text:
It's 4 pm on the droning exhibition floor of the Aria Convention Center; only my second day in Las Vegas, but already the sinuses are desiccated from recycled desert air. My head is pounding from last night's martinis. I struggle to hold a recorder in the face of Patrick Carroll, a 54-year-old Irishman and founder of the next-generation fraud prevention firm ValidSoft, who is talking to me about voice authentication. Just behind him is a group of polished-looking men in black suits with lanyards that say "Money2020" where their ties should be. One of them is playing with a red light-up yo-yo.
As Carroll launches into a speech about "invisible software solutions," I see the men turn abruptly in near-unison with the rest of the Money2020 crowd and migrate out of the teeming exhibit room in which we're standing. They zip pass towering booths for PayPal and Google Wallet and out the doors, leaving the place empty and almost quiet.
Suze Orman looks like a bloodthirsty pitbull as she paces the stage, staring straight at the crowd. Then she rips into them.
Suze Orman looks like a bloodthirsty pitbull as she paces the stage, staring straight at the crowd. Then she rips into them.
"Thanks so much for your time," I say to Carroll, wrapping up the interview as quickly as courtesy allows, and find a copy of the conference schedule.
"General Session Power Panel: MCX Overview & Strategy – Room: Pinyon 4/5" is the only event listed in the 4 pm time slot, so I head there.
The Pinyon Room buzzes with something like anxiety, and I sit on the floor with the other sad latecomers. Under the glaring white lights, but elevated by a stage, sit big-money honchos of Best Buy, CVS, and Walmart – three members of the Orwellian-sounding Merchant Customer Exchange.
I skim my event schedule for the section on MCX and see that they are, "A group of the nation's leading merchants … offering consumers a customer-focused, versatile and seamlessly integrated mobile-commerce platform … biggest constituent retailers … groundbreaking general session."
Mike Cook, Vice President and Assistant Treasurer of Walmart, finishes explaining MCX's goal of providing an "enhanced consumer relationship," but the crowd doesn't appear to be buying it. I'm surrounded by a sea of stiff, scowling faces.
Then it hits me: MCX isn't a teammate in this faux-future financial services game that the first-annual Money2020 conference is supposed to represent – and the conference attendees have just discovered this insurgent is about to toss a great big pipe bomb onto the pitch.
The concept of holding a convention about money in the least fiscally responsible city on the planet should have given the organizers pause. Approximately $25 billion in NFC (Near Field Communication) payments are made in the U.S. each year, with that number expected to soar to $75 billion by 2015. And 16.3 percent of all things sold on Black Friday were purchased with either a tablet or a smartphone. Digitally-enabled financial services is a growing industry, one that needs to earn skeptical users' trust. Vegas casinos, conversely, tricked gamblers out of $6.07 billion in 2011 alone. This was not a place for sound financial thinking.
Then again, I was clued into this little boondoogle by an event PR flack with the last name "Crook," and I still came. Who was I to judge?
Besides, this wasn't some confab where junior partners at investment banks measure the size of each other's MBAs. I was here to mix with the top brass of the financial services industry – little companies like MasterCard, Amex, Visa – and, for three days, these payment leaders would come together "to figure out what the future of money will look like." That's what Crook told me, anyway.
Thirty six hours prior to the MCX pipe bomb lighting, I find myself atop a mountainous escalator, descending slowly into the beige bowels of the Aria. A sea of black suits percolate 30 feet below and I feel my body grow hot before it douses itself with a cold sweat.
Historically speaking, I'm not what you would call "good with money." Thanks to a shockingly ill-fated marriage to a British soft-core porn star some years before, my credit score has plunged into what I can only imagine is double digits. Could these sharks know that?
Frozen on the descending escalator, I imagine the convention check-in process ending with a manic horde of Money2020 goers, having smelled an aroma of oppressive debt emanating from beneath my sweat-cold collar, trapping me in a silk net, and tossing me into an overheated Aria hot tub to boil. I see my crimson body scooped from the water by a nine-foot ogre in a tuxedo, who serves me on a silver platter to a crowd ready to dip me in chalices of black truffle butter like some gold-flaked lobster.
I hit the bottom of the escalator, snap out of my hideous vision, and walk up to the check-in desk.
If this is a sign of what the future of money looks like, we might as well just all bow out right now.
If this is a sign of what the future of money looks like, we might as well just all bow out right now.
"Hi, name's Andrew Couts. I'm with Digital Trends."
Of course, nothing unusual happens. No net. No ogre. The very nice woman hands me my badge with a smile, and suggests I pick up a swag bag from a counter across the way.
I grab my bag and a cup of coffee, take a seat on an empty couch, and watch the Money2020 attendees fill in around me. They are almost entirely male, between the ages of 35 and 50, and stand unnaturally straight in jackets and shirts with no ties. The few women in attendance walk briskly back and forth in pale floral dresses and grey suits that accentuate their edges, chiseled sharp by years of slaps on the ass.
These aren't the dreaded one percent; they're the crumb collectors of the one percent, who run around picking up every little golden crumb they can get their manicured mitts on. The place smells of musky aftershave lotion.
I focus my attention on the Money2020 schedule – a dizzying cluster of "track sessions," five at a time, 45 minutes each. They all have names like "Creating a Single Voice for Mobile Payments," "Innovations in Customer Acquisition," and "Transactional & Specialty Credit." I haven't a clue what most of this gibberish means, so I just pick a few that sound like they're my speed: apps, payment innovations, security, and NFC case studies.
The next two hours are a muddled mix of information bombardment and soul-sucking boredom. I learn about the "unbanked" and "innovative uses of existing infrastructure," point of sale, traditional touchpoints, TSM, EBPP, EVM, CPG, FIs, BPO, and a billion other acronyms that no one bothers to explain. By the time the first "Networking Break" comes around, I'm about to collapse from a confusion-induced aneurism.
If this is a sign of what the future of money looks like, we might as well just bow out right now.
After a third cup of coffee, I meet Dan Meader, a tall Californian with a surfer's sun-bleached hair. He created Allowance Manager, a free app that teaches kids basic money management skills using their real allowance. Meader worked for Apple and Adobe, but prior to that did some time in the financial services industry.
"I have to admit that I'm kind of frustrated by the whole thing," he replies when I ask him about the conference so far. "They're still having the same conversations today as they were seven or eight years ago."
The financial industry, he explains, is nothing like the technology industry; it is purposefully designed to reject change, thanks to massive regulation that protects the biggest players – Amex, Visa, MasterCard, Discover – from having to bother with uppity startups in the space.
"There are some big players that have a lot of power. I mean, effectively, they're monopolies. So, it's really hard to combat that."
We leave the "media lounge" and make our way through the exhibition hall, where booths for MasterCard, Discover, Chase, Western Union, and dozens more are still under construction, and head toward the Pinyon room, where CNBC host Suze Orman is about to deliver her keynote address.
I say goodbye to Meader and find a single seat in the center of a row.
Orman takes the stage to a thunderous applause from the audience. Sharply adorned in one of her signature getups, a zebra-stripe dress with a giant collar, she looks like a bloodthirsty pitbull as she paces the stage, staring straight at the crowd. Then she rips into them.
People "don't want these digital wallets," she barks. They're "confused." The financial industry needs to change, she scolds. But it needs to get simpler, not flooded with all the apps, and wallets, and tricks, and gizmos that litter the convention floor not 15 yards from where we all are sitting.
It won't be, Orman claims, "… until every single one of you in this room can figure out how to pick them up, how to hold them up, for their own good, not for your bottom line," that the assembled companies should expect to see the results in their own bottom line.
Hackles rise all around me.
"When you give them too many choices – this wallet, that wallet, this app, that app, 'You're going to pay your bills this way, this way, that way – or, that way, that way, this way.' Do you know what they do? They do absolutely nothing."
Anonymous. Digital. Unadulterated by politics. Mathematically pure. Bitcoin isn't just unique; it's punk rock – the antithesis of all the other mothballed nonsense I'd seen at Money2020.
Anonymous. Digital. Unadulterated by politics. Mathematically pure. Bitcoin isn't just unique; it's punk rock – the antithesis of all the other mothballed nonsense I'd seen at Money2020.
In front of me, a middle-aged man with sun-spotted skin whispers into the ear of a man to his right. "Yeah, but confusion means there's money to be made," he says. Both their bodies shake with stifled laughter. I expect them to high-five.
Orman ends with an anecdote about how one of her friends doesn't understand what Google Wallet is. The woman called her three times, Suze says, still perplexed by the technology.
"That woman's an idiot," I hear a female voice behind me say. She and her friend laugh heartily, as Suze leaves the stage.
Poor Osama Bedier, Google's VP in charge of Google Wallet, lumbers out to stunned applause. The Money2020 herd just spent the past 40 minutes listening to one of the consumer financial industry's most beloved personalities tell them why most of their life's work was stupid – no, not stupid, but bad for society. And here was Bedier about to heave himself head first into the bucket of sludge with talk of how "innovative" and "great" and "easy to use" Google Wallet is.
Forty five minutes later, I roam around the hall, face-to-face with what ol' Suze was hammering away at. Each one of these companies – around 65 in total – have their own "innovative" product to sell. Digital wallets, payment dongles, piles of pre-paid debits cards, 'social banking,' payment solutions, credit cards packed with gifting and "reward" schemes – a whole jumbled mess of jargon that some witless bastard dubbed "Banking 2.0."
Banking has been around for 4,000 years, and we're just now getting to version two.
I re-caffeinate and meander back toward the front of the room. Just then, I spot something interesting: A small Bitcoin booth, somehow hidden in the center of the room, surrounded by a crew of three guys who are clearly decades younger than anyone else at Money2020.
A hacker friend of mine clued me into Bitcoin a few years back. And I'd seen the random blog post about it since then. But I still don't fully grasp the concept. A black-haired guy, about my height, dressed in a slightly wrinkled, blue button-down shirt and khaki pants turns my way as I approach the Bitcoin kiosk. The badge around his neck tells me his name is Roger Ver.
