Ripped Off by 1800SkyRide
Complaint
Nat M.
Country: United States
1800SkyRide is a telemarketing fraud. They sell trips and sporting events that do not exist. The company operates under different names:
1800Skyride
Adventure Skydiving Center
Adventure Sports
Luxergy
IGO Vincent
Spagoda
Tandora
Granter Media
Thrill Planet
Soaring Sports
Hot Air Balloon Team
The address of the company:
2593 Kennesaw Due West Rd Ste 300
Kennesaw, Ga 30144
They refuse to give refunds to customers, there are hundreds of unresolved complaints with BBB. Stay away from this company. When a customer wants a refund because most of the time they were sold something that did not exist or was given false information on locations, they refuse to give it and offer a different activity which again is either a fraud or hundreds of miles away from the client.
I've launched complaints with BBB, FTC, and The Attorney General. If you are reading this because you paid this company money and want it back, send your complaint to the above places as well. I hope we can beat this company if we do it together.
1800Skyride
Adventure Skydiving Center
Adventure Sports
Luxergy
IGO Vincent
Spagoda
Tandora
Granter Media
Thrill Planet
Soaring Sports
Hot Air Balloon Team
The address of the company:
2593 Kennesaw Due West Rd Ste 300
Kennesaw, Ga 30144
They refuse to give refunds to customers, there are hundreds of unresolved complaints with BBB. Stay away from this company. When a customer wants a refund because most of the time they were sold something that did not exist or was given false information on locations, they refuse to give it and offer a different activity which again is either a fraud or hundreds of miles away from the client.
I've launched complaints with BBB, FTC, and The Attorney General. If you are reading this because you paid this company money and want it back, send your complaint to the above places as well. I hope we can beat this company if we do it together.
Comments
This company currently has a total 17 complaints for the last three years that were either unanswered or unresolved. As they work to improve their record, this could change.
The company's efforts over the last year to resolve older complaints has inflated the number of complaints closed within the last year. Previously unanswered complaints that have since been resolved are included in the number of complaints closed within the last year, although some of the complaints may not have actually originated within the last year.
Use good judgment when evaluating any information you find online, and carefully weigh the reputation and reliability of the source. Also consider whether the website containing the information disclaims responsibility for the accuracy of the information found there and allows unverified information to remain on the site. You may often find information about a site's policies regarding the information on that site in the Terms & Conditions for the website.
The BBB processed a total of 393 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, the standard reporting period. Of the total of 393 complaints closed in 36 months, 185 were closed in the last year.
Of the 185 complaints closed in the last year, 129 of those complaints were initiated within the last year (since 06/05/2007). 33 of those complaints were initiated in 2008. This would indicate a downward trend in complaints since approximately 2/3 of the complaints during that period were in the first half of the reporting period.
When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. For details regarding the type of complaints recorded for this company, you should visit the BBB website which was the source for much of the information provided here.
If you are a frustrated consumer, this should provide a certain amount of encouragement since the company’s recent record reflects that the company is making a greater effort to resolve complaints.
AT THIS POINT, I AM OUT $1200.00!!!!
New 1-800SKYRIDE / Headband LLC / Thrillzown.com address:
3595 Hiram Douglasville Highway,
Hiram, GA 30141
Many customers have read posts designed to discredit the business and have formed opinions based on those posts. If you have had a bad customer service experience you should try to evaluate how the company handles this once it has been brought to their attention. Maybe you have already done this. If not, you should.
Most customers will not report good experiences, so if the company resolves an issue it is rarely made public. It sounds as though you have a legitimate complaint with this company. The recent record indicates this company genuinely cares when they fail to provide good service to their customers. I hope that the final outcome for you will be better than it has been prior to your post. Please follow up to let other consumers know what your final experience is with this company.
Watch out if you are doing business with ThrillPlanet.com. They take your money and leave you high and dry.
BTW.... mom my got her credit card payment reversed. Thank you BBB!
BBB records regarding this company would support many of the items you have listed here, as well as the company's response to these issues. Unlike many of the posts on this board, your situation can be verified, along with the company's response to your situation.
