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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

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:

Original poster

MistressMaker · 09/12/2010 11:41

It wasn't £9, it was £11.

And I will talk about my experience wherever I like. I haven't lied or exaggerated anything - I've described it and everyone (except those of you who work at snozone) have agreed it's a big fat RIP OFF!!!

Why in gods name would I be scared of complaining though?

OP posts:

nannynobblystockingnobs · 09/12/2010 11:58

Wow, a thread about a rubbish santa has made you so angry you can't believe it. Go and have a cup of tea!
I'd be pretty pissed off if the present from Santa was a bag of branded promo freebies too. It's not just the fact it's age inappropriate, it's the fact that it's crappy free stuff that very few children of ANY age would be interested in! Presents from santa are not supposed to be corporate crap. Even a cheap colouring book would make a kid smile.

kitten2525 · 09/12/2010 12:02

I don't know why you would be scared of complaining, but you don't seem to want to do it?

Are you also trying to say that i work at snozone? Because i don't. I work as an accountant for an independant schools company. I do however go to snozone a lot and use their facilities on a regular basis.

I really don't like people that use forums to bad mouth companies without giving the company a chance to reply or going to the company first to give them a chance to rectify the problem. It's like talking about someone behind their back!

And i still maintain it is not a rip off. Find me another Santa that offers the same experience AND an age appropriate toy for cheaper than that and i will take back all i have said. However i think you will be hard pressed to. You unfortunately have had a bad experience because in your opinion it didn't offer value for money. And you are entitled to your opinion as much as i am entitled to mine. However i am just expressing my opinion, which is that you weren't ripped off and to bad mouth a company in this way is disgusting.

classydiva · 09/12/2010 12:02

rip off

kitten2525 · 09/12/2010 12:04

It's more the people on this thread than the actual thread that has made me angry.

My DD loves the Percy Penguin that she got last year. Which you think is corporate crap!

octopusinabox · 09/12/2010 12:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SpotSplatterSplash · 09/12/2010 13:10

Rip off

I think kitten2525 is protesting just a leeetle bit too much

kitten2525 · 09/12/2010 13:21

I don't really care what you think tbh.

I came to this forum as i was told that it was different from other ones and that it was more of a community and everyone was lovely. I find out that i am totally wrong and that the forum is full of people that are very closed minded. This will be my last posting on this forum.

And i wish you all a Happy Christmas and hope that you find a Santa that you like, but i very much doubt you will.

SpotSplatterSplash · 09/12/2010 13:24

That's ok. Hope the weather isn't too bad in Milton Keynes

silverfrog · 09/12/2010 13:30

can't believe people get so worked up over someone saying they feel a Santa experience wasnot worth the money...

anyway, kitten, you asked for a similar Santa's grotto experience whhich was magical and had a decent toy?

the Center Parcs one I took the dds to last year was amazing

brilliant cabin, really lovely. right in the middle of a Christmas village, with a couple of reindeer outside. a snow machine provided plenty for us to play with, and there wa a choir singing carols as we waited ot go in. Santa was excellent (particularly good with dd1 who has ASD and was a bit freaked out by the whole thing).

lots of chocolate ofr me and dh (should have been for the girls, but they are dairy intolerant) and an absolutely gorgeous gift each - I honestly have not seen the like from a Santa's grotto before. It cost £7 per child iirc, and I was in two minds as htought that a bit steep, but it was well worth it.

so if I'd paid £11 for a train ride through a shopping centre and a bag of inappropriate branded tat, I'd be a bit miffed too.

toddlerama · 09/12/2010 13:34

This thread has made me ROFL. I knew it would be the Snozone as soon as you described the rip-off. It is the least child friendly venue ever to claim to be family fun. LOL at bored teenage elf muttering about it being a 'money making thing'.

piprabbit · 09/12/2010 13:38

Kitten - you only arrived here today and so far you have started a thread (but not got round to replying to the responses yet) and had a bit of a meltdown about grottos. Now you are flouncing. Please slow down - most people lurk a while before getting in to the swing of things MN-style.

taintedsnow · 09/12/2010 13:47

Firstly, it was definitely a rip off (though to be fair, they do say on that advert that adults would have to pay to ride on the train). The whole thing sounds like it would be worth £5 at most, and I also would report to trading standards, as it sounds like false advertising.

