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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Blocked by a Tourist Attraction

271 replies

MrsMomoa2 · 04/09/2023 21:33

This is a relatively small attraction in part of the UK but popular in the Summer months and been there for years. I visited as a child and for past 10 years we have stayed locally and visited every year with my children and more recently my nephew.
They used to offer return visit as many times as you wanted within 7 days but this was stopped a couple of years ago due to abuse.
As we stayed opposite it was a great place to pop in for 1/2 hour at end of the day so in conversation that first year they kindly agreed to give us the 7 day free return. Last year we spoke to one of the owners who again was lovely and agreed again
(just to confirm max of 1 child and 2 adults at a time and would not have impacted on anyone else going in)
This year I asked again and after disappearing was quite rudely told no. I have no issue with the refusal but it was the way I was made to feel and my son (SEN) was upset. We still went round the attraction that day as it is a passage of rights to us now!
My sister did ask the following morning and did not realise was the same person who was just as rude!
On return I sent a private message saying how much we loved the attraction but was disappointed by the staff member’s attitude. Although we were disappointed by not being able to pop in we did understand but we still had visited and was lovely.

I was shocked to get a very curt reply a few days later. Telling me how cheeky we had been and trying to take advantage eyc etc. It had been their Deputy Manager and we had put her in a really awkward position and we could have accepted the offer a season ticket. (Not offered!!)
It was a really rude reply and left me a bit taken a back. I tried to reply politely and say this was not offered to find I had been blocked from all their social media (I was pretty active in a positive way!This has been a place that I grew up visiting and was weirdly special, I have many photos of my kids at various stages but to behave like this. I was truly never rude! Just surprised and now feel upset over this.

I did email but never received a reply. I know third world problems but just feel upset about it all really.
AIBU (or are they!)

OP posts:
Hibiscrubbed · 05/09/2023 05:46

How can people be this lacking in self awareness?

Sayitaintso33 · 05/09/2023 05:49

Just because you were polite doesn't mean you weren't rude.

I think being unrelentingly cheeky is rude.

RantyAnty · 05/09/2023 05:59

You're one of the CF they're referring to OP.

If you truly love the place so much, you think you'd want to support them financially.

isthismylifenow · 05/09/2023 06:12

Even in third world countries, people don't expect free repeat entry into places. It's how businesses survive...by charging a fee.

And what does your child having SEN have to do with it?

Womencanlift · 05/09/2023 06:37

You have been a CF since they changed the rules and quite rightly told you no when you tried it on for a third time

Obviously we cannot know the tone that it was expressed but considering you were trying it on (and maybe not the first) they told you no. You are the unreasonable one here

Oysterbabe · 05/09/2023 06:41

They used to offer return visit as many times as you wanted within 7 days but this was stopped a couple of years ago due to abuse.

What kind of abuse? Like going every day?

Lucyintheskywithadiamond · 05/09/2023 06:46

You have been a CF by asking again and again for free access. I can see why you got the extra 7 days during the first day but I don’t understand why you keep asking year after year, were you not embarrassed doing this? If not, you should be!

Epidote · 05/09/2023 06:55

Agree with PP.
They have blocked you because you are unreasonable and telling on loud voice hat they don't allow you to break the rules one more year. No wonder why they don't want any contact.
You are being disrespectful to them when they had let you on the side have extra privileges that no other have and now you are complaining about it in loud voice to let everyone knows that you could benefit from something where others have to pay extra.

You can get the staff in trouble just because you feel entitled to something that is not possible anymore.

LadyWithLapdog · 05/09/2023 06:55

Are you an “influencer”? You mention the active and positive social media presence.

C1N1C · 05/09/2023 06:59

Entitled

PurpleFlower1983 · 05/09/2023 07:11

YABU and a CF!

ZadocPDederick · 05/09/2023 07:11

WandaWonder · 04/09/2023 21:39

So you are deliberately trying to get around a rule and now you have been stopped they are at fault? If this is how I understand and it is correct then you are at fault

No. OP asked about something she had been allowed before and received a rude response. She was then accused of not taking up an offer that wasn't made to her.

As usual, MN responses ignoring the facts in favour of starting a pile-on.

WuTangGran · 05/09/2023 07:12

Is “a passage of rights” anything to do with a rite of passage?

ZadocPDederick · 05/09/2023 07:16

BiscuitsandPuffin · 04/09/2023 22:09

And the venue are upset that they've had to waste hours and hours of paid staff time answering emails from the same people over and over again asking for freebies for 3 years. They can afford to lose people with no intention of becoming regular paying customers and every minute they spend on these CFs is a minute of staff hours that the business is paying for that doesn't bring business into the attraction, which sounds like it's on the bones of its arse anyway.
Honestly if you've never worked with the unbelievably entitled arseholes that are the British public when out for a day at a tourist attraction you have no idea how many of these people they will be dealing with every day since they changed that deal... three years ago, and they're still getting enquiries from CFs like OP.

Edited
Show quote history

Houra and hours? Come off it. They spent around 20 minutes at most on OP's inquiries.

SpamFrittersYouSay · 05/09/2023 07:29

Unreasonable and entitled.

Having a child with SEN is irrelevant to this situation.

Escalateandcreate · 05/09/2023 07:45

This reply has been deleted

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

Shodan · 05/09/2023 07:52

Now I really want to go to the gnome park at Watermouth Castle.

Beautiful3 · 05/09/2023 07:59

Yabu, sorry.

NoraBattysCurlers · 05/09/2023 08:01

I did email but never received a reply. I know third world problems but just feel upset about it all really.
AIBU (or are they!)

Is this a third-world problem? No.
Are you being unreasonable? Yes.

Divorced111 · 05/09/2023 08:01

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Nanaof1 · 05/09/2023 08:02

NoTouch · 04/09/2023 23:33

There is one in devon we used to go to years ago with ds when he was small and it it nice and low key, a few small kids rides, maze, crazy golf, gnome village, castle museum, nice park walks type thing - watermouth castle. It used to do the 7 day return too (they took your photo for the return ticket) and it as a great place to wind down after a day out, but can see how it would be a place that would be struggling now and not able to afford to give the freebie/need more paying visitors to keep the park maintained.

Show quote history

Now I want to go to Watermouth Castle! It looks like fun, even for an oldie like me! Loved taking the "tour".

She did say they "stayed opposite" from the park, so is there a hotel or something across from it?

Divorced111 · 05/09/2023 08:03

Sorry it didn’t quote properly when I said ^ this I was referencing @ZadocPDederick ’s post that I agree with.

No. OP asked about something she had been allowed before and received a rude response. She was then accused of not taking up an offer that wasn't made to her.

As usual, MN responses ignoring the facts in favour of starting a pile-on.

Divorced111 · 05/09/2023 08:04

(I will get my ^ this post deleted)

ChillysWaterBottle · 05/09/2023 08:13

ZadocPDederick · 05/09/2023 07:11

No. OP asked about something she had been allowed before and received a rude response. She was then accused of not taking up an offer that wasn't made to her.

As usual, MN responses ignoring the facts in favour of starting a pile-on.

Show quote history

Posters actually reading the original post they're responding to before piling on the OP with name calling, dramatics and made up scenarios? On Mumsnet? You ask too much of these people.

FloweryName · 05/09/2023 08:15

You asked for a freebie two years after you knew that freebie had stopped, even after they were kind enough to honour it for you once already.

You are the CF in this situation.

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