Beware
the middleman!
In
the recent months many websites have popped
up offering skydiving gift certificates and
attempting to book reservations for skydiving.
They
appear to be representing a skydiving center
in your local area and make claims that they
have the highest skydiving safety record, use
the best equipment, have been serving the local
area for a long time, offer the least expensive
Skydive, and have the closest jumping location
to metropolitan areas.
However,
these websites are actually nothing more than
a middle man or skydiving reservation agency
which costs you money. Be leery of their many
misrepresentations!
To
help you determine if a website represents an
actual skydiving center:
Does the website provide a business address
for the drop zone?
Does the website include specific information
about their jumpmasters or the name of their
Chief Instructor?
Does the website include specific information
about their facilities such as which airport,
lounges or type of runways?
Does the website claim to be a National Skydiving
Association (NSA) participating skydiving center?
The NSA is fictional.
The only regulatory agency for sport skydiving
in the USA is the United States Parachute Association
(USPA). The USPA is a membership organization
that maintains and regulates a group member
listing of drop zones which abide by the association's
Basic Safety Regulations.
Still
not sure if their legit, call the 800 number
and ask where they are located. If they cannot
answer immediately without asking where you
are calling from, then you have reached the
middle man!
"Why
not go through one of these agencies?"
Deceptive business practices: They employ a
template website which offers the same facts
and pictures across the country, but claim to
represent a local drop zone.
Location and distance: The agent will only book
you with a participating skydiving center, sometimes
several states away!
Bogus fees: Airport Fee, Homeland Security Fee,
Poor Weather / Re-Schedule Fee are all tacked
on after you have already paid over the internet
and arrive for your appointment. You may initially
only pay $165 over the internet. However after
you arrive and add up the fees, your bill can
quickly exceed $250 for the jump alone. The
Homeland Security Fee is especially troublesome,
since it preys on our fears of terrorism and
your belief that you are contributing to National
Security.
Low budget operations: Usually, the skydiving
center in the area who is participating with
these booking agencies is so small and low budget
that they are unable to market for themselves.
And if they can't afford marketing, how can
they afford good instructors, quality gear,
or have properly maintained aircraft?
Tandem Skydive is an experience you will remember
and cherish for life. It is important that this
experience be performed by a competent, professional
center associated with the United States Parachute
Association. Choosing to make a reservation
with an agency which makes claims of, but has
no control over, safety, instructors and equipment
quality is literally throwing caution into the
wind. Do your researches before you jump. Your
safety and enjoyment depend on it.
Please
don't fall for the on-line marketing scam. Skydive
Cape Cod does not honor gift certificates from
these services. In fact, NONE of the major skydiving
centers in our region accept these certificates
at this time.
Please
contact us before heading to Skydive Cape Cod.
(508)
420-JUMP or info@Skydivecapecod.com
Make
your reservation NOW!!!
Skydive Cape Cod
is the premier Skydiving Center in New England
Skydive Cape
Cod Serving areas but not restrict to: Cape
Cod, Boston, Boston Area, Providence, Newport,
Hartford, New Haven, Concord, Manchester, New
Bedford, Fall River. Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine and New York.
NE - MA - ME - RI - VT - NH - CT - NY
