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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

£1 booking fee for season ticket holders?

42 replies

Babs709 · 27/08/2020 17:50

My local theme park has just introduced £1 booking fee for season ticket holders. Apparently they’re getting a lot of no shows. Curious what other places doing?

OP posts:
Deardonkey · 27/08/2020 17:54

Merlin attractions are doing that - seems unfair that if you have an annual pass you need to pay extra but also makes sense in order to limit no shows.

Bluewavescrashing · 27/08/2020 17:54

Is it Paultons?

Original poster
Babs709 · 27/08/2020 18:00

Yes it is Bluewaves

I just can’t see that £1 will make a difference. Lots of people on their social media suggesting it’s refundable at the gate or gets turned into a voucher.

Wonder if it’s working for Merlin then. Guessing that’s where they got the idea!

OP posts:
lyralalala · 27/08/2020 20:21

Charging, even a really low cost, does make a huge difference in how easily people just abandon plans.

A small place near here has announced they're considering either a booking charge or cancelling and refunding memberships of people who no-show due to the number of no-shows. They've also stopped allowing members to book more than two slots because they found people were booking 3/4 then just attending one

Sirzy · 27/08/2020 20:22

They have to do something to try to reduce the number of no shows so this seems fair.

BackforGood · 27/08/2020 20:26

£1 seems an inconsequential amount though. If you change your mind about going for some reason, then you aren't going to be put off changing it for £1.
I'd have thought it would be a lot more effective if they charged £10 a ticket on booking, and refunded it when you turn up (am aware there will be some admin to that but.....). People do completely take the mick if something is free.

Bluewavescrashing · 27/08/2020 20:31

I think they should suspend memberships of people who abuse the booking system by not turning up. Just temporarily, like a 14 day ban. That would be a better deterrent.

Original poster
Babs709 · 27/08/2020 20:36

Yes I agree with both of those BackForGood and BlueWaves. I just can’t believe there weren’t other options. They seem to suggest that the no shows are because people book multiple slots rather than abandoning plans. I think I’d have liked them try anything other than charging perfectly compliant members, especially when it’s already frustrating to not be able to use a season ticket as it was intended (albeit unavoidable right now). I also don’t see why the money can’t be refunded on entry to the park.

OP posts:
KitKatastrophe · 27/08/2020 20:39

I'm a Paultons season ticket holder. My daughter is about to grow over 1m and they've just put the ticket price up by over 25%. And now this, so every time we go that's an extra £3 to pay, which will add up to a lot over time. I'm not impressed.

Teaorcake · 27/08/2020 20:41

£1 seems an inconsequential amount though

This is true, but also 5p isn't much for a bag, and most people are much more likely to take their own now to avoid paying. I think any amount makes a difference to some people, but absolutely right that it won't stop others from not showing up.

Noodledoodledoo · 27/08/2020 20:43

I am a zoo member and everytime they release tickets for members to book they are saying they are getting up to 1000 members not showing up a week, these tickets could either go to other members or the paying public for much needed funds.

Original poster
Babs709 · 27/08/2020 20:49

@KitKatastrophe oh god don’t even get me started on the price hike! And the annoying thing for people like you (my friends are in the same boat) are that you can’t really not get her a ticket else there’s no point you having one. So you either have to pay it, or waste whatever your leftover is.

I don’t doubt they’re not struggling financially. But they appear to be a very well established business. A company like Paultons saying “we can’t afford to develop anything for the next five years as we don’t have the money for investment” doesn’t sting that much... it’s not like we don’t know what’s happened this year. I don’t think they’d be going bankrupt without the massive price hikes.

@Noodledoodledoo that hurts to hear with zoos. So many overheads!

OP posts:
Original poster
Babs709 · 27/08/2020 20:50

I don’t doubt they’re not struggling financially.
Sorry too many negatives there!

OP posts:
Teaorcake · 27/08/2020 20:55

I wonder if some book several days and choose nearer the time which one to actually go to as well.

KitKatastrophe · 27/08/2020 21:03

I have 11 months left on my pass (it expired just before lockdown so I missed out on the extension) so I really have to buy one for my daughter. If it was a month or two I would just write it off and not renew or buy her one.

KitKatastrophe · 27/08/2020 21:03

@Teaorcake

I wonder if some book several days and choose nearer the time which one to actually go to as well.
I do know someone who does this. She does cancel the ones she decides not to go to, but I dont know whether they re-release them or it's too late by the day before.
Noodledoodledoo · 27/08/2020 21:12

The zoo have limited people to booking no more than 3 visits a fortnight which I still think is high, but then I don't live right next to it, if I was 10 minutes drive I might think differently.

KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 27/08/2020 21:25

Our local zoo now bans members for a month if they book and no show, of you do it more than once they cancel your annual pass. When it first reopened season ticket holders were no showing for nearly 40 percent of bookings!

lyralalala · 27/08/2020 21:26

@BackforGood

£1 seems an inconsequential amount though. If you change your mind about going for some reason, then you aren't going to be put off changing it for £1. I'd have thought it would be a lot more effective if they charged £10 a ticket on booking, and refunded it when you turn up (am aware there will be some admin to that but.....). People do completely take the mick if something is free.
Even a low amount really changes people's thought process on a trip.

When we did big family day trips we did one with 240 people. It was free and we had 53 no-shows. The next two we charged £1 per family and we only had 12 and 14 no-shows out of 220 and 290 booking. Paying even the smallest amount just changes peoples mentality.

Original poster
Babs709 · 27/08/2020 21:28

@KarlKennedysDurianFruit yes the email from Paultons today says 30% no show. I think cancelling the offenders would be far better!

OP posts:
lyralalala · 27/08/2020 21:31

I think cancelling the offenders would be far better!

That would likely involve at least a partial refund (as there would likely have been no clause to cover booking no-shows when the membership was taken out) and they may simply not have the funds to do that

OliviaPopeRules · 27/08/2020 21:33

I'm also a Paultons season ticket holder and this has annoyed me because (1) I haven't been able to get a booking for the last 3 weeks and (2) why can't they penalise the people how don't turn up by blocking them from booking for a week or two rather than penalise everyone.

OliviaPopeRules · 27/08/2020 21:33

Or only let people book 1 slot per week.

Original poster
Babs709 · 27/08/2020 21:34

Sorry I didn’t necessarily mean cancelling, just banning them from booking for a week or so. Or limiting the number of bookings any member can have. They said some people had thirty bookings they were making and not showing up for.

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 27/08/2020 21:44

He's Merlin are doing it.

I agree with others that for booking it's fine.

Otherwise they miss out on ticket sales and it reserves space.

But there should be a reward or refund scheme.

So food voucher on door or collect points and cash in against new pass next year.

But if I read Merlin correct they are extending passes for period of time so I guess they are doing this in a round about way?