New York Skyride

We do not condone the sales tactics utilized by the agent in the complaint. We received the customer's email complaint on 06/**, and it was forwarded to management for review and appropriate disciplinary action. We issued a full refund to [redacted] on 06/**. Thank you.

Review: A representative of NYSkyride approached me and my boyfriend outside of the [redacted] and offered to sell us express pass tickets to the [redacted] for $55 each. When I asked, the seller clearly and explicitly stated they were the exact same tickets sold inside the building for the same price. He went on to explain that the express pass is only $6 more than the regular pass sold by the [redacted]. We agreed to purchase the express pass to the [redacted] for $55 each. The seller gave us a receipt and told us to redeem it inside for our tickets. We followed his instructions only to find out that they were not skip the line passes, stopped at the [redacted]r and we had been charged $64 for each. The seller grossly misrepresented the tickets he was selling and the cost of each.Desired Settlement: NYSkyride has an obligation to abide by all state and federal truth in advertising rules and regulations. In this case, there was a clear violation of these governances as we were given were not given the ticket described by the seller and we were charged over the agreed upon purchase price. Therefore, we request a full refund for both $64 tickets for a total refund of $128.

Business

Response:

Thank

you for informing us of your recent experience with New York Skyride. We take

all complaints seriously and will be contacting the customer directly to

address her specific issues.

Review: We were approached on the street by a skyline representative who offered us $55 dollar tickets for a twenty minute wait. We asked him if they were express tickets and if they were $55 twice and both times he said yes. We however were charged $64 each instead of $55 and when we exchanged our receipt for the ticket they were not express ones. The line was longer than a hour and no where near the promised 20 minute wait. The non express tickets normally cost $32 so we ended up paying double for what we actually received. Nor did we get anything we were promised.Desired Settlement: I want my whole purchase back of $128 as were were not only charged more than told but we were promised a twenty minute wait to avoid [redacted] minute line just to enter a line that took over an hour. Not to mention it kept us from having that additional hour of time to tour the city.

Business

Response:

We are truly sorry that you did not receive and enjoy your NYC experience while visiting the Empire State Building. We do not condone behavior as you described; and with direct feedback like yours, we are able to admonish, suspend or even terminate employees for violating company policies. We were contacted via email by another person in your party on May [redacted] and a response was issued on May [redacted]. After receiving purchase details for both charges, a refund for both parties was issued on May [redacted].

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,

Review: On Sunday evening around 7PM (Oct **, 2013), my daughter and I decided a trip to the top of the [redacted] would be a nice way to finish our trip to New York City. Around 7PM we had a taxi drop us off. We were immediately approached by an official looking person with a logo shirt and a credit card machine. He asked if we wanted to go to the top. He offered a $44 ticket, or a $59 ticket if we wanted to go straight to the top and skip the lines. He specifically told us it would only take “three to five minutes to the top” if we chose the $59 ticket. He told me that if I was 62 I was eligible for a senior discount. I declined the discount because I’m not eligible. I told him I just wanted the fastest way to the top and he sold me two of the $59 tickets. He also said he would throw in a free cruise. I repeated that I only wanted to get to the top of the ESB as quickly as possible and I had no need for a free cruise. He swiped my [redacted] and gave me a very long receipt with instructions to a back door on [redacted]. When we arrived at a counter on the second floor we just started to realize we had been scammed. This is when we learned that we had actually bought tickets to some kind of movie and tickets to the [redacted] floor. We also learned the we did not get Express Passes and would have to wait in line like everyone else. It took us about two hours to get to the [redacted] floor - not the 3-5 minutes we were promised. This was a terrible end to our trip to NYC. After getting home and reading all the negative reviews of this company, it is hard for me to understand why the management of the [redacted] and the City of New York let them continue to operate in such a fraudulent manner. We were lied to about being able to get to the top of the ESB - the tickets only got us to the [redacted] floor, not the [redacted] floor. We were lied to about being able to pay extra to skip the lines and get to the top in 3-5 minutes. We were not able to skip the lines and it took us 2 hours to get to the [redacted] floor.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund of the $118.00 I was charged. I intend to dispute this charge on my credit card if a full refund isn’t forthcoming.

Consumer

Response:

Dear NY Revdex.com,

In October I filed a complaint with you about NYC Skyride (Complaint #[redacted]). It took about a month and a half of corresponding with them, but they finally resolved the complaint by refunding my money. In the mean time, you closed the complaint. Is it possible to re-open the complaint so I can report that I finally received a refund, or should I just let it drop?

