A DIRTY SECRET
This is important because no one likes being ripped off.
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Beware of the “from up to 14,000ft/15,000ft” lie
Understanding the difference between a “14,000ft/15,000ft skydive” and “from up to 14,000ft/15,000ft” skydive is essential for anyone thinking of doing a tandem skydive.
To cut straight to the chase, some skydive businesses will sell “From up to 15,000ft” tandem skydives but actually take the customer to a much lower altitude such as 10,000ft. They lure unaware consumers with a “from up to 15,000ft” offer, and this is where the disappointment begins. This means the customer will not get to jump from the height they paid for and spend less time in free fall, which is the most exciting part of a skydive, and a big part of what they pay for. The “From up to” component gives the business an excuse when they take you to a much lower altitude (they may say, “well we told you it was From Up To…”).
At Skydive Jurien Bay we think this practice is unfair for consumers, misleading and dishonest.
Why do they do this? By taking you lower than the height you paid for a skydive business is able to reduce fuel expenses and do more tandem skydives in a day, all of which lead to greater profits. How else could they sell a 15,000ft skydive for a price that barely covers operating costs? They’d go out of business. Who knows what other corners they are cutting to offer near cost price skydives.
How do they get away with this you ask? Simple. As a tandem skydive customer you are very rarely aware of the altitude you are at when you jump from the plane, so it’s easy for them to not give you what you paid for.
This corner cutting tactic practiced by many skydive businesses is something Skydive Jurien Bay does NOT do, in fact we’re disgusted by it.
At Skydive Jurien Bay, we don’t sell “from up to” skydives. We sell the height our customers pay for. If a customer of ours pays for a 14,000ft or 15,000ft skydive, we take them to that altitude, no less. We guarantee it. In fact, we often go that bit higher, cause more free fall time is awesome.
If for some reason we (Skydive Jurien Bay) can’t take you to the altitude you paid for due to safety reasons, we will always offer you a partial refund. This is something our competitors will NOT offer you.
So it pays to read between the lines when you’re deciding which location you choose to skydive at. If they are promising “lowest price guarantee” or some 50% off offer then this is a sign that they are cutting corners. If a business is practicing cost cutting tactics like this, then who knows what other lengths they’ll go to to maximise profits.
At the end of the day remember that skydiving isn’t lawn bowls folks, so choose your skydive location wisely.
