After searching the internet, I called 1800SKYDIVE on Thursday, January 25 to make reservations for four tandem jumps on Saturday, January 26 in Boise, ID. After making the reservation and paying $793.80 for four tandem jumps, a "reservation agent" called me back and told me that the jumps would take place at % outside of Boise.
After hearing from two local skydivers that % was unsafe, I called back on Friday, January 25 to cancel the reservation. I was told by a 1800SKYDIVE representative that I would need to call % to cancel and that I wouldn't be charged. I called % to cancel and asked about the refund. The woman from % told me that any refund would have to be issued through 1800SKYDIVE. I called 1800SKYDIVE immediately to inquire about the refund. I was told that a supervisor would have to contact me. I left me name and number and heard nothing.
I called 1800SKYDIVE again on Monday, January 29 to inquire about a refund. I was told that I was not eligible for one since I had not called to cancel. I replied that I had and the operator replied that all refund requests had to be submitted in writing to [email protected]. I was told that after submitting a refund request via email a supervisor would call me back. I submitted my refund request for the amount of $793.80 and received an automatic reply that stated someone would contact my in seven days.
Nine days later, after hearing nothing, I emailed [email protected] again on February 7 and again on February 13 to inquire about the refund. I received a form email and no response.
After emailing the afternoon of February 13 I also called the customer service number and was told by Sharon that a refund in the amount of $793.80 had been issued and was the given the following claim number: A16585. I was told that a check would be mailed out and that I should have it by February 17 or 18.
In response to my email from February 13, I received a the following on February 15:
"Good Morning,
I did put your request in for a refund, you were told at the time of purchase it was non refundable, I do apologize for any inconvenience this has had on you, I will again talk to the accounting dept to see if the refund was grante. The refund will be in check form so pls email me your address were you would like the check to be mailed.
Thank you
Cheryl Customer Service Specialist "
This was after I had been told that the refund had been granted and would be mailed out immediately.
I waited almost two weeks and nothing arrived in the mail. I called February 28, to inquire about the status of the refund and was told that the check had been mailed on February 15, she didn't know why it hadn't arrived and that maybe "I should speak to the postman".
Eventually, I was told by another customer service rep that Cheryl was a supervisor and was the only one that deal with a refund. During another phone call, I was told by another customer service rep that Cheryl the supervisor had contacted me via email. I responded that I had received the above email from a Cheryl, but that she never identified herself as such. I was told that I "should figure it out".
On Monday, March 5, I finally spoke to Cheryl who at this point had never returned a phone call or responded to my messages. She confirmed my address for the refund check and said that she would speak to the accounting department and get back to me.
I called again on Tuesday, March 6 and was transferred to Richard Crowder, who said that a refund was not justified and that it had been denied. I asked when it had been denied as I had already been told that it had been mailed out. He would not answer the question. He said he would resubmit the refund request and call me back the next day. He never did. When told that I did not feel safe with the company that they had chosen, he responded with ridiculous assertions: that the skydiving friends who warned me about %'s safety record somehow worked for the competition (they don't), that I should have called back to confirm with 1800SKYDIVE the safety record (this seemed like a conflict of interest to me), and finally compared my request for a refund to some ridiculous story about Outback Steak House. He also said (and this was the first time that anyone mentioned anything like this) that the company was out $50 per cancelled jump.
I called again on Friday, March 9, and spoke to Richard Crowder, who said he had resubmitted the request for me and "talked it up". I was less than relieved. With mounting frustration I referred to the original email I had gotten for confirmation: "Be advised that this is a NON REFUNDABLE purchase. All refund requests are required to be submitted for review of any extenuating circumstances. Items approved for refund will be granted minus a 25% non refundable service fee." As per the last line in the above paragraph, I told Richard that I was willing for them to keep 25% of the $793.80 as that would pay fully for one cancelled jump and and the supposed $50 per jump they were out.
I called again March 21 and spoke again to Richard. He said the refund request had been denied, but that he could give me a gift certificate good for two years. I told him that under no circumstances did I want anything else from his company, except for a refund. They present themselves as a local company, which they are not. No one had EVER contacted me, it was always up to me to make the phone calls. No one responded to emails or messages. Crowder's job seemed to be to confuse the situation and offer no help. When asked directly why I had been told that a refund had been issued and a check sent, he responded that I had been "imagining a lot of things". At that point I hung up.
This is the most unhelpful company I have dealt with.in research on the Internet, I found that this company maintains hundreds of websites that present the company as local, which they are not. I had no desire to make my tandem jump reservations through a call center in Georgia. I prefer to support local business and 1800SKYDIVE intentionally misrepresents themselves as such.
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