mmytacism 0 #1 November 16, 2005 Hi, My best friend and I (both from the Philadelphia area) have finally decided to pursue our first (tandem) skydives and, last week, reserved an appointment with "Skydive Philadelphia" in Perkasie, Pa. We were supposed to jump last Sunday, but we received a call last minute explaining that the winds were too high for skydiving. So--we rescheduled for this coming Sunday, same time, same place. It wasn't until we'd already handed over our credit card numbers that I read some of the messages on this forum about the 1-800-Skyride scam, of which Pennridge/Skydive Philadelphia was supposedly a part. Should we be worried about making our first jump in Perkasie? Has anyone ever gone skydiving there before? Are the instructors experienced/well-certified, or would we be better off eating the $75 cancelation fee and jumping at Cross Keys/Freefall Adventures in NJ? Any advice would be welcome. We've wanted to become skydivers for longer than we can remember and would love for the first experience to be a memorable (in a positive way!) one. Thanks so much, Jessica Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #2 November 16, 2005 "$75 cancelation fee and jumping at Cross Keys/Freefall Adventures in NJ" Ouch...don't feel bad, you're not the first to be pulled in by Skyride... Let ALL your friends know about this before they book anywhere for a skydive so they can make an intelligenet decision on where to jump. Who knows? They may still elect a Skyride DZ.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Superman32 0 #3 November 16, 2005 Pennridge is a real DZ, and the winds were high last Sunday. CK had tandems going up and 500 jump limit for pretty much the entire day. It's very common to be grounded due to weather. If you don't want to eat the $75 cancellation fee, I would at least call Penridge and find out if they will honor your Skyride certificate. There is a chance they may not. You should also try to contact your credit card company to see if you can cancel purchase due to shaddy practices of Skyride. Hate to support Skyride, but I know people that jump at Pennridge and its a fine DZ, as is CK. PS. I don't think it should be an issue yet, but if the weather stays crappy for a couple more weeks, the DZ may close for season. CK is open year round. Inveniam Viam aut Faciam I'm back biatches! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mmytacism 0 #4 November 16, 2005 I definitely will... thanks. But should we really cancel now just because Pennridge has been affiliated with Skyride? What does this mean practically--if we go, will we be putting ourselves at substantially more risk than if we jumped at a non-Skyride DZ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mmytacism 0 #5 November 16, 2005 QuotePennridge is a real DZ, and the winds were high last Sunday. CK had tandems going up and 500 jump limit for pretty much the entire day. It's very common to be grounded due to weather. If you don't want to eat the $75 cancellation fee, I would at least call Penridge and find out if they will honor your Skyride certificate. There is a chance they may not. You should also try to contact your credit card company to see if you can cancel purchase due to shaddy practices of Skyride. Hate to support Skyride, but I know people that jump at Pennridge and its a fine DZ, as is CK. PS. I don't think it should be an issue yet, but if the weather stays crappy for a couple more weeks, the DZ may close for season. CK is open year round. Thanks for the info, Superman. We didn't actually call 1-800-Skyride--we called the number listed at SkydivePhiladelphia.com. I was just becoming skeptical because of all the posts suggesting that Pennridge/Skydive Philadelphia was a member of 1-800-Skydive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #6 November 16, 2005 Quote...I was just becoming skeptical because of all the posts suggesting that Pennridge/Skydive Philadelphia was a member of 1-800-Skydive. 1-800-Skydive is different than 1-800-Skyride. Pennridge is supposedly a good DZ for jumping...as is definitely CrossKeys. You probably could have saved yourself some $$ by contacting Pennridge directly. If that's what you did, I don't understand the $75 cancellation fee...that's not very common for non-skyride bookings. IMO, Superman's info is very good...go with it.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JumpHog 0 #7 November 16, 2005 Jessica, I'm so sorry that your first skydiving experience had to be like this. I have never jumped at Skydive Pennridge, but I have talked to numerous people who have, who have described a situation just like yours. A few months ago, a guy showed up at Cross Keys, just before sunset. It was his daughter's 18th birthday and they had both booked tandems with Skydive Pennridge. After arriving at Pennridge, they paid for their jump and was then told that it was too windy to jump. The dad, who is also a pilot, was watching the wind sock, which sat completely limp in the landing area. He said that that was B.S. and demanded to either jump or get his money back. They told him that he had not paid the "refund fee" and therefore would not receive his money back, nor would he be able to jump. After a while of disputing, he and his daughter headed to Cross Keys. Even though it was shortly before sunset, the staff at Cross Keys were extremely accommodating, and got both him and his daughter in the air within 20 minutes. They both had the time of their lives, and the daughter will remember her 18th birthday that way, rather than remembering it as the day they were disappointed by Skydive Pennridge. The dad ended up disputing the charges, and contacted several people, and his story ended up in a 3 page article in Skydiving Magazine about the fraudulent business practices of Skyride and Skydive Pennridge. If you want the best experience available, I would definitely recommend heading over to Skydive Cross Keys for your first jump. By the way, although I can't speak for the wind conditions in Perkasie, PA, I can say that we did almost 50 tandems at Cross Keys on Sunday, and I made 14 jumps that day alone. Hope to see you soon. Blue Skies, Paul Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mmytacism 0 #8 November 16, 2005 Sorry, I meant 1-800-Skyride, not 1-800-Skydive. I did contact Pennridge directly, at 610-366-1033 (the number listed at skydivephiladelphia.com and skydivepennridge.com). The $75 cancelation fee applies if I cancel within 7 days of the appointment. I'll give it a try, if Pennridge is a legitimate DZ. Thanks for the info! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mmytacism 0 #9 November 16, 2005 Paul, sorry, I missed your post at first. Thanks for the warning. I was a bit confused on Sunday because, as far as I knew, the other DZs in the area were all operating--and I couldn't refund my money; I had to reschedule with Pennridge. Can I make an advance appointment with CK without paying over the phone? Pennridge already withdrew almost $300 from my bank account (a tandem and a video, since it'll be my first jump), and I can't really afford to spend another $300 right now. But I'd like to reserve a backup jump if Pennridge falls through again, because I'm so eager to skydive (it's all I can think about!). I think I'll call CK, explain my situation and see if I can make a backup reservation just in case. Hopefully the staff there will be understanding, especially if I promise to make my next several jumps there. Thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jlmiracle 7 #10 November 16, 2005 The same people that OWN skyride also OWN Pennridge. That's why she is getting ripped off. Their website SCREAMS skyride. jBe kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #11 November 16, 2005 I'm sorry your first experience had to be like this. PennRidge is a real DZ, but it is owned by the same people that own and operate 1800-SkyRIDE and 2 other dropzones. It would'nt have mattered if you called the number on SkyRides site or the other number, same back end company to run them both. Infact had you called any of the numbers on any of their fake websites for most the NorthEast you would have been sent to PennRidge. Typical cancel fees at most DZ's are about $25 at the most and a large number of DZ's are walk in, no deposit needed operations during the main season, off season is appointment only. If you decide to continue jumping and want to get licenced, check out all the area Dropzones. Some are large places with things like a pool and large planes, others are small family feeling places that let you know everyone. Enjoy your first jump! You'll love it! Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mmytacism 0 #12 November 16, 2005 Thanks, everyone, for the incredibly helpful responses! I can't wait to go for my first jump! And...guess where it will be? Cross Keys! After doing some more research and finding only the most enthusiastic reviews of that DZ, I canceled my appointment at Pennridge (yes, I have to pay the $75, but I'm betting my first jump will be priceless) and reserved two tandems (for me and my friend) on Sunday afternoon at CK. I feel much more confident now that I'll have an amazing first skydiving experience with an amazing group of instructors. My only hope is that Pennridge *does* refund my $225 (300ish-75). The DZ wasted no time charging my credit card the full amount, even before I even showed up to the airport. Grrr. So annoying... that'll teach me to be impulsive. :P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pilotdave 0 #13 November 16, 2005 I'm just curious... can you go over the total bill for your jump? I assume the $300 included video? Were they clear about the cancellation policy? Did they charge any other fees or offer any others that you didn't take? What price did you expect to pay after reading their website but before calling? Their website shows $165 for the jump and $85 for video. Where'd the extra $50 come from? Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mmytacism 0 #14 November 16, 2005 The exact amount of the bill was $297.20. When I made my initial reservation with Pennridge, I asked about the extra charges, and the woman on the line said part was for gear rental and part was a "holding fee." I should have been a bit wiser about the initial decision, but my friend and I woke up last Saturday morning and decided that THAT would be the weekend we would make our first jump (the weather was gorgeous). Pennridge had openings, so we impulsively chose that DZ. Oh well. :( Hopefully next weekend will be a thrill! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #15 November 16, 2005 If they were not clear up front on their cancelation policy then dispute the charges with your credit card company. The Credit card companies are really good about following up on this and refunding it while they fight it out with the retailer. Also those extra fees are a bait and switch. Talk to your credit card company.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tantocoed 0 #16 November 17, 2005 Hello everyone, I'm mmytacism 's best friend Ed. Thanks to everyone for the responses to our dire concerns about the fake skydiving center. I don't understand how they're getting away with this. Something has to be done to stop them. I am much more comfortable now, and I'm anxiously anticipating our first skydiving experiences this coming Sunday. Thanks again! -Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
michaelmullins 81 #17 November 17, 2005 Jessica, If you will send me a personal email at mike@skydivekingair.com I will tell you exactly how to get your money back. Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #18 November 17, 2005 Mike, You be 'da MAN! Too bad she's not in YOUR area.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #19 November 17, 2005 QuoteI asked about the extra charges, and the woman on the line said part was for gear rental and part was a "holding fee." Definitely talk to your credit card company about these false charges. There is no "gear rental" fee for tandems, only sport jumpers. It's not like the general public can buy their own tandem harness to use on their jump instead of renting the dz's gear! I have no idea what a "holding fee" is supposed to be covering.She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSpenceFLY 1 #20 November 17, 2005 Skymama,you should look at the IP address of these two people.Just a thought . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mmytacism 0 #21 November 17, 2005 Please feel free to check our IP addresses. After I did my research at DZ.com, I called my friend Ed to let him know that I was canceling at Pennridge and making a reservation for us at Cross Keys. I directed him to this forum, and he was equally grateful for the advice--after all, we're both aspiring skydivers. Also, anyone at Cross Keys this Sunday will be able to confirm that two people with our names went for our first tandem jumps (fair weather pending). Jessica Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
