The pesky add-on sale

The end of summer is the deadline for paying for our family Epic ski passes at the early-bird price. We show up at the desk and ask to renew our Park City passes for another season (the 34th year).

The young lady tells us how much it will cost and since I'm good in arithmetic I see that the total isn't what it should be. Of course, on closer examination, it includes a “donation” for the trails.

We already give money for the trails, so I ask her to take that off. Well, the “voluntary” fee is built in into the price and she doesn't know how to work the computer to take it off, so she asks her supervisor.

She makes the correction, then asks, “Do you want to buy the insurance?” The insurance is a protection for being incapacitated and unable to ski. It would refund a prorated amount of the pass; I respond by the negative.

Then she asks if we want an automatic charge for the food we might eat at the resorts' restaurants. Another negative. Then she asks for another add-on deal that would be too long to explain. Another “No”. I'm sick of that nickel-and-diming to death by ski resorts.

Why in the world can't they keep their service, simple to understand and buy, and by all means, all inclusive?