Out $150,000 in trail grooming and Junior Nordic fees, the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage says it is unable to get an explanation from a Bellingham, Wash., company contracted to provide online collection of credit-card payments.
The ski association on Friday took the unusual step of warning club members by e-mail that the “money could be lost'' and suggesting they try to get their credit-card companies to act against “Count Me In,'' the operator of the Web site www.countmein.com.
“You may wish to contact your credit-card company customer service department and place your payment in dispute,'' the e-mail said.
Jeff Scott, president of the association's board, said the association is itself considering a lawsuit against Count Me In.
“We're talking with legal counsel right now,'' he said.
Both Scott and Diane Moxness, executive director of the association, were quick to add that the ski club has financial reserves big enough to make up for the loss and plans no cutbacks in Anchorage ski trail maintenance or other activities at this time.
The ski club grooms about 80 miles of winter trails in Anchorage and organizes a wide variety of events from ski races to youth-involvement programs. Next year, it is set to host the U.S. Cross-Country Ski Championships from Jan. 3-8. Scott said the national ski championships will in no way be affected by the dispute with Count Me In — a company that appears to be in serious financial trouble.