Review: It happened on the [redacted] of December 2014, around [redacted]. A salesperson approached us on the street in front of the [redacted], flashing a badge and saying that he "worked for the building". He told us that he could get us the fastest access to get to the [redacted] Observation Deck for $54. He said we would be at the observation deck in about 20 minutes and that with any other option we would be waiting for more than an hour. He said there was a ticket to a "simulation like those at Disney land" included, but that we could skip it. Then, he swiped our cards and asked us to sign on the screen of his handheld card reader device. After fiddling for a long while with the machine, receipts and tickets, during which time he was talking incessantly about inconsequential matters, he gave us the tickets and receipts.

He was being gravely dishonest, because:

1. The amount he actually charged to our cards was $69 instead of $54. In retrospect it is obvious that his fiddling with the receipts and incessant talking were meant to distract us so that we would not notice. He did not show us the amount he was going to charge before asking for our signature, he only said verbally it would cost $54. The receipt was very long with very small text, so the amount was already difficult to spot, but he made it even harder by putting a small sticker that almost obscured the amount. Indeed we did not notice the incorrect amount until long after we had left the [redacted].

2. He did not work for "the building". The operator of the [redacted] Observation deck is a different company that has a different ticket booth, where the basic ticket for the observation deck costs $30. He works for "NY Skyride", which is a separate company whose main product is an attraction park style simulation which is housed in one of the lower floors of the [redacted].

3. The main purpose of the ticket he sold us was not access to the Observation Deck, but rather access to the "simulation", which we expressly stated we were not interested in.

4. We waited in three separate lines, and spent about 20 minutes in each rather than 20 minutes total.

5. After the security check, we ended up in the same line as those who had bought the basic "slow" ticket from the company that runs the observation ticket (for $30). Our tickets were not Express tickets. The fastest way to get to the top would have been Express tickets sold by the other company; these cost $50 and allow to bypass all lines.

We learned of all this information by reading up on the NY Skyride company after leaving the [redacted]. The salesperson purposefully kept all of these facts from us, and lied about the cost of the ticket and the access it provided in regards to bypassing lines.Desired Settlement: I bought tickets for three adults, 3 times 69 = 207 US dollars. I want the business to pay me back that sum.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, my complaint, ID [redacted] regarding NYC Skyride has been resolved.

(By clicking "OK", your complaint will be closed as Resolved.)

I attach the answer I got from the company on the [redacted] of January. The day after I got a new mail stating that the amount had been paid. A couple of days later the sum appeared in my account. I´m very pleased with that and the work you do at Revdex.com making it possible to solve a problem like this. Thank you very much!Sincerely,[redacted]

Review: This company have sales people at the doors of the Empire State Building selling VIP entrance which offers accelerated entrance to the [redacted] and [redacted] floor. They don't tell you that they really sell their own simulated city tour which takes up your time instead of just getting you up the tower. Their customer service when complained was awful with their [redacted] immediately becoming hostile and threatening to have us ejected from the building for being rude. They refused to give us a refund despite not delivering what their sales people had sold us and blatantly accused us of lieingDesired Settlement: Full refund of all charges

Business

Response:

We apologize that [redacted] did not receive and enjoy his NYC experience while visiting our attraction at the Empire State Building. We do not condone behavior as described; and with feedback like this, we are able to admonish, suspend or even terminate employees for violating company policy. It is also beneficial in the training and re-training of our employees, agents and managers alike. We are in contact with [redacted] to further discuss his experience and issue a remedy forthwith.

Review: My wife and I encountered an employee from NY Skyride in a read coat on the street near Empire State Building on December **, and in short he said the following;

1. We should wait for two hours to go to the Empire State Building [redacted] Floor Observatory and the ticket costs $49 per person.

2. He can sell express tickets which cost $55 per person that allow us to directly go to the upper floor skipping the line.

3. The ticket he sells would include something like watching video but we may just skip the video and directly go to the observatory.

However, after purchasing the tickets, it turned out to be;

1. There was no two-hours-line to go to the [redacted] Floor Observatory.

2. The normal ticket to enter [redacted] floor observatory costs only $29 per person, not $49 per person.

3. The price of the tickets the employee sells is actually $61 per person, not $55 per person.

4. The tickets the employee sells allow us to go to the [redacted] Floor Observatory, not the upper floor without express access.

