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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:
autienotnaughty · 02/10/2024 14:36

How long were you actually in the trees? So from safety harness on to safety harness off?

How much was the voucher?

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 14:35

Mrsttcno1 · 02/10/2024 14:33

You have said in a previous reply that you did get an hour? 90 mins - 20 for the briefing is 70 mins, so more than the hour.

Their website is very clear that it is 1 hour in the trees but slots are 2 hours to account for briefings etc, you’re never guaranteed more than 1 hour in the trees so once your hour is done you are done

No because 20 mins were taken up waiting for the safety briefing, so we only had 45 mins in the trees in the end. they said at the start you have until we close at 18:30 To do all of them and hand back the harnesses

OP posts:
Funkyslippers · 02/10/2024 14:35

We had similar at Go Ape on the more advanced course. We completed 3 sections, the queue for no. 4 was really long so we were advised to skip to no.5. We tried to return to no.4 but again queue still too long & we wouldn't have all got around before closing. I emailed them & they very kindly sent me a voucher for a free visit for the 4 of us. I gladly accepted it, went back & had a great time. I think you should accept the voucher, it should be valid for about a year & make sure you book an early slot

Mrsttcno1 · 02/10/2024 14:35

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 14:34

We were a half hour short of the full 2 hours which didn’t sit well with me, nor how it was handled.

But the 2 hours is irrelevant as long as you got your hour in the trees, which you say you did.

The 2 hour slot is purely to account for briefings and harness etc, the website is really clear about this, it is only ever 1 hour in the trees

NeverEnoughPants · 02/10/2024 14:34

The two hours is made up of an hour in the trees, and up to an hour for briefings, harnessing etc.

So the half hour you 'missed' was for the preparation etc. I think they've been quite fair in offering you a discount. I don't see why it should be free.

My and my family completed an escape room in 27 minutes. We had up to an hour.. Should I complain to get it half price?

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 14:34

sparkellie · 02/10/2024 14:25

I think if you got the expected time then you are being unreasonable. If them running late meant you were given less time than you should have been then they should refund. It's not very clear from your post whether they were running late to start and still finished on time (which isn't reasonable on their part). However, I would expect them to refund the portion of time you were short, not the whole thing. It's completely reasonable to say that the way it was handled means money off for future trips are unusable with an asd child who has had a very negative experience.

We were a half hour short of the full 2 hours which didn’t sit well with me, nor how it was handled.

OP posts:
Londonrach1 · 02/10/2024 14:33

Great response from them. Sounds like you were Abit slow but practice makes perfect and you got the discount for next time. Win win

Mrsttcno1 · 02/10/2024 14:33

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 14:31

We didn’t get the hour and their terms say you have a a lot up to 2 hours if needed ☹️

You have said in a previous reply that you did get an hour? 90 mins - 20 for the briefing is 70 mins, so more than the hour.

Their website is very clear that it is 1 hour in the trees but slots are 2 hours to account for briefings etc, you’re never guaranteed more than 1 hour in the trees so once your hour is done you are done

Verite1 · 02/10/2024 14:32

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 14:31

We didn’t get the hour and their terms say you have a a lot up to 2 hours if needed ☹️

How long did you get in the trees - this is the important point.

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 14:32

Boltonb · 02/10/2024 14:31

Sounds like you paid for an hour in the trees, which is what you got. Your party progressed too slowly to complete all parts of the course within the hour, so it was suggested that you miss one stage.

I think a refund would be ridiculous, and a voucher is generous. Maybe don’t choose a late slot for a slow party in the future.

But surely all slots should have the same times? As it’s priced the same? If they had a note saying last slot may be cut short that would be different but that’s not the case

OP posts:
Zup · 02/10/2024 14:32

I think a refund wouldnt be right, you did get to experience 3 of the levels, they've been apologetic and offered a discount for any future things id say that's pretty good, its not what you want but what you're hoping for seems unreasonable.

frannygallops · 02/10/2024 14:31

OP, you've posted some of your replies on someone else's thread. I think that's why this looks confusing. I can't remember the thread now sorry, but it's about someone else wanting a refund for an activity

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 14:31

Mrsttcno1 · 02/10/2024 14:27

It’s not a 2 hour slot in the trees though, it’s 1 hour. So as long as you got your hour, that’s fine

We didn’t get the hour and their terms say you have a a lot up to 2 hours if needed ☹️

OP posts:
Boltonb · 02/10/2024 14:31

Sounds like you paid for an hour in the trees, which is what you got. Your party progressed too slowly to complete all parts of the course within the hour, so it was suggested that you miss one stage.

I think a refund would be ridiculous, and a voucher is generous. Maybe don’t choose a late slot for a slow party in the future.

angrylizard · 02/10/2024 14:30

I think their response is reasonable.

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 14:30

Hazeby · 02/10/2024 14:26

It’s a bit confusing but for me
boils down to two questions.

How long is each slot i.e how long are you meant to have?

And how long did you actually have?

sorry I agree it’s confusing

  1. you are meant to complete each “stage” in around 15 mins but they have a buffer of a 2 hour slot to allow for safety briefing and handing back harness. We had 90 mins but 20 of those taken up waiting for safety briefing
OP posts:
cakeflower · 02/10/2024 14:27

Not exactly relevant to this complaint but in general I do think Go Ape’s timeslots are too short and I wish they would give you lots more time. We went to a similar place in France where you could stay as long as you wanted and it made it all so much more fun and relaxed.

Mrsttcno1 · 02/10/2024 14:27

It’s not a 2 hour slot in the trees though, it’s 1 hour. So as long as you got your hour, that’s fine

Spinet · 02/10/2024 14:27

What's the discount they're offering?

TeenLifeMum · 02/10/2024 14:27

Rather than focusing on what levels you did, did you spend an hour on the activity? If yes, then I think you’re being unreasonable and their response is fair. If you do go back, take an earlier slot.

Hazeby · 02/10/2024 14:26

It’s a bit confusing but for me
boils down to two questions.

How long is each slot i.e how long are you meant to have?

And how long did you actually have?

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 14:25

mummymummymummummum · 02/10/2024 14:22

Did you have 1 hour in the tree tops? Assuming you paid for the Treetop Adventure then that is how long you get, it’s clear on the website etc. I’d say a voucher is fair enough.

Yes, but we actually were out a whole half hour early as had been made to skip 3! By then there was only us and level 3 was closed and we left at 6, half an hour before our allocated 2 hour slot

OP posts:
sparkellie · 02/10/2024 14:25

I think if you got the expected time then you are being unreasonable. If them running late meant you were given less time than you should have been then they should refund. It's not very clear from your post whether they were running late to start and still finished on time (which isn't reasonable on their part). However, I would expect them to refund the portion of time you were short, not the whole thing. It's completely reasonable to say that the way it was handled means money off for future trips are unusable with an asd child who has had a very negative experience.

RaisinforBeing · 02/10/2024 14:24

I don’t think you should’ve got a refund as you didn’t complete it all. It’s a bit like a theme park, if you don’t do all the rides because the lines are long or you don’t like the fast thrill rides, you don’t get your money back. You are paying for the experience and you take it at your own pace.

Stripyseason · 02/10/2024 14:23

Sorry one last fact to add - they pride themselves on hidden disability and the sunflower lanyard and it just felt like they didn’t take this into account. They have acknowledged this and said the site manager will go over it with his team again. Just too late for us ☹️

OP posts:
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