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Go Ape refusing refund

459 replies

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 14:13

I can’t work out of I’m being unreasonable or fighting like a mama bear here in the right.
took my kids to Go Ape on Sunday as a treat as it’s expensive (£60 for all of us). I’ll pop my original complaint email in as it explains it all thoroughly. Emails have been back and forth since then with them apologising and offering a discounted voucher for us to return and “give it another go”. I’ve said we don’t want to return as the left in tears feeling like they’d been rushed and the last thing they want is to go back! I just want a refund but 12 emails back and forth are going nowhere. They have said they shouldn’t have been rushed but they don’t do refunds and theyd like us to come back with a discount. Do I just leave it and chalk it up to experience? Or do I keep going and if so how? TIA.

Dear customer services,

Im just writing after quite a disappointing experience at X Go Ape today. It was myself and my 2 children, 8 and 11, one of whom has autism. We booked for the only available slot left which was 16:30 and arrived by 16:15 to be in plenty of time.

We had to wait for a while for the safety briefing which was fine, and we got started. We were told we would have the chance to do 4 levels if we wished. We started off great and were enjoying it until we finished level 2 and my son heard some instructors saying we were “over time”. When we went to wait at #3 an instructor said we were running behind with time and as they were closing soon we likely wouldn’t have time to do course 4 if we did 3 so we felt pushed to do 4. This wasn’t helpful as it felt a big step up from course 2 and my son felt rushed and was worried saying they’re closing, so we hurried as much as we could. It ended in a bit of a downer sadly with the kids just feeling like they’d “taken too long” on courses 1&2 despite being told in the safety briefing that we could take as much time as we needed on the levels.

I’m disappointed because we arrived in good time and if the last slot was always going to be rushed I think that should have been made clear at point of booking. We had to miss out a whole level which we had paid for. It was a lot of money as a treat and we all just left
A bit downhearted after a good start.

I’ve been to Go Ape before and had a really
Positive experience so this felt quite disappointing sadly and I’d appreciate a gesture of a refund and to let the very nice staff know that rushing us didn’t feel fair given we had paid for a slot so feel we should have been given the same time as everyone else who booked for earlier.

Many thanks etc

OP posts:
Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 15:15

Metres · 02/10/2024 14:56

They've told you their offer so take it or leave it. You can't escalate it anywhere so deal with it! Or is there an ombudsman for theme parks?

I'd hate to work anywhere customer facing these days. People love firing off complainty emails for fun because entitlement.

Because they pride themselves as practising under the hidden disabilities act there apparently is an ombudsman, yes. I don’t feel entitled for fun, but I feel entitled to receive what I’ve paid for.
im glad you don’t work customer facing either!

OP posts:
Shampine · 02/10/2024 15:15

12 emails in, I think the longer you spend on this the more "expensive" this trip gets to you (in terms of time and money combined) and your best outcome is to let it go.

I tend to think there's often an "autism tax" to pay - we get less, have to leave earlier than others, nearly always, because autism. 3/4 is not bad, especially if you used a free carer ticket or anything like that. (I have no qualms about using a carers' ticket for a family trip, because our visits are so much briefer than other people's. )

The 10% off voucher is a bit of an insult though - it might give me the rage!

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 15:13

autienotnaughty · 02/10/2024 14:54

Ok 40 minutes in the trees should equal a30% voucher at least and tbh given you were rushed unnecessarily I'd say a 50% voucher is reasonable.

10% is a bit of a joke.

I actually agree with this

OP posts:
Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 15:13

Spinet · 02/10/2024 15:11

I beg your pardon?

??????

OP posts:
Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 15:13

Youcantcallacatspider · 02/10/2024 14:52

Good grief! Is it really worth this aggro? You had the experience you paid for for the time that you were meant to have. You received a grovelling apology and the offer of compensation. The only misery your kids are going to have experienced from this has probably come from you. I'm very happy for you that you have so much time and mental energy left in your life to make this such an issue but geez just give the poor people at go ape a break. They're just people earning a living and trying to get on with their life. What do you actually want from them?? blood??

Edited

No blood. Thank you. I want a fair refund because we didn’t get what we paid for. I didn’t get the experience I paid for. At
considerable expense. With a special needs child I have little energy but I will use what I have to fight for what is right. We won’t be going back so I don’t want
a voucher.

OP posts:
Katielovesteatime · 02/10/2024 15:12

Another one here who doesn’t think you need a full refund. If you’re given one hour, and you had one hour, then time is up. It sounds as if there is no guarantee that anyone can complete all 4 levels anyway. I think a discount is very generous!