Bitcoin, Ver explains, is the only truly new idea in the financial industry, and "the most important invention since the Internet!" Whereas credit cards and digital wallets are simply advanced ways to spend cash, Bitcoin is an entirely separate, digital currency, controlled by no nation. All purchases are entirely anonymous, and heavily encrypted.
"It's more stable than the U.S. dollar. And because each new Bitcoin is produced by a complex algorithm, it's impossible to just make new Bitcoins anytime you want, like the Fed does with dollars," Ver concludes. "That's probably why no country will ever adopt it."
Now this is something I could get excited about: A rogue currency that flies in the face of the entire world financial system. Anonymous. Digital. Unadulterated by politics. Mathematically pure. Bitcoin isn't just unique; it's punk rock – the antithesis of all the other mothballed nonsense I'd seen at Money2020.
To my left stands the least likely Money2020 attendee I can imagine. He has scrapped the jacket-and-pants look for a gray hoodie, white t-shirt, and black Puma track pants with a neon green stripe down the leg. His chin-length blonde hair frames a prominent forehead that would better fit an ancient human ancestor, and eyes that glitter darkly in deep sockets, punctuated by massively dilated pupils that make him look like he's tripping on acid. And who knows? I think. Maybe he is.
I introduce myself. The guy's name is Jesse Powell, and he hands me a card that says he's the CEO of a company called Payward. He's getting ready to launch his own Bitcoin exchange (a Bitcoin currency trading service), and tagged along with Roger for the event. He's just as enthusiastic about Bitcoin as Roger is. I want to learn more, I tell him, so we agree to meet up later that night.
That's his pitch?! Drugs and porn? I can't believe it – this acid-soaked fool has blown his big chance in one sentence.
That's his pitch?! Drugs and porn? I can't believe it – this acid-soaked fool has blown his big chance in one sentence.
A few hours later, over a mountain of beef bulgogi and across a sea of pickled Korean side dishes, Powell explains his earlier business selling virtual goods from video games when he receives a text. "A guy" from the International Finance Corporation – the investment arm of the World Bank – wants to join up with him for some drinks.
"We're talking big league dudes here," says Powell. "I met the guy earlier today. He seemed interested in Bitcoin. Want to go?"
We pay the bill, grab a cab, and head to the Social House, an absurdly upscale sushi restaurant next door to the Aria.
When we arrive, the four-man IFC crew is seated around a giant dark wood table, closed menus in front of them. Powell and I wave at the group and they slide over to make room for us. We take seats on either side of the table.
"Hey guys, this is Jesse," says one of the men in a German accent, extending his arm in Powell's direction. "He does Bitcoin." Everyone nods to Powell. "Hello." "Hi." "Hello."
"And you are?" asks the German. The whole mean crew looks at me.
"This is Andrew," Powell says. I waved at everyone, awkwardly.
"And what do you do, Andrew?" asks the German.
"I'm a journalist," I say. Someone mumbles something about "off the record" as I dive into the cocktail list, avoiding the group's prying gazes.
The German is Kai Martin Schmitz, a dapper "senior investment officer" for the IFC. Sitting to my left is Andi Dervishi, a soft-spoken Albanian and a member of the IFC's Global Information and Communication Technologies Department. To Schmitz's right sits Paul Jozefak, managing director of Liquid Labs GmbH, a Hamburg, Germany-based venture capital firm. The guy across from Paul doesn't say his name.
"Jesse, tell us about Bitcoin," says Schmitz, taking his McCallan 12 from our waiter.
Now is Powell's big chance, I think. These guys have the power to throw money at the thing he cares about most. I hold my breath, curious how he'll spin it.
"Well," says Powell, "it's an entirely digital currency. Right now, people mostly use it to buy drugs on this site called Silk Road – that and porn. I think it has a lot of potential."
That's his pitch?! Drugs and porn? I can't believe it – this acid-soaked fool has blown his big chance in one sentence. Who would invest in a thing like that? I look up to see the whole table recoil, their faces blank, not knowing how to react. Suddenly, Paul laughs. "Tell us more!" he says, and the rest of the crew nods in giddy agreement.
Unshaken, Powell goes on to exalt the benefits of Bitcoin while admitting the pitfalls of a small, volatile market that is regularly targeted by hackers. The money men around the table appear entirely undeterred by the risks. I can see dollar signs in their eyes.
Weeks later, Powell tells me that the IFC guys decided not to invest, though they are "very interested in Bitcoin." That was, however, before WordPress began to accept Bitcoin as payment for website hosting, before Europe gave a French Bitcoin exchange the same status as a real-money bank.
FreeMonee is brilliant and wicked, a real life example of the Future Of Money at work, and it makes me want to start burning things down.
FreeMonee is brilliant and wicked, a real life example of the Future Of Money at work, and it makes me want to start burning things down.
A few rounds later, things get hazy. My mind drowned in the cool glow of extra-dirty vodka martinis, I begin to lose track of the conversation. After a final round, I slur my goodbyes to the IFC crew. Powell, still stone-cold sober – he's been drinking water all night– leaves with the rest of the group, his Bitcoin pitch still holding their attention.
I do manage to scribble down a few notes that, in retrospect, make little sense: "DINNER: Almost killed, werewolves, Cancun & someone dies."
The next morning, battling a vicious hangover, I attend dull "Power Sessions" with names like "Digital Wallets – The Battle for Consumer Mindshare." All I learn is how committed the financial services industry is to solving the non-problem of credit cards.
"Digital wallets are the future," I hear over, and over, and over. But why? There's no reason. Sure, NFC is nifty. But do we really need to make it easier to spend money, and less difficult to keep track of the money we've spent? Maybe it's my own sordid financial past, but – other than ol' Suze – I seem to be the only one at Money2020 who feels the answer is no.
After lunch, I meet with Jim Taschetta, CMO of a company called FreeMonee, the sole purpose of which is to trick you into shopping when you might otherwise not. Jim is short, with a balding head of greying, dark brown hair, deep-set eyes, a young boxer's nose, and a big, lying smile.
"What we tripped upon three years ago was this notion that gift cards are really, really effective at bringing consumers in the door," Taschetta tells me. "When retailers use gift cards as an incentive to drive people in the door, they're 10 times more effective – 10 times more effective – than anything else they can do. Any advertising, promotion, couponing – 10 times more effective. "
FreeMonee works by sending people "virtual gift cards," which are attached to their credit or debit cards from financial institutions like US Bank or Discover. The gift cards are, as Jim explains, "free money – no strings attached." Each person receives cards based on their spending history, which is run through the FreeMonee algorithm – the "gift underwriting engine" – to calculate how much a person is likely to spend at a particular store just by walking through the door.
So if, for example, you generally spend $75 on average at Barnes & Noble, you might receive a $10 FreeMonee-B&N gift card that expires in seven days. You could, with the right kind of will power, walk into the bookstore and spend only the $10 gift card. Based on your spending habits, however, chances are high that you will actually spend $75 or more when you might not otherwise have visited the store at all.
It is brilliant and wicked, a real-life example of the Future Of Money at work, and it makes me want to start burning things down.
A few hours later, the MCX pipe bomb explodes in the Pinyon room. Rather than support any of the digital wallets being waved in their face by Money2020 presenters, MCX member companies are threatening to launch their own digital wallet – one that would keep the precious payment data so central to the Future Of Money all to themselves.
Best Buy … Target … Walmart … Bed Bath and Beyond … Shell … Sears … Gap Inc. … 7Eleven … Just a few moments ago, everyone at Money2020 planned to make millions from sales at these stores, and they intended to topple the Big Money monopoly that fortified the financial industry in the process. But MCX is launching a coup of its own, and where will these small scrappy upstarts and start ups who really believe in the Future Of Money fit in their new financial order?
No wonder everyone in the Pinyon room looks like they just ate a shit sandwich.
That evening, at a small party thrown by loyalty rewards provider called Truaxis, I ask a payments and security researcher named Aaron McPherson about the MCX announcement.
He thinks MCX is just posturing; flexing its merchant might in order to scare the money establishment into a position of weakness.
"They aren't really going to launch a digital wallet," says McPherson. "They're just threatening to, so they can negotiate better interchange fees."
Retailers currently have to pay these interchange fees every time someone buys something with a credit card. With the impending shift toward digital wallets, MCX member companies see their chance to shift the balance of power: Lower our fees, or we'll lock you out.
In other words, the Immediate Future Of Money looks like this: the four largest credit card companies in the world battling with 21 of the largest retailers in the world over a few percentage points on the way we've all been doing business for the last 50 years.
As for the real Future Of Money, it comes to me the next morning over a bloody Mary, surrounded by the infernal racket of the McCarran Airport slot machines.
We are about to be bombarded with a staggering array of new payment choices, none of which need to exist, but that the Money2020 crew – from Google on down – are hell-bent on forcing upon us. There will be a hundred different wallets, a thousand pre-paid cards, a billion loyalty rewards programs, and a whole layer of other services offering condensed versions of everything, which claim to be easier to understand. They aren't. It's a mystifying mess, and there's absolutely nothing new on the horizon, besides Bitcoin.
You know, the one used for drug purchases and porn.
Las Vegas, I realize, is the ideal place to hold a conference about the financial industry. In fact, Vegas is more than just a place – it is the perfect physical recreation of the financial industry itself: purposefully confusing, potentially life ruining, and filled with a million bells and whistles meant to lure us suckers in. Las Vegas, like the financial industry, is a soulless husk of a thing, built by greedy hands, for greedy ends. It is a place that has managed to bend the rules so that its particular vein of villainy can flow freely, without obstruction from anything or anyone.
As I sip the gritty last bits from my glass, the bartender arrives and asks if I want anything else. No, I say, my flight is leaving in less than half an hour.
"How would you like to pay?" he asks. "Cash or credit?"
"Can I pay with my phone?" I ask, with a smirk. He doesn't have a clue what the hell I am talking about.
