last week that SkiStar is offering full refunds for those who planned late-season trips to Sälen, Trysil, and Vemdalen. However, those who publicly voiced complaints about their paid-for trip before this announcement aren’t going to get them.
Here’s what Sofie Arnell, the chief legal officer for SkiStar, said to The Guardian about these complaints:
“Before purchasing a SkiPass, the customer takes note of our terms and conditions (including information about the snow guarantee and the possibility of rebooking or cancelling the SkiPass). This is also stated in the customer’s booking confirmation.
The customer always has the option to cancel the SkiPass with a full refund up until the first day of validity of the SkiPass. Open lifts and slopes are listed on our website and in our app. This information is updated several times a day.”
I find this situation quite comical because these conditions are basically late spring skiing where I live. I skied through puddles, rocks, and mud at Sugarbush this past weekend, and it didn’t make me want to ask for a refund. Should you pay full (or near complete) price for that kind of experience? No, but that’s how the ski industry works. Perhaps the consumer protection laws are stricter in Sweden? Yeah, the backlash is probably because of that.
In my opinion, if you’re planning a ski trip in the middle of April, especially in a region that hasn’t seen a lot of snowfall recently, don’t be surprised if you see some bare spots, water, and mud.
Image/Video Credits: SkiStar, Martin Isaacs, Expressen
