Well, USPA has decided to accept skyride approving of their decietful methods of business practice. In doing so, they have taken off of their website, the consumer warning against 800-sky-ride. I have decided to post one of the MANY warning against skyride here, in hopes that this will pop into someones search while they are looking for a place to make a skydive, will read this blog, and find an actual dropzone, not a skyride website/phone number.
Consumers Beware of a National Gift Certificate SCAM!
We DO NOT accept national gift certificates from any organization, for example 1-800-Skyride. They are NOT an actual physical drop zone, but a facade web site intended to divert customers away from actual established places. Their claim to have the "best" safety record is probably true: If you make zero jumps, you have zero incidents!
Learn why this is a scam that hurts our sport:
www.funjumper.com/skyride
www.1800skyrider.com (an anti- Skyride web site)
http://www.uspa.org/about/index.htm
http://uspa.org/publications/parachutist/capcom1004.htm (from USPA headquarters)
http://www.makeithappen.com/jumps/review/cedartown.html (Jan Meyer's compilation)
DZO's from across the country are currently discussing how to address this issue that creates bad PR for the sport. Here's how you can tell it's a scam:
The web site encourages the reader to call and make an appointment. There is never any physical address listed.
The complete package price includes a port fee, weather insurance and sometimes an extra charge to ride in the big plane.
After you give out your credit card information you are told where the drop zone is. No one is ever told where the drop zone is until money has changed hands.
Two people suspected of heading this fraud are actual skydivers and DZOs, Ben Butler and Cary Quattrocchi.
We and many other DZOs have been contacted by 1-800-Skyride several times to solicit our involvement in accepting these national gift certificates. We declined for many reasons (glad we did) but we believe that is why they have focused a web site directly against our drop zones.
If you've been a victim of this, contact the Better Business Bureau: Update ond 30 Jan 05: or contact the Federal Trade Commission.
USPA at their recent Board of Directors meeting denounced the business practices of 1-800-SkyRide and "strongly urged" them to discontinue. An owner from SkyRide was present to take the reprimand.
The following is taken with permission from www.skydivenewport.com (Thank you Marc Tripari!)
Beware the middleman! In the recent months many web sites have popped up offering skydiving gift certificates and attempting to book reservations for skydiving.
They appear to be representing a skydiving center in your local area and make claims that they have the highest skydiving safety record, use the best equipment, have been serving the local area for a long time, offer the least expensive skydive, and have the closest jumping location to metropolitan areas.
However, these web sites are actually nothing more than a middle man or skydiving reservation agency which costs you money. Be leary of their many misrepresentations!
To help you determine if a web site represents an actual skydiving center:
Does the web site provide a business address for the drop zone?
Does the web site include specific information about their jumpmasters or the name of their Chief Instructor?
Does the web site include specific information about their facilities such as which airport, lounges or type of runways?
Does the web site claim to be a National Skydiving Association (NSA) participating skydiving center? The NSA is fictional.
The only regulatory agency for sport skydiving in the USA is the United States Parachute Association (USPA). The USPA is a membership organization that maintains and regulates a group member listing of drop zones which abide by the association's Basic Safety Regulations.
Still not sure if they are legitimate, call the 800 number and ask where they are located. If they cannot answer immediately without asking where you are calling from, then you have reached the middle man!
You might be asking "why not go through one of these agencies?"
Deceptive business practices: They employ a templated web site which offers the same facts and pictures across the country, but claim to represent a local drop zone.
Location and distance: The agent will only book you with a participating skydiving center, sometimes several states away!
Bogus fees: Airport Fee, Homeland Security Fee, Poor Weather / Re-Schedule Fee are all tacked on after you have already paid over the internet and arrive for your appointment. You may initially only pay $165 over the internet. However after you arrive and add up the fees, your bill can quickly exceed $250 for the jump alone. The Homeland Security Fee is especially troublesome, since it preys on our fears of terrorism and your belief that you are contributing to National Security.
Low budget operations: Usually, the skydiving center in the area who is participating with these booking agencies is so small and low budget that they are unable to market for themselves. And if they can't afford marketing, how can they afford good instructors, quality gear, or have properly maintained aircraft?
Making a skydive is an experience you will remember and cherish for life. It is important that this experience be performed by a competent, professional center associated with the United States Parachute Association. Choosing to make a reservation with an agency which makes claims of, but has no control over, safety, instructors and equipment quality is literally throwing caution into the wind. Do your research before you jump. Your safety and enjoyment depend on it.
This web page has been brought to you by a concerned community of USPA certified skydiving centers serving the Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Rhode Island areas.