*This article has been updated to reflect a disputed quote.
Editors' Recommendations
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- This streaming music service pays artists in Bitcoin, plants trees if you listen
- Are Bitcoins the new Beanie Babies, or is there hope in 2019?
- Hublot's newest luxury watch costs $25,000, and you can only pay in Bitcoin


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Rams-49ers tie likely not enough to alter NFL rule
When St. Louis and San Francisco couldn't produce a winner during 75 minutes of play, the complaints came from all corners of the NFL.
Tie games, after all, aren't much fun for the fans or the players, who finish just as unsatisfied as anyone else.
"I never had to think about it until now, and I sure don't like it," Rams defensive end Chris Long said. "I think everybody on the field would have liked to have gone back out and just settled it, but that's where we are. That's the rule right now, so it is what it is."
The Rams-49ers game Sunday finished at 24-all, the first tie in four years and only the fifth since 1990. So the rule right now that limits regular-season overtime to one period is likely to stay the same for a while.
"It's an occasional event. There is no real concern we need to change the system," said NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson, who happened to attend Sunday's game in San Francisco and was also present for the Atlanta-Pittsburgh draw in 2002. The other recent occurrence was Nov. 16, 2008, when Philadelphia and Cincinnati tied 13 apiece.
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb infamously acknowledged afterward he was unaware tie games were still possible. San Francisco safety Dashon Goldson said the same Sunday.
"When I saw both sides walking onto the field, I was like, 'Where's everybody going?'" Goldson said. "Did somebody quit? Forfeit?"
Goldson, for the record, knew about the new wrinkle that now gives one team the chance to match if the other team gets the ball first in overtime and makes a field goal. (Touchdowns still immediately end the game.)
"But I didn't know there wouldn't be a second overtime if nobody scored," Goldson said.
Now he does, due to a rare sequence of events during the extra period that kept the two teams even.
The Rams had an 80-yard pass on the first play negated by an illegal formation penalty. Then stalwart David Akers missed a 41-yard field goal for the 49ers. Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein made one from 53 yards, but that didn't count because of a delay-of-game call. His next attempt from 58 yards was wide right.
By then, the anticlimactic ending seemed inevitable.
"Ties just don't seem to make sense in football," said Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who played in that previous draw in 2008. "There's too much effort, too much sacrifice that goes into this game to end in a tie, that's for sure."
The 49ers (6-2-1) now have a hard-to-figure-out lead on the Seahawks (6-4) in the NFC West, which makes Sunday's outcome all the more maddening.
"A division game? Oh, wow. I guess that could make it interesting at the end of the year," Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker said.
Overtime was introduced at the college level in 1996, and there the teams trade possessions from the 25-yard line until there's a winner. But the time when ties were permitted below the NFL was so long ago that current players never experienced that.
Denver safety Rahim Moore dug deep in his memory bank to Pop Warner ball to recall one.
"I believe we went triple overtime and we ended up winning and I don't remember how it all went down," Moore said. "It was like the '90s, so I forget. Also, I would say it was in the rain."
Even the NHL has abolished ties, using a penalty shot competition after scoreless overtimes in a regular-season game with mixed reviews. (Imagine the NFL switching to a punt-pass-kick contest to settle the score!)
"I would've loved to see a shootout," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said, joking. "A couple of guys firing the ball at the goal posts. Anything to settle the thing."
Uh, don't count on that.
Anderson said the NFL's competition committee will consider the overtime rules annually, but in a league where injuries are common the likelihood of a change is slim.
"To have these guys going into an additional overtime period or more, we would be taking on some risk we don't think is prudent to take on," Anderson said.
The NFL Players Association didn't respond to a request for comment.
Another factor working against a change is game quality. With the promise of endless overtimes, if necessary to determine a winner, teams could be tempted to play conservatively down the stretch and bog a contest down in safe runs and punts.
There's also the stake the television networks have in this multi-billion-dollar business to consider. CBS and Fox already have to push back lucrative Sunday night shows if games run long during the afternoon. The possibility — even if it's an improbability — of a three-overtime game, then, is not ideal for them even though they'd undoubtedly keep fans glued to their sets for more time in that scenario.
Anderson said the NFL has not sought opinion from the networks on the potential of a format switch, though he said of squeezed programming, "I am sure those are legitimate concerns."
Anderson said player health and safety is the driver of such discussions.
NBC's "Sunday Night Football" producer Fred Gaudelli said he didn't see the need for a change because of the rarity of ties and echoed Anderson's concern of greater injury risk with longer games.
But, Gaudelli said, "from a TV perspective, I don't know what the downside would be."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Terms & Conditions (discovery italy)
Powder White Lite Ltd - Accommodation Terms
Booking Conditions
A holiday booking is made between Powder White Lite Ltd and the signatory of the Booking Form who must be over 18 years of age (The Party Leader). All correspondence to Powder White is to be addressed to: Powder White Lite Ltd., 2 Woodlands Way, London, SW15 2SX, United Kingdom. The contract between you and Powder White is in all circumstances to be governed by these booking conditions.
The Party Leader
Is responsible for their group of Client/s. Any payments are arranged through them and they will be the only contact during the booking process and when booking services on their behalf. Any monies owed to Powder White Lite through the booking process, for services booked on their behalf or through damages made in resort are the full responsibility of, and are payable by, the Party Leader.
No holiday contract shall exist between the Client and Powder White Lite until deposits or full payment as applicable has been received by the Powder White and a confirmation invoice has been issued. In the case of telephone bookings made within 4 weeks of departure, where payment is due by debit/credit card or online transfer, a contract shall come into existence immediately upon Powder White Lite processing your credit/debit card payment, receiving the online payment in full and providing oral confirmation of the booking by you. When making a telephone booking in such circumstances you are deemed to have accepted these booking conditions at the time of making your telephone booking. In all cases, when you receive your invoice, please check all the details carefully to ensure that they are correct, as the invoice together with these booking conditions, form the basis of the contract between you and Powder White. If there are any discrepancies in the invoice, please bring these to our attention within 3 working days of issue, otherwise we will assume that the details shown are correct and any amendment/cancellation charges may be levied where changes are subsequently necessary. We reserve the right to amend any obvious errors in the confirmation invoice including those which concern the price. We will do this as soon as we notice the error but no later than 24 hours before departure in the case of late bookings. Please note where a third party supplier service has been booked on the Client's behalf (including but not limited to flights, transfers, ski pack items, tuition), the contract exists with the supplier directly and any alteration or cancellation charges will be in line with that supplier's Terms & Conditions - particularly relevant to time/name/date/baggage/equipment changes.
Reserving Your Powder White Lite Accommodation - Deposits &
In order to secure a property and take it off-sale, a deposit payment is required, the amount for which is detailed on each individual property page. Flights booked on the Client's behalf are 100% payable at time of booking and the contract exists directly between The Client & the Airline or Operator through whom flights are booked (their terms apply). Transfers booked on The Client's behalf are also payable in full at time of booking (their terms apply). On receipt of your holiday deposit, Powder White will send you confirmation of booking showing the arrangements booked, the balance owing and when it is due. For bookings made within 28 days of travel date, full payment for the holiday must be made immediately to confirm your reservation and any third party suppliers through whom services have been booked on the Client's behalf also must be paid in full at the time of booking (in one payment). These payments are committed.
Full payment of the balance is shown on your confirmation invoice (the Due Date) and on the check-out page when finalising your booking. The person who authorises the booking (The Party Leader) must be over 18 years of age and be authorised to make the booking on behalf of the Client where applicable. The Party Leader shall be liable for full payment for all those persons named on the booking and for other persons added or substituted at a later date. The final holiday balance must be paid in one sum, any additional payments made shall incur a £20 handling fee (per payment). If payment shall not have been received by the Due Date, Powder White Lite shall have the right to cancel the booking, retain the deposit paid and levy cancellation charges. Any money paid by the Client to an agent, under or in contemplation of a contract with Powder White Lite is held by the agent as agent for Powder White Lite until the date on which the agent pays the money to Powder White Lite.
Any payment made by Visa Credit, Mastercard or American Express (AMEX) carry no handling fee. This is applicable to any payment processed through Powder White and includes, but not limited to, payments made for accommodation, flights, transfers, ski packs, tuition and any additional third party suppliers. Debit cards also do not carry a fee however where online banking is made from either a UK or International account, the full balance of the holiday must be paid to Powder White in one transaction and any banking charges incurred are payable by the Client. Individual Client holiday payments will not be accepted over the telephone and Individual online bank transfers are not accepted from Clients forming part of a larger group - the Party Leader is responsible for collecting all monies owed to Powder White Lite for every element of the holiday regardless of whether the Contract is direct with Powder White Lite or with a third party supplier, and these are to be retrieved by the Party Leader from the Client/s directly.
The prices quoted on the Powder White website have been formed ensuring every effort has been made to ensure that these are accurate at the time of publication and as we cannot guarantee these prices, you must check the price of your chosen holiday at the time of booking at which point the correct current price will be advised to you. Please note that prices can reduce/increase at any time therefore the price payable is as quoted at the time of the booking. All accommodation prices detailed on the site are payable in the currency shown (either Sterling or Local Currency). Where Powder White Ski Pack/Transfers/Extras items are charged in Sterling and have been calculated based on an exchange rate of: Euro 1.10 / CHF 1.25 / Can$1.65 / US$1.30. Powder White Lite retains the right to change prices due to currency fluctuations. There will be no refunds payable on services booked or partially/fully paid. On the rare occasion, and in cases of limited availability, where services are quoted for with alternative suppliers with whom we do not ordinarily work or with whom we have not set converted sterling rates, these are payable at the exchange rate used at the time of the booking.
Once your booking has been accepted we reserve the right to levy surcharges in the event of changes to Powder White Lite's costs in dues, taxes or government action (such as increases in VAT or any other government imposed increases) or in relation to the exchange rates that have been used to calculate the cost of your holiday accommodation. In cases where Powder White Lite has received payment in full from the Client by the Due Date stipulated for latest payment on the invoice, Powder White will not impose any surcharges after payment in full has been received.
