National Trust Loophole by joining Scotland using in England

fred246

I always imagine that if you are that obsessed with seeing properties without paying that you could just refuse to pay and just barge past the poor volunteer manning the door. They could only phone the police and I couldn't imagine them being too impressed rushing to a National Trust Property because someone had refused to pay.

lenht1951

If the National Trust were less blinkered, and more business like, they would be able to see that if they reduced membership costs they would increase footfall, which in return would also increase sales at their locations. £114 per annum membership per couple for a few visits every year is hardly worthwhile. Even senior citizens are only offered reduced rate if they have been a member for 5 years. If the fees were less I wold have no hesitation at joining.

beefturnmail

Doc_N wrote: »

There is only the one argument really - by manipulating the generous reciprocal arrangements which the National Trust has with certain other bodies you're depriving the National Trust of the money it needs to maintain the properties you're so keen to visit but don't want to pay for.

By not manipulating those arrangements you are depriving those certain other bodies of the money they need to maintain their properties

PasturesNew

It's too pricey for most. For some it's worth it because they happen to live close to 2-3 great places where they can benefit by using it as a "place to go when it's wet" ... or for their car parks, which might be handy for a few others. Some venues have "free events" and stuff going on (especially for families), so it can work out a reasonable cost.

For me, the nearest NT property of any use whatsoever is a £10 of fuel round trip.... and it's not even got an "indoors bit" when it's cold/wet/windy. It's 30 miles away.

I could just go there once (seen it then) and it's £9.50, plus £10 to get there/back, plus parking fees of course.... bit of a pricey day out to stand and look at a ruin for an hour or so. A family with 3 kids could be in the next car to me and get the same for £24 between them all, so it looks like better value to groups/families.

To join the NT would cost me £69. That's a lot of money .... couples only pay £57 each and families pay £120/year for up to 5 of them.

It's pricey, there's not a lot round here, it's of no benefit to me.

If it were, say, £25/year and there were 2-3 within 20 miles, with stuff going on sometimes, I'd think about it.

stluke023

Sometimes you miss an offer, that's life.
Various offer for the NT surface often with fair discounts.
Presently there are no offers for pensioners unless you were once a member in last 5 years.
The Scottish NT alternative needs changing if that is what the National Trust England require, but until they do or do not, a small percentage of people will use this alternative, as it is cheaper.
Two of us saved £42 on the joining fee, as a pensioner and 2nd adult.
It is not that we will not spend money at these locations, cafes etc.
No body is cheating, it is all correct..if anybody thinks it incorrect then change the system. The money paid is going to the National Trust of this country (what BREXIT brings and further developments in future is something else) for the demanded price on website. Sorry if some of you in this thread think it is incorrect.

Chordeiles

Amongst the several reasons folks have to be less than enthusiastic about the National Trust (for England) is the fact that they conspired to hide their senior discount for so many years. It was like a closely guarded secret. To give them some credit, it's now out there on the website.

However the qualifying requirements remain (one must be able to demonstrate "full-price" membership for 5 of the past 10 years). I just called them looking for flexibilty on this policy and was given a very blunt response. So it's off to NTS for us. Well I did try to give them my money, but they effectively turned it down !

Ironically we would have qualified had we not left the National Trust in disgust after an awful visit to one of their properties maybe 10 years ago, this was with a group of about 10 friends and we felt EMBARRASSED to be the ones who were members. I mentioned it to them at the time, and again in my 'phone call today - not interested in feedback, just the ££.

stluke023

Just completed a 5 week trip around the UK and after purchasing a Scottish National Trust membership.
Many locations for the day we visited were not National Trust but National Heritage sites. Many others were privately owned locations.
You really need to see how many of the sites you want to visit are National trust if purchasing a membership for your own journey.

roddydogs

Did the scottish thingy include parking,. How did you cope with the new parking arrangements?

humptydumptybits

Doc_N wrote: »

Why the need for an 'original, or slightly different argument'?

There is only the one argument really - by manipulating the generous reciprocal arrangements which the National Trust has with certain other bodies you're depriving the National Trust of the money it needs to maintain the properties you're so keen to visit but don't want to pay for.

Those other bodies, as you well know, have reciprocal arrangements to benefit their members living in the relevant locations (Scotland and New Zealand, for example). The National Trust did not intend to extend cost-free membership rights to people living in England who just prefer not to give it any money.

The fact that you can - for now - get away with it doesn't make it right, any more than forging an entrance ticket is right. You may try to justify it, with the usual trite arguments about spending in the shop etc, but you can apply that to any situation where you just don't want to pay for something that requires payment.

If you're happy about cheating the NT out of money - fine. But the sooner they introduce the requirement to produce proof of residence in the relevant country, as well as the membership card, the better.

I'm not bothered about people "cheating" the NT (don't understand why it is cheating to do something that the NT have agreed to), the last time we visited a property we were treated very badly and won't ever go again. I wouldn't give them a penny.

roddydogs

The old threads are the best.