Lapland New Forest Scam. How to get money back...

Shepherdess76

Hello everyone... we at the Echo in Bournemouth have been completed bombarded with people complaining about this event. Obviously we're investigating as we have been advertising the attraction. We're running a story today and tomorrow so if you'd like to have your twopennorth or would like to talk to our reporter email [email protected] or you can pm me. We're really keen to get something done about this.
As an aside, I used to work in Gloucestershire, where Snowbusiness are based and I think (personally) it's highly unlikely they'd be involved. But we're trying to find out for sure.

Shepherdess76

Story is here http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/3938049.No_ho_ho_at_Lapland_in_Forest/

Baby_J_2

Have PM'd you, Shepherdess76.

master_of_puppets

wheeledwonder wrote: »

Just been to http://www.babyandbump.com/christmas-forum/ and spotted this... one voice out of 100's see what you think.. I have a feeling it was written by an employee...


lapland YOU SHOULD GO!
Well I have read in complete the posts on this forum, and have attended the event that some of you describe as a con.

I have myself witnessed a scene set in a park that has been made to bring the magical feel to christmas to life in YES a natural rain soaked woodland in the New forest. To my amazement I cannot believe the critisism that this event is receiveing, an amazing back drop of lights up lighting along the tunnell, although this was witnessed at 6pm, the magical lighting through the tunnel and a back drop nativity scene lit up showing baby jesus, and the mud field is actually a sand dune effect, the husky pen then gives a feel of lapland as it opens into the show.

the log cabins may not be log, but are far from your cheap £99 B&Q sheds as described, the reindeer are not chained and actually come to the fence to be touched, the turkey, piglets pigmy goats and rabbits are gorgeous animals that children would love to see, the husky cabin is very informative, there is free facepainting, free balloon artist, free magicians plenty of helpful elves maybe not in costume that you would expect but dressed up non the less.

children are greeted by snowmen, santa, elves and all staff seem happy to help albeit being threatend and abused by ADULTS???????? I have never seen an event where a member of public assults a friendly member of staff and it was disgraceful to see someone willing to try and help being threatend by paying public, maybe the organisers should of thrown the lady in question off of the event? yes there are queing systems to any event with santa, and demand to see santa made queing a nightmare, but measures were taken to speed up the viewing.

with regard the photographs, some say £8, £10, £15 what one is it? i saw a sign for £8 i even heard yesterday that 2 guys had a fight over the last of icing sugar at the gingerbread hut, are british people just expecting too much these days for their money?

the toy shop was even being looted! has this country gone mad?

have you not all realised that this event is for children? I would go again, and im sure many others would as well.



on a few points, i think that people should arrive later in the day to get the effect of the tunnel of light, take provisions for standing in the good old british rainy weather, this is an outdoor event afterall.

just my views, but this event doesent need the grief it is getting, and you cannot compare entry to a theme park, because this is a winter land that is set to bring happiness for christmas for the CHILDREN!!!

and just for record I did see a container with snow buisness written on it today, so again i do believe that snow buisness have done the snow.

hope this helps some who may be looking to go, and remember it is just for the children.

thanks for your unbiased view, you can go back to running your crappy scam before your shut down!

mosschops0109

I WANT TO WARN YOU ALL I WENT HERE YESTERDAY, IT WAS HORRIED IT WAS NOTHING LIKE THE ADVERTISMENT SAID, IT WAS NOT MAGICAL THE CHILDREN SPENT MOST OF THE TIME CRYING. iT WAS A COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY. tHE CHILDREN NEVER EVEN GOT TO SEE SANTA AFTER QUEUEING FOR 21/2 HOURS. wE HAVE CONTACTED THE NEWSPAPERS AND THEY HAVE BEEN INUNDATED WITH COMPLAINTS TODAY. PLEASE BEWARE DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY YOU WILL BE EXTREMLY DISSAPOINTED. THE BOURNEMOUTH STANDARD HAS ADVISED US TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THE IF YOU HAVE PAID BY CREDIT CARD TO CONTACT COMSUMER RIGHTS AND YOU MAY BE ABLE TO RECEIVE A FULL REFUN. THEY ARE ALSO RUNNING A BIG PIECE ON THE VENUE IN THE PAPER AND PASSING THE DETAILS ONTO OTHER PAPERS TO WARN EVERYONE.

