ComplaintsforMontana Snowbowl
Need to file a complaint?
BBB is here to help. We'll guide you through the process.
Complaint Details
Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. See details.
Initial Complaint
03/22/2023
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
My two sons (4 and 6yo) and I purchased lift tickets on 3/19/23. My 4yoand I were riding the chairlift when it hit the lift tower and the chair broke apart. My son fell off the ski lift from a height of about *****. The lift attendant stoped the lift and attempted to help my son but offered no communication with me as I was still clinging onto the broken chair. Finally I jumped from the lift to help my son. Fortunately we both were extremely lucky that the snow was soft and it appeared that neither of us was injured. The lift attendant proceeded to start the lift back up and load people onto it without checking the stratus of the broken chair or looking to enusure the lift cable was still in good condition. Ski patrol never arrived at the scene and nobody ever checked my son to ensure he didnt suffer any trauma a from falling off the lift. It wasnt until I arrived at the base and demanded to speak to the owners that anyone who worked at Snowbowl even spoke to us. They acted as if nothing had happened, yet my son nearly died, honestly what happened is a parents worst nightmare and I can still see his little body slipping through my hands as he fell. I do not think that Montana Snowbowl takes the responsibility of safety seriously and I am afraid that If something isnt done that someone will get seriously injured or will die. My son and I are very lucky this didnt happen to us on Sunday. I am happy to talk to someone about this incident and provide more details.Business response
03/30/2023
Lift safety and maintenance
Safety is of prime importance at Snowbowl. Here is a summary of how lifts are inspected and maintained.
All lifts have been designed by a certified tramway engineer and the designs are reviewed and approved by the ************** tramway engineer. Prior to being open to the public the lift is load tested and inspected to insure that it meets all the current code requirements. After a successful load test, it is certified by the design and construction engineers.
Annually before the season starts ********* are inspected and maintenance records are reviewed by a certified tramway engineer. All deficiencies are corrected prior to operation.
Regarding the Snow Park chairlift incident, on March 23, the lift was inspected by both the tramway design engineer and the ************** tramway engineer. Repairs have been made based on their findings. We are currently waiting for the report from the **************.
***************************
President
Customer response
04/02/2023
Complaint: 19633226
I am rejecting this response because: It does not address the underlying problems of Montana Snowbowl not being responsible for public safety. What happened to my family on the Snow Park chair is not an isolated incident, but a symptom of a systematic failure to take safety seriously by ********************** Management and Staff. Snowbowl should hire a third party (not the same engineer who was unable to identify the issues found on the Snow Park lift) to inspect all the aerial tramways. A third party should also evaluate staff training procedures and policies to ensure that public safety is the highest priority, those recommendations must be implemented to avoid an accident like this (or worse) happening again in the future. Snowbowl needs to hold itself accountable to the public, the inspectors reports and Snowbowls plan for implementation should be shared with the public.
*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩
BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.
BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.
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.
BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile.
As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation.
BBB Rating & Accreditation
This business is not BBB Accredited
Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating
Customer Complaints Summary
1 total complaints in the last 3 years.
0 complaints closed in the last 12 months.