Bloody English Heritage!

[clippedcasuals]

Surely they should have a computer system to show whether you are a member or not like National Trust. I was refused entry today because I couldn't produce my card.
Are they legally allowed to do this!

Every other membership will have a system to pull up your details if you can not a produce card.

I feel robbed!

I wasn’t allowed to park in the NT car park even though my car had the sticker because I’d forgotten my card. It’s the way. With everything. I wasn’t raging. I understood their position

That's awful whatwouldflopdo. They did say I could pay and be refunded but I did think there is no way I am paying out again which I probably won't get back just because THEY can't list my membership on a computer system. Surely you could buy any cheap computer to file a few details!

Why do you think it's not legal for them to require you to produce a card? It's a contractual relationship. They let you access their properties in return for money and complying with certain conditions, one of which is producing a card. It's not an unfair term.

I have always gotten into NT normally some old guy just ushers us through but also I'm sure there is a system that pulls up your details. I can't imagine there are that many people trying to get into EH on a grey dreary day! I think there is more card hopping going on tbh but they don't seem to care about that.

I think it is an unfair term though. Human error and the nature and distance of their sites espcially with young children makes forgetting losing a card a likely event that can be very disruptive if you are refused entry.

For terms and conditions to be unenforceable they have to be incredibly unreasonable - that is, so unreasonable that the average person would refuse to accept them if they were properly aware of them. It's a very high test to meet. Their request that you produce your membership card is completely reasonable and is therefore absolutely enforceable.

Do you know that for sure though Lyra? Or are the peasants just accepting orders?

NT does have a database of members but it's quite new and not all sites have the new tills yet. They are also going to introduce parking meters that scan your membership card for free parking to stop people asking for extra car stickers and selling them on ebay.

I don't see that it's terribly difficult to keep hold of a membership card for something. I joined EH last year when friends were visiting from overseas. Got a temporary card which I put straight into my wallet. When I got the new 'proper' card, I put that in the place of the temporary one.
I'd expect to be asked to show a membership card at an organisation of which I was a member; so equally I'd make sure that if I was a member of NT, RSPB, etc that I had those cards somewhere in my wallet/purse.

Yes, because I am a lawyer.

Well you could always hire a lawyer and find out. But it’s highly unlikely to meet the test for unreasonable.

Of course you need to prove you are a member. you do that by showing them your membership card.

Get a grip.

In contrast, we’ve managed to visit 4 different EH places in the last month without cards (because we’d only just activated a gift membership). The first two places we hadn’t even received email confirmation (which must require someone in the office to do it, but it was NYE and no one was in) and they let us in with the gift membership pack and a screenshot.

I think it depends on the place too. I was at Dover Castle when they wouldn’t let me in as my card wasn’t reading. But that’s a massive place that is probably a big money maker for them, so maybe the do get more people trying to take the piss. Their reasoning was that I could’ve signed up last time I went then cancelled the direct debit. As my card wasn’t reading it suggested my membership was cancelled. They were very adamant about so I assume a few piss takers have ruined it for everyone. I genuinely wouldn’t have minded if they’d promptly refunded it. By as I’d paid cash they couldn’t trace the payment so I had to post the receipt which they apparently still haven’t received. Arghh!

I wouldn’t expect to be let in if I had forgotten my card though. I’d hope I would be (especially if it was just a little local place rather than one of their enormous places) but I wouldn’t kick up a stink if I wasn’t as you obviously do need to have it on you as proof of membership.

The NT usually phone head office to get confirmation in my experience. Maybe some places have access to their computer database now, but if I’ve ever forgotten my card they’ve usually phoned to check.

How difficult is it to keep your membership card with all your other cards - it's the same size as a bank/credit card? Have been a member for over a decade and have always kept it in my purse.

How difficult is it to keep your membership card with all your other cards - it's the same size as a bank/credit card? Have been a member for over a decade and have always kept it in my purse.

As a back up take a picture on your phone

That would be no good lostin as they swipe your card. I’m sure they do have a database just no HO staff to access it on a Sunday.

Lyra wins thread

Honestly Op, this is hilarious. You forgot something, but it’s their fault? I’ve read all your comments and I still don’t get how you think that’s a reasonable conclusion. You do however sound like a nightmare customer.

I forgot our NT card when in Northern Ireland for new year 2016/17 told the guy parking was and he just said park and they go and Gove details to the desk, which we did and they let us in quite happily.

Merlin do this as well. If you aren't at your home attraction you have to pay entry and cannot claim refund. There is an app Beep no Go where you can store all your membership details and you have a copy of the bar codes

It's completely up to the site really on how strict they are with policy. I've worked previously on a similar site and we couldn't have access to the membership details due to some data protection thing and the use of volunteers. We could ring hq - but they never answered. We would mostly just trust people and let them in, unless we didn't believe them - then we would deny entry unless they paid. They could bring in their card and receipt at a later date and we would refund.

You accepted their terms and conditions when you signed up for membership, ergo you accepted the fact you would be refused entry without your card.

And had you read your emails you would know as a new member you had to show the email to gain entry.

Of course it's lega, and more than reasonable.
Same as for every other single thing you have ever had a pass for.

Has it not occurred to you that if they just let everyone in who said 'I have paid, honest guv, I just left my card at home', then there really would be no point in anyone actually buying a pass, so the price would then have to skyrocket for the few that were super honest ??

I really can't believe you are trying to blame EH, for your mistake in losing or forgetting your card

whatwouldflopdo that's interesting 're Dover castle. We never showed our cards there. We just always parked up and went in as the main entrance bit seemed separate from everything. I often wondered if people just used to go in without paying.