Richard W

3 stars propped up by the Salesmen but Service not so much. Norwich

I've given 3 stars propped up by Sales from when I ordered the car they were great kept calling me with updates and more they were Gold

2 years later, first service. Wait on arrival to be told they don't have an auto courtesy car as "cars get sold" can I drive a manual (after they checked my licence) said legally yes but... Which was why I booked it in well ahead of time and I'm a Motability customer might be a clue.

Come back with auto courtesy car like it was some miracle and it's the car they sent me the reg details of when I checked in 2 days earlier. Bit sus imho.

Then get told it'll be ready by 5. I query are you sure it's supposed to be getting 5.4.3 on it too. Assures me by 5 blah blah.

Not arguing, I got a call by 2pm saying it was only a day as we weren't going to do the software update DESPITE it being a key part of the booking no one bothered to tell me we aren't doing those. Had they I would've gone elsewhere, I will go to Kings Lynn next time see if that's any better.

So now we're back to 2 days as expected, no complaints there as it's what I expected.

Talk about stress I didn't need though. Had it not been for the excellent work from sales when I ordered this score may have been lower.

They spent more time explaining the insurance excess (not relevant covered by Motability) and the fact you make no effort to clean the outside of cars at all now than maybe explaining about the software you might not have been doing. (To be fair service rep hadn't been told, but is that actually worse no internal communication)

Clearly your own internal communication is as bad as with me

Look no one was rude or anything like that but kind of expect better communication and treatment especially when you book a long way ahead to get the car in not a cheap car either but guess everyone got their money now eh

All the please give us a 5 star review signs in the showroom are really annoying me after this.

Ordered just before Christmas my hamper arrived 23rd December. All perfect exactly as described.

The O bars are just to die for.

The Mrs Claus figures were thick unbroken and tasty.

Of course the selection tin was full of variety, no sign of single flavours etc.

I always give small businesses the benefit of the doubt at Christmas, you can't sxpect these guys to churn stuff out like Amazon. It's a small company making unique chocs for a relatively small audience.

We've ordered several times and everything was 100% every time.

I've got the smaller selection box hidden away for Mother's day hehehe.

Looking forward to what they introduce next

This is our 5th trip and probably our last, love coming here but tbh I'd rather just stay at home over all this, over £500 plus pet sitter, hundreds on food and drink here

On arrival couldn't find any disabled parking, couldnt find any signs at all, so that was great.

Windows and doors in the lodge are awful, nothing works properly anymore, room with disabled bed radiator doesn't get hot and no obvious way to adjust.

Break was really ruined by my son being ill not CPs fault, but as he's laying in bed all we can hear is HORRENDOUSLY loud music for over an hour. Turns out they're testing the lights in the forest thing that doesn't open until AFTER we leave. So now a crying teen, being kept awake with loud Disney music being blasted round the forest. I went over to check so i know it's staff making the racket. Guest services just said we'll tell security when it's STAFF MAKING THE NOISE.

Pretty close to packing up and leaving early, we're in a disabled adapted lodge with doors and windows shut and it's all we can hear.

The toilet in the disabled bathroom was presumably fixed to the floor by sealant alone as it's broken now with the toilet moving as you sit on it, bad enough for a "normal" toilet but a disabled one? If not for handles I mightve fallen off.

We didn't come to the middle of a forest for a gig. We didn't come so an autistic teen can't escape the noise is an adapted lodge in the middle of Thetford Forest.

The temperature in the dome is nowhere near what it used to be, air temp feels acceptable, back in the day it was HOT, water temp in main pool feels luke warm at best. I'm sure someone will reply that temps are the same but there's just no way. It was the same at a local pool supposed to be 30c but they kept turning it down to save money I suspect before it closed down.

Only one out of 4 hot tubs work. They're all hotter than the pool but only one has working jets and no CP don't reply telling me they go on/off I know that the other 3 don't work we've sat in them for ages they never come on.