Your Powder White Accommodation booking does not include:
1. Local Government Tourist Tax (which is payable directly to the accommodation supplier in resort).
2. Holiday Insurance (which you must have at the time of booking). Please ensure you check conditions from your provider, specifically those relating to Force Majeure events and/or pandemics.
3. The cost of return travel from home to the Accommodation booked.
4. Lift Pass, Equipment Hire and Ski Lessons (pre-bookable at the Powder White Lite rates detailed).
5. Room/accommodation supplements for reduced occupancy
6. Childcare or Babysitting
7. Security Deposits (either payable at the accommodation on arrival or at time of booking). The amount varies from Supplier to Supplier so please enquire at time of booking. The majority of Powder White Hotels do not request a security deposit, however there is a small handful which may require this on your arrival in resort. Please enquire at time of booking.
A credit card is held as security and as a pending payment (without immediate authorisation) in the amounts detailed above. Subject to no damages made, no costs incurred and no monies outstanding, the payment is not finalised and will not be charged to the credit/debit card held. However, where damage or breakages do occur, or where money is outstanding on a service or product bought you your behalf, the full amount will be authorised immediately even if this is over and above the amount owed to Powder White Lite or the accommodation supplier. Upon confirmation of costs of repair, any refund of balance will be refunded. We and/or the accommodation supplier reserve the right to recover costs over and above these amounts should the costs relating to damages, breakages or outstanding payments exceed this amount. The Party Leader remains responsible for all members of his/her party regardless of who is/was responsible for the damages or outstanding payment and recovery of loss will be pursued through them. Where dogs have been accepted into properties, an additional security/damage deposit is likely to be payable. For any costs or any monies outstanding, Powder White Lite will request payment by the Party Leader. Should this not be paid upon request, a Claim through the Small Claims Court will be submitted to recover the money owed to Powder White Lite.
Where a cancellation of service is made by The Party Leader on behalf of his group of Client/s, refunds will not be authorised (to include but not limited to accommodation costs, flights, transfers, ski pack items, tuition and third party supplier bookings). Where an alteration is possible, relevant administration charges will apply in order to facilitate the change. On the rare occasion that a mistake has been made resulting in an overpayment to Powder White, The Party Leader will need to advise us as soon as possible so that we can make a refund to you where applicable. Please note that if agreed, these refunds will be made to the credit/debit card on which the Party Leader's deposit payment was made and may take at least 20 working days to appear on your statement. Please also note that any handling fee will be deducted from the amount refunded.
If, due to adverse weather conditions or other circumstances beyond our control, pre-booked ski packs, excursions or tours are not available, our liability is limited to a refund of monies paid for such services but only in cases where we ourselves have been able to retain a refund from relevant third party supplier. No refunds are given for unused portions of the holiday including, but not limited to flights, transfers, car hire, empty beds/accommodation, unused ski packs, uneaten meals, unconsumed alcohol etc. No representative in resort is authorised to make or promise refunds and no such promises will be accepted by Powder White Lite.
Late Availability and Special Offers/Promotions
Prices of our late availability holidays (or holidays on special offer) may not always be less than first published rates as they reflect demand. Late availability holidays also do not qualify for the offers mentioned on our website such as group discounts, repeat guest discounts or free lift passes. They cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer and the price quoted at the time of booking, is the price payable. We reserve the right to increase or decrease prices prior to booking. Refunds will not be made for those who have booked before these offers started or offers cannot be extended after the expiry date has passed (if applicable). All promotions are only valid at time of booking and are for new bookings only.
Booking Travel on Your Behalf
Where flight, ferry, train, car hire or transfer seats have been arranged and/or bought on your behalf, travel and transfer times shown on the Powder White website and estimated times of arrival and departure shown on your confirmation invoice are for guidance only and are subject to alteration and confirmation and could differ significantly at peak season times or due to congestion or adverse road/weather conditions. A change in flight, ferry, train or transfer time will not constitute a significant change to your holiday as detailed in the above paragraph titled Changes and Alterations by Powder White. Specific instructions relating to travel arrangements made on your behalf will be detailed on your confirmation invoice or via email at the time the travel/transfer booking is made and any changes made to these arrangements will carry a £30 administration fee in addition to any cancellation/amendment fee charged by the supplier.
We cannot accept any liability for delays in flight, ferry or train journeys (whether booked by us or you) to and from the UK whether the delays are caused by adverse weather conditions, rescheduling of times by the airline, sea carrier, train provider, port/airport authorities and/or the action of air traffic controllers, mechanical breakdown, strike or industrial action, or otherwise. Powder White cannot accept responsibility for guests missing flights for any reason or mislaying or destroying travel documents and no credit or refund will be given if you fail to take up a component of your holiday as a result. Where a resort transfer has been disrupted by a delay in any form of travel whether arranged on your behalf by Powder White Lite or not, every effort will be made to reduce any discomfort suffered by you as a result of the delay however we cannot hold responsibility for rearranging these transfers in relation to these delays or if changes in arrival/departure times have not been advised by the Party Leader to Powder White Lite without sufficient notice (at least 4 weeks in advance). In certain circumstances you may be able to make a claim under the insurance policy you have arranged with your own insurer. For self catered apartments, Powder White recommends that guests arrive within reception opening hours.
Ski Pack Organisation & Payments
Ski Packs booked through Powder White are payable in Euros or sterling and where the local cost is converted, have been calculated at the rate of: Euro 1.10 / CHF 1.25 / Can$1.65 / US$1.30. Powder White retains the right to alter these conversion rates due to currency fluctuations. There will be no refund paid on services booked or partially/fully paid.
Where ski passes, ski hire or ski lessons have been either pre-booked and paid for in advance or booked and paid for in resort, any associated bank fees are payable by The Client. Once any element of the ski pack has been added to the booking, a 50% deposit is payable or full payment is payable if added within 4 weeks before departure. These can be added by accessing the booking online so individual payments can be accepted, however individuals' payments taken over the phone or payable through Online Banking will not be accepted - these are the responsibility of the Party Leader who will make a one transaction payment. Once added to the booking, no cancellations will be accepted and refunds will not be made. Alterations may be accepted where possible however an administration charge will be payable for each individual change.
Please note that on ski passes booked both pre-holiday and in resort, proof of age or that you are a family will be required for any lift passes where discounts have been obtained for children, senior skiers or family passes. The areas advertised as being covered by the lift passes in each resort may be altered by local lift pass companies or relevant authorities and may result in a reduction of ski pistes or acres skiable. This is entirely beyond our control and any refund for loss of use of ski pass must be pursued through the local lift pass company directly.
If at any point we run a Buy One Get One Free lift pass offer are always based on 6 day local area passes (without insurance) unless otherwise stated. The lowest price lift pass is the one that is given free. The offer does not apply to family lift passes. There are only a limited number of passes to give away and so these offers are subject to availability and can be withdrawn at any time.
Please also note that on in-chalet ski hire fitting, you will be required to provide heights and foot sizes (sometimes weights) so that equipment can be provided sufficiently and without hassle in resort. This information is in turn handed to our recommended suppliers and whilst every effort is made to ensure the correct equipment is available, there may at times be the need to make alterations in resort to the equipment initially provided. We strongly recommend helmets for everyone and these are obligatory for children.
If we run a Buy One Get One Free ski hire offer, this is based on 6 day silver standard skis unless specified otherwise. The lowest priced equipment is the one that is given free. There are only a limited number of skis on these offers and so they are subject to availability and can be withdrawn at any time. All offers are available at the time of booking and cannot be added subsequently.
Please note that during peak dates such as Christmas, New Year, half term and even Easter, ski schools become fully booked. We therefore strongly advise that you book your lessons in advance on these dates. We operate a referral system whereby your request is forwarded to our recommended suppliers in resort and they will then contact you directly with availability. The contract is between the client and the Supplier directly. Please not that any changes made to ski school bookings are likely to incur significant alteration charges.
Children & Infants
Infant charges for Hotels or Self-Catered Apartments are individual to the supplier so please enquire at time of booking.
Powder White Lite Accommodation Arrival/Departure Times
Arrival and Departure times are specific to individual accommodation suppliers and hotels so please enquire at time of booking. NB - Please note that these conditions applying to Arrival/Departure are under constant review, especially relating to the recent outbreak of coronavirus and requirements placed upon our suppliers regarding changeover. They are subject to change at any point so please enquire at time of booking to get the most up to date information.
Jacuzzis, saunas, steam rooms & swimming pools
Guests use jacuzzis, saunas and steam rooms in Powder White Lite suppliers accommodation and/or hotels at their own risk and Powder White Lite can accept no responsibility for accidents/injuries sustained while using these facilities. Children must be supervised at all times. Please note that some properties may have time restrictions on use of these facilities so please enquire at time of booking if this is the case. Guests use swimming pools and other facilities at their own risk and Powder White Lite can accept no responsibility for accidents/injuries sustained while using these facilities. Please note, some of the swimming pools at the properties we feature do not have depth markings and there will be no life guards on duty.
Internet Access
The majority of our suppliers accommodation and hotels will have Wi-Fi access therefore you are welcome to use your own devices where possible. Please also note that we cannot guarantee continuous and uninterrupted internet connection due to technical circumstances out of our control. Internet is intended for straight-forward web browsing and checking of emails, it is NOT available for live-streaming or downloads (including music & films). Please note that the viewing or downloading of unsavoury or pornographic sights is NOT permitted and should guests be found to be doing so, they will be reported to the relevant authorities.
Where accommodation has TV and DVD however if these become un-serviceable, the supplier and/or hotel cannot always get immediate replacements. Where a TV is advertised, no guarantee is implied as to how many English speaking channels will be available, if any, whilst some are advertised as TV/DVD which implies that no channels (satellite or otherwise) are available and that the TV is to be used for playing DVDs only.
Smoking rules in Hotels or Self-Catered Apartments are individual to the supplier so please enquire at time of booking.
