get your money back claims in now…

That’s a shame, really fancied going there at some point…

Shame, weren’t they at the forefront of getting UK guiding qualifications recognised?

I’m booked on the Davos one… hopefully it’ll still happen. 😕

Holy carp! Thats a shock. I’ve not had much experience with them, but last years Enduro2 was bloody epic! Would love to have done it this year too – lucky I didnt…I hope everyone gets their money back ok

Shame, weren’t they at the forefront of getting UK guiding qualifications recognised?

they liked you to think they were. but in reality, they weren’t (i know a few of the people actually involved in it all)

Damn. We’ve paid deposits (and flights separately) for Trans Savoie guided version.

Wow, that’s going to leave a bit of a hole in the LesArcs summer season this year ain’t it!

anyone who’s been wanting to go to that area would be well served to look at ‘The White Room’ having been to both TA and WR they’re a much better bet anyway. Shame for the boys at TA tho’ It’s not entirely risk free getting into running lots of races eh!

What an immense shame. Trailaddiction were some of the early pioneers in guided downhill mountain bike holidays from the early 2000’s and alongside Bike Village were the first to bring mainstream mountain biking to Les Arcs / La Plagne. There will be a huge hole there now without them, especially as they worked so hard to ensure the lifts were open for as long as they were and also worked hard to get UK qualifications recognized in the area.

A real shame, I’ve never used them, but have used their GPX’s to ride trails in Les Arc – am I part of the reason for their downfall? Possibly, but maybe if they had been more accommodating with day rate guiding etc then they could have survived.

Although was browsing their website last week and considering a few of their options.

My real problem with this is that they have been taking bookings for races and guiding, and then suddenly just announced they will not be able to provide these services anymore. Take the money and run…..

Word on the street is that this is an “abnormal” event, in that TA are (were) solvent and had a valid business case (as you would expect after all those years trading), but have been landed with a one off huge debt, that in one swoop liquidates them. Here is not the place to go into the details and the whyfors, but i’m lead to believe they are owing the French government around half a million euros! A real pity, and i hope people who have booked for the various events gets at least some of their money back.

My real problem with this is that they have been taking bookings for races and guiding, and then suddenly just announced they will not be able to provide these services anymore. Take the money and run…..

anyone who’s booked needs to contact administrators/credit/debit card issuers, to get a full/partial refund

also worked hard to get UK qualifications recognized in the area.

– again, that’s what they wanted you to think – the vast majority of the hard work was actually done by others.

Word on the street is that this is an “abnormal” event, in that TA are (were) solvent and had a valid business case (as you would expect after all those years trading), but have been landed with a one off huge debt, that in one swoop liquidates them. Here is not the place to go into the details and the whyfors, but i’m lead to believe they are owing the French government around half a million euros! A real pity, and i hope people who have booked for the various events gets at least some of their money back.

yep i’d heard similar – i’m doing a bit of digging – interesting stuff…

they liked you to think they were. but in reality, they weren’t (i know a few of the people actually involved in it all)

And some of those few you don’t know were from tA… Stop listening to gossip and believing glory seekers. Everyone wants to claim to have done that but in reality it was and still is A LOT of different people all fighting/working for the same thing.

That is a shame, couple of us went with them a few years ago we had a great time.

anyone who’s booked needs to contact administrators/credit/debit card issuers, to get a full/partial refund

I did read that. If i had just paid £1k for this and then had the offer of a ‘partial’ refund, I wouldn’t be happy, as you would expect – hence my comment above.

It’s a shame, this. Have to say not everything they do was welcome- the races had caused some really obvious damage to non-bike trails and had pissed off some locals no end, frinstance. But so many happy faces and great holidays and memories…

Hope nobody’s left out of pocket! Just paid for my summer hols with a different country, I’d shit a brick if they went out of business.

Wow that’s a big shock and presumably a big blow for the area. I visited Les Arcs a few years ago and that was mostly on the back of all the publicity they had brought to the area. I stayed with the goat shed as I wasn’t after a fully guided trip (they were fantastic, would 100% recommend).

I often daydream about riding the Trans Savoie..

My real problem with this is that they have been taking bookings for races and guiding, and then suddenly just announced they will not be able to provide these services anymore. Take the money and run…..

Thats 100% not what has happened…. the company is in to liquidation so no one but the administrators will be taking any money and running.

Paid for enduro2 entry in December. Already booked ferry. Fortunately hadn’t yet booked accommodation, but was in the process of doing so.

Been on to credit card company, be 7 days before I hear back..

Should i wait it out re the davos one or try to get money back?

