Ski & boot hire

Just had a nasty shock when looking to hire boots & skis in Obergurgl, so much so I sent an email to Intersport to ask for an explanation.

In Tignes I hired boots & skis with insurance from their Noire range for a total of € 124.50 from Intersport.

Intersport in Obergurgl want € 199 discounted to €169 for superior skis & € 72 discounted to €61 for boots, which comes to € 230 excluding insurance & service charge.They say in their reply different countries have different charges due to their economy & of course that's obvious but almost double for the same gear seems OTT.

Many including myself avoid France as being too expensive but it seems there are some exceptions, such as ski hire.

I hired boots & skis in sauxe last year & in Engelberg 2 yrs ago & none were anywhere near the Obergurgl prices, Skiset are the same co as alpine ski & they want more, am I missing something here as the prices seem crazy for 6 days use?

I can read this Brooksy :-)

That's a ridiculous price for skis in Obergurgl :shock:

I've skied there and hired from Intersport and I'm sure the prices were in the normal range.

Is it because for some reason you're not getting the usual discount? I mean, Intersport in Les Brevieres was at something like a 40% discount.

And I keep being told how cheap Austria is/was 8)

Thanks for the replies, Ian I ski Austria mostly but have not hired ski equipment there apart from my first ski trip many years ago.I think over £200 for 6 days hire is outrageous & am now considering taking my old skis & boots with me as its £34 each way for skis with BA, that would save me about €150 or £129.Ally the discount in France was 35% & in Austria 15% so 20% should be the difference, but it looks like the original price is 90% higher & I don't think this is because of cost of living differential, more like lack of competition & greed.

Here is a copy of the emails.
Dear Christopher

Thank you for your e-mail concerning Ski rental and for booking with us. You have reached the head office of IIC – INTERSPORT International Corp., the managing and purchasing company of the INTERSPORT group, in Switzerland.

We perfectly understand that you are surprised by the price difference, but this is completely normal. You must understand that this are two different countries and also different shops, which are independent from each other.
Live standard is not the same in every country: rents, salaries, taxes etc. are different in every country. You cannot expect same prices in every country. Hotels, transportation, food and other things are also not the same price in each and every country and this is also no exception for services like ski rental. Furthermore if you compare prices with other rental services you will see that their prices also vary from country to country and from shop to shop.

I hope I could help you with this answer and hope to keep you as INTERSPORT Rent customer.


Kind regards,

Thalita Salzmann
Marketing Services

IIC-INTERSPORT International Corp.

From: christopher brooks [mailto:chrisbrooks_56@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: Sonntag, 27. Januar 2013 18:33
To: contact
Subject: Ski & Boot hire


Dear Sir

I have just returned from a ski trip in Tignes France & hired my boots & skis from Intersport in Les Brevieres & was very happy with the service & equipment. I am now going to
Obergurgl on the 9th of March & was looking forward to hiring the same equipment from your shop in Zentrum.The prices quoted for 6 days superior skis is € 199 discounted to € 169 & the boots
are € 72 discounted to € 61, this means a total of € 230 excluding insurance.I hired boots & skis from the Noire range in January for €124.50 including insurance so almost double the price in
Obergurgl. Can I ask you to check these prices before I post them on a UK ski forum to alert others of these very high prices & if they are found to be correct I will have to hire elsewhere or even
purchase the equipment.I have hired equipment for the last 3 seasons & have never come across prices this high, so I'm asking if its a mistake or am I reading it incorrectly?

Thank You.

Mr C.A.Brooks

Disgusting prices Brooklyn, a sure sign of profiteering. It was cheaper in st Anton in march last year when my mate hired his mrs some skis.
I always take my own which at these prices makes total sense.

Tony_H wrote:Disgusting prices Brooklyn, a sure sign of profiteering. It was cheaper in st Anton in march last year when my mate hired his mrs some skis.
I always take my own which at these prices makes total sense.

Totally agree Tony, I always go for Austria by choice & finding France cheaper in this respect unbelievable.My kit is dated & the boots worn on the heel up to the shell, due to my age I didn't want to start buying again as is possible I wont get the full use, now I may have to change my mind as I have Obergurgl in March, Chamonix in December & J2 next year.

I have written on here before that these hire shop miss a trick ........ just aim your prices 10% over what it costs to transport your skis and they will make a killing, as there are times where I get pee'd off carring two sets of skis around, just dumb and greedy I guess.