To lie about his age for free admission?

[WaitForCake]

It's DS's 3rd birthday in a couple of weeks. I'm taking him to an attraction.

It's free for under 3s, but adult price at 3 upwards. Money is tight, but after a tough few months between lockdown and his DF moving out after our split, I want to do something nice for him.
As there is no inherent difference in what he'll get from the experience the day before his birthday and on the day of his birthday, WIBU to just buy him a 2 year old ticket?

I can't take him the day earlier due to work (I did consider this already).

YANBU - get the 2 year old ticket
YABU - pay the adult price for him

Chessington is horrendous for pre-schoolers.
We went on that £25 ticket. Couldn’t do hardly anything. The soft play adults aren’t allowed in but DS was too small to go in unaccompanied.
The leaflet said we could go on the safari and we walked the length of the park to find there was a hight restriction.
There was an attraction where you shoot foam balls at each other. Leaflet said no height restriction, got there and they had to be over 4 (DS wasn’t).
No playground or water play. It’s literally a handful of small rides and looking at animals or fish. The sea life area is really small.
I wouldn’t take DS back until he’s much older.

Inebrr lying about my age all the time as a kid. I doubt Merlin et al. missed the extra income a great deal.

However some places are pretty strict. My local zoo charges for over 2s (not adult prices though!) and they check ID pretty religiously!

We have actually got posters looking up merlins accounts and reports. Peak mumsnet. 😂

It really is. I am all for ‘rules are rules’ and there does have to be a cut off point somewhere, but I can’t get excited about a parent lying about their child’s age by a couple of days. Even the police and CPS exercise a margin of discretion in their decisions.

If the PP who are saying this is fine ran a business where people continually cheated the system to get things for free would you be happy?

Okay - does their business model make any difference to the moral dilemma?

You are using their business model, amongst other things (can’t afford to drive to a cheaper theme park; Chessington on the way to relatives’ house; can’t take time off work when your son is actually 2; you won’t use any of the attractions, except when you go into the Sea Life centre) as your justification for cheating them, so yes, it is relevant, because you have made it relevant

I can still declare it's a ridiculous price structure if they think parents with small children only need to pay £25 for the rest of the year or £30 if the child is 2 years and 364 days old.

Yes, you are perfectly entitled to hold that view and ‘declare’ it. It’s an ill-informed view, but it’s all yours. The park is entitled to make and withdraw offers whenever it chooses to cover off-peak periods. It’s a seasonal business and they are allowed to flex their own prices as they wish to encourage visits at certain times and maximise their revenue.

You are not entitled to use your opinion of Chessington’s business model as the basis for theft. If you don’t like what they charge, don’t go.

Plus have you considered that they expect a lot of admissions to bring 3 year olds in as under 3s in their business model? I'd imagine they've already factored that in.

Aha! So it’s OK for you to cheat because Chessington EXPECT you to do so and will be disappointed if you do not?

It's fraud but of a type many people indulge in. So go for it. Please stop trying to make out your doing them a favour though, it's embarrassing.

You could also encourage your ds how to pocket a couple of items from the gift shop. Their pricing includes a percentage loss due to theft.

if not already suggested, phone them up and ask.

if you are going to steal, at least have the balls to admit it - the question is 'shall I rip off a business?' MN is fairly scummy on this and has the attitude that bigger business deserves to be ripped off, but as you see not everyone on here is scummy which may be a surprise to you.

or just don't go to something you can't afford.

I find the posters actually blaming Merlin for charging at all a lot more amusing.

If the PP who are saying this is fine ran a business where people continually cheated the system to get things for free would you be happy?

I’m pretty sure that is every business. I have no doubt that Chessington has factored this exact eventuality into their calculations the same way every other business does.

Getting a kid in two days past his birthday is not necessarily the same as continually cheating the system. It’s an isolated incident taking into account all the relevant factors. I doubt it will keep her up at night.

You could also encourage your ds how to pocket a couple of items from the gift shop. Their pricing includes a percentage loss due to theft.

Well I had been considering spending what we could save in the gift shop, but yeah, good idea. Thanks for the tip.

Thread is 17 pages long now - I haven't read it all.... but if you lie to get your son in free will you be happy if your son lies to you for his benefit in the future?
Mind you I do think the pricing is unfair and they should have a child price...

YANBU, but Their birthdays are everything to them at that age and he’ll probably go round tell the world his wife and he’s dog that he’s 3 now.

@KarenKilla69

I hope DF leaving you had nothing to do with you're honesty? Attractions will also be feeling the squeeze after lockdown.

Yes, lets bring my personal relationship into this too.

I'm a frequent shoplifter, have defrauded my company and cheat at Monopoly. That's why he left.

Absolutely nothing to do with him being violent towards me in front of our son. But I'd hate to derail with personal attacks to lets keep it back on track, yeah?

@KarenKilla69

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

I've read some bitchy posts on MN but that might take the biscuit. Fucking hell.

Out of interest, what time of day was he born?

I hope this is a reverse. Of course you would be U to commit theft, OP.

Take your son somewhere free or cheaper or before his birthday if you can find an appropriate date.

Don't you have to provide proof of age, anyway?

A reverse as in really the OP is Chessington trying to see if people feel bad about saying their kid is 2 on their 3rd birthday? Maybe. Maybe.

I hope this is a reverse.

What and it's actually the Theme Park posting?

@ThePlantsitter Snap

[quote AryaStarkWolf]@ThePlantsitter Snap [/quote]

I would book it now - he's two right now! Then on the day, he will be two until later in the day! ;)

He's small for his age, so may not be able to access all the rides a tall 3 year old could, so if it was a huge issue for the venue, they would stagger the pricing for children/toddlers.

I think comparing this to shoplifting or some sort of targeted stealing is outrageous.

I hope you and your son have a lovely day, it sounds like you could do with one.

I may disagree with the OP on the topic of the thread but that post from KarenKilla was entirely inappropriate and I’m sorry that the OP had to see it.

As if a three-year-old having a special treat on their birthday is less important than toeing the line of a business' arbitrary threshold.

This.

I've never done it myself (DDs always looked a few years older than she is!)
Bloody hell, right now after all the shit everyones been through in the past 6 months?
Do it.
Hes 2 the day before. Were talking a matter of hours.
Just spend the money you wouldve spent on his ticket on lunch or something so they dont miss out on the revenue.