Unfortunately didn’t pay on cc, didn’t expect these guys to go under. Accom booked but think we’re going anyway and seek out trails!

We’ve had a massive camper van booked for Davos, we’re going somewhere in September, race or not!

I went with them last year, good crew of lads and lasses. Shame not just for those who had booked holidays but the employees are probably left with a problem as well, I bet they had already based their year on working for them. Lets be honest it isn’t a great paid life but work based on living and riding in the mountains.

I think that they had got over the problems they had with a previous mayor, and that the current mayor was more accommodating to the guided biking operators. iirc last year they were not able to get as much accommodation as they wanted, what they did have was full. I certainly don’t think they had much scope for day guiding when they have guests paying for full weeks.

I think there is still plenty of scope for more guiding operators, and it would be interesting to know what caused their current problem. It does seem that the French themselves are not into these guided holidays and it is mainly brits and northern Europeans that use them.

Amazing crew of folk
Some of the stuff I’ve done with them has been up there with the best weeks I’ve had on planet earth
I hope they get passed this nonsense and that they don’t let it stop them being awesome
All the best Ali, Serena and Tim

Ouch!

Had a good trip to Les Arcs with TA a few years back, hope people with bookings manage to get some ££ back.

I hope they get passed this nonsense

Having gone into administration there’s no ‘getting past the nonsense’. Depending on the nature of the issues that put them in the business could be bought as a going concern by someone else but I’m not sure there’s enough assets to make that viable.

but i’m lead to believe they are owing the French government around half a million euros

That kind of sudden & large bill sounds rather like a tax demand IMHO..

Such a shame. Had paid a deposit for the 2017 Trans Savoie which was then switched to a package holiday guided week when that was cancelled. Hopefully can get my money back from ABTOT as my insurance doesn’t cover insolvency claims.

Shame for the guys too – always seemed super friendly when I spoke to them and I’m sure they’re smarting more than we are about all of this.

Fingers crossed a phoenix can rise from the ashes and that the Trans Savoie will be back in 2018 as planned.

Yeah we were in for both Enduro2’s… fingers crossed still for Davos. Good news there at least was checked with campsite – lots of space and a free lift ticket with pitches… going riding one way or the other!

Ouch. Real shame. Did Destination-X with them and had a great time. Met Ali there as he was researching new trails.

I did notice the holiday options offered where way down on prior years.

Thats 100% not what has happened…. the company is in to liquidation so no one but the administrators will be taking any money and running.

Just for clarity it is possible they have taken money out of the company prior to the liquidation. I am nit saying they have but it is possible to do that.

As for the 500,000€ yup that sounds like a tax demand. French tax authorities are much more aggressive than UK and can and do conduct audits and are perfectly capable of issuing large demands if they do not agree with past tax submissions or treatments.

Shame, weren’t they at the forefront of getting UK guiding qualifications recognised

Yup and thats a good way to make enemies.

scaled – Kai showed me a photo of a 6-wheeler campervan the other day…sounds like you’re a passenger on that 😉

Had a good holiday with them a few years back and our guide was excellent.

My thoughts at the time of the UK qualifications arguments was upsetting the locals may not have be a good idea. I hope it’s not the case.

Pity.

My thoughts at the time of the UK qualifications arguments was upsetting the locals may not have be a good idea. I hope it’s not the case.

Whatever EU law says the French are extremely agressive at protecting their domestic interests.

Fully paid up with them for a week in July. Am not hopeful of getting the full amount back as it stands but won’t stop me heading out the same week anyway. Real shame.

Is this down to the same issue with UK ski guides getting banned by the French (government?). They’ve been hit with a big fine and/or tax bill perhaps?

Real shame, and makes you worry about others as well.

Bugger….. and stuff.
2 of us had paid deposits for the TS tour after the Trans Savoie proper was cancelled.. thank fully we hadn’t paid the balance.. still a bit cross tho’

When we were there last there was a time and motion bloke with a tank top and matching rucksac,who was timing the lads driving the vans and guiding on and off the job. It turns out they are only allowed to work 37 hours/wk… otherwise a fine etc etc.

Ah bugger, 3 of us had paid deposits, went a couple of years back and really enjoyed the week. I did notice when booking they were only offering 1 chalet this time where as they were doing 2 when I last went.

TBH I’m more annoyed about not going than the money at the moment, might just rough it in a tent for the week.

6 of us had paid for the Les Arcs Enduro2.

To add insult to injury we also found out the lifts wouldn’t have been open for remainder of the trip and the £1100 airbnb has a 50% + service charge cancellation policy!