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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think this is a bit of a rip off?

85 replies

MistressMaker · 05/12/2010 19:56

Took DD to see Santat today.

It was at an indoor real snow ski slope.

Tickets were £9, to include a train ride, play in the snow then see Santa and have a present. It said on the flyer and at booking that adults don't need a ticket.

We get there, queue for the train only to be told that if you want to ride on the train with your child it's another £1 per adult. DD wouldn't want to be on it on her own so we hand over another £2.

The train is just a little car with a couple of carriages on the back, goes up and down the shopping centre then into the ski slope.

The snow is a teeny, tiny area cordoned off the main ski slope, no room to play in the snow, just enough room for a toddler slide and to queue for Santa.

Go into see Santa, very friendly chap give him his dues, tried hard with DD who didn't want to talk to him (that's another thread!)

Gives her her present. Present is basically a load of free branded merchandise - a string bag with a slogan on it, a plastic bottle with the ski slope name on it, some stickers (trespass and other ski brands) and a snowcamp t shirt age 12-13. Oh, and some crayons.

Now, that is quite a lot of stuff but DD is a pre-schooler, I don't expect your average 12-13 year old is remotely interested in visiting Santa, are they? Nothing in the bag is of interest to her except the crayons, of which have many.

I would have been better off spending £11 in poundland!

Anyway, rip off or not? You the jury!

OP posts:
MistressMaker · 05/12/2010 19:57

(I realise the £11 wasn't purely to cover the cost of the present btw, but a £1 poundland dolly would have felt like more of a present)

OP posts:
rainbowinthesky · 05/12/2010 19:57

Rip off.

rubyslippers · 05/12/2010 19:58

Rip off

rainbowinthesky · 05/12/2010 19:59

I would also be tempted to report to trading standards as it seems an extortianate amount above what it would have cost to put together with some profit.

parakeet · 05/12/2010 19:59

Rip-off

parakeet · 05/12/2010 20:00

The present being so inappropriate for a pre-schooler is what would have pissed me off the most.

MistressMaker · 05/12/2010 20:01

Parakeet - yep, that is exactly what has got me so pissed off. Like I say, a £1 toy from poundland that she could have loved would have been great.

But that.

It's obviously some free kit that they give away to school trips or something.

OP posts:
WhyMeWhyNot · 05/12/2010 20:03

No YANBU. Big rip off. Write a nice polite letter of complaint to the snow ski slope place.
Thank goodness it wasn't the real Santa there he probably would hate the place Xmas Grin

TheProvincialLady · 05/12/2010 20:03

Total rip off.

onepieceoflollipop · 05/12/2010 20:04

rip off but did you say anything at the time?

imo it is best to express your dissatisfaction (calmly and politely) at the time, also ask the person you complain to for the name/address/e-mail of where to follow up your concerns in writing.

What a waste of time for you and a disappointment for your dd.

CarGirl · 05/12/2010 20:05

I'd have asked for refund and then offered to stand in front of potential customers and show them the "gift"

MistressMaker · 05/12/2010 20:05

No, we didn't complain, we had to rush out as DD2 needed feeding plus I didn't open the bag til we got home to didn't know what was in it.

OP posts:
Breezy1985 · 05/12/2010 20:06

complete rip off

mumto2andnomore · 05/12/2010 20:08

Agree -a rip off and you should complain.Where was it so others can avoid it ?

MistressMaker · 05/12/2010 20:08

Ok, thank you.

I will complain then I think.

In the meantime, I think I'll indulge in a name and shame. Frankly, there aren't many indoor real snow slopes in the UK so it wouldn't have been hard to find it via google.

Shame on you SNOZONE in XSCAPE MILTON KEYNES.

Here's the advert, btw, which makes mention of a "special present"

www.snozoneuk.com/v/milton-keynes/activities/santa

OP posts:
MistressMaker · 05/12/2010 20:08

www.snozoneuk.com/v/milton-keynes/activities/santa

OP posts:
PatFig · 05/12/2010 20:09

complete rip off

The look of pleasure on your DDs little rosey face PRICELESS

SantasENormaSnob · 05/12/2010 20:11

Rip off.

ASecretLemonadeDrinker · 05/12/2010 20:12

pmsl @ santat Grin

Freudian slip? Grin

MistressMaker · 05/12/2010 20:13

Grin secretlemonadedrinker

OP posts:
ballstoit · 05/12/2010 20:14

Rip off, and thanks for naming and shaming. The lack of space to play in the snow is as bad as the 'present'.

DwpAnxt · 05/12/2010 20:29

What a rip off. Amateurs Angry

mamatomany · 05/12/2010 20:37

Exactly the same happened last year at the Manchester Snow DOme, DD basically got something that our local chinese takeaway gives out for free.
I wrote and complained and was offered a free return visit which I said I wouldn't be taking them up on.

MistressMaker · 05/12/2010 20:47

Interesting mamtomany - I can see myself not even getting a response for complaining. Worth a try though.

OP posts:
annie987 · 05/12/2010 21:21

Sorry you had a rubbish time.

In contrast we went to Tamworth Snowdome for their Winter Wonderland and it was brilliant so not all snow domes's are awful. We had half an hour snow play with sledging, snowballing and tubing. Watched a half hour pantomime which featured Santa himself and then spent half an hour with the reindeer and lots of other animals. The present from Santa was a Thorntons chocolate lolly which went down a storm. A great morning was had by all.

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