The ULTIMATE Skiing Guide
Over the last few years like a lot of other things online ski hire has become an inanimate “fully automated process”. Many booking sites seem only interested in "getting your money" - offering little else.
However, booking ski hire online isn’t like buying a book or a CD, its not necessary straight forward, and getting it right will make or break your ski holiday - a computer can’t give advice or check you’ve made the right choices . . . .
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We don’t just take your credit card details and a little bit of basic info – we get it right!
Over the last few years like a lot of other things online ski hire has become a “fully automated process”. But booking ski hire online isn’t like buying a book or a CD, getting your ski hire right will make or break your ski holiday - a computer can’t give advice or check you’ve made the right choices.
Unlike other sites, Guide 2 Ski Hire isn’t a faceless agency run by a computer from a city office.
“We” are Jock and Susan Dun, from the Scottish Borders. We started our first ski shops in Val d’Isère, in France, over 20 years ago when we took on the locals at their own game and built up an award-winning business.
We still personally run one of the most popular shops featured here and every weekend through the winter season we deal with ski hire for upwards of 1000 clients.
We know what our clients expect from a ski shop, how important it is to get your equipment right, and what it takes to do it.
We know how all the skis work, which ones work best for what level or style of skier and what their strong points and weaknesses are.
We’ve dealt over the years with hundreds of online bookings every week. We’ve seen the problems and how people are let down in all sorts of ways by the site they book their ski hire through.
Over the years we’ve seen all sorts of problems with online bookings through “traditional” sites – problems that at best leave you feeling cheated, and at worst ruin your holiday. The most common problems include:
The most common problems include:
Unlike the others, we’re not just about taking your money, we care about getting it all right and giving you a fair and honest deal.
As far as we see it, there’s a lot more to our job than just taking your money and passing it on to a resort shop.
Our job is to help you get the right kit, the right service and the right deal – to help you make the most of your holiday.
We’ve seen how the others do it, and what goes wrong. We’ve seen what our clients need and we know what needs to be done to make it work.
So Guide 2 Ski Hire does things differently from the other online ski hire sites.
We give you all the advantages of booking your ski hire in advance, with none of the disadvantages. Plus we give you all of the advantages of a personal one-to-one service, and save you money too.
Other sites may be more interested in getting your credit card details - our service combines the benefits of online ski hire with the essential personal service and input needed to get it right.
Throughout the site, at every step through your booking, you’ll find heaps of articles, info and advice to help and if that’s not enough just phone us or e-mail for anything else you’d like to know.
You’ll also find help on stuff that’s nothing to do with your actual ski hire, whether it’s what your children need for their first ski trip or how to choose new goggles.
You can even hand the whole thing over to our Ski Hire PA and we’ll do it all for you.
And as if that wasn’t enough, our unique personal service continues after you’ve placed your order…. unlike other sites, it’s not left to a computer – we use real people!
We personally check every detail to make sure you’ve made all the right choices and given us all the details our shops need to prepare everything for you. You don’t pay a penny until everything has been checked.
And we follow your booking right through to collection and beyond . . . .
Unlike other sites, you’re not just an order number and our service doesn’t stop once you’ve booked and paid.
And best of all, our deals and discounts are as good if not better than you’ll find elsewhere, so you get all our extra service and added value for no more money!
Why book your ski hire from a site written and run by someone in a city office, when you can book with the Ski Hire Experts?
We have over 20 year’s experience of running the most successful and popular ski hire shops in Val d’Isère. Now A Guide 2 Ski Hire makes our advice and expertise available to visitors to other resorts . . . .
"All the information and advice you need to make the right choice - real added-value at no extra cost. "
Look on most other ski hire websites and it’s pretty clear right from the home page that their only interest is getting your booking and taking your cash. You can’t even get past the first page without starting the booking process!
A Guide 2 Ski Hire isn’t just a middleman, sitting in an office selling you someone else’s product. We provide you with a real added-value service . . . .
"All the information and advice you need to make the right choice - real added-value at no extra cost."
If you want this season’s new skis you should get them, not be fobbed off with old “similar” models as happens too often. Or if you’re happy with older kit, why pay new prices. Sounds simple, mmmmm . . . .!
With us, you choose both your ability level and the age of your skis and the discount reflects both. Either way, we offer the best and most honest online ski hire deals out there . . . .
TIP -
If you’re comparing prices, make sure you compare like for like regarding the age of kit offered . . . .
"You won’t find a better deal for the same kit! "
Other sites often give you little or no info on the shops they offer except where they are in the resort. Why do they think all that matters is which one’s closest?
Loads of other factors can affect your choice, so we also give you lots more info about each one, their equipment and their services. You decide which one’s best for you . . . .
"All the info you need on our shops and their services to help you choose the one that’s right for you. "
Making sure you choose the right equipment is the most important thing we do for you. You want to spend your time on the mountain having fun, not struggling with unsuitable kit or spending half your week in the shop changing it.
Other sites confuse you with fancy names and give you very little concrete information . . . .
"It’s a ski holiday - getting the kit right makes or breaks it, so why do so many sites make it so difficult?"
Been meaning to get the ski hire sorted for ages but just never got round to it? Booking for the whole extended family? Never skied before and have no idea where to start? Or even just can’t be bothered!
We help you through every step of your ski hire or even take the whole process off your hands . . . .
"No time? No idea? Just can’t be bothered?
Let us do it all for you."
Computerised booking systems are all very well, but as we’ve seen far too often, a computer can’t decide what looks like a mistake, so the wrong kit is booked for you.
That’s why we’ve kept a huge amount of the all-important human element in our 'Guide 2 Ski Hire' booking process . . . .
"Your booking is processed by man, not machine!"
Book your ski hire online with another site and you might be surprised how much you end up paying. Our hire cost is transparent, what you see is what you pay – nothing extra, no nasty surprises when your credit card bill arrives
Nowadays some sites charge a “handling fee” which is added on to the price advertised for the hire. It might only be a couple of pounds a person, but for a family or group it soon adds up . . . .
"Hidden costs and extras all add up
– with us the price you see is the price you pay."
There are loads of reasons why you might want to get your ski hire sorted out early, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you want to pay there and then. With most other sites you don’t have the option – to book, you have to pay there and then.
With us, you make your booking and you pay for it when it suits you . . . .
"Why pay months in advance if you don’t have to?"
You or someone else is ill or injured, you have to unexpectedly cut your holiday short, the weather is awful and you can’t ski, you’ve bought your own boots since you booked or you just discover you don’t actually like skiing.
Read the small print on most online ski hire sites, and you’re in for a shock . . . .
No quibble refunds for:
"It shouldn’t be a problem to get a refund if you return your kit early or even cancel something completely, should it?"
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