New Build Projects & Refurbishments
A number of properties are newly built or substantially converted or refurbished for us each season and we take every possible care with the suppliers to ensure that each such property is completed on schedule. Clearly however, matters outside our direct control, such as local authorities or adverse weather at critical times for example, can occasionally cause delays, and/or there may be changes to the designer's or architect's plans upon which we have we have based our description.
Walking Distances
Where distance is quoted in time taken to walk, we have used a guideline that 100m takes an adult one minute to walk in standard footwear under normal waling conditions. Clearly timings will vary according to footwear, age, personal fitness and surface conditions. Where free minibus shuttle service is advertised, these will be subject to specific timeframes, capacity restrictions and/or be on a first come first served basis.
Special Requests
We will always try to meet any special requests and to pass them to our suppliers in resort. Your request will be shown on your invoice to indicate that a request has been made but this is not a guarantee that your request can be fulfilled. Please note that special requests do not form part of our contractual agreement and we will have no liability if they are not met. We recommend discussing special requests with us at the time of booking rather than before you travel.
Amendments by You, The Client
If you wish to change any simple details of your booking, please contact us as soon as you are aware of these changes. Name changes will incur an administration charge and where flights have been booked on your behalf, fees will also apply through the Airline/Operator due to the contract being direct with them. Administration fees will apply to Powder White changes as well as those incurred by third party suppliers.
Powder White Administration Charges are:
1. Name Changes - £30 per change
2. Alteration to Travel Services - £30 per change + additional charges by supplier (which may include 100% cancellation fees)
3. Alteration to Ski Pack items - £30 per change + additional charges by supplier (which may include 100% cancellation fees)
4. Alterations to Third Party Supplier bookings - £30 per change + additional charges by supplier (which may include 100% cancellation fees)
NB. Where additional charges are imposed on Powder White Lite in cases of cancellation or alteration by other suppliers, these must be paid by the client over and above the relevant Powder White Lite charges above.
Any changes made within 30 days of departure may be treated as a cancellation and cancellation charges will apply as detailed in these Booking Conditions. If the change is to increase the number of persons booked, no amendment fee or cancellation charges will apply. Should changes be made to services booked on your behalf (to include but not limited to: travel, ski passes, ski hire, ski school, massages, local tourist attractions), a £30 per change admin charge will apply over and above any charge placed on Powder White Lite by the supplier. Please note that restaurant reservations will not be made on your behalf. You are responsible for booking this directly and any charges applied by the supplier will be payable by the Party Leader on behalf of his group of Client/s.
Powder White Lite Accommodation Cancellation by You, The Client
Cancellations must be notified to us in writing by the Party Leader and will only be effective when we receive the written notice of cancellation at our offices. In all cases of cancellation by the Client, the deposit, any amendment charges and any travel costs which have been incurred by Powder White Lite through booking flight, ferry or train tickets, car hire, transfer seats or ski packs on your behalf will be forfeited. The following cancellation fees expressed as a percentage of the total accommodation costs payable by the person(s) cancelling (excluding amendment charges, travel charges and ski pack charges as detailed above) will become immediately payable to Powder White Lite. Please note that if a member of your party wishes to cancel, this may mean that the accommodation booked is under occupied and could result in other members of your party having to pay any applicable supplements to retain the booking. In the event of full or part cancellation, a cancellation invoice can be produced on request for insurance recovering purposes only however this will only detail the amount of money forfeited by the party or individual, no more.
Weeks before departure Cancellation charge:
35-17 days 40%
16-10 days 60%
9-0 days 100%
The 40% deposit for early booking discounted bookings is non-refundable.
If no written notice of cancellation is received and you do not travel, cancellation is deemed to have been received on the day of departure. Powder White Lite or the accommodation supplier in resort reserves the right to re-sell any part of a cancelled holiday and this does not affect our right to levy cancellation fees.
Changes and Alterations by Powder White Lite
Arrangements for holidays can sometimes be made many months in advance and changes can occur. We reserve the right to make alterations to holiday and website details both before and after any booking has been confirmed. Most of these changes are minor and in all cases we will advise you or your travel agent of any changes at the earliest possible opportunity. If a significant change becomes necessary you will have the choice of (except in cases of Force Majeure) a) accepting the change in arrangements; b) purchasing an alternative holiday from us and paying or receiving any difference; or c) cancelling your holiday and receiving a prompt and full refund. In cases of significant change only, we will refund, provide an alternative except where the changes made as a result of unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control (including Force Majeure), the consequences of which could not have been avoided even with all due care which include but are not limited to those circumstances set out in the Important Note section detailed below. No compensation is payable in respect of minor changes and no other claim for compensation and/or expenses will be accepted:
Important note: that Powder White Lite cannot pay expenses, costs or losses incurred by you as a result of any change or cancellation and shall not be liable for any refund should Powder White Lite be forced to cancel or change your holiday due to circumstances amounting to Force Majeure. Such circumstances shall include, but are not limited to, terrorist attack, war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, political dispute, terrorism, industrial disruption (actual or threatened), natural disasters (such as avalanches or volcanic eruptions/ash-clouds), nuclear disaster, epidemic outbreak, pandemic outbreak or health risks, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at/around the travel destination, fire, technical problems with transport/machinery/equipment, closure or congestion of airports or ports, border closures, adverse weather conditions, local and UK governmental action and similar events beyond our control. We shall be under no further liability to you, nor shall we be liable for any costs or expenses outside the holiday cost. Compensation or refund will not be paid to adults or children travelling on free places.
Client Liability
As part of this contract the Party Leader hereby agrees to guarantee payment for any chargeable services requested by you or any member of your group both before and during your holiday. Please treat the chalet and all Powder White Lite property with care and respect. Powder White Lite reserves the right to recover from you the cost of breakages (estimated if not precisely known), damage to accommodation etc caused with or without intent by you or any member of your party. If you have caused any damage to the property you will be invoiced for the cost of replacement or repair. If you have any outstanding payments such as telephone bills, ski passes, ski equipment or ski lessons, you will be invoiced accordingly. All guests undertake to behave in such a manner as in no way to cause, distress, danger or annoyance to other guests, accommodation employees and/or any third party. Behaviour deemed unacceptable by Powder White Lite will result in termination of the holiday of the person(s) involved and Powder White Lite shall have no further contractual obligations to such person(s) including with respect to any return travel or transfer arrangements made on your behalf. These person(s), or the whole group where applicable, shall have no right to a refund for their holiday or any expenses incurred as a result of termination. Powder White Lite does not accept liability for financial loss or damage to property suffered by you or the person(s) involved. Powder White Lite accepts no responsibility for the action of its guests and shall not be held liable for any claim made against them (or as a result of their actions) by a third party. In addition, the breach of this clause by any one person in any one property booked may cause Powder White Lite to demand immediate vacation of the accommodation by every person named on the booking form.
Powder White Lite Liability (other than for death/personal
We endeavour to make sure that the holiday which you book with us is supplied and the services performed or provided by us are performed or provided as per the information detailed on our website. We accept responsibility for the acts of our employees, agents, suppliers and subcontractors where they were at the time acting within the course of their employment or carrying out work that we had asked them to do under their contract of agency or supply with Powder White. In all cases (except where personal injury, illness, death, loss and/or damage to personal possessions results), our liability is limited to the relevant total holiday price of the person(s) affected. In the case of loss and/or damage to personal possessions (including money), Powder White will not accept any liability as it is a condition of your booking (and therefore reasonably assumed by Powder White Lite) that you have taken out appropriate insurance to cover such loss and/or damage before travelling. In the event that local restrictions or an injury or other enforced absence to one or more of our employees causes our normal service to be curtailed or restricted, this will not be accepted as cause for compensation claims. It is a condition of liability that you notify us of any claim in writing within 28 days of your return from holiday.
Powder White Lite Liability for Death, Personal Injury and Illness
We accept responsibility should you suffer death, personal injury or illness as a result of any failure to perform or improper performance of any part of our contract with you by any of our employees, agents, suppliers or sub-contractors providing that they were at the time acting within the course of their employment or carrying out work that we had asked them to do under their contract of agency or supply with Powder White Lite. Please note that we cannot accept liability a) where any failure to perform or improper performance was due to acts and/or omissions of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable; b) for an event which either ourselves or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not have foreseen or forestalled even with all due care; c) Force Majeure (as previously detailed). Please note that in respect of services provided by travel suppliers (where travel or transfers have been booked on your behalf) and hotel keepers, our liability in all cases shall be limited as if we were carriers/hotel keepers within the relevant international conventions.
Please also note that in all cases of illness or personal injury, we will require you to provide sufficient medical evidence to back any claim made against us. You are required to obtain this in resort from a local medical centre at the time of the illness, we will not accept backdated medical evidence for a medical professional outside the resort in which you stayed. It is a condition of this acceptance of liability that you notify us of any claim in writing within 28 days of your return from holiday (for any reason detailed in this section). In the event of any payment of compensation being made, you must assign Powder White and/or our insurers all rights you may have to pursue a claim against any third party and you must provide us and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require. Fraudulent claims will be treated with the utmost disdain and a counterclaim is likely to made in any such circumstance where we feel this has been done.
Legal Assistance
If any client suffers death, illness or injury by misadventure whilst overseas arising out of activity which does not form part of the foreign inclusive holiday arrangement or excursion arranged through us, we shall, at our discretion offer advice, guidance and assistance to help you in resolving any claim you may make against a third party, provided we are advised of the incident within 90 days of occurrence. Where legal action is contemplated you must obtain our authorisation prior to commencement of proceedings and such authorisation will be subject to your undertaking to assign any costs recovered or any benefits received under the appropriate insurance policy to ourselves. Our costs in respect of the above assistance on behalf of you and your party shall not exceed £5000 in total.
