To think parents lying about their child's age to get cheaper tickets is wrong?

[Liketochat1]

The swimming thread got me thinking about a chat I was having the other day. Parents were saying they lie about their child's age to get cheaper or free tickets to parks, zoos, shows etc... They claim their children are under 5, 3 or whatever when they aren't.
AIBU to think this lying is wrong and unfair or is it just to be expected?

i have never had to SAY my child is younger, i just have them in the pushchair or wahtever and ask for tickets for myself and the other adults/children and simply dont include them in the numbers i am asking for. the ticket sellers have never asked my how old my younger child is they assume i am not asking for a ticket because they are too young i guess?

A lot of people are saying why should you pay more for a child aged 3 years and one day than for a child aged 2 years and 364 days.
How do you suggest they charge?
One price for two years olds, a different one for three years olds, another one for four olds etc. That would cause chaos.

"So all lying achieves is that theme parks now set the limit so low that more people end up paying in the longterm"

They set the charges the way they do because they can get away with it.

The cost of taking children away 'abroad' has slowly gone up, it started that 14 year olds had to pay adult prices (on allinclusives this can no way be justified) and it has dropped to 12. This has nothing to do with people lying, because a passport is needed, so parents cannot lie.

The same people who invest in theme parks own the travel companies, they are just greedy.

really? how do we know its the same person?

she did start this thread on the back of a comment i made on another thread tho, about sneaking a child in and pretending they were under one! (an olympic thread)

I don't see what the problem is here - this thread was a perfectly reasonable topic to talk about.

well i talk about the same things on another forum! dont have the same name anymore tho. this thread is fairly tame tbh, but i did see she did another one but didnt come back to post on it tho (she was roundly told she was bu!)

i havent seen anything outrageous yet!

those that do not do this because its stealing etc,do you take your own drinks and snacks to soft play,pubs,resturants that make it clear only their food and beverage should be consumed on the premises

do you buy everything on that premises then
not even a secret packet of raisins

i asked this way back in the thread and had not one reply,see if i get a reply this time

agree it is stealing

of course it is wrong though some seem to think it is amusing hilarious

i don't think it's amusing, i just don't care because the same investors are ripping us off when counting 12 year olds as adults.

I have often had to pay adult fare for my under 16 teens, just because they look older.

Meh I do at theme parks etc and deck even the disabled price is expensive considering ds3 is not allowed on much anyway

He is 7 looks about 4

Pubs /restaurant no .

. Cinema hell yes

It's swings and roundabouts my 15 year old I've had to proove he is under 16 since he was 13

Holidays always based on 2 adults ao always paying adult price for one of my Dc anyway and really resent it when that's 9 year old dd

I haven't ever done it so far, but I sometimes think it's fairly justified to do it if the age that the price increases is stupid. For example under 2's are free to get into a local zoo, over two's to 16 year olds are child price. A two year old isn't going to be able to do very much and probably won't remember the trip at all.

human,thanks my first answer,we shall see if the no no no brigade answer

YABU - I don't think its wrong

thekidsrule. I would not lie about my kids ages To get into theme parks etc as I consider it stealing. I would be appalled if my kids stole and I want to set a good example to them. However, given an earlier posters example of her 2year and a couple of weeks old being charged £17 to go into a zoo, I would lie. I would also take in my own drinks and snacks. Yes, I realise I am contradicting myself

I think that means I am in the no no, well maybe occasionally brigade.

I still think it is stealing though. If you don't won't to or can't afford to go to a theme park just don't go.

thekidsrule
do you buy everything on that premises then
not even a secret packet of raisins

Once - as friend brought the food along and insisted we just buy coffee for us and feed the DC the food she'd brought.

We have paid for a DC day after a 3 birthday - we were buying a season ticket though and as everyone else had a season ticket guy doing it instead we had a cheaper renewal price. Never had anyone else do that.

Reading here I'm starting to think I am a total mug.

Im just back from hell soft play where I paid the under 3 price for Ds who is 3.5 and got DS2 in for free even though he is over 6 months. Still paid fooking £2.50 for the Nescafe, £2 for a bottle of water, £6.95 for a shite mini pizza and £2.50 for a portion of flaccid chips. AND I stayed for well over the hour limit.

No way would I have gone there today if I paid full price for them so in a way me telling porkies has made them more money, they should be bloody grateful

Just to add, FeralSlippers is spot on.

I have stayed over a two hour limit at a soft play twice - suppose that might be morally questionable - certainly sanity questioning - but they got meals out of us that otherwise we'd have bought else where - so similar thing I guess.