Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have expected a refund or next visit free voucher

166 replies

Arkwright · 06/04/2016 20:03

We went to the zoo for the day. Paid the extortionate entry fees for the 4 of us. Ten minutes inside the zoo my Dd was very sick. There was no warning of this she was absolutely fine before. We left straight away as she looked awful and still felt sick. My husband took her to the car and cleaned her up. I went to the desk and explained and asked if we could have a refund or a voucher to come again another day. They refused and offered us 10% off another visit. I even wrote in and received the same answer. So we paid a whole days charge for a 10 minute visit. So were the zoo being unreasonable?

OP posts:
hesterton · 07/04/2016 07:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

2ndSopranosRule · 07/04/2016 08:30

I think YANBU.

Slightly different but some friends of ours went to the zoo and their dc had a seizure. When the rescue meds didn't take effect they had to call an ambulance. The zoo did something to their tickets so they were valid for another month so they could (and did) return.

My friend didn't expect that though - they called her after the event to check on the dc and offered.

StillDrSethHazlittMD · 07/04/2016 08:34

You were not being unreasonable to ask the question of a refund/free visit.
You were being unreasonable in "expecting" a refund/free visit.
You were being unreasonable losing your cool with the lady on the desk when you didn't like the answer you were given.

MaybeDoctor · 07/04/2016 08:43

We had to cancel an entire holiday last year because our child came down with chicken pox two days before we were due to fly.

It happens.

LindorBunny · 07/04/2016 08:45

It would have been business savvy

RabbitSaysWoof · 07/04/2016 08:46

It was tight of them, I would be disappointed they couldn't do more than 10% It's not like a limited numbers place where someone else would be turned away for you free visit.

magratsflyawayhair · 07/04/2016 08:47

Unfortunately it's true that the zoo have no obligation whatsoever to refund you. However, I would have expected something, and some sympathy, purely as good customer service. The issues in question have already been covered, I'm really surprised they didn't offer to validate a ticket for return, even if it was in the next specific number of months or similar.

LindorBunny · 07/04/2016 08:48

Grr, posted too soon.

It would have been business savvy to extend your tickets, even if they couldn't offer a refund. You'd have returned, spent a shed load, and told your friends.

If the woman couldn't do anything she could have spoken to a supervisor.

It wasn't Banham Zoo, was it?

StillDrSethHazlittMD · 07/04/2016 08:52

magrat You (and the OP) say you would have "expected" something? Surely the correct line of thinking would be that you would have LIKED the zoo to do something? Oh - they did. They offered 10% off a return.

So, they did do something. The OP just didn't think that was good enough. Also her prerogative.

SeriousSteve · 07/04/2016 08:55

You should try to contact upper management, and complain on social media.

My DW hurt herself in an attraction and required paramedics. The attraction were great asking how she was and offered free tickets to return when she was better.

Onlytimewilltell · 07/04/2016 09:01

Terrible customer service OP Angry
I'm amazed they didn't refund you.

Letustryagain · 07/04/2016 09:06

Unfortunately YABU but they were being a bit mean.

At the little place (think animal farm park type place) that we go to regularly they have a policy that if it rains while you're there, you get a free pass to come back, even if it's just a shower. For a family of four the cost is £50 roughly so not cheap. But the result is they have a LOT of repeat business whether it's raining or not because they're so generous.

I doubt you'll be rushing back to the zoo in a hurry... It's a shame really that places don't see the benefits of 'goodwill'.

I hope your DD is better.

MattDillonsPants · 07/04/2016 09:09

I think you should have been refunded! It's not as if you were in there...it would have been nice of them.

CocktailQueen · 07/04/2016 09:11

Yanbu, op. Sure, it wasn't the zoo's fault your dd was sick, but it wasn't yours either! At least you took dd home after that and didn't stay.

It would be a nice gesture if the zoo refunded your tickets IMO. Better publicity for them, and they don't lose out financially.

Can you tweet them, see what they say? Is it a small zoo?

splendide · 07/04/2016 09:21

I went to Kew years ago with my husband and he became unwell after we'd been there about 10 minutes and they refunded the tickets. So I'm a bit surprised they wouldn't do it.

AndYourBirdCanSing · 07/04/2016 09:22

Awful customer service! Surprised so many think this is acceptable.

Hmm at the 'get a grip' comments.

diddl · 07/04/2016 09:23

Did your daughter feel well enough to stay after being sick?

If so, I would have found a way to stay tbh.

LunaLunaLovegood · 07/04/2016 09:26

YANBU - that is terrible customer service from the zoo.

If I ran the zoo I would refund you. Then again if I ran the zoo I'd set all the animals freeeee [giraffe][lion][zebra][carnage]

PennyHasNoSurname · 07/04/2016 09:30

Would anyone else have just bought dd a replacement tshirt from the shop, have her sip some water for a bit then just got on with the day there?

magratsflyawayhair · 07/04/2016 09:34

No DrSeth. My expectation would be that they would offer something by way of good customer service. I'd expect a business to operate that way and to see that sometimes circumstances require a flexible approach.
That said, I wouldn't have a barney with them about it on refusal. I'd walk away, not go back, and not recommend them to anyone. I'd probably also have written to the senior management, not in a rude aggressive way, in an 'I'm disappointed at this outcome please review your policy for future people' type way.

StillDrSethHazlittMD · 07/04/2016 09:38

magrat "My expectation would be that they would offer something by way of good customer service."

Which they did. 10% off. The OP felt this was not good enough. Possibly justifiably.

diddl · 07/04/2016 09:50

"Would anyone else have just bought dd a replacement tshirt from the shop, have her sip some water for a bit then just got on with the day there?"

Me!

In fact when we were caught out with daughter being travel sick once, she wore my tshirt as I dress & I wore just the cardi that I also had on.

If Op's daughter was too ill to stay though, I do think that the place could have offered tickets for another visit, either at full price or very reduced.

Even if they had to be used within a few days.

KoalaDownUnder · 07/04/2016 09:59

I think 10% is a pretty pathetic 'goodwill' gesture, to be honest.

If the OP had not been able to prove that they'd only been inside for 10 minutes, I would think otherwise.

NeedACleverNN · 07/04/2016 10:00

"Would anyone else have just bought dd a replacement tshirt from the shop, have her sip some water for a bit then just got on with the day there?

Me too. Unless Dd told me she was feeling really poorly, I would have carried on

TheEmmaDilemma · 07/04/2016 10:27

I think it's terrible customer service. OP has clearly stated the tickets showed the time of entry. She could prove she'd only been there 10 minutes.

I wouldn't have expected a refund, but I would have expected the offer to return another time using tickets.

I can't believe how many people think the OP is out of order.