Loving the responses from those who clearly have an affiliation with this company. Always good for a laugh.

DasherandSmugly · 09/12/2010 13:47

YANBU. I'll say it again but the best Santa experience has to be Painshill Park in Surrey. It's absolutely magical.

mamasmissionimpossible · 09/12/2010 13:54

It is does sound like a rip off, tbh.

We went to Painshill Park last weekend. It was lovely and very well organised. Friendly Santa too. They also provided a little activity set for the dc's to keep them amused whilst waiting for Santa. A little elf guided us through a cave to Santa in his sleigh. Magic!

Original poster

MistressMaker · 09/12/2010 13:55

Taintedsnow - you're right about the train for the charge, I stand corrected on that one, it does say in the advert. Will teach me to read the smallprint next time, not that there will ever be one!

Kitten, I would respond but I fear a sensitive sole such as yourself wouldn't be able to take it, so I'll abstain

OP posts:

Mumwithareindeertattoo · 09/12/2010 13:58

Sounds like a rip off. There was something on the radio yesterday about another santa experience that was being investigated by Trading Standards so might well be worth a call in this case as others have said.

Original poster

MistressMaker · 09/12/2010 13:59

The funniest thing was that when Santa (who, as I've already said, was very good) handed over the present he looked embarassed and went "here's a present, I'm not sure what's in it".

Poor bloke obviously thought it was a complete load of tat too.

OP posts:

Blu · 09/12/2010 14:03

RipOff - esp with regard to promotional product presents - er, that's usually called ADVERTISING.

taintedsnow · 09/12/2010 14:04

Mistress, I don't think the £1 for the train comment I made should take away from the general disappointment of the day. Even if you didn't have to pay extra, the whole thing would still be a massive rip off. Please consider reporting to trading standards.

beijingaling · 09/12/2010 14:39

Not to give any details but someone I know is involved in a class action lawsuit in the US at the moment. On any website/forum that mentions the case/company a troll customer pops up to say how thrilled they are with the company and how angry the negative comments make them.

That's not to say that all people who have positive experiences in the face of negatives are company plants but it does make you go especially when you KNOW the company knows about the thread and the posters are sooo angry.

Fwiw YANBU OP

insanemumma · 09/12/2010 15:19

Hi, I haven't taken my kids to see Santa at the Snozone so can't really comment. Did however take my DS to see Santa at Centre MK the year before last and wasn't very impressed. This year we are taking our DCs to see Santa at the Milton Keynes museum as it was highly recommended by a friend of my mums. Just wondered if anybody else has been and if it was any good. (Sorry to hijack your post OP)

kitten2525 · 09/12/2010 15:50

I have been pulled back into this thread because there have been some more comments that i feel i need to defend.

I am not a troll as you put it. But i am a customer of snozone that has had many years of happy experience with them. I enjoy ski-ing and go regularly.

I was angry with some of the posts on this thread because i believe they didn't give a fair view of snozone and as i say i have been going for many years and feel somewhat loyal to the company. That is not to say that i haven't had negative experiences there, but when i do i raise it with their staff and it is usually resolved.

I just want to say to insanemamma. That we went to MK Museum last weekend and i would say that it was a good experience, the pressie was not age appropriate and their queueing system is a bit off. You are given a number, but people are allowed to jump the queue so don't hang around until your number is called. And i raised this issue with MK Museum whilst i was there last weekend, because as i have said before if you have an issue you should complain so the company has a chance to put it right.

I am glad that my rants have amused people on here. I appologise for "going off on one" as my DH put it, but if you look at the other thread i started that has been refered to i am a little tired at the moment thanks to a very unruly 19mo!! :)

Original poster

MistressMaker · 09/12/2010 15:54

I've never been to snozone before, and I won't be going again.

Just to add to the appeal of the whole thing, the men's toilets were closed off and the door was being guarded by a number of police officers.

Nice place!

OP posts:

Quenelle · 09/12/2010 16:20

Oh dear, I've booked to go this Saturday. I chose it because the comments on the 360/Gambado thread put me off the CMK one.

DS is only 18mo so he'll love the ride on the train wherever it goes, and only needs a few feet of snow to tramp about in. And I knew about the £1 per adult for the train. However, if his present is a bag full of promotional crap I will complain and ask for my money back.

Thanks for warning me in advance MistressMaker.

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