When the employee approached us, he asked us about our nationality. It seems that he was trying to sell his tickets to foreigners who are not so familiar with New York city. As I described above, their advertisement about pricing and their service was totally different from the actual one, I strongly expect them a full refund for the tickets.Desired Settlement: Full refund of two purchased tickets back ($122.00).

Consumer

Response:

At this time, my complaint, ID [redacted] regarding NYC Skyride has been resolved.

(By clicking "OK", your complaint will be closed as Resolved.)

Sincerely,[redacted]

Review: On 8/**/2014, a woman passing herself off as an employee of the Empire State Building (who is actually employed by NY Skyride) approached us and offered to sell us tickets for the ESB so we could avoid the ticket line. In addition to the $48. ticket, for $8 more we could get the express pass and avoid all lines. When I mentioned that only my husband would be going because I was afraid of heights, she said there was a virtual tour included (like IMAX) and I could watch that and wait there for him to return. There was never any mention of Skyride. We both indicated we were not interested in the virtual tour. I asked if the purchase we were about to make included everything, all the way to the top and she said it did. The cost was $61, tax included. My husband was given directions as to how to go around to the back of the building for the express pass entrance. When he got there, he went through security and then a woman looked at his receipt and gave him two tickets and told him he had to buy a pamphlet "The View From the Top A Fabulous Keepsake" from the Skyride. He said he didn't want it and was told he had to buy it or he couldn't go on the tour. It was an additional $9. One ticket was to the Skyride, the other was to ESB but had "this is not an express pass" on it. Curiously the ESB ticket had been processed on August [redacted] and it was a Senior ticket. I'm wondering if Skyride isn't picking up discarded tickets and reselling them. It wouldn't have expired until 2016. He had to wait in line with everyone else and only got to go to the [redacted] floor. We were intentionally lied to, misled, sold a product we didn't want, and lost the opportunity to go all the way to the top of the ESB. His actual tour should have cost only $29. This is criminal!!!Desired Settlement: I would like to receive a refund of the $41, the difference between what we paid and the value of what we received.

Business

Response:

After receiveing the complaint from [redacted], we assured her that the behavior described on her complaint its not condone or suported by our company and we offered her the a refund for the whole amount of the purchase. A check was sent to her this past week. Please see attached e-mail correspondence.

[redacted] refund [redacted] copy of check sent to [redacted]

Hello [redacted]:

Attached you will find a copy of the check sent to you on Thursday. It should arrive within this week.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you!

Best regards,

Review: My 2 children and I were approached at the Empire State building by one of the employees of this company. Said I could purchase a Fast Pass for the Empire State building along with the Sky Ride so I could bypass the lines. I asked it this would take me also to the floors above the [redacted] floor and he told me "yes". I asked him if he worked for the Empire State Building and he said "yes". I agreed to purchase. We were sent thru a back door, HAD to go on the sky ride (Could not bypass and go directly upstairs) then sent to get in line for the ESBuilding. There was a long line so I asked one of the ESB employees where the "Fast pass line was. I showed him my ticket and the worker there told me I had been scammed and what I purchased was not a fast pass. After waiting in line for 2hours, then another 45minute line to leave, I went to the Sky Ride front desk and asked to speak with a manger. I waited for over 30minutes for the manager to come speak with me. When I told him what happened he said "I could call my employee in to face me but he would just deny what I was saying and it would be his word against mine (any my childrens) He then pointed to a sign behind me that said " your ticket will not get you a fast pass to top floors " The tickets were purchased outside and not posted in front of entry where you enter the building. I would assume they are posted due to all the other complaints they receive from their unscurupulos slaes tactics. The manager said I could come back tomorrow and fill out a form (they were getting ready to close so wouldn't let me do then) and he would refund the "Skyride portion of my ticket but we were leaving town the next day. In looking at trip advisor, I am not the only person this company has misrepresented themselves to. It is so sad that these companies are taking advantage of tourists in the NY area. I saw many other Non English speaking individuals also being sold these tickets when I was waiting on the manager. Complete false advertisingDesired Settlement: I would like the skyride and "fast pass" fees refunded for myself and my 2 children. I have not yet disputed on my credit card but plan on doing so in the next 30days if I don't hear from this company.

Business

Response:

Hello,

This is a full refund for complaint #[redacted] It was issued on 08/**.

Best,

New York Skyline, Inc.