Website Information and Accuracy
All reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the descriptions, images, facts or opinions on our website are correct and to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. Accommodation plans and resort maps should only be used as an indication of layout. Scale and dimensions are subject to error and furniture and rooming arrangements are subject to change. Images of chalets, hotels rooms and apartments are only of a particular chalet/hotel room/apartment-type when specifically stated, otherwise they are only representative of the style and character of the chalet/ hotel room/apartment. Whilst we will endeavour to show the most up to date images available, we cannot guarantee this. Opinions expressed are personal to the authors and photographs only relate to a specific destination when specifically captioned. The client should bear in mind that in relation to the information given about the resorts and certain facilities available within resort, we cannot guarantee accuracy at all times or that any particular activity will take place as these services are not under our control.
Please note that our official website to which we are bound by English Law, is published in the English language therefore we cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies caused by translation services and please note that all correspondence between you and us will be in English (whether this be during the booking process, during the holiday itself or after the holiday in cases of claims made against us).
Complaints Procedure
Should you have reason to believe we are not providing what we are contracted to provide, we request that you raise this with our resort staff at the time the problem arises so that we are provided with the opportunity ensure that sufficient improvements or changes can be implemented where we feel appropriate or necessary. If you fail to do so you deprive us and our suppliers of the chance to investigate your complaint and to do our best to rectify any problems. If we are unable to resolve matters whilst you are on holiday and you remain dissatisfied, the Party Leader must write to Powder White Lite, 2 Woodlands Way, London, SW15 2SX within 28 days of your return from holiday giving all relevant information. In any such incident, please note that we will only correspond with one representative of the party and in most circumstances request that this is the Party leader. Please remember that it is your responsibility to show that reasonable care has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us and please accept that should a claim be made against us, the complaint will be fully investigated, reports will be obtained from our resort staff or suppliers where applicable and an informed view on any claim will be taken. Fraudulent claims will be treated with the utmost disdain and a counterclaim is likely to made in any such circumstance where we feel this has been done.
Your written complaint will be acknowledged within 7 working days of receipt of your first letter at our office and thereafter a full response will be provided within 28 days of the date the acknowledgement was sent by Powder White Lite. If you fail to follow this simple complaints procedure, your right to claim compensation will be affected or even lost and we regret that we cannot accept liability in respect of any complaints which are not notified entirely in accordance with this clause. Please note that our resort staff are not authorised to promise any refund in respect of a client's claim and no such promises will be accepted by Powder White.
These conditions and any contract to which they apply are governed in all respects by English Law and shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.
It is a condition of booking that all clients have insurance which provides sufficient winter sports insurance. If any person(s) do not take out any insurance, Powder White will not be responsible for meeting any sums which would have been covered by insurance. You will further be responsible for paying to and indemnifying Powder White in any such circumstance for such sums Powder White meets on your behalf. You must tell your Insurers before you travel about anything which may affect your cover. This information must be complete and adequate. If you are not sure whether something is relevant you should advise your Insurers anyway. If you do not tell your Insurers about something that may be relevant your cover may be refused and Insurers may not cover any related claims.
Health, passports & visas
It is your responsibility to ensure that documents are in proper order before travel. Powder White accepts no liability for any loss or inconvenience caused as a result of your failure to take reasonable care in this respect. EU Nationals are advised to hold a full passport valid for the duration of the holiday and for at least six months after your return journey. Vaccinations are not currently required to enter Austria, France or Switzerland. Pregnant mothers are advised to obtain clearance to fly both from their doctor and airline if their pregnancy will exceed 28 weeks on the date of their return travel. Non-EU Nationals are advised to contact the relevant Consulate for further information: Austria: +44 (0) 20 7245 6689, France: +44 (0) 20 7838 2000, Switzerland: +44 (0) 20 7616 6000.
Early/late season:
Facilities such as lifts, shuttle bus services, saunas, ice rinks and swimming pools may not be operational at the beginning or the end of the season. This may also affect some of the facilities in your accommodation. This may be due to factors such as weather or the number of tourists in resort, repairs or redecoration. These decisions are often made on the spot by their operators and we are not always informed. Where we do know we will do our utmost to let you know. At the beginning and at the end of the season building work in resorts may be taking place. We have no control over these building works and are not made aware of their start and finish times.
The safety and well being of our guests is of paramount importance to us. We continually strive to improve hygiene and safety standards in all our destinations. All our properties are obliged to meet local regulations although it is important to remember that even in European countries these may not match those in the UK, which are some of the most stringent in the world. In ski resorts particularly, many buildings are made of timber, often without separate fire escapes, may contain bedrooms or bathrooms with no windows or may have rooms with limited head-space below the eaves. We strongly advise that you and your party familiarise yourselves with your accommodation, safety procedures and location of fire extinguishers and request specific information if required before booking a particular property. It is the responsibility of you and your group to judge the suitability of each area in which you ski. If you or any member of your group ski in a location on the recommendation of or accompanied by any representative of Powder White Lite or their recommended supplier/s, Powder White Lite will not be liable for any injuries howsoever caused.
Lost Property
Please advise us as soon as possible if you have lost personal belongings or left these in resort on your departure so that we are given every opportunity to locate these missing/forgotten items. Whilst we do everything possible to locate lost property, we cannot guarantee to do so or to be able to arrange for your property to be returned. If we are able to locate lost property and arrange for its return, all postal costs of so doing must be paid in advance along with an administration charge of £25 per item/package. We cannot be held responsible for lost property whilst in transit to the UK howsoever this is arranged. We reserve the right to increase the administration charge for the return of lost property for bulky items with special dispatch costs.
If you are ever unhappy with any aspect of your holiday, you must address your complaint immediately to both the chalet manager and the local service provider if applicable. In the unlikely event that your problem cannot be resolved locally, you must inform Powder White in writing of your complaint within 28 days of your return so that any rights to compensation can be examined.
Headings within these booking conditions are for reference purposes only and all images are intended to give a general impression only. These booking conditions and any matters arising from them are subject to and governed by English law. To the best of our knowledge all details on the website and in the brochure are accurate. Powder White Limited is registered in England No: 04863094
Privacy Policy & Cookies
Powder White Lite treat customer details with the highest degree of respect & confidentiality. We do not share your details with any 3rd party and only use your details to help us answer your enquiries or to send periodic e-mail offers to those who have opted in. The Powder White website uses cookies to store your information to enable you to make a purchase. Read more about our cookie policy here. Please contact us if you require any further details of our Privacy Policy.
The UK's decision to leave the EU has had significant implications across the UK travel industry on the legalities, work permit requirements, working hours regulations and costs of employing in-resort staff within the EU. With ongoing for employment rights in 2021, we reserve the right to amend/reduce our chalet staffing and/or catering offering that is provided by us or third party suppliers, in the event that any change in employment or other EU regulations renders their current staffing operations untenable. Any such changes would of course be notified to you as soon as possible.
The private Borgo apartments are situated in 2 residential blocks in the centre of Sauze d'Oulx. They are maximum 500 metres from the central Clotes lift / ski slope. The style and facilities varies from apartment to apartment.
Bedlinen & Towels | End of Stay Cleaning | Coffee Machine | WiFi
KIND OF APARTMENTS The proposed typologies of apartments are: the studio apartment for 2 or 4 people, the 2-roomed apartment for up to 5/6 people, the 3-roomed apartment for up to 6 people
SERVICES Each apartments has a kitchen corner/area, Wi-Fi , and are provided by : Towels and linen, electricity, hot water, heating consumption
Rates include:
Towels and linen, electricity, hot water, heating consumption and use of kitchen and final cleaning. Wi-fi and coffee machine (that works with capsules)available in the ABC apartments (NO ABC apartments don't have the Wi-Fi and coffee machine)
Rates do not include:
Tourist tax
Minimum Stays:
7 nights (Saturday to Saturday, Sunday to Sunday available on request)
Stays for minimum 3 nights available on request.
Extra costs on request to be booked in advance and paid on arrival:
-Cot for infants up to 3 years: € 20,00 per week, linen not included.
-Cleaning supplement for traditional pets: € 30,00 for the week (small animals only, on request –not all apartments accept pets, one animal per apartment).
-Refresh (light cleaning) of the apartment (which does not include the kitchen area): € 20.00 per day per apartment; € 100.00 per apartment for 6 days.
Credit card guarantee will be requested for the security deposit of euro 200 per apartment on check in (compulsory). Any damage or apartments left in an unfit state that warrant part or all of the security deposit being withheld will be documented with photos and descriptions. Lost keys will be charged at euro 50 per set.
N.B.: The apartment has to be returned in the same condition it was when it was handed over. It is forbidden to leave rubbish, food or drink in the apartment. The kitchen area must be left clean
Average snow history
Average snow history
The liveliest village in the 400km Milky Way ski area. Plenty of intermediate skiing on your doorstep and a great choice of restaurants both in the resort and on the slopes. The great range of apres bars gives the resort its famously lively nightlife.
Sauze d'Oulx piste map
If you book your flights with us you can book a shared or private transfer from the airport to the resort as part of your booking. Even if you don't book flights through us we can organise transfers for you - just give us a call on +44 (0) 208 877 8882.
Powder White is an Independent Tour Operator offering you an informative, personal and tailor-made service. Our friendly Sales Executives are here to help, so if you have any questions, need further information, or if you have specific requirements you'd like to discuss with us, please feel free to just get in touch and we will do everything we can to find the perfect skiing holiday for you.
Why not give one of our friendly ski experts a call?
There has been a problem with this booking, please call us on +44 (0)20 8877 8888.