The company provided the BBB with responses such as the following:
"We never question the honesty and integrity of our customers, and do not dispute the fact that we did not reach Mrs. (name deleted for privacy) on the 4th of July when we attempted to do so. We also have not stated that we consider this matter resolved. We will continue to try and reach Mrs. (name deleted for privacy) to discuss this issue and apologize for any inconvenience she or her daughter, the complainant, may have experienced."
Their responses to the BBB complaint obviously did not satisfy you, and you appear to remain dissatisfied with the company, although the matter seems to have been resolved. Although it is disappointing that the company did not provide you with a resolution that met with your approval, it is good to hear that it was ultimately resolved for you.
Thanks again for taking the time to offer your update!
Government Actions
On May 10, 2007 the State of Georgia through Joseph P. Doyle, Administrator of the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act of 1975, ("Administrator") by and through Thurbert E. Baker, Attorney General for the State of Georgia filed a complaint for injunctive relief, civil penalties, and restitution with the Superior Court of Fulton County, State of Georgia against Cary V. Quattrocchi, Benny W. Butler, USSO, LLC and Atlanta SC, Inc. (Defendants) alleging violations of the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act of 1975.
The complaint filed by the Administrator alleges in part that:
Cary V. Quattrocchi and Benny W. Butler own and operate USSO, LLC and Atlanta SC, Inc.
Cary V. Quattrocchi, Benny W. Butler, USSO, LLC and Atlanta SC, Inc. maintain and operate more than 900 web sites including but not limited to: www.1-800-SkyRide.com and www.ThrillPlanet.com through which they advertise "booking" services. Booking agents and reservationists for www.1-800-SkyRide.com and www.ThrillPlanet.com represent to the public that they book appointments and sell gift certificates for extreme outdoor adventures including sky diving, hot air ballooning, race car driving, river rafting, and assorted other sporting adventures.
The Georgia Office of Consumer Affairs received 62 consumer complaints regarding the Defendants. The majority of the complaints allege failure to provide services after receiving full payment from consumers, failure to provide gift certificates after receiving payment in full, or consumers being unable to redeem the purchased gift certificates. Specifically, the Defendants received payment and made reservations for sky diving, ballooning and other sporting services without knowing whether the appointed times or sky diving centers that consumers requested -and believed they were being booked for- were open or available. Additionally, consumers were promised certain appointment times, locations or dates without fulfillment, while other consumers would arrive at the diving facility only to discover that the facility had not received booking requests or payment for those services on behalf of the consumer, or that the location where the appointment was booked was not convenient or nearby as represented.
Prior to purchasing gift certificates, consumers inquired into the locations where the certificates could be redeemed. Representatives falsely assured the consumers that the gift certificates were redeemable at numerous locations convenient to the consumer. Additionally, the web sites misrepresented affiliation with certain companies and the number of locations where customers could redeem their gift certificates. As a result, consumers were unable to timely redeem their gift certificates because they where unable to find convenient or nearby locations as represented.
When consumers requested refunds for the unused services, undelivered gift certificates, or non-redeemable gift certificates, the Defendants fabricated various reasons for denying the consumers refund requests, including that the consumer had not paid "refund fees," inclement weather policies, unexpected facility closings, the unavailability of dive instructors, the lack of responsibility for the practices or operations of independently-owned diving centers, and lack of responsibility for failed mail delivery.
Defendants falsely represented to consumers that their facilities were certified, affiliated, or approved by the United States Parachute Association ("USPA") and that some of their instructors or employees were also certified by the USPA.
After reviewing the consumer complaints and conducting a thorough investigation, the Administrator served upon the Defendants a "Notice of Contemplated Legal Action" as required. The Administrator's efforts to resolve the allegations against Defendants by having them enter into an assurance of voluntary compliance have not been successful.
The State of Georgia (through the Administrator) is seeking injunctive relief, monetary relief by way of penalties, and restitution to persons adversely affected by the Defendants' actions.
The complaint has been filed with the court and is a matter of public record