###-###-####

Review: We purchased tickets for the Empirte State Building tour from an agent on the street. He sold us a full tour including the 102 Floor and express service with no wait. The actual tickets did not include either of those options. He also quoated us a price of $46 per adult and $42 per child. The actual price was $64 per adult and $57 per child. We were not able to see the individual prices until the tickets were printed up inside the building. We when realized the services we were actually receiving I went to one of the employees at the [redacted] for assistance. He told me this happens all the time and brought me to a "Manager" for NYSKYRIDES. After I explained what happened and told her we did not use the virtual tour tickets, she offered me a refund for the unused portion of the tickets. I have a copy of the refund request signed by both parties and the receipt. They have not issues the refund and when I call I only get a recording.Desired Settlement: I would like the refund the manager promised me of $158. I'm more than glad to pay for the tour tickets we used at the value of the experience we received. Thank you

Business

Response:

We apologize for the delay in processing [redacted]'s refund request. We have processed the customer's requested refund and forwarded a copy to him for his records. Thank you.

Review: A salesperson approached us on the street in front of the [redacted], flashing a badge and saying that he "worked for the building". He told us that he could get us the fastest access to get to the [redacted] Observation Deck for $54. He said we would be at the observation deck in about 20 minutes and that with any other option we would be waiting for more than an hour. He said there was a ticket to a "simulation like those at Disney land" included, but that we could skip it. Then, he swiped our cards and asked us to sign on the screen of his handheld card reader device. After fiddling for a long while with the machine, receipts and tickets, during which time he was talking incessantly about inconsequential matters, he gave us the tickets and receipts.

He was being gravely dishonest, because:

1. The amount he actually charged to our cards was $69 instead of $54. In retrospect it is obvious that his fiddling with the receipts and incessant talking were meant to distract us so that we would not notice. He did not show us the amount he was going to charge before asking for our signature, he only said verbally it would cost $54. The receipt was very long with very small text, so the amount was already difficult to spot, but he made it even harder by putting a small sticker that almost obscured the amount. Indeed we did not notice the incorrect amount until long after we had left the [redacted].

2. He did not work for "the building". The [redacted] of the [redacted] Observation deck is a different company that has a different ticket booth, where the basic ticket for the observation deck costs $30. He works for "NY Skyride", which is a separate company whose main product is an attraction park style simulation which is housed in one of the lower floors of the [redacted].

3. The main purpose of the ticket he sold us was not access to the Observation Deck, but rather access to the "simulation", which we expressly stated we were not interested in.

4. We waited in three separate lines, and spent about 20 minutes in each rather than 20 minutes total.

5. After the security check, we ended up in the same line as those who had bought the basic "slow" ticket from the company that runs the observation ticket (for $30). Our tickets were not Express tickets. The fastest way to get to the top would have been Express tickets sold by the other company; these cost $50 and allow to bypass all lines.

We learned of all this information by reading up on the NY Skyride company after leaving the [redacted]. The salesperson purposefully kept all of these facts from us, and lied about the cost of the ticket and the access it provided in regards to bypassing lines.Desired Settlement: A full refund.

Business

Response:

After receiving a complaint form [redacted], we assured him the behavior described in his complaint was not condone or supported by our company and we offered him a full refund of her purchase. This refund was done on his credit card on 2/**/2015. Please see attached email correspondence and refund slip. ================================================= Refund =================================================[redacted] ================================================= Hello [redacted]: Attached is you refund receipt done on your card for $69. The amount should be posting in 3 to 4 days in your account. If you have any other questions please let me know! Thank you and have a great day!

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,

Review: We went pass the Empire State building and a sales person wearing a blue shirt (the receipt states his name is ([redacted], approached us and offered tickets to go "all the way to the top" of the building, and "cut all the lines". After we asked a few questions and he answered, he charged our credit card and gave us a long receipt. This receipt showed all the contrary and as we told him we disagreed we wanted our money back he stated there were no refunds. As we went to the building we had to print our tickets again which has a September date (so we couldn't even keep them as a souvenir being we came in Oct), we were told we would not be able to cut through any lines, would not be able to go to the top, and would have tickets to a "ride" which we had/have no interest in at all. We bought the tickets because with the "express pass" we would still get some sun light and would be able to have a nice view. It took close to 2 hours to get to only the 80th floor and it was dark already. We would like our money back being that we did not get any of the services we were offered and supposed to have been billed for. I have tried contacting the company without any response and have gone to observe these sales folks outside, they wear different shirts on different days to disguise themselves and they are liars, cheats, and scam artists. Someone needs to put a stop to this highway robbery. Maybe there should be more signs letting people where the box office is!!Desired Settlement: I would like my $118 returned to my CC being that we did not go to that ride, we were lied to, and we didnt have an express pass, or were able to visit the observatory. AN apology would be nice as well. Thank you

Business

Response:

Hello,

This is the refund receipt. It was sent to [redacted] as well.