Edinburghlass_2

master_of_puppets wrote: »

thanks for your unbiased view, you can go back to running your crappy scam before your shut down!

If you read the post properly you'll see the user found the post elsewhere and indeed thinks themselves that the post was written by an employee.

It sounds as if everyone has had an awful experience but please don't lets fall out with each other over this. I'm off to Bournemouth myself next week and had thought about visiting this "attraction" but fortunately didn't get any further than just thinking.

mum_of_4

does anyone know if you can get a refund if it was payed by creit card. My brother paid over £100 but after seeing all the photo's won't go. He's a grown man but really upset as he thought his children were going to love it.

Someone he was going with has passed away so i don't know if that makes a difference.

It's such a shame that these horrible people will get away with this.

JH808

Send your complaints to Dorset Council [EMAIL="dorsetdirect@dorsetcc.gov.uk"][email protected][/EMAIL] - they are working with local Trading Standards...

My credit card co. said send all proof, to be in with a chance of refund - I have printed out all pages from Lapland New Forest website (to prove what was promised), copy of email I sent to complaint and asking for refund and getting articles from local papers etc. Good Luck!

MammaBling

Great work everyone - the article in the Echo is just the start. Anyone who has followed this thread will know just how angered I am by this scam, and I have made it my mission over the last 24 hours to get it closed!!

So, here's an update:

Spoke to Trading Standards. They advise writing a letter direct to the oranisers (by recorded delivery) and requesting a refund under the supply of goods and services act 1982 (mis-selling). Personally I don't hold out much hope (although that said, read on as I've actually heard something positive about the company!). More importantly though, I'm advised that representatives from TS will be visiting the site today.

Spoke to East Dorset Council. Planning Department - nothing they can do regarding license (save not issue one next year), but also spoke with Environmental Health, and they are visiting to investigate numerous claims received over the weekend.

Spoke to Bournemouth Tourist Office. They will ensure any links to this event and their site cease immediately. They have also given me the email addresses of all the individual local tourist offices, and I will email them to warn them too in an effort to stem any promotion or marketing of this event.

Spoke to Bournemouth News Office - gave an interview which is being featured in the Nationals tomorrow. Have given them details of this forum and babyandbump.com - so they well be looking for other views and comments.

Spoke to 2CR - asked them to cover the story and also pull the advertising campaign they are currently running for the event. They will be making a decision today on whether they carry on airing the advert - but if they do, then I will take it to whoever regulates Radio Advertising as there are Codes of Conduct for such Adverts (which should be legal, decent, honest and truthful - and these clearly aren't!).

Have just spoken with Woods Travel Agent - they are NOTHING do to with the operation and were keen to stress this (another post questioned whether they were anything to do with the Directors as they're both located in Bognor Regis). They have cancelled any future excursions and are seeking to gain full refunds for all those people who travelled with them and complained. They are waiting for Mr Mears to come back to them this afternoon he has attended a crisis meeting! They will write to all their customers once they have heard. But if you travelled with Woods, do give them a call - they really want to help. They will be giving me an update on the outcome of Mr Mears crisis meeting later today, which I'll post as soon as.

Apart from the Echo, I understand Radio Solent covered the story this morning, and I believe that Meridian are preparing something. Should be something in The Sun tomorrow - but someone from the News Agency is calling me tomorrow to kindly let me know what is running and where.

Just off to call another local radio station - radio 5 to ensure they're aware and pull any advertising too.

Oh, and spoke to Snow Business. Feel terribly sorry for them as they've been inundated with calls and really just a small business with no connection to the event, save for the fact that they were hired to do the snow on certain areas. They were very helpful, and explained that they have been hired to go back weekly to refresh the snow - which is much more than some events do. They found the organisers to be very reasonable and don't believe this was intended to be a scam, but has simply ended up being poorly organised. They even felt that the organisers would offer refunds if people were unhappy - not a view I share, but a hopeful view none the less.

Right, off to spread the word further. Please carry on with all your efforts to publicise and complain, and please feel free to PM me if there's any info I can give you to help.

JH808

Well Done MammaBling!