Warning - NATIONAL TRUST MEMBERSHIP RIP OFF

cestlavie

My very elderly mother used to hold a national trust membership which ran out last sept 09. She decided she would like to rejoin and I signed her up online for a year's membership in April 2010. I signed her up online especially so she would not have to be bothered with direct debit paperwork. I discovered today that they had subsequently sent her a whole load of direct debit paperwork to fill in (as supposedly the online form had not worked). She can't remember what she signed and hasnt kept a record. When I checked her new annual membership card the one they sent her only lasted til Sept 2010!! After a long (5p a minute) telephone call with their c/s it transpires that the NT had backdated her previous membership! So far from starting as a new member from April 2010 they had decided to charge her for the 6 months of her lapsed membership. I was gobsmacked. I think I have sorted it out now, but I write this as a warning to anyone here. It was very clearly an OAP membership and I've never heard of this kind of sharp practice before.

dmg24

I fail to see the rip off ...

sandiep

Always checking out the National Trust for Scotland website when joining/renewing National Trust. Both have a reciprocal agreement for free entry into each others properties, but deals, offers and prices vary. NTS has recently been doing 18 months for the price of 12, and last year I joined with NTS and saved £7 on the family membership compared with the NT price.

puppet1984

the rip off is that NT charged her for a years membership and she will only get 6 months as they renewed it from her old expiry date sept 09 - sept 10.
so she paid for 6 months membership where she was no longer a member and as she doesn't have the ability to time travel would have no way of using it.
thats my understanding

cestlavie

puppet1984 wrote: »

the rip off is that NT charged her for a years membership and she will only get 6 months as they renewed it from her old expiry date sept 09 - sept 10.
so she paid for 6 months membership where she was no longer a member and as she doesn't have the ability to time travel would have no way of using it.
thats my understanding

your understanding is correct and love the comment re time-travel!:rotfl:

ukjoel

I am just gutted this system isnt adopted by more companies.
The national lottery for one.

The result was two weeks ago and I bought my winning ticket today - cheque please

Payless_2

cestlavie wrote: »

My very elderly mother used to hold a national trust membership which ran out last sept 09. She decided she would like to rejoin and I signed her up online for a year's membership in April 2010. I signed her up online especially so she would not have to be bothered with direct debit paperwork. I discovered today that they had subsequently sent her a whole load of direct debit paperwork to fill in (as supposedly the online form had not worked). She can't remember what she signed and hasnt kept a record. When I checked her new annual membership card the one they sent her only lasted til Sept 2010!! After a long (5p a minute) telephone call with their c/s it transpires that the NT had backdated her previous membership! So far from starting as a new member from April 2010 they had decided to charge her for the 6 months of her lapsed membership. I was gobsmacked. I think I have sorted it out now, but I write this as a warning to anyone here. It was very clearly an OAP membership and I've never heard of this kind of sharp practice before.

Your post and thanks count are quite amazing.

DCFC79

Payless wrote: »

Your post and thanks count are quite amazing.

mmm yes it is quite alot isnt it

cyberbob

So there was a problem you spoke to them they corrected it. How is that a rip off?

trumpton

Because if the OP hadn't picked it up, it would have gone unnoticed. It's a warning to others to check that they don't renew your old membership from it's expiry date, instead of starting you off as a new member. We have had lots of admin problems with the NT too.

frivolous_fay

Pretty poor show. Wouldn't have expected it of them.