skamunista 0 #1 August 20, 2012 Hi all- did my first jump in June and although I'm hoping to go AFF next year I took the chance to do another tandem when a livingsocial coupon for a new DZ in Beloit, Wisconsin came up a few weeks back... Great lakes skydiving. I see there have already been some posts about it here. http://www.yelp.com/biz/great-lakes-skydiving-beloit Needless to say I wasn't familiar with this skyride fiasco but they are apparently part of it (I had to call georgia to book). To be precise I'm booked for labor day weekend. It is 2 hours away, I'm going with friends and we are supposed to be there at 10am. I'm afraid to even tell them about this because honestly I can't explain exactly what the real problem is with these places. So, some basic questions: Does this place even exist? Anything in particular I should expect? Should we be sure to arrive early and get an early load? Call ahead? Is safety an issue at these places? I feel really guilty about this, actually. I'd gladly have done another jump at CSC or Skydive Chicago. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfriverjoe 1,346 #2 August 20, 2012 My understanding is that it is a real DZ. It's owned by the same people that own the "Skyride," "Thrillplanet", and "Sportations" operations along with the real DZs ASC and AST. I haven't been there, but I've heard about that it is there. As far as I know, there isn't any safety issue. There have been lots of accusations flying around, but some of it (how much??? Good question) is related to the behavior of the owners. If you are known as scam operators, then some folks will be very vigilant about any safety issues. The reviews on the yelp site you listed had a bunch of complaints about overbooking, which can be a problem for a place that sells far more gift certificates that it expects to ever be redeemed. So I'd get there as early as possible, and be prepared to wait around a good long time. However, waiting around at a DZ isn't confined to these guys. Depending on the weather (both that day and previous days) there may be quite a line of people waiting to jump. That's the nature of the sport. You don't say where you live, but there's a very nice DZ about 25 minutes up I-43 from Beloit. Skyknights in East Troy. Legit DZ, good folks, great place to jump (well, except maybe for the naked guy ) "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LookUpHigh 0 #3 August 21, 2012 At the two Dropzones i've been to they don't even let you jump if you went through Skyride. Doesn't matter that you paid or not, you didn't pay the DZ directly. This is because Skyride owes these Dropzones (and many other) ALOT of money. The DZO's say they can't even get ahold of Skyride anymore and pretty much realize they are never getting paid, so when people come in saying they paid through Skyride, they kindly show them to the door. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #4 August 21, 2012 QuoteAnything in particular I should expect? Should we be sure to arrive early and get an early load? Call ahead? Give them a call this week, and just confirm your reservation and make sure you mention where you bought the jump. Just work it into the conversation like, 'Hi, I bought a coupon from XX and am scheduled to jump Sat at 10am, and I just wanted to confirm the reservation'. See what they say. I'll tell you this much - every DZ I've ever been to is first come, first served. If you show up there at 8am, you'll get put in the line up to jump ASAP, they're not going to look at you for 2 hours until 10am, and then get you ready to go. If you bought some sort of bottom dollar discount jump (which I have to question the wisdom of, but whatever) there's a good chance there are a couple hundred other people who did the same and are also going to want to jump. Having a long wait could be a real concern, so seeing as you're scheduled for 10am, just show up at 8 or 8:30, and tell them you thought the drive would take longer or whatever. Most DZs don't schedule much before 8am, so if you show up around then, you'll be in the first 'wave' of tandems, and stand a good chance of actuallly jumping around 10am. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fast 0 #5 August 21, 2012 Quote Hi all- did my first jump in June and although I'm hoping to go AFF next year I took the chance to do another tandem when a livingsocial coupon for a new DZ in Beloit, Wisconsin came up a few weeks back... Great lakes skydiving. I see there have already been some posts about it here. http://www.yelp.com/biz/great-lakes-skydiving-beloit Needless to say I wasn't familiar with this skyride fiasco but they are apparently part of it (I had to call georgia to book). To be precise I'm booked for labor day weekend. It is 2 hours away, I'm going with friends and we are supposed to be there at 10am. I'm afraid to even tell them about this because honestly I can't explain exactly what the real problem is with these places. So, some basic questions: Does this place even exist? Anything in particular I should expect? Should we be sure to arrive early and get an early load? Call ahead? Is safety an issue at these places? I feel really guilty about this, actually. I'd gladly have done another jump at CSC or Skydive Chicago. How silly... bargain basement shopping for skydiving. Cool thing to know, if you want to do AFF, beloit isn't gonna help you out, they don't teach skydiving there, they just take tandems for a ride. I haven't been there personally, but a few people have mulled around the place to see what it's like so I know it exists. People need to stop giving these guys money None the less, go have fun make your skydive then find a "real" dropzone that cares about the sport to learn how to jump!~D Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me. Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CygnusX-1 42 #6 August 21, 2012 Have you tried to call skyride to cancel your reservation and/or get your money back? Did you pay by credit card? If yes to both and you don't feel comfortable, you could always call your credit card company and dispute the charge. You have to try and get your money back from skyride first though (try to get documentation). Chances are the credit card company will just pull the money back from skyride and you will own nothing. But there is that slight chance that they will side against you and recharge you. That is where the documentation helps. This is one of the benefits of putting things on a credit card. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skamunista 0 #7 August 21, 2012 Quote How silly... bargain basement shopping for skydiving. Cool thing to know, if you want to do AFF, beloit isn't gonna help you out, they don't teach skydiving there, they just take tandems for a ride. ... None the less, go have fun make your skydive then find a "real" dropzone that cares about the sport to learn how to jump! Just for the record, I took livingsocial to be legit and not bargain basement. I was also clear in my post that I always intended to do AFF in the future at one of the well-reputed DZs in my hometown. I signed up for this essentially expecting a tandem ride. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DocPop 1 #8 August 21, 2012 I don't see your problem. You paid for a tandem - you'll get one. It's not like you've been lied to or duped in some way. I don't think you have much of a leg to stand on in trying to cancel the payment with the credit card."The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fullmoon 0 #9 August 21, 2012 Hi. You may end up with a great tandem instructor even at the DZ you already paid for....who knows? Just let your TI know your plans to continue on to AFF and try to get the most out of the jump. You can take what you learn to whatever DZ you feel comfortable with in the future for your AFF education. Good luck and hope you enjoy your next jump, wherever that may be. -Lisa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tkhayes 129 #10 August 21, 2012 Call and ask for your money back and tell them why. If and when they refuse, then call your credit card company and complain. They will look into it and get back to you. Then complain more if they do not credit your account. As a merchant, I have NEVER won a dispute against a customer, even when I was 100% right. The customer wins every time unless it was merchandise with a signed receipt. And even then, most of the time the customer still wins. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