Have a pleasant day.

Best,

New York Skyline, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,

I apologize for my delayed response and any inconvenience it may have caused.

I greatly appreciate, very much, your time and efforts. I did indeed receive a response from the company as well. I have not checked my CC statement yet to confirm the credit but will trust that a refund has been submitted.

Review: NY SkyRide sales person, who was stationed outside the door of the Empire State Building and intercepted us on our way in, offered us what he specified were "Express Upgrade" tickets that would allow us to "skip the line". We learned that the upgrade also included a SkyRide attraction. The only reason we visited the Empire State Building was to go to the observatory. Once we were finally in line for this, an attendant examined our tickets and told us that we were not sold "Express Upgrade" tickets at all. We ended up waiting in the standard non-express line. We were left with no recourse other than to dispute the charge with our credit card company, which we did. The scammer company responded to the inquiry and had our credit reversed, and provided their evidence that were fraudulent ticket copies that were not the same as the ones they gave us. The NY SkyRide sales person took advantage of our ignorance of the Empire State Building experience in order to steal our money, and it appears to have been a successful scam. We would like our money to be refunded in full.Desired Settlement: Full refund to our credit card, and that NY SkyRide stop their dishonest and deceptive sales practices.

Business

Response:

When investigating [redacted] Chargeback Request, it was determined that he had purchased Skyride Upgrade tickets and redeemed them at our Ticket Counter for boarding passes to the NY SKYRIDE. Our turnstile records show the date and time the tickets were scanned, and we provided proof of such to the credit card company. His complaint cited "claims to have not received the goods/services" which we were able to refute with our documents. And thus, the credit card company refused the chargeback. The tickets sold to [redacted] are NY SKYRIDE upgrade tickets. These are discounted tickets to our attraction for those individuals who already possess Empire State Building tickets and wish to add NY SKYRIDE to their ESB experience. These tickets are considered as part of our "Fast Track" program as they allow the customer to skip all queuing inside the Empire State Building Observatory ticket office by utilizing the NY SKYRIDE entrance. NY SKYRIDE is not a scammer company. The ticket backup supplied to the credit card company was not fraudulent. We will be contacting [redacted] directly to come to an amicable resolution.

Review: A salesperson approached us on the street in front of the [redacted], flashing a badge and saying that he "worked for the building". He told us that he could get us the fastest access to get to the [redacted] Observation Deck for $54. He said we would be at the observation deck in about 20 minutes and that with any other option we would be waiting for more than an hour. He said there was a ticket to a "simulation like those at Disney land" included, but that we could skip it. Then, he swiped our cards and asked us to sign on the screen of his handheld card reader device. After fiddling for a long while with the machine, receipts and tickets, during which time he was talking incessantly about inconsequential matters, he gave us the tickets and receipts.

He was being gravely dishonest, because:

1. The amount he actually charged to our cards was $69 instead of $54. In retrospect it is obvious that his fiddling with the receipts and incessant talking were meant to distract us so that we would not notice. He did not show us the amount he was going to charge before asking for our signature, he only said verbally it would cost $54. The receipt was very long with very small text, so the amount was already difficult to spot, but he made it even harder by putting a small sticker that almost obscured the amount. Indeed we did not notice the incorrect amount until long after we had left the [redacted].

2. He did not work for "the building". The [redacted] of the [redacted] Observation deck is a different company that has a different ticket booth, where the basic ticket for the observation deck costs $30. He works for "NY Skyride", which is a separate company whose main product is an attraction park style simulation which is housed in one of the lower floors of the [redacted].

3. The main purpose of the ticket he sold us was not access to the Observation Deck, but rather access to the "simulation", which we expressly stated we were not interested in.

4. We waited in three separate lines, and spent about 20 minutes in each rather than 20 minutes total.

5. After the security check, we ended up in the same line as those who had bought the basic "slow" ticket from the company that runs the observation ticket (for $30). Our tickets were not Express tickets. The fastest way to get to the top would have been Express tickets sold by the other company; these cost $50 and allow to bypass all lines.

