All Lapland New Forest posts here please!!!!!

[GreenEggsAndSpam]

What is going on? Lots of people posting slagging it off - all new posters with no previous messages. Is there a smear campaign going on??
Can anyone who has a history on here and has been to Lapland New Forst post, and let us know their opinion?
It is looking very odd, and I am wondering about some kind of underhand activity by a rival to the New Forest site, trying to use the Net for nefarious ends...
Or am I just being oversuspicious?

arf

trading standards are investigating apparently

If it's really as bad as people are saying I can't imagine it being allowed to stay open.

I imagine the one in Kent is better, but can't imagine it being worth £75 per person - you could go to lego land/alton towers for that and get a night in a hotel as wel.

Article from the BBC on unhappy visitors to the place

have tried to see if this is going to be on watchdog but there's no reference to it...

Thing is, all the weekends and the week up till Christmas have already sold out, so they've essentially already made their money.

I guess the only thing to be achieved is to put people off for next year.

And their website is down - funny that.

THe 'travel' this year is a walk through an enchated forest. First the elves take the group to the gatekeepers house and there's a bot of panto kind of thing going on, then we're let in and its like going through the woods with great lighting and sound effects, an elf meets us part way through asking if we're the children that FC has asked to help him (the kids get a fantastic invitation about 3/4 weeks before hand asking them to come and help the elves - DD1 was a picture when I read it out to her) we then carry on on the walk, it starts to get colder and everything in covered in 'snow' - it was really lovely. When you got outside it was snowing lightly and everything was covered with what looked like a heavy frost - very pretty.

I completely agree that £75 is expensive, but honestly you could see where the money was spent, the gift was a decent gift, you got to spend about 15 mins with FC, no limit on the time at the skating, a warm and filling lunch. Even DH who is a complete cynic said it was great and he could now see why it was so expensive.

Thanks Quint, It does sound better organised than last year.

bbc south news

roar at "people will exploit christmas"

Oh dear - that doesn't sound good at all rusty

Hello! i am absolutely gutted to hear all this about lapland new forest. im really stuck with what to do now? i have paid £110 in total for my family to go on the 16th dec and am now in two minds whether to go or not. if i dont i feel i have just handed them that money to put in their pockets but if i go i am just going to be dissappointed anyway and come away more upset than i am now. i really dont know what to do for the best? any suggestions. i have contacted my bank as i paid by debit not credit card and they say i can dispute a debit as the tickets have been sold to me under false pretenses its classed as missold i think the guy said. so hopefully might be able to get money back? there is no way lapland are going to refund anyone as in small print they have covered their backsides. but hey we shall have to see what trading standards say and we have all been misled! anyone else in my situation, has tickets and doesnt know whether to go now?

it said on the news links that people wanting to get their money back should call consumer direct.

Tbh I wouldn't go, but maybe that's just me. if it's really as bad as it appears to be I'll be surprised if it doesn't get shut down. It's clear misselling. The manager guy they spoke to on that link sounded an arogant twat.

Yeah he definately sounded a right old arrogant BEEP!!!!! Ive decided not to go and put the family through it. it would be a different story if there were actually some good reviews but theres not! plus i dont want to be scarred for life with their poor excuse for a magical experience. they will have whats coming to them im a firm believer of fate and what goes around comes around!!! i think im going to go to hyde park winter wonderland as its free entry and just over 20 quid to get there via train...not bad hey! and good reviews about it.will be contacting comsumer direct in the morning when they are open and fingers crossed can sort this mess out.

I am totally gutted about this. I have tickets to go and take my 4 year old on Christmas Eve. Do you think it will be any better or worse by then? If I don't go, I am not sure how to get my money back. Any suggestions anyone?

hi rachmartluke. i have tickets to go on the 16th and have decided not to go as i dont want to put my family through the hassle and joke of the experience. i have contacted my bank today and they said i can claim my money back on visa debit transactions with whats called charge back. i have to write a letter to them which they sent me a template and go from there. sounds positive. also consumer direct have said this morning that lapland is in no breech of contract as of yet and to keep watching the media for updates of the investigation. and all i could do is write a letter by recorded delivery to the company wanting a refund and see if they get back to me? you stand better chance of getting your money back if you have actually been to the event as there is more to go on apparently? thats what the lady from consumer direct said this mornign on the phone. im adament im not going but its up to you. im writing a letter to the company and going through the bank also. hope you can figure out what your going to do and hope this helps.

i think after kent last year and the bad reviews and now this makes you realise theres only one lapland and no one can recreate it.they just end up being expensive rip offs.theres plenty of places that offer a nice christmas day out i live in norfolk we took my daughter to thursford they have santas magical journey which was really nice and the gift from santa was good.most theme parks etc have some kind of christmas event.plus i,ve learnt its not about spending loads of money kids enjoy even the smallest of things even some of the big garden centres have a nice grotto with real reindeers etc.

Breaking news is that it is closing as of today...
Those paying by credit card should get their money back. Nor sure about those who paid by direct debit .
Anyone see the news that Alton Towers are also offering a free day to those with Lapland New Forest tickets - was in the Times yesterday I think?

unconfirmed reports say it has closed

"?It is chaos at the moment because the traffic situation is really bad and customers are turning up expecting Lapland to be open. There are going to be
a lot of disappointed people.?

Izzymac
I would be careful. can you prove that connection?

see this post from elswhere:

I don't think this in the least relevant and the original poster on 'mumsnet' should be careful of suggesting connections between companies where none are shown to exist. I would also like to know where the poster got this information from and how they have proved a connection.

Now, a quick check at Companies House (that the person posting the above misleading information on 'mumsnet' could and should have done) shows this:-

Co No: 02356384 The Lapland experience Ltd predates LNF by some 18 years and is dormant. The registered office is the same as Canterbury Travel Ltd - a reputable travel company as far as I can surmise. (Further background information below). Details of Co No: 02356384 here.
wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/76...00/compdetails

Now, Co No 00995587 Canterbury Travel (London) Ltd, details at:
wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/ba...a3/compdetails
was incorporated some 38 years ago.
It appears that Canterbury Travel use the term 'The Lapland Experience' as a trading style. Their website is clear and complies with publication requirements (unlike anything Mears did) and I do not suspect them to be involved in LNF in any way whatsoever.

It is quite possible, if not probable, that Canterbury Travel brought the company 'The Lapland Experience Ltd' to either use the company in the future or to avoid confusion with other companies. This is perfectly legitimate and in fact a good working practice in company formation.

I think we should ignore this misleading information from someone on 'mumsnet', but if the poster is also here I would suggest that they withdraw any accusation of connection between 'The Lapland Experience' and LNF unless they can prove it in court. To accuse a company of connection with a company which is going through liquidation and that has a number of questions hanging over it is not only opening the poster to action against them in the civil courts, but also shows them to be extremely ignorant of company law and structure, and to speak out from a point of ignorance is folly of the greatest form.

Thank you for your defence of our company! Canterbury Travel do indeed own the company name Lapland Experience Ltd and we are nothing whatsoever to do with the people that set themselves up in the New Forest. Canterbury Travel have been successfully operating trips to Finnish Lapland to see Santa Claus for some 26 years....we are both ABTA and ATOL bonded and are known as "The Lapland Specialist". I have today, asked that the inaccurate post be removed from mumsnet and that anybody looking here now is made aware that the information linking us to them is completely wrong. Indeed it would have been preferable if the poster had checked the facts first, before making such an inaccurate point!