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Rate Your Shopping Experience at Metaldetector.com
- 17% OFFFisher F22 Weatherproof Metal Detector with 9" Waterproof Coil + Bonus Pack + Audio Headphones + Padded Carry Bag (when you add to cart)You Pay $249.00 List Price: $299.00
- 15% OFFPinpointer Probe (Free with detector purchase of $300 or more - Discount Shown When You Add To Cart)You Pay $58.65 List Price: $69.00
- Gold Accessory Kit for Metal DetectorsYou Pay $69.95 List Price: $289.80
- 9% OFFDetech 13" Ultimate Search Coil for Garrett AT Pro, AT Gold, AT Max Metal DetectorsYou Pay $179.95 List Price: $197.95
- 45% OFFFisher F5 Metal Detector with Waterproof 10" + 4" Concentric Coils + Bonus PackYou Pay $299.95 List Price: $549.00
- Fisher F11 Metal Detector with Waterproof 7" coil + Bonus PackYou Pay $159.00 List Price: $199.00
Industry Reviews
White's Electronics is looking forward to working with Michael, Daniel and the MetalDetector.com team. Their experience in the metal detecting industry is unmatched.
I have enjoyed working with Michael, Daniel and their team at Detector Electroics Corp. They have done a fine job representing the Detector Pro line since it was first introduced in 1996. One of the things I see them do is go the extra mile for their customers. It is always nice to see a family run business endure and we wish them many years of continued success.
We appreciate the partnership from Michael and Daniel at MetalDetector.com. As a family owned business, we choose our partners carefully. We have found that their team has done a fine job of representing our line. With thirty years of success under their belt, we expect that they will be a partner for many years to come.
We at Treasure Products, manufacturer of the Vibra-Probe and Vibra-Tector, want to congratulate Daniel and Michael on the admirable milestone of being in business for over three decades. The dedication and product knowledge that your staff exhibits has been a great benefit to us. We offer our best wishes for your continued success.
I have found that the team at MetalDetector.com has done a fine of job representing the entire JW Fishers line. They have partnered with us in helping to bring our products to both individuals, larger corporate and governmental organizations. Michael and Daniel have established a knowledgeable team that has done the job of getting the correct product in to the hands of each consumer. I wish them continued success as they represent our products in the years to come.
I have been impressed by the professional approach and the experience of Daniel, Michael and the entire team at Detector Electronics Corp. Three decades of superior customer care has been the key to their success and large sales volume.
We have enjoyed working with Michael, Daniel and their esteemed team at Detector Electronics Corp. We feel that they have been the best choice for representing the good reputation of the Makro Detectors in the region. They have been working towards 100% customer satisfaction ever since they started their cooperation with us as our exclusive Distributor in the USA and Canada. We are pleased to see both their business and the sales in their region continue to grow. It is nice to see both our family business and theirs growing together. We see our companies moving forward together for many years to come.
Garrett has a longstanding quality relationship with Detector Electronics Corp since the 1980s. I have seen them grow from a regional dealer to one of the largest internet dealers yet they have maintained that special care for the customer for over three decades. Their team of knowledgeable, helpful and friendly staff and family make their dealership a first choice for the treasure hunter.
MetalDetector.com has been a valuable business partner to Fisher Research Labs for many years. They continue to grow while still offering the best in customer service and after sale support, which is very important to FRL. We wish to congratulate them on 3 decades of business and stellar service to our mutual customers. Having known Michael and Daniel along with their parents for 2 of the 3 decades they have been in business, I have seen their company grow year in and year out without sacrificing what's important to all of us …customer service before, during and after the sale. Their entire staffs knowledge of our product helps to ensure the customer gets the right detector for their needs regardless of what they might be. We look forward to our future relationship and continued success of MetalDetector.com and their entire staff.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting with the team at MetalDetector.com at their newly expanded facility in Southborough, MA. I have to say that I was impressed with their operation and knowledge of the Teknetics product line. When the Teknetics product line was recently re-launched, MetalDetector.com was one of the first partners we contacted. They have had a long standing relationship with the brand as one of the original Teknetics dealers in the country. We value long standing relationships and are excited to have them as a member of our team.
It's been an honor and privilege working with the fine folks at Detector Electronics for over 25 years. Having a family owned and run business ourselves, we know the "attention to detail" it takes to keep a business running smoothly with an emphasis on customer service. It's no surprise that Sondra and David's fine sons, Michael and Daniel have continued in their parents tradition of being exemplary businesspeople who take the time and care enough to really know their clientele. It's always been a pleasure working with you!
DRS Electronics, GmbH is proud to have Detector Electronics Corp. represent our products. I have known Michael and Daniel for over a decade. Their team is genuine and knowledgeable. They provide exceptional support and service to our customers. They are a recognized leader in the industry. Internationally their business is known for excellent customer support. Their presence is a great confidence for treasure hunters.
MetalDetector.com has been a great business partner for many years and the best choice for representing Makro Detectors in the USA! With the addition of Nokta products to their product portfolio in 2018, we are confident that our businesses will continue to grow together for many years to come!
Gary Micheau
CEO White's Electronics
Gary Storm
Ingrid Hawk
Lesche Products
Michael Bernstein
Treasure Products, Inc.
Jack Fisher
JW Fishers
Alain Loubert
XP Metal Detectors
Veysel Bayar
Former Sales & Marketing Manager
Makro Metal Detectors
Vaughan Garrett
Garrett Metal Detectors
Mike Scott
Director of Hobby Sales
Fisher Research Labs
Tim Mallory
VP of Sales & Marketing
Steve & Rosemary Anderson
People's Publishing Co., Inc.
Western & Eastern Treasures Magazine
Ilkay Ucar
General manager
DRS Electronics, GmbH
Dilek Gönülay
International Sales & Marketing Manager
Nokta & Makro Detectors
Customer Reviews
Dear Sondra, ...in addition to being the first metal detector company I found (after contacting several) which actually seemed to care about my order and which treated me like a valued customer, you also really worked hard from your end to make sure the purchase went through and the detector arrived at its destination on time. By the end I felt I was dealing with a friend rather than a faceless company on the net. Well done!
And, by the way, my 7 year old son Juanito found a nickel yesterday when he took his detector out for the first time! If things keep going this way the detector will have paid for itself within a few short decades! But seriously, he is really enjoying it and hoping to find his long-dreamed-of buried treasure some day.
Hello Folks,
Ordered 2 Garrett ACE 250's on 09-14-09 at noon… Received 09-15-09 at noon… You folks should be proud that you hold true to all you say, do and promise. It's very refreshing to work with a company that keeps the "old-world" values going, not too many people / companies out there that can even come close to what you provide.
Happy to do business with you,
Hello Dan,
Remember me? I bought my Tesoro Tiger Shark from you... It came just when you said it would, and works just as you told me it would.
Thanks for your help in sorting through the maze of detectors.
Dear Sondra,
1160 GRAM Meteorite! found 3 " underground. Don't ask where. One of many! As far as being excited I all most had a stroke. Here's a photo of one Meteorite I found on the surface, over 800 grams and a 447 gram one! The one in the middle is my first. The bar magnet has some small Iron meteorites on it.
Dear Detector Electronics,
I received the Tesoro Sand Shark today...and want to thank you. Tried it, love it, looking forward to many enjoyable hours with it. Knowing that it is a "rare" domestically made item gives me double pleasure! Also...doing business with pro's (such as yourselves) was also a pleasure I will tell others about! Forwarded a "glowing review" to you. Thanks again.
Dear Customer Service,
Just wanted to thank all involved in a recent shipment to me that was a gift for my grandkids. I ordered 2 detectors but for some reason only one was shipped. After calling your company you bent over backwards to get the second detector to me on time for giving to my grandchildren. I explained that we exchange gifts a week early so my children and their families can be in their homes Christmas morning since some travel distances are involved. The second detector arrived last Friday in time for our celebration last Saturday. --THANKYOU. I order quite a few things online and have experienced some terrible companies but you are the best.
Best regards and have a wonderful Holiday Season
Hi Guys,
I have just come in after spending an hour or at my local beach with my son, which is only a 5 minute walk from my home called Deception Bay. This is the first time i have ever used detector. The very first thing it detected in less than a minute was a two dollar coin, boy we were so excited! Not by the amount, but by the fact that on its maiden voyage it detected a coin. We then detected a ten cent piece. We can't wait to take it to a popular beach and I will practice more with the settings.
I would like to thank you for your prompt service. My detector arrived at my door In Brisbane Australia in less than a week. This is the first time I have used any service like this outside of Australia, but with this kind of service and ease of buying and your range of goods this will be the first of many transactions.
I just wanted to say thank you to Scott who made my recent purchase so pleasent! I am enjoying my Tesoro's and have found lots of cool stuff so far. Just waiting for that first gold find! Thanks agian for all the help that was provided in making my decision!
Hi Scott,
I was amazed at how fast I received my BOUNTY HUNTER. The order arrived in perfect condition, and in only three days after I placed the on line order. The four part series about selecting the right product was also appreciated and helped me to make the right decision for my purchase. You are truly a company that takes care of business and most importantly your customers. It is a pleasure doing business with you and I will gladly recommend you to anyone that wants to buy a metal detector. Thanks for the GREAT SERVICE.
Dear Customer Service,
I am a very happy camper. Yesterday I took my Garrett Ace 250 out for the first time to some local parks. My total find was about 150 coins. The detector works so well and so easily. It only took me about a half an hour before I new what every button did. I am also very salified with the support I got from Dan & Sondra.
PS I plan on buying my next detector from you.
Dear Sondra,
I purchased an Ace 250 from your site for my 7 year old son and now I am hooked! This is our first metal detector and the Ace does every thing it says it will. Thanks for the fast delivery and introducing my son and I to a great new hobby.
Coin shooting in Pensacola, Fl
I got the detector-my husband was thrilled.... Thank you so much. You and Daniel have been so helpful. I am a first time buyer and am feeling very lucky to have found your website. Daniel helped me to locate a really great detector and you have been extremely courteous and prompt in seeing my order through. I look forward using my new metal detector. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season....overall my experience ordering off of your website was convenient and customer service was great. Thanks again.
Dear Metaldetector.com
I just want to thank Sondra and the rest of the gang for my Minelab Explorer SE. It was a pleasure doing business with you and I will recommend your fine business to my other detecting buddies.
Anita S. and Juan G., United Kingdom
Mike T., Rockport, MA
John B., San Diego, CA
Dana, Mystic, CT
Dick H.
Steve M.