We learned of all this information by reading up on the NY Skyride company after leaving the [redacted]. The salesperson purposefully kept all of these facts from us, and gave incorrect information about the cost of the ticket and the access it provided in regards to bypassing lines.Desired Settlement: A full refund.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, my complaint, ID [redacted] regarding NYC Skyride has been resolved.

(By clicking "OK", your complaint will be closed as Resolved.)

Sincerely,[redacted]

Review: This is a SCAM and I can't believe the [redacted] allows these people to conduct business inside the building. These [redacted] completely ruined our trip to the [redacted]. We were ambushed on the street corner and given the impression that they were associated with the official [redacted] ticket sellers. We were told that we were buying a fast-lane ticket to the observation deck to avoid waiting in a two hour line. Then we were shunted down [redacted] into a side door and led into dark rooms to sit through the most ridiculous video and a motion-odyssey ride of the poorest possible quality. We didn't even know what was going on because none of this was described to us when being sold the tickets . They charged us $50 each. On the way out I asked an actual [redacted] employee about the price and waiting time and was told it was $27 and would only need to wait about 20-30 minutes. We wasted at least that much time being herded through this absurdist spectacle. If you look at the [redacted] reviews, you will see dozens of reports, all claiming to have been scammed and misled in exactly the same way. These people need to be shut down.Desired Settlement: For NY SKyRide to be put out of business. They are [redacted] and [redacted].

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have been contacted directly by NYC Skyride regarding complaint ID [redacted], however my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

The business did contact me directly. Their response was courteous enough and they offered me a refund. But this does not address my underlying concern which is that they are a fraudulent entity, scamming the tourists and residents of NYC alike. Honestly, I don't want the money back so much as I want them to cease to exist or drastically change their method of doing business.

Here was their response:

"

[redacted]

Review: I wanted to go to the top of the Empire State Building on a recent trip with my son to New York. I wanted to get to the top of the Empire State Building as soon as possible because I had dinner reservations and was short on time. I wanted to purchase a VIP pass to voice the lines. I was approached by a representative of New York Skyride who said that he worked for the Empire State Building and to get to the top of the Empire State Building with VIP pass, it would cost $128.00 and then directed me to the New York Sky Ride counter where I paid for what I thought was a VIP pass to avoid the lines. The next thing I knew, I was pushed in a line and then they opened up the doors to some film! I did not want to see any film. I didn't have time and had zero interest. At this point, I was tripped in a room with this film until it ended. When it was over, I demanded to speak to a manger and wanted refund. They told me that they would mail me a refund and gave me a form to fill out which I did and gave to them. This happened on April *, 2015 and I have yet to receive any refund or correspondence.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund to my credit card for $128.00.

Business

Response:

We are truly sorry that you did not receive and enjoy your NYC experience while visiting the Empire State Building. A refund for the Skyride portion of your purchase was issued on April [redacted] based on information sent up to the Accounting Department. We will contact you via email shortly with a copy of your refund slip. Thank you.

Review: A salesperson approached us on the street in front of the Empire State Building, flashing a badge and saying that he "worked for the building". He told us that he could get us the fastest access to get to the Empire State Building Observation Deck for $53. He said we would be at the observation deck in about 20 minutes and that with any other option we would be waiting for more than an hour. He said there was a ticket to a "simulation like those at Disney land" included. My father-in-law and my mother-in-law ,both seniors, decided to going up with my four year old daughter. They paid two ticket seniors for $106 with the option to wait only 20 minutes, but they were waiting for almost 2 hours. They are old people , it was too much to wait standing outside and inside. They were able to access only for the simulator, then they were very tired for waiting to much and they decided to go down. They only were in the simulator section They were visiting New York for short time. They had the illusion of seeing Manhattan from the empire state building. They felt cheated.

I discovered this form to claim this bad service a few days ago. They bought the ticket on December **, 2014. They want to the money backDesired Settlement: Send please a check to [redacted]

Business

Response:

After receiving a complaint from [redacted], we assured her that the behavior described in her complaint was not condone by the company and we offered her a full refund for her purchase. this refund was done on her credit card on 3/**/2015. Please see attached email correspondence and refund slip.=================================================Refund====================...⇄ [redacted]:Attached you will find the refund done on your card today. It usually takes 3 to 4 business days for it to be posted in your account. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate in contacting me. Thank you! Best,[redacted]Best regard,[redacted]:Hello [redacted]: We have received a complaint from you and I wanted to assure you that we do not condone the behavior you described in your complaint letter, whether is misrepresentation of information or quality of our service. Your complain has been forwarded to our Operations Department so they can address this with our employee. I would like to offer you a refund for your purchase. To process a refund I need the following information; please confim:Date of visit: [redacted]Amount of total purchase: $106 Cash or credit and type of card if credit: **Last four digits on card:I’m truly sorry for the whole experience and confusion. I look forward to your response. Thank you. Best regard[redacted]NY SKYRIDE[redacted]

