Re: How to nail half dome permit resellers

So, today was the first day of half dome permits being sold for July.

Took the work day off to wake up early and sit at the computer like many others to buy the amount of permits for my group. I finally got my campsite for the 4 day weekend and all I needed was the half dome permits. I've hiked half dome before, but we wanted to do it at night so we can see sunrise and avoid the bottlenecks at the same time.

Opening bell and boom, they get sold out within seconds.


I check craigslist and within hours they are up. I sent him an email so I can get his name and he replied that he was selling them for $50 each and he has many more date ranges and campsites if I was interested. $50 EACH!!!

I don't know how these guys run their racket and how they obtain mass amounts of permits, but I feel like it is ridiculous that these people can ruin months of planning for their own greed.



My question is, how can I report this guy? I have his name, the chain of emails including the original one when the reply came from the craiglist email. He has already removed the ad, but the chain of emails show that he used craigslist as it has the craiglist ad in the chain.

Send an email to the reservation system website (look under"contact us". They will cancel the permits. They also notify the website (Craigslist, Ebay, etc). and have them cancel the ad. At least this is the way they do it for people trying to sell campsite reservations. There was a previous post about this if I remember correctly.

Quote
sactown23
Opening bell and boom, they get sold out within seconds.

Besides the scalping problem I really do think this needs to change. Some kind of lottery system would be better.

From a person in the know...

An investigation into the matter is being stifled by a Yosemite NP mid-level manager who wants nothing done about this situation. If you want this to be seriously addressed, send your complaints to the following people:

Don_Neubacher@nps.gov (Yosemite NP Superintendent)

Scott_Wanek@nps.gov (NPS Pacific West Regional Chief Ranger)

Lane_Baker@nps.gov (NPS Chief of Law Enforcement, Security, & Emergency Services)

Steve_Shackelton@nps.gov (NPS Associate Director, Visitor and Resource Protection)

Jon_Jarvis@nps.gov (Director, National Park Service)

Then write a complaint to the DOI's Inspector General's Office:

http://www.doioig.gov/hotline