false advertising complaint - Mayrhofner Bergbahnen AG

Der/die Beschwerdeführer/in wurden darüber in Kenntnis gesetzt und informiert, welche Institution sich der Angelegenheit annimmt.

Der Beschwerdefall ist für den Österreichischen Werberat hiermit abgeschlossen.

Hallo!

My complaint about Tirol company "Mayrhofner Bergbahnen AG" attached.
Please have a look and proceed accordingly.

Kind Regards,

COMPLAINT
(on misleading and comparative advertising)

Basing on the «Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005/29/EC» I would like to make an official complaint concerning cable car company "Mayrhofner Bergbahnen AG" (Ahornstrasse 853, 6290 Mayrhofen, Tirol, Austria). I consider that the information they distribute about their services contains misleading or comparative advertisement statements and will prove it in 3 examples:

1. In brochures for tourists and their website (for example here) the company explicitly states that their ski slope named "The Harakiri" with it's 78% gradient is Austria’s steepest slope. But this is 100% lie and figures can be checked. There are minimum 2 slopes that are steeper («Streif» with it’s 85% in Kitzbühel and «Langer Zug» in Lech with it’s 80%) . This can be proved among others by:

· Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streif

· Austria.info: https://www.austria.info/en/things-to-do/skiing-and-winter/skiing/legendary-slopes

· Official Lech Zürs am Arlberg: https://www.lechzuers.com/en/winter/winter-sports/skiing/langer-zug

· Snowtrex.de: https://www.snowtrex.de/magazin/top-10/steilste-pisten-der-alpen/

· Redbull.com: https://www.redbull.com/de-de/steilste-ski-abfahrten

2. In brochures for tourists and their website (here and here) and big light boxes with map near cash desks the company states about «60 modernste anlagen» (lifts), but in reality they own only 26 of them and they are not young. As example – there are no any chairlift with seat heating (first implemented in 2004). Average age of their lifts is less than 1998, oldest – 1969, before 1980 – 4, before 1990 – 6 and after 2010 – only 4. This can be proved by (full report attached):

· https://www.lift-world.info/de/lifts/place/mayrhofen/index.htm

· https://www.skiwelt.de/seilbahnen-lifte/1466-231-53-Penkenkuli.html

· https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/mayrhofen-penkenahornrastkogeleggalm/

3. Everywhere company distribute map with territory of «Hintertux Glacier» in the upper left corner and it not included in normal day ticket. When they sell multiday tickets it includes much bigger territory called Zillertal. So the map they distribute is totally false because not corresponds with any ticket they sell. Using misleading images in a bid to look better is one of false advertizing techniques and it deprives consumers of the accurate information they need to make good, well-informed decisions.

I wish to prevent other people from being misled, be always happy when travelling to Tyrol and Austria even in Covid-19 years. I ask you to take all possible legal actions to force "Mayrhofner Bergbahnen AG" to abandon above mentioned misleading or comparative advertising.

Please let me know if you have any questions and inform me about results of my complaint outcome.

Sincerely yours,  

Enclosures:

              Encl. 1 – Screenshot about Harakiri slope from official Flyer
              Encl. 2 – Lifts age report
              Encl. 3 – Photo of light box with map near cash desks at PenkenBahn

Data sources:

·       https://www.lift-world.info/de/lifts/place/mayrhofen/index.htm

·       https://www.skiwelt.de/seilbahnen-lifte/1466-231-53-Penkenkuli.html