-- [redacted]

Review: Dishonest sales tactics,the street sellers misrepresent their company. They act like they are the official Empire State Building tour company, and sell their tickets by telling you that you will be passing the long lines and enter the secret "back entrance", when it is actually the opposite. They also claim for just $20 more per person you can get VIP lines and jump to the head of the line, which was NOT true. We felt violated and cheated. We were prepared to wait in long lines since it was July [redacted], the height of the summer tourist season, but we checked with the other people in line (when our lines merge) the Official Tour ticket holders, we found our "tour" took 2 hours LONGER which included a Virtual Ride over NYC which we could care less about since it was of poor quality and outdated. It was a $128 dollar scam. Salespeople allege they are selling express ticket but it is normal ticket. They also tell you they are charging your card $55 per ticket and they charge you $64. This is a a bad reflection of tourism in NYC and a high pressure and dishonest sales tactic.Desired Settlement: I would like my entire purchase of 128 dollars refunded to my card.

Business

Response:

We do not condone the sales tactics utilized by the agent in the complaint. We received the customer's email complaint on 06/**, and it was forwarded to management for review and appropriate disciplinary action. We issued a full refund to [redacted] on 06/**. Thank you.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,

Avoid this rip-off at all costs.

1. They lie to you outside the Empire State Building by pitching this as a VIP/fast-pass tour to avoid waiting on line to get to the observation deck. The only lines you pass by are the other suckers who are going to the Skyline ride.

2. They also lie by not clearly identifying that Skyride is not part of the Empire State Building.

3. The ride is noisy, herky-jerky, WAY OVERPRICED and takes you on a nauseating virtual aerial tour of New York City, PRE-2001.

4. I was overcharged and should have noticed that they billed me for five tickets when there were only four of us on the tour.

