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 think they do have a database.

I went to Stirling Castle, which is run by Historic Scotland, which is the Scottish partner of English Heritage - meaning that EH members get in for free in HS properties and vice versa. Like the OP, I had forgotten my card - but the lovely lady in the ticket office rang English Heritage, who confirmed I am an EH member - and she was happy to issue me a ticket based on that.

Perhaps the OP was at a property that was busier, so the person in the ticket office didn’t have time to ring up - but EH definitely do have a database of their members, and it is possible for staff to check it.

How does Lyra win the thread? She may be a Lawyer but she isn't a judge! I still deem it unfair to expect people to show a membership card and the NT agree because they have/are putting in measures to help people with this.

Like PP said their card woildn't swipe properly and they had to pay! Now that would really piss me off!

National Trust and English Heritage are separate organisations with different rules and systems. EH membership rules state you must show a valid membership card to gain free entry to an EH site and each member must show their own card. You can get a refund if you send your proof of membership and proof of purchase through, can be by email, doesn't have to be posted. It isn't possible to confirm membership at site with no card as the contact centre doesn't have the staff to answer the calls and so many of the sites have Internet access issues. If you join at a site you are given a temporary card to use and if you join online or by phone you are sent an email confirmation to use until your permanent cards arrive. You can show an email confirmation on your phone, you don't even have to print it. It's clearly reasonable to have to prove your membership to get in. If you don't have anything proving your membership because you lost your card or deleted the email, you can call or email to get a replacement membership card and a confirmation email.

Perhaps the OP was at a property that was busier,

I arrived just over an hour before closing time! There was hardly anyone there! It was nuts tbh and really awkward with the children and some other people in the shop.

It's ok OP you can win the thread if you really want to

The thing is if he had asked for an email I did have one on my phone but he was so rude and the children were picking everything up that I didn't think. So yes I do think they should use some common sense and discretion!

thanks LEM I have had a really shit day.

I drove halfway to the EH site and my DS had a meltdown - he has ASD. I then had to drive him home for DH to look after and then went with the rest of my children. I arrived really late and some bloody jobsworth denied me entry so I then drove all the way home. So yes their terms and conditions stink!

If you behave in real life the way you have on this thread, I'm not surprised the staff didn't cut you any slack.

You still haven't cleared up why you are complaining about the National Trust when trying to get into an English Heritage site. They are different

But surely he asked for your membership card or proof of membership or whatever. At that point common sense would say I don't have my card yet but I've got an email. Every visitor is recorded for stats about footfall and stuff so if you don't pay or prove membership then you can't go in. Which property was it?

All the EH sites we've been to have been lovely and super-helpful, which one did you go to OP?

We're in the NT too, and they've always been great, perhaps the EH site was just having an off day.

OK the consensus is IABU! I accept your advice

No trash, common sense didn't kick in because my journey was beyond stressful!

Sorry, was typing on my phone when you posted so didn't see your post about the journey. Sorry you had a hard day. Unfortunately the site staff had no choice to let you in without paying or proof of membership.

I am ashamed to say I actually cried when I left.

I'm honestly not unsympathetic - I would have been hugely frustrated in your shoes. I just don't think you can accuse the entirety of EH of being unreasonable because they weren't able to compensate for your mistake. Chalk it up to experience and let it go.

NT don’t. They have. A phone. They have to call membership dept at head office to see if you are a member.

It sounds enormously frustrating and crappy for you. I might well have angry cried too. I do think your anger is misdirected though. Here's to a better day tomorrow

I'm a NT member. I don't want EH holding my data too, just in case I forget my card into one of the few joint sites.

I'd be gutted, but the issue is yours and yours alone. There is absolutely nothing unreasonable about being expected to show proof of membership.

Even calling up/using database if everyone didn't have a card it would take ages to search. Databases cost money to keep them secure from data breaches.

So... they're unreasonable because they expected you to produce your membership card to prove that you are infact a member? Oh yes how ridiculous.

YOU forgot YOUR card. Get over it and remember it next time.

So... they're unreasonable because they expected you to produce your membership card to prove that you are infact a member? Oh yes how ridiculous.

YOU forgot YOUR card. Get over it and remember it next time.

I sympathise - from my experience EH are not particularly organised. I became a member a couple of years ago when visiting one of their properties. They gave me a temporary card and completely forgot to send the permanent one. Took quite a bit of chasing to get it.