National Trust Membership vs Historic Places Trust Membership

chocoholic_chick

I was hoping someone could help as to which is the better option? Been looking at joining the national trust today which looks to be £66.37 for a joint membership then can get cashback on that. Obviously being MSE I thought I'd have a look round to see if I could find any better deals and came across a post about the New Zealand historic places trust. It would appear that you can sign up on a joint membership with them for $79 including delivery for 2 adults but apparently get access to national trust AND english heritage attractions.

Am I missing some kind of catch here? I can either pay £66.37 for a membership to national trust or around £40 for a membership that allows me access to both? Has anyone got one of these memberships and if so can you let me know whether there's hidden charges or something.

Thanks

HappyMJ

If you want to save money then just turn up at a national trust property and sign up for direct debit then cancel it when you get home. You could do this twice a year. The entry will then be free. I also go on the 2 free open weekends every year in March and September. So to me I get 4 vists a year for free. If you have a partner willing to sign up and cancel you could get 6 visits for free...but really that's taking money away from national trust. I also take my own food and water where NT really wants you to support them and buy the overpriced food and water at the property.

National Trust is a charity you either want to support it at what will end up being full rates after 12 months or you don't.

I wouldn't recommend joining the NZ trust If you want to support them then try and keep the money in the UK supporting UK properties rather than NZ properties.

chocoholic_chick

I don't really think it would sit right with me doing that to be honest, though I don't really see how signing up with the NZ trust is wrong in a way, I always visit the gift shop/tea rooms etc when I go to these places so tend to spend more money on top of the entry fee and I'm sure that this would also go towards the upkeep??

Really I suppose I just wanted to know whether anyone else has gone down this route and what they thought

HappyMJ

chocoholic_chick wrote: »

I don't really think it would sit right with me doing that to be honest, though I don't really see how signing up with the NZ trust is wrong in a way, I always visit the gift shop/tea rooms etc when I go to these places so tend to spend more money on top of the entry fee and I'm sure that this would also go towards the upkeep??

Really I suppose I just wanted to know whether anyone else has gone down this route and what they thought

But you aren't supporting the National Trust so it is still wrong. The whole point of National Trust is to raise funds for the properties in the UK. They don't get any money from the NZ trust.

You can do it if you want. I wouldn't...I'll keep visiting on free days and take Quidco cashbacks when they are worth it. I got one year for free once. (National Trust pays the money to the affiliate marketing company who then takes a cut and pays Quidco who take a cut (£5 a year) then pay you so NT don't actually make any money on the deal so even then it's the same as I do now by joining and cancelling).

lolarentt

chocoholic_chick wrote: »

Really I suppose I just wanted to know whether anyone else has gone down this route and what they thought

Are you sure you don't have to live in NZ to join? Anyway wouldn't it be difficult to manage a NZ based membership even if you can join from UK?

I did belong to the National Trust for Scotland some years ago, this was cheaper than the English NT but allowed you to visit English NT properties as well m - that might be worth looking at. These days I'm a Life Member of the NT so I should encourage you to join here! (got my membership as a long service award gift)

chocoholic_chick

But surely you're doing the same if you only go when it's free or go then cancel all the time?? How is that any different to doing it this way, plus like I said I tend to buy guides, souvenirs, have lunch in their cafes/restaurant etc so I'm still spending money whilst there.

This is what they say about overseas applications:-

Applications from Overseas
If you are joining the NZHPT from outside New Zealand, your membership application will be processed within our normal turnaround period of 21 days. Please allow time for international air mail to reach you. The express service is offered only to New Zealand residents. Additional postage charges apply for sending membership cards and magazines overseas.




I'm just looking at this from a cost point of view and like I said to see if anyone has got their membership using this particular method

browneyedbazzi

HappyMJ wrote: »

But you aren't supporting the National Trust so it is still wrong. The whole point of National Trust is to raise funds for the properties in the UK. They don't get any money from the NZ trust.

So it's wrong for OP to join NZ National Trust (who must have a reciprocal arrangement with the English NT that is to the benefit of both) but it isn't wrong for you to waste the time (and therefore money) of the English NT by signing up to direct debits and then cancelling? I really don't understand how your moral compass can say that what you do is ok and what OP is considering in wrong. At least the OP won't be costing the National Trust money like you are!

deeleybopper

Find a friend!
My two kids and I have a joint membership with my friend and her two children. We joined at a national trust site last week, got our car park fee handed back to us too!
We are sharing the annual membership, card each, car sticker each.
So £77 split two ways. Not bad, hey!!!
Woman at trust suggested that to us, no con involved!

chocoholic_chick

Well I ended up ordering the new zealand pass, ordered it Monday and despite their website saying it would take up to 3 weeks to come it came today! We had already planned on going to a national trust place today in any case but used that to get in The pass ended up costing us £41.77 and todays entry fees would have been £10.50 so another 3 uses and it'll have paid for itself. The national trust place we visited today is only a 15 minute drive from ours so I can see us visiting there quite often. We're off to Scotland at the end of the month so hoping to use it in a few places there too.

I know some people may think what I have done is unethical, but at the end of the day this is a money saving site, and what I have done is entirely legal and has saved us money.

We did end up visiting their coffee shop whilst there and had a drink and cake each so still spent money whilst there, and I'm sure any profit they make from these types of sale go back into maintaining the place so we're still contributing

riskyb

enjoy your membership.
It also seems as if you would get free entry to both national trust and english heritage. Is this true. and wld u have any parking surcharge??

chocoholic_chick

Yes thats right you get entry to both ( technically not free as you've paid for the pass ), though some places do charge for parking so you can always ring in advance and ask. We haven't come across any yet where you have to pay for parking though