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 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 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 snowboarder, bought his pass that very last year, and I bought mine just like I continued to do since 2001. The pass pays for itself if you are able to make it out at least 7 days a season. However, the few years since we have either broken even on the pass or lost money since we did not make it out 7 days for that season. However, we continued to pay and buy it year after year under the assumption that we need to pay for these passes to stay in the MVP program. Both of us have a combined income of less than $50k (I work full-time, but he is a full-time student and works very part time) and to save up for this pass and for our Mammoth trips, it took a lot of budgeting, juggling finances, and dedication on our part. Snowboarding is one of the few vices we want to have in life, and we did not go to any other resorts other than Mammoth and remained dedicated and loyal to this mountain. We live in Los Angeles but considered it our "home mountain" even thought it's 5 hours away. We spend at least $2500 or more every season on trips to Mammoth only.
So in early March 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 2004 and couldn't buy into the 2005 pass when it closed to the public specifically told me in "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 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 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"?
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