Nick V., Churchville, PA
Duane B., Springville, NY
Bill B.
David and Josh
Lori G., Bessemer, AL
Jason R, Massachusetts
Our No-Haggle, Best-Price Guarantee on Metal Detectors
The same low pricing for everyone! Whether you're a metal-detecting expert or novice, we keep it simple. We offer the lowest advertised pricing allowed by contract with each manufacturer. The personalized service you receive from our experienced team is our added bonus. That's what we are all about. Rest assured, you will not find a better value online.


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Fall Lineup Is Packed With Romance, Comedy, Drama and Horror
Warning: Your television set is about to be slammed with a deluge of new shows containing everything from vampires and cyborgs to super comic-book agents and headless horsemen wielding assault rifles.
Yes, it sounds absolutely terrifying, but we're here for you. What follows are bite-sized takes on the fall fare. Just proceed with caution and have your remote control out of its holster:
"Sleepy Hollow" (9 p.m., Fox; today): A nutty new take on Washington Irving's classic short story whisks Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) to the present, where he teams up with a sheriff (Nicole Beharie) to hunt down the Headless Horseman and other baddies. Bottom line: We're not losing our head over this show.
"Mom" (9:30 p.m., CBS; Sept. 23): Chuck Lorre's fourth CBS sitcom follows a newly sober single mom (Anna Faris) trying to pull her messy life together in Napa Valley. Unfortunately, her formerly estranged mother (Allison Janney) is a big pain in the neck. Bottom line: The uneven pilot nearly drove us to drink, but Lorre's a proven hitmaker.
"The Blacklist" (10 p.m., NBC; Sept. 23): Think "Alias"-meets-"Silence of the Lambs." A master criminal (James Spader) turns himself into the FBI and strikes a deal: He will help federal officials track down terrorists, but on one condition: He only works with a pretty rookie agent (Megan Boone).
"Hostages" (10 p.m., CBS; Sept. 23): Just hours before an elite surgeon (Toni Collette) is due to cut open the president, a rogue FBI agent (Dylan McDermott) abducts her family and orders her to kill the prez — or kiss her loved ones goodbye. Bottom line: The provocative premise is marred by actions that feel predictable and familiar.
"We Are Men" (8:30 p.m., CBS; Sept. 30): In this annoying comedy, four unlucky-in-love bachelors (Tony Shalhoub, Jerry O'Connell, Kal Penn and Chris Smith) nurse their emotional wounds in an apartment complex.
"Dads" (8 p.m., Fox; Tuesday): This crass Seth MacFarlane comedy is about two video-game developers (Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi) whose lives are disrupted when their fathers (Peter Riegert and Martin Mull) move in with them. Lots of sexist and racially insensitive jokes ensue. Bottom line: Don't bother. "Dads" is a dud.
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (8:30 p.m., Fox; Tuesday): There are shades of "Barney Miller" in this cop comedy that pits an immature cutup of a detective against his dour, straight-laced captain (Andre Braugher). Bottom line: This has the potential to be the season's best new comedy.
"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (8 p.m., ABC; Sept. 24): In this spinoff of "The Avengers" movie franchise, Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) assembles a team of top-secret agents (including Ming-Na Wen) who investigate threats to humanity. Bottom line: We expected more of a "wow" factor from the Joss Whedon-directed pilot, but there's enough wit, flash and promise to lure us back.
"The Goldbergs" (9 p.m., ABC; Sept. 24): Mix "Malcolm in the Middle" with VH1's "I Love the '80s," and you've got a loud, raucous and warmhearted comedy about a family (headed by Jeff Garlin and Wendi McLendon-Covey) just trying to get by in the era of "Pac Man" and "Star Wars."
"Trophy Wife" (9:30 p.m., ABC; Sept. 24): A reformed party girl (Malin Akerman) marries an older man (Bradley Whitford), becoming his third spouse and a stepmom to three kids in a modern kind of family. Bottom line: With her infectious energy, Akerman is so funny and charming that we bet viewers will be wedded to this show.
"Lucky 7" (10 p.m., ABC; Sept. 24): The lives of seven very different gas station employees are forever changed - and maybe not all for the better - when they strike it rich in the lottery. Bottom line: The snappy pilot had its charms, but we foresee lots of trite, money-can't-buy-you-happiness moralizing ahead.
"The Originals" (8 p.m., The CW; Premieres at 9 p.m. Oct. 3, then moves to its regular time slot Oct. 8): Ready for some Klaus encounters? This moody "Vampire Diaries" spinoff transports the beloved villain (Joseph Morgan) and his hot half-siblings to New Orleans.
"Back in the Game" (8:30 p.m., ABC; Sept. 25): A divorced single mother and former softball standout (Maggie Lawson) moves in with her gruff, beer-guzzling father (James Caan), who takes issue with how she parents - and coaches - her son. Bottom line: This amiable comedy, with touches of "The Bad News Bears," hits at least a solid double, if not a home run.
"Super Fun Night" (9:30 p.m., ABC; Oct. 2): Rebel Wilson (sans Aussie accent) plays a socially inept single woman who sets aside Friday nights to stay inside and hang with her pajama-clad besties. But that tradition is endangered when she scores a promotion at her law firm and gets invited to a trendy party by a hunky co-worker.
"Ironside" (10 p.m., NBC; Oct. 2): This blast from the past stars Blair Underwood as the detective-in-a-wheelchair made famous by Raymond Burr. However, his Ironside is more surly and sexy.
"The Tomorrow People" (9 p.m., The CW; Oct. 9): Remember "Heroes"? This sci-fi drama stars Robbie Amell (cousin of Stephen) as a teen who learns that he's part of a supersecret group of people who possess supernatural powers. Bottom line: Stale and overly familiar, "Tomorrow" feels very much like yesterday's superhero origin stories.
"The Millers" (8:30 p.m., CBS; Oct. 3): A news reporter's (Will Arnett) divorce leads to disaster when his parents (Margo Martindale and Beau Bridges) decide to split, and his mom moves in with him. Lots of fart and toilet jokes ensue. Bottom line: This stinker of a sitcom wastes a solid cast.
"The Crazy Ones" (9 p.m., CBS; Sept. 26): Robin Williams returns to series television as a kooky genius who leads a Chicago advertising agency alongside his more uptight daughter (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Bottom line: We weren't crazy about the pilot, penned by David E. Kelley. But there are some good belly laughs here, and Williams has great chemistry with Gellar and co-star James Wolk. We're in.
"The Michael J. Fox Show" (9:30 p.m., NBC; premieres at 9 p.m. Sept. 26 with two episodes): With a premise that mirrors his own real-life comeback story, Fox plays a news anchor who retired to focus on his health and family, which includes Betsy Brandt as his wife. Now, five years later, he's returning to work. Bottom line: Fox is as charming and funny as ever - even when playing his Parkinson's for laughs.
"Welcome to the Family" (8:30 p.m., NBC; Oct. 3): Cultures and fathers (Mike O'Malley and Ricardo Chavira) clash when a white family and a Latino family struggle to come together after their teen kids fall in love. Bottom line: Unremarkable and mostly unfunny. Welcome to cancellation.
"Sean Saves the World" (9 p.m., NBC; Oct. 3): Sean Hayes hams it up as a divorced gay dad trying to juggle work, a pushy mom (Linda Lavin) and a teen daughter (Sami Isler). Bottom line: There may be no saving this broad comedy, which suffers from a bad case of the blahs.
"Once Upon a Time in Wonderland" (8 p.m., ABC; Oct. 10): This "Once Upon a Time" spinoff goes down the rabbit hole to follow the adventures of a new-look, kick-butt Alice (Sophie Lowe). John Lithgow plays the White Rabbit. Bottom line: Unavailable for review.
"Reign" (9 p.m., The CW; Oct. 17): It's a European history lesson, brought to you by The CW! Adelaide Kane plays a young Mary, Queen of Scots in a sudsy saga filled with love, sex, betrayal and heaping doses of poetic license. Bottom line: Talk about veering way off brand. Kane is a star-in-the-making, but can she and her costume-clad cast mates pull in the "Gossip Girl" crowd?
"MasterChef Junior" (8 p.m., Fox; Sept. 27): Aspiring chefs ages 8 to 13 get to show off their culinary skills. But will temperamental Gordon Ramsay be able to hold his tongue around the youngsters? Bottom line: Unavailable for review.
"Dracula" (10 p.m., NBC; Oct. 25): In this drearily "reimagined" saga, the classic vamp (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) comes to Victorian London posing as an American entrepreneur. His real mission? To wreak vengeance on those who cursed him with immortality centuries earlier. Bottom line: Put a stake in it.
"Enlisted" (9:30 p.m., Fox; Nov. 8): In this "Stripes"-like military comedy, three brothers (Geoff Stults, Chris Lowell and Parker Young) are forced to work together when they're assigned to a small Florida Army base teeming with lunkheads and misfits. Bottom line: We salute this over-the-top but surprisingly charming effort.
"Masters of Sex" (10 p.m., Showtime; Sept. 29): This explicit, taboo-tackling period piece follows the life and times of sex-research pioneers Williams Masters and Virginia Johnson (Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan). Bottom line: It's a compelling and revelatory drama that ultimately has more than just sex on the brain.
"Betrayal" (10 p.m., ABC; Sept. 29): In this soapy slog-fest, a photographer (Hannah Ware) starts an extramarital affair with a man (Stuart Townsend) who winds up facing off against her prosecutor husband (Chris J. Johnson) in a murder trial. Bottom line: Grim and dismal, this is no affair to remember.
"Hello Ladies" (10:30 p.m., HBO; Sept. 29): A clueless Brit (Stephen Merchant) is transplanted to Los Angeles, where his attempts to woo women are routinely rebuffed.
"Witches of East End" (10 p.m., Lifetime; Oct. 6): Loosely based on a novel of the same name (not John Updike's), this wicked drama follows a family of witches (including Julia Ormond) who live in East Haven, a sleepy, secluded seaside town, where some bizarre things are going down.