Spinet · 02/10/2024 15:11

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

I beg your pardon?

Metres · 02/10/2024 15:10

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 15:10

doodleschnoodle · 02/10/2024 14:48

'From our timings it does look like you may have had 90 minutes on the course.'

So this in their email to you is incorrect? You had 50 mins on the course?

Yes they admitted this in one of many follow up emails

OP posts:
MeowCatPleaseMeowBack · 02/10/2024 15:09

It's terrible that you only got 30 minutes in the trees (I assume in the time I type this, it will have gone down to 30). Sue them. Go totally ape.

Deadbeatex · 02/10/2024 15:08

As a parent of SEN children I get the mama bear reaction! I don't think a full refund is fair though, you missed one section of the course so a 25% voucher is fair and with a years date on it go for an earlier session next time so you can reassure your DC that what happened was a mistake and this time they won't be rushed

StandingSideBySide · 02/10/2024 15:08

I think their response is very good.
Some people will take longer on activities than others ( that’s just common sense that we don’t all go at exactly the same pace ) but everyone has the same amount of time to complete what they can.

I don’t really understand why you should get a refund when you got what you paid for.
The voucher is extremely generous in the circumstances.

Dishwashersaurous · 02/10/2024 15:06

And agree with others that you need to be explicit that you only had 40 minutes.

Therefore you could reasonably ask for a third discount or s reduction of a third for another time

Ohfuckrucksack · 02/10/2024 15:06

A full refund when you experienced close to 100% of the experience is like demanding a refund for a meal because there was a tiny bit of gristle on your steak.

FiveTreeHill · 02/10/2024 15:05

Although if genuinely you had only had 40minutes I would have said at the "you've only got time for 3 or 4" point that you had another 30 minutes of your slot

Dishwashersaurous · 02/10/2024 15:05

The issue is about how long you had in the trees.

It's not a two hour slot in the trees, it's a one hour slot in the trees, with up to an hour for briefing and harnesses.

Exactly how long did you have from first clipping onto the wire to wall up to the first loop?

Was.that an hour or forty minutes?

MammaTill2Pojkar · 02/10/2024 15:02

I'd ask for a partial refund instead and see if they will meet you halfway (e.g. £30 back).

PrimalLass · 02/10/2024 15:02

We had a similar disappointment with Go Ape. They are terrible at getting people harnessed up and started quickly.

tattygrl · 02/10/2024 15:01

I can see why you're not completely satisfied with the experience, but in my opinion, a discount and their apologies and promises to speak to staff about handling it better is adequate. A full refund when you completed the majority of the experience and were safe and sound is disproportionate.

BrainLife · 02/10/2024 15:00

Mama bear, dear lord.

FiveTreeHill · 02/10/2024 14:59

Their response to your email is fair. Your email is essentially a load of waffle.

Your slot is an hour in the tree's. The two hours is how long they advise you it takes including safety briefing. If you only had 40 minutes in the trees then you need to say that in your email. The staff shouldn't tell you you have till 6.30 and then suddenly close it. I would expect either a partial refund or a voucher for a full session. You shouldnt have to pay more money to get the full experience you paid for in the first place.

The problem is you haven't actually told them you didn't get the full hour.

Ohfuckrucksack · 02/10/2024 14:59

You are being unreasonable.

You got the experience you paid for.

You're now just complaining.

You're not a 'mama bear' - no harm has come to your children.

TimetoPour · 02/10/2024 14:58

No OP. You are being very cheeky and unreasonable.
It is a one hour activity. They say you will be there for two hours to include a safety briefing and for you to put on and remove kit- not for extra time on the activity. It is unfortunate you were unable to complete all courses in an hour. However, they have been extremely kind in offering you a discounted return. Can you imagine Alton Towers offering discounts because you didn’t get in all the rides?

Aysegull · 02/10/2024 14:58

LongLiveTheLego · 02/10/2024 14:41

You are just changing the truth as you go along you had 70 minutes in the trees. Because people aren't agreeing with you you are know saying it's 45 mins. Just accept you misunderstood and it's not a 2 hour slot and be grateful for the voucher.

This. You’re being very grabby on insisting on a refund.

Metres · 02/10/2024 14:56

They've told you their offer so take it or leave it. You can't escalate it anywhere so deal with it! Or is there an ombudsman for theme parks?

I'd hate to work anywhere customer facing these days. People love firing off complainty emails for fun because entitlement.