Review: On 11/**/2014, a man standing on the corner smoking a cigarette asked if we needed tickets to the empire state building I said no we would go to the building and buy our tickets. He said he was an employee of the empire state building, that he was outside on a smoke break. I asked if he worked for the building or if he was with another company that sells tickets. He said he worked for the actual building not the other company and said "see I wear a different colored vest then them" as he pointed across the street. He then told us that the empire state building sent staff out to sell tickets because the lines were so backed up and current wait time was 3 hours. He then pulled up the official empire state building website and showed us saying "this is who I work for" he then offered to sell us tickets so we could avoid the ticket line. I told him I wanted tickets to both the 86 and 102 floors that we need express tickets because my husband has MS that his wheel chair was back at the hotel and there is NO WAY and wouldn't be able to stand in line for 3 hours. He said he was able to sell us the same tickets as the one at the door but because I was buying from him he would reduce the price from $67 to the non express ticket price which would be $46 for adults and 40 for kids (showing us the ESB website price on his phone) and he would throw in the skyride for free. I gave him a puzzled look and said we aren't interested in the skyride. He said " but it free and you will not wait in any line at anytime the tickets get you a separate elevator that takes you directly to the top floor that and you can see all the floors under it too and the skyride is free ." I said so let me make sure I am clear we can go the both the observation deck and the VERY top floor with NO waiting for $46?" He said "yup $46 for adults and $40 for kids and a free skyride, its a great deal." he was talking to my husband giving him directions to the door we needed to enter as he ran my card then handed the tickets to my husband saying "I give these you to hang on to so she can sign, make sure you don't lose them" Then he said here I will hold this so you can sign. (What I didn't realize is he positioned my card over the amount he rang through.) then reached over and said I will stick this in here for you (putting my receipt in my jacket pocket) as I juggled the stuff in my arms. When we got to the right door, went through security and then were confused by being shuffled through lines I tried to ask where we were suppose to go for the express separate elevator we were told "right here" and put in line then they switch tickets for different tickets and I asked again stating we had express tickets for the very top floor. The person said yup you need to be right here (a line) once I figured out we were being shuffled to the skyride I tried to ask again but the employee cut me off saying you are I the right place. we waited 30 minutes for the ride... my husband had to sit on the floor (the incline to the fist room really threw his balance off and several times I tried to ask questions but the employees wouldn't stop to answer questions and when I went to open a side door so he could sit down we were yelled at (he was very embarrassed and was trying to cope so he didn't feel like he was ruining things for our family). The ride was a joke and after it we were shuffled into another line I immediately said we have express tickets to the top floor, the employee took it from my hand and said "no you don't wait here" I said yes we do and pulled the receipt from my pocket to show her what we paid for saying they must have screwed up when they swapped the tickets at the counter and asked her to get us a manager. She never even looked as she said again "no you don't but there is a wait for everything because of the holidays. The managers are busy. wait here so you can get to the 86 floor then come back they should be available by then and able to fix your tickets as she was walking away. At that point I looked at my receipt and realized not only did we not have the tickets we were told we were getting we also were charged A LOT more then the quote amount. I then stepped out of line to go find an employee who again said the managers were busy and said "go enjoy the 86th floor and see us after." There was no "enjoying" anything after that. I was very upset and after I immediately asked for a manager and explained the whole thing She apologized said "to bad he left his wheel chair at the hotel you wouldn't have had to wait at all if he had it" I said if I would have gotten the ticket I asked for and was TOLD I was paying for we wouldn't have had to wait either. She said that another manager would need to help us and to wait here for him. We watch as 3 other people/families complaining about the same thing. at one point the manger walked away. as we waited several employees approached us at different times. Each time I said we were waiting for a manager and they would reply "there are no refunds".... "did you use your ticket if you did what are you complaining about?" "its your fault for not knowing" I finally asked the guy in the uniform (who did work for the empire state building) he stumbled over his words then said " I can't say anything, they rent space" after another 10 minutes during which time we saw the guy that sold us the tickets get off the escalator and walk into the same room as the manager. I again asked for the manager and was told "no refunds" at that point I said get the manager. she mumbled "stupid" as she walked away. When the manager walked up he listened he took my charge receipt and said "I cannot get you tickets to the 102 floor, we don't even sell those and I am very sorry for your wait we don't sell express passes we have fast passes" he explained the difference then said "let me go check to see if your card has been charge through if it hasn't we will just void the charge if it has I will see what we can d to get you a full refund tonight" when he came back he apologized and said he could void it and "unfortunately I can't do a cash refund but I can refund your purchase by mail, you will get a check for $336.00 in the nest 2 weeks" he was cut off by a loud voice hollering "their lying I put a sticker on it.... you tell him your lying and you saw the sticker" I looked up as the guy who sold us the tickets was walking to us. The manager jumped in front of him telling him to go away he was handling this the ticket guy continued to holler then walked over to the girl at the counter saying "find the slip I put a sticker on it you guys are LIARS" .... it was crazy and scary. when the manager got him to walk away (he was hollering at us the whole time) he again apologized and said we would get a full refund and said "that shouldn't have happened" I asked what the guy meant by a sticker (I was really confused as to what the sticker was and why I was being accused of lying about it) The manager said it didn't matter and said" fill this refund request out so we can mail you your refund check" Which I did and then I pulled out my cell phone to take a picture of it and the request and receipt. The employees and manager got jumpy and said I didn't need to do that but my husband stepped in front of the guy and I took a picture anyway. After we were back at the hotel I told my husband that I think we were scammed again by the manager and explained the bottom of the refund request said it was a request and not a guaranteed refund and showed him the picture. I said I think they did that to appease us and get us out of there and we will never get a check. we call or credit card company who told us that we could file a dispute after the charge was no longer pending. We also considering calling the police to file a report but chose to give the company the benefit of the doubt that they would mail us a check. It has been 2 weeks. We have NOT received a check. I filed a disputed with my bank and now I am filing a complaint here. I would love to see this company put out of business! What they did was VERY wrong! but unfortunately until the Empire State Building or NYC decides to do something they will keep scamming people.Desired Settlement: initially all I requested was an apology and for the tickets to the 102 floor for my family....I was told that they (NYC skyride) couldn't do that and was told I WOULD be refunded $336.00. Thus I want the refund.

Business

Response:

After receiving a complaint form [redacted], we assured her the behavior described in her complaint was not condone or supported by our company and we offered her a full refund of her purchase. This refund was done on her credit card on 12/**/2014. Please see attached email correspondence and refund slip. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------...⇄ Hello again: Attached you will see the refund slip for the credit done on your Visa card ending [redacted]. It usually takes 3 to 4 business days for it to be posted in your account. If you have any other questions, please let me know. Thank you and Happy New Year!

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,