The big lie isn’t the 2020 election — it’s Vail’s stated mission to “provide exceptional experiences for our guests.” How can this possibly be reconciled with their Epic Pass auto-renew policy of not allowing guests to cancel an Epic Pass that doesn’t meet their limited conditions? 

We have been on auto-renew for years. This year, my daughter was accepted to a gap year school in Norway (ironically for skiing). This doesn’t meet the limited study abroad criteria for cancellation with Vail. The result is I was forced to purchase a pass I do not want, from which I will receive no benefit and fundamentally can’t use. It is absolutely worthless to me.

When I look online, I find similar stories from frustrated skiers. Let’s be clear, the total number of people wishing to cancel a pass has to be immaterial to the overall revenue of Vail Resorts. Additionally, the company sells out of season passes, so allowing one to be canceled would simply free up a pass for someone else who can’t get one. It would be revenue neutral to Vail. One might even say it would provide an exceptional experience for guests.

I read the fine print of the company’s policy. Vail has certainly covered its position. But the company fails to get the point. That is, the policy contradicts its mission statement. In addition to multiple calls and emails going back to May, I have sent letters to CEO Kirsten Lynch and head of marketing Ryan Bennett. Their failure to respond exemplifies a lack of customer focus at the top. There is no logical path that gets from the cancellation policy to the mission statement. Vail Resorts’ callous attitude would be sad if it weren’t so frustrating.