Complain about a product or service

Sierra Club Outings

Joyce of Cerritos, CA, writes (5/9/01):
I obtained the services of California Law Clinic when I needed to sue the Sierra Club for being thrown off a backpacking trip August 2000. The backpacking trip was based in the Lake Tahoe Area and was a beginning backpack trip conducted in two sections. I became sick on the first portion of the backpacking trip and was not allowed to continue on the second portion. The leader claimed I was not in proper physical condition and I told her I was. I run and swim on a regular basis and she didn't believe me.

I wrote to the Outings Committee of the Sierra Club asking for a refund and was denied. I then went to the California Law Clinic on December 26, 2000 and they decided to serve the Sierra Club in the Los Angeles area located on Wilshire Boulevard. I called the Law Clinic at least 2-3 times after I gave them $300.00 to file my lawsuit and kept asking what was happening and when was my Court date? Mr. Tripper (Paralegal) who handled my case kept telling me he would get back with me. I then received a notice from the Small Claims Court in downtown Los Angeles informing me that I never appeared for the hearing and neither did anyone from the Sierra Club. that was in February 2001. I contacted Mr. Tripper and informed him of this and he told me it was all my fault because I wasn't calling up and making sure everything was moving along smoothly. I gave him my $300.00 hoping he would handle everything.

He told me we could refile the case and I went downtown and refiled the case and gave him $60.00 more. I showed Mr. Tripper the form from the Court and he put it in his shredder. The Court date was set for April 4, 2001 and I went to Court and the Judge kicked it out of Court saying it was in the wrong Court and I had to go to San Francisco to file this. I then went back to the California Law Clinic and gave Mr. Tripper $400.00 more to file the case in San Francisco and that was done on April 4, 2001. It has now been five weeks and I have called Mr. Tripper twice and he is very rude and abrupt with me. I told him I just want to make sure there isn't a Court date like before and I am not notified.

I already paid $545.00 for the Beginning Backpack Trip up at Lake Tahoe that I was thrown off of and not given a refund and on top of that I obtained the services of California Law Clinic and gave them $760.00 of my money and they haven't done a thing for me except be rude and very abrupt with me. I am very upset about this and I went to this Clinic hoping they could help me recover my money from the Sierra Club for throwing me off this backpacking trip last August without giving me a refund. As for the Sierra Club they wrote and told me they gave me an option to stay at the Lodge which only costs $200.00 a week to stay at. I paid for a backpacking trip and not a Lodge Trip. I am upset with the Sierra Club for throwing me off a backpacking trip without a refund and also with this Clinic that took $760.00 from me and hasn't done a thing for me yet.

Joyce doesn't need a lawyer to sue in Small Claims Court -- and from the sound of it, she doesn't need a paralegal either. She can file the claim herself and avoid the hassle and expense.

Follow-Up On 7/2/01, Joyce wrote:
I filed a complaint about two months ago. Since that time I have received countless pieces of correspondence from the Sierra Club trying to get me to renew my membership with them and to go on future trips. I have written them asking them to reimburse me for the backpacking trip they kicked me off of August 2000. I have never received any reimbursement and I have written them and told them to stop sending me correspondence because I do not want to be a member of an organization that treats me this way.

I was signed up for an Introductory Backpacking Trip August 12-18, 2000 with the Sierra Club. The trip was based at Claire Tappan Lodge near Lake Tahoe, California. The trip was conducted in two separate sessions and we stayed at the Lodge while preparing for the backpacking trips. I had done a total of three days of hiking involving approximately 4-5 miles a day and became ill on the return from our first backpacking trip. I had a very bad headache the day I returned from the trip and was slower than everyone else. I completed a day hike with the group the first day and I had no problems and I hiked to our campground the first night of our backpack trip and had no problems. On returning I was not feeling well and was slower.

I did not have a good night's sleep and just was not feeling well. We were to spend the evening at the Lodge and depart on the second session of the trip the following morning. I was feeling better that evening and was looking forward to the next backpacking trip. I was informed by the leader that I could not continue with the group the next day. I paid $545.00 for this Introductory Backpacking Trip and drove about 600 miles. She told me I was not in good enough physical condition and I misrepresented myself on the application. I told her I was in good condition and I was having a bad day.

I certainly would not sign up for a backpacking trip if I was not doing any exercise. I told her I had completed several mini-triathlons and about 10 marathons within the past 10 years. I had done backpacking in the 70's and 80's and had done a Mountaineering Course with the Sierra Club. I wrote the Outings Department and asked for a refund and they outright denied the refund. They told me I had an option of remaining at Claire Tappan Lodge. I looked it up on the Internet and it cost barely over $200.00 a week to stay at this lodge. If they didn't want me on their backpacking trip they should have reimbursed me my $545.00. The trip was to have only 14 participants on it and the leader signed up everyone that was on the waiting list. We had 20 participants on this trip and that was way too many. They were really anxious to sign me up for the trip. They knew if they were not happy with you they just kick you off the trip and not give you a refund. They really should change their policy.

I have been emotially upset since they kicked me off this backpacking trip August 2000. I have trained very hard for many years and I resent someone telling me that I am not in good physical condition. I am 60 years old this month and do not work all the time and I really was going over my budget by paying $545.00 for this trip. I thought I was going to have a really good time. Little did I know that they had no regard for me or my feelings. They just wanted to get my $545.00. The Sierra Club is always trying to get donations and they can't get people to give the donations voluntarily so they sign people up for trips and keep their money if it doesn't work out. If it happened to me I am sure it has happened to others.

Back to the top | Travel

Home | Rogues Gallery | Good Guys | Complaint Form | News | Recalls | Search
Consumer Resources | Find A Lawyer | Newsletters | Forums | Contact Us | Advertise

Consumer Affairs.Com is provided by ConsumerAffairs.com, Inc. in association with Joan E. Lisante LLC, licensed to practice in Virginia and the District of Columbia and the Law Offices of Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates, Ltd., licensed to practice in Illinois.  ConsumerAffairs.com is an independent service not affiliated with any government agency.  For more information see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice.  ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof. 

Copyright © 1999-2001 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.