Reasons To Go Skydiving

Ten Reasons Why You Should Not Buy A Skydiving Package From 1-800-SKYRIDE

If you type the city you live in and the word "skydiving" into Google, I guarantee that the first thing to pop up will be the website for 1-800-Skyride. It looks fabulous. The website colorful, it has pictures of people having fun, and it has plenty of exclamation points accentuating the delights in store for you. All you have to do is eagerly pick up the phone, dial the convenient toll-free number, and hand over your credit card number. You are only minutes away from untold zero-gravity delights.

Stop. Look. And listen. Before you buy, please read the following ten reasons to keep scrolling down Google until you find the USPA.org site to find a better skydiving solution.

1)Beware the Middleman. Like Orbitz.com or Travelocity.com, 1-800-Skyride is a ticket agent. They do not run any actual skydiving facilities; they merely provide you with access to one "in your area" (see #3 below). However, unlike Orbitz.com or Travelocity.com, they do not provide you with discounted rates or convenience. It is a business solely committed to making money by charging you to find a skydiving facility, and charging the skydiving facility to find you.

2)Money, money, money. You will pay more with 1-800-Skyride. Although they are upfront about the rates when you call them, it costs more than if you go directly through the skydiving facility. You do not get any added perks for going through 1-800-Skyride - just an emptier wallet.

3)Location. Although you put your city's name into Google, chances are that you will end up driving hundreds of miles to a skydiving facility. 1-800-Skyride sells you a ride at one of their partnered facilities - not all of which are nearby. Although the partnered facilities are legitimate, there is probably one closer to home that can save you some time (and gas).

4)Customer Service (or lack thereof). I'll admit it - the man who sold me the skydiving package was really nice. That's why I immediately signed up before shopping around. But when I tried to call back to reach the help desk (on several occasions), I was put on hold for at least ten minutes each time, and they were not enthusiastic about helping me. I imagine they were trying to get to the other 300 callers complaining about their deal.

5)Poor Delivery Services. I chose to have them mail me a gift certificate to present to my husband for his birthday. I bought the skydive exactly twenty-eight days before his birthday and received it the day before. When it failed to materialize in the mail after two weeks, I called them in a blind panic. They issued me a new certificate, which I asked them to rush. I was told that it would cost $21 to have it shipped express. When I balked at the cost, they offered to email me a certificate to give to him for a present until the real one arrived via snail mail. I agreed, but it never came. I called again (see #4), and they promised to email it one more time. It never came.

6)The Better Business Bureau Says "No." Too little, too late. I failed to check with the BBB before I bought my skydiving certificate. Once I did, I found out that 1-800-Skyride has an "unsatisfactory record." This means that too many customers have complained without the complaint being addressed.

By Tamara Berry - Tamara Berry is a freelance writer operating out of Spokane, WA.

Air Time

7 Dec 2010 at 8:06pm

Next page: Recent Skydiving Accident