Idaho River Rip-Off

My family schedule a rafting trip with the Idaho Guide Service out of Twin Falls. We had called Shelley Gardner and set our rafting trip for 11:00 a.m. on July 13, 2005. We flew to Elko, Nevada, rented a car and drove to Hagerman, Idaho and to the put in point just below the dam on the Snake River. Nobody from the guide service ever showed up. At 12 noon, we went to the nearest telephone and called the guide service. Olin Gardner answered the phone and said that the trip had been cancelled and offered no clear reason why. We requested compensation for the expense of the trip but he said that he would only offer a refund of the rafting trip. We have yet to receive a refund and they will not return our calls or emails about the situation. My advice is to avoid Idaho for your recreational needs. Thans, Steve Jones, Woodville, Texas

Idaho River Rip-Off

I%26#39;m not a rafter or an outdoor rec person by any means nor am I a native Idahoan, but I hardly think one bad experience is enough to condemn the entire state. To be honest, I have never heard of anyone rafting in this part of Idaho. Sometimes the water levels are extremely low when the farmers are taking water out of the Snake for crops. And we%26#39;re desert plains. I think maybe you have to have mountains to a make a good rafting trip?

I%26#39;ve done a float trip in Jackson WY -- that area is incomparably beautiful. Best mountains, best wildlife, great fishing and rafting by all accounts, and a wide variety of accomodations for the movie star or the ordinary Joe.

Stanley, Idaho does a brisk rafting business by all accounts. The Sawtooth Mountains there are beautiful, can be seen from Twin Falls which is 80+ miles away.

The Middle Fork is thrown around a lot in conversations and I%26#39;m thinking that%26#39;s the Payette River. I know my husband and son rafted just outside of Cascade, Idaho.

I%26#39;m sorry your trip was a disaster and I feel for you. I would wonder who sent you to Southern Idaho to raft with so many other choices. Maybe that%26#39;s the person who might catch a little heck. :-)

Idaho River Rip-Off

i love idaho rafting never had a problem in about 6 trips. try orange torpedo or action whitewater or western river exp. oars is excellent too.

Hi, I am the guide that ran the trip that day Mr. Jones is refering to. I just becane aware of this posting this week. My company had to reschedule that trip for latter in the day (2 hrs. latter) because of unannounced road construction at the Bliss Take-out. Mr Jones had been requested to call our office on our toll free number the night before or moring of the trip. He never did call. Our office did call both of the telephone numbers he had listed on his reservation form and left messsages for Mr. Jones and party. We did run the trip at 2pm and had told Mr. Jones that we he called our office that morniong, he simply refused to go because he was mad we had not contacted him about the reschedule time.. we tried. Mr. Jones sent numerous false and misleading e-mails to numerous parties not involved in this during the preceeding days. Idaho Guide Service refunded all of the trip monies the same day as the trip was scheduled. We did not rip anyone off and no ill intention was ever expressed by my company. I have seen the file on this and Idaho Guide Service did send a written appolgy and a gift certificate for a complimentry trip for his whole party of 4 guests. We have a great record of service from over 20 years of guiding in Idaho. This was the 1st and only incident of customer disatisfaction that we have ever had that I know of, and I have been guiding for Olin %26amp; Shelley for 12 years now. We have a spotless record with the State of Idaho and the Federal Land Management agencies who administer our licenses and permits. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Wayne White-Licensed Guide for Idaho Guide Service

e-mail is guides@idahoguideservice.com

Hi, I am the guide that ran the trip that day Mr. Jones is refering to. I just becane aware of this posting this week. My company had to reschedule that trip for latter in the day (2 hrs. latter) because of unannounced road construction at the Bliss Take-out. Mr Jones had been requested to call our office on our toll free number the night before or moring of the trip. He never did call. Our office did call both of the telephone numbers he had listed on his reservation form and left messsages for Mr. Jones and party. We did run the trip at 2pm and had told Mr. Jones that we he called our office that morniong, he simply refused to go because he was mad we had not contacted him about the reschedule time.. we tried. Mr. Jones sent numerous false and misleading e-mails to numerous parties not involved in this during the preceeding days. Idaho Guide Service refunded all of the trip monies the same day as the trip was scheduled. We did not rip anyone off and no ill intention was ever expressed by my company. I have seen the file on this and Idaho Guide Service did send a written appolgy and a gift certificate for a complimentry trip for his whole party of 4 guests. We have a great record of service from over 20 years of guiding in Idaho. This was the 1st and only incident of customer disatisfaction that we have ever had that I know of, and I have been guiding for Olin %26amp; Shelley for 12 years now. We have a spotless record with the State of Idaho and the Federal Land Management agencies who administer our licenses and permits. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Wayne White-Licensed Guide for Idaho Guide Service

e-mail is guides@idahoguideservice.com