To say this was an unsatisfactory meet Santa gift?

[TellerTuesday]

Curious to hear other people's opinions.

The experience cost £87.63 for one child and one accompanying adult.

Can't fault the Santa experience and the stately home walk round I was more than happy with that but I don't think the gift was commensurate with the cost and calibre of the outing.

I have emailed the company as I honestly think it's just a peg doll and a box of grass moss but interested to hear if others would agree with me.

YANBU. What a rip-off toy

That’s terrible, they’re having a laugh.

Each child will be given a gift box to take away, and we are delighted to be partnering with local crafting company 'Forest, Craft and Play', who have designed and produced gorgeous, sustainable, eco friendly and very magical gifts

Yes but OP's children weren't given one of those magical, gorgeous etc gifts. They were given a piece of crap in a box.

Having seen that write up I'd definitely complain OP. The gift is shockingly bad.

They’ve seen people coming haven’t they? Blimey.

£15!
forestcraftandplay.com/product/woodland-angel/

I have sent feedback and this is the reply:

Hi XXXXX, thank you for your feedback and apologies on the disappointment with the present from Father Christmas. This year, we are very much trying and aiming to make progress towards an eco-friendly and sustainable offer. Many of the gifts that have been purchased in the past to give out to Children have been made in China and we have been trying to eliminate single use plastic. Of course this is a journey across all of out retail offering, and our catering. By working this year with Forest Craft and Play to supply the gifts, we have been able to use the same budget normally spent on gifts with a local enterprise, just down the road. They have tried and tested their gifts during the last year with many families, different ages of children and have been through a really thorough research and development process, working with us and even foraging some of the contents of the gift craft box from the Estate. We have had some lovely feedback, and many families saying they would prefer a craft activity to do together post show, than a generic ‘toy’. I appreciate this is subjective and one style of gift will not suit all interests, and I am genuinely sorry that you did not find the gift as appropriate for the child you brought to the experience. We are taking this feedback seriously and it will help us with our gift choices for next year, so thank you again for letting us know.

I did mention that the last time we had done the Christmas event there (around 4 years ago) DD had received an Orchard Toys puzzle which I think was far more suitable and actually kept until she outgrew it then passed it to a friends child. This 'Woodland Angel' is hardly going to be something that stands the test of time, the moss will be dropping off within days.

Jesus wept!!

Report to trading standards. This is not a magical gift. This is a shit gift, And you have about 40 corroborating opinions here.

Small parts. Choking hazard. Sharp objects. Risk of injury. Flammable. Do not leave near open flame. Cord. Strangulation risk.

Merry Christmas!

This year I have completely avoided any expensive santa events. Kids have already seen santa twice in local community fairs for 3 quid a pop and got the obligatory selection box. We also went to a lovely festive lights thing run by the council which cost a fiver for the whole family. If anything I think the kids are enjoying the advent period more than usual.

Yeah that is pretty awful! There are plenty of eco friendly gifts they could have gone with, particularly given the price point of the experience.

I would want at least a refund of the full RRP of the crappy cobbled together DIY gift

Sad thing is I'm fairly sure orchard toys is a sustainable British company that sells eco friendly gifts which last well and kids love. (I particularly like then as my son sent them a game idea once, including a prototype he'd created, and they sent him a lovely letter and gift back)

I'd be expecting a diamond encrusted selection box at that price.

Not sure about the playability of the peg doll and moss. Sure they could have stretched to a fake Barbie dill at that price

I wish to provide a corroborating opinion to the ‘shit gift’ position.

A magical eco-friendly gift is not a crap peg on some grass.

That ‘moss’ is proper reindeer food. So at least your little one can leave it out on Christmas Eve.
Not sure if anything else eat’s it, so remember to dispose of it in the morning.
Although I still think it’s a bloody rip off.

It looks like it could've been worse, believe it or not.
You might have ended up taking home a box of what they call 'reindeer food' (according to Tripadvisor) - bird food and cornflakes (!)

forestcraftandplay.com/product/magic-reindeer-food/

I completely agree with them wanting something sustainable etc, but that is just disappointing.

I felt like a cash cow at castle howard this year, we didn't do santa but won't be back.
I get what they're trying to achieve and glad you got a reply but it's still a bit shit isn't it!

Good Lord. That’s like the kind of thing you buy for £1 at the school fair or Facebook marketplace.

I come from north Yorkshire, Newby Hall is my favourite stately home for the railway and gardens.

All the materials come from the estate...

forestcraftandplay.com/wholesale/

Yanbu. I get the trying to be eco friendly thing but that is terrible for so many reasons!

YABU to have initially described it as costing £88 when actually thinking about it the Santa element is £26.

this is comparable to the santa grotto at our local zoo, where yes you'd pay a hefty fee for entrance and parking, and then pay £25 for the Santa. you could easily pay £70-£80 on the whole day out but it would be disingenuous to claim that was the cost of the Santa activity.

Given a £26 cost for the Santa I would expect the gift value to be at a retail value around £10, with the rest going towards the actor's fees, the set and decor and organisation, plus a margin for profit. I totally agree that the pictured gift is not something I would want and certainly wouldn't give to a child but if it's organic sustainable and artisanal I can totally believe that it would retail for £10, and that someone who despairs at kids' consumerist desires for bright plastic might decide to choose these for the standard santa gift at such an attraction.

Oh and the £5 parking really pissed me off, it's not like they don't have a carpark or acres of space. They justified that it was for lighting and an attendant but it was still a confusing scrum trying to get out. Went to Lotherton the next week who put on extra parking without any fanfare