Ski areas around the country are currently pushing early season pass sales, and Park City Mountain Resort (PCMR) is selling ski passes as usual despite being embroiled in a nasty lawsuit against Talisker Land Holdings and Vail Resorts. But for the third consecutive ski season, PCRM's promotional material has a caveat for guests buying a season pass. The fine print says that if the resort is forced to close for the 2014-2015 season, season pass holders will get a refund. And if the resort is forced to close for a portion of the season, PCMR will prorate the refund. Considering PCMR recently threatened to dismantle all the lifts if they lost the lawsuit, skiers should be worried.
The official wording is as follows:
"Park City Mountain Resort plans to operate business as usual for the 2014-15 season. In the unlikely event the Resort is forced to close for the 2014-15 season, the Resort will refund the full season pass price paid by holders of 2014-2015 season passes. If the Resort is forced to close for a portion of the 2014-2015 season, the Resort will prorate the refund based on the period the Resort is closed."
PCMR spokesperson Krista Parry also said that the ski resort is confident that nothing that happens in the lawsuit would put next year's ski season at risk due to the amount of time the case will take and the possibility of an appeal.
And while it's great that PCMR will offer refunds if things go south, we can't help but be frustrated by how the whole nasty lawsuit is shaking down. The fact that tourists, loyal Park City skiers, and downtown businesses even have to consider the possibility of the ski area closing is just plain sad.
· PCMR v. Talisker: season passes sold with caveat for third year [Park Record]
· Park City Will Dismantle & Remove Lifts if it Loses Lawsuit [Curbed Ski]
· Vail Offers to Buy Park City Base Facilities, PCMR Says Hell No [Curbed Ski]
· All PCMR-Talisker Coverage [Curbed Ski Archives]