American Safari Ranch — Local services in Fairplay

WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED.

This review is about the two encounters I had with the owner, Stan, over the phone, one call to book and one call to cancel.

BOOKING - I got Stan on the phone when I called to make my reservation. From the beginning, there was confusion because the information on the website was incorrect regarding the prices for the various lengths of rides (the prices listed were apparently the summer prices and not the winter prices, though the website didn't mention anywhere that seasons will affect the price). I was willing to pay the winter prices, which were understandably more expensive than the summer prices due to the weather and the toll that takes on the staff/horses. I made the suggestion to Stan that to avoid confusion with future customers, to make sure the prices on the website correctly reflect the season. He immediately got defensive, stating that this is the most affordable horseback riding company around (wasn’t arguing with him on this point) and that I wouldn't find a better deal elsewhere. I tried saying multiple times that I was not suggesting that, but he would not listen or validate my suggestion. Overall, he was pushy, cut me off multiple times, made assumptions to what I was thinking as opposed to what I was saying, etc. Needless to say, I left the call not feeling great about having just made a reservation there.

CANCELLATION - Due to tropical storms that came through Florida, we had to change our flights to Colorado, cutting our trip short by a day and preventing us from making our reservation at American Safari Ranch. Unfortunately, I had to cancel very last minute (less 22hrs to our reservation) as we were hoping our flights would hold, but that ended up not being the case. When I called to cancel, I got Stan on the phone again. I explained the situation, and he immediately was frustrated because he had been "telling everyone that we are booked for Tuesday". I apologized for the inconvenient position I was putting them in, but explained that there is nothing I can do - the weather, something completely out of our control, is what caused us to get to Colorado one day later than expected. He then asked questions about what I would be doing instead of riding with them (uncalled for) and I explained that we already have plans for the other days and have no intention of cancelling them. I explained that we would not even be in that area of Colorado anymore, to which he told me "I didn't have to lie" to him. HE INSINTUATED THAT I WAS LYING. He made comments brushing off what I had to say, saying "I've heard all sorts of excuses before". He continued trying to push and pry, and the conversation got so frustrating that I ended up quickly reiterating once more to please cancel our reservation and I hung up on him.

I got a call back from the ASR number a few minutes later and I chose to answer, hoping I would be speaking with somebody else. It was Stan once more, who then told me that there is a 48hr cancellation policy (I don't know if this is actually listed on the website anywhere, I couldn't check because the website was down). He said multiple times how disrespectful it was I was cancelling so close to our reservation and that this is "not how you do business" and that they "ask for respect from our customers, and we respect them". I asked to speak to somebody else and he said "Who? I am the one in charge here". The conversation ended with a passive aggressive comment from Stan about how Americans treat people that work in service and then hung up on me.

TO STAN - from one salesperson to another, getting defensive, being pushy, being passive aggressive, and questioning your customers' intentions are NOT the way to run a successful business.

TO POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS - pay the extra $10-$20 and ride somewhere else to avoid...

ASR was truly the cherry on top of the whipped cream that is the mountains!

My husband and I camped in our RV on the ranch for several days and we did two separate horse riding days- both absolutely wonderful experiences. Few words can describe the beauty of the terrain and the horses

Couples horse ride- ‘Ruben’ was our guide and as it was my husbands first time on a horse- we got to take it nice and easy, the ranch hands did very well making us comfortable and were as patient as needed with any new rider. ‘Milwaukee’ was a fine horse for riding, very dependable and easy to manage having had experience before. ‘Kaiya’ was the perfect horse for a beginner, very sturdy, patient, and sweet horse!

While some trails through the woods you would expect nose to tail, it doesn’t have to be, there are criss-crossing trails that run parallel to one another in close quarters so you can all ride together and not in a line! (Who wants to smell the horse in front of you?)

Private Ride- This came about after a few days of camping at the ranch, I couldn’t help but take another ride on their beautiful horses after feeding them copious amounts of grass and hay. My attention was directed to ‘Inca’ a Paso Fino horse, is definitely a rarer breed- her signature gait was in tact. An absolute delight to ride such a pristine animal, even her saddle was the softest leather- my rear end was not sore after the ride!! The ride was smooth and the guide even noted that she behaved for me much better than usual, even for him as a handler! Up the mountain and through the fields, around a small pond and into the woods we went on the most gorgeous terrain in the world, my only regret is not wearing a go pro! As a smaller horse, she doesn’t get to go in the mountains much without a light rider experienced enough for her, but she did shine when we came to what is clearly her favorite field! Absolutely wonderful, I hope to return and ride this beauty again sometime!

RV Ranch- The ranch boasts a well that is rumored not to freeze! Perfect for a year round place to visit with your RV! They brought the electrical to us by extension cable, and our converter handled it perfectly! (We had the 120 adapter) They used to have an RV hookup and I believe they plan to put some in elsewhere, but it was disconnected during our stay (not at all a hinderance if you’re living like a rancher!)

The night life is quiet unless more people are on the ranch, the nights are peaceful and you can hear for miles, the occasional horse or cow, as well as all the frogs and crickets. Most of the animals are off grazing in the fields by 4 and the penned animals return to their huts by sunset with the cooling air.

The staff on this ranch work hard to make every experience an enjoyable one, ‘Hauss’ helped me fix a seal on my RV because he just happened by while I was working on it!

The family is wonderful and you can feel the roots into the ranch, everything feels authentic and there’s a real outhouse if you’re into that!

P.S. THEY HAVE THE...

I was really excited to get here with my family. We had one of our group switch out to stay with the baby in the car so we could all enjoy our vacation. We did the horse back for 4 people and followed it with 4 wheelers for 4 people. Horseback riding was nice, the horses were decent and well taken care of. 4 Wheelers were in good shape topo and we were told they are ranch vehicles, not for having fun, they are for work. As our guide was informing us he said those with 4 wheeler experience will be disappointed. We weren't really disappointed at all. The trail was a little slow, understandably you have to look out for all the riders and safety is the most important thing. I get it and nobody in my group complained. After tipping the wrangler $100 as we are driving out the owner stops our SUV and starts. He says you guys had a lot of fun out there. At this point I'm thinking yeah thanks we all enjoyed ourselves. I assume he appreciates the almost $800 We just spent at the ranch. Thats not the case. He is upset about the wear and tear on his equipment, and sliding the back wheels back and forth in the rocks is just too much fun...and did you even tip the wrangler. You know I have cameras all over the property. I just cant believe the lack of respect you have for my equipment....Im not sure what he expects from people renting things but maybe he shouldn't rent 4 wheelers. Same guy that said ride these horses!! With all of the other options in the area, this will not be a place I revisit. My family was pretty surprised that the owner acted this way. From what we overheard he doesn't pay his employees. He lets them stay on the ranch for free in their camper but they work for tips. Either way we...