Oh both Rajinda Pradesh and Hucks ran out of certain gluten free options too, the shop doesn't sell much suitable so we had to rely on our food brought from home too.

Also if you're Vegan and Gluten free, stay home as they can't cater to both. Try getting gluten free vegan chips, the easiest thing to do and nope

Also if you have allergies they do have a good portal showing what you can eat BUT all you want is a gluten free menu instead staff tell you they're not allowed to help and in a big family group I'm there looking at my phone trying to figure out what my son can eat,instead of a menu I have to scan a QR code, log onto their WiFi and wait for the page to load to see what I can order. This whilst everyone is staring at me whilst I'm trying to figure it out.

Also £5 chips plus £5 for what most would call a small drink just too much.

Staff wouldn't even advise on a vegan matter either. Really poor attitude I'm there to connect with family and wildlife IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST I don't want my nose stuck in my phone.

I've spent the past weeks worrying whether I have cancer, booked this as either celebration or take my mind off it. Luckily got told its benign week before as really disappointed vs when we started coming 15 years or do ago

Some things have changed like refurb villas and the changing rooms are so much better and new activities (extra charge obv) but so many other things disappoint. Every time you walk past the loos in the pool near the showers it stinks.

Oh and there's ZERO privacy in the pool now as seems it's fair game to have a camera out everywhere in there, in the main pool, down slides even the big one, down the rapids and even in the hot tubs. All made worse because Center Parcs sell waterproof device cases so now adults are filming, kids are filming. There's a time and a place for discreet photography but this isn't discreet and CP actively promote it too!

Do NOT use Evri. Do NOT buy from retailers who ship using Evri. If your parcel arrives it will be thrown in your garden at BEST. Evri know they're rubbish so don't bother complaining they're rubbish and they know it.

I'm disabled, they THREW my parcel into the garden, only reason I looked for it before dark was the delivery email from ebay. I could've easily found the dogs destroyed it or it was wet.

EVRI delivery a disaster EVRI time. 1 star is generous they deserve NONE

1pMobile is a brilliant service. Their family plan £25 for first sim then £12.50 thereafter is just the best so cheap even cheaper than direct with EE.

They do discounts for disabled people like myself via Purpl and students via Studentbeans.

Brilliant speeds, coverage same as EE obviously and their website works 10x faster than EE's mess.

Now moving the final line over

Fast delivery, incredibly cheap with subsequent sims half price with unlimited everything calls, sms, data much better and cheaper than EE direct and I don't have to deal with the incompetent EE staff either

Perfect on time, delivered to my hands, NOT thrown in a hedge, or hidden in a bin or something stupid. Your driver was polite friendly and smiled.

They collected the old parcel left the new no messing around, no dropping parcels over fences (evri) no finding the delivery 3 days later hidden in a bush 3 doors away etc.

They deliver and do the job properly. I wish all couriers delivered this way

Cheap and super fast next day delivery on a Sunday with a 1 hour window for delivery absolute magic

Been coming here for nearly 20 years first camping then in our own caravan now for first time in one of theirs a "Gold" van.

Van seems nice enough at first glance but sofa cushions are stained.

Carpet edges a little frayed would take 5 mins to clean up.

Pans have loose handles and rubbish.

Don't know if they've lowered the gas pressure or put a lower regulator on but cooking was AWFUL with no windows open the flame was dancing about, I suspect that and the terrible pans, a pot of covered pasta never boiled.

Electric oven took 30 mins after warming up to cook oven chips even then they were a soggy mess.

Thought the oven was broken at first but it doesn't come on unless you use the timer, of course there's NO INSTRUCTIONS telling you this.

Worst of it is the beds they are so uncomfortable I started sleeping in the car. An 18 year old in good health started having back problems and could barely walk meaning they had to stay indoors all day whilst we went out which then ruined a day trip too.

The bedsheets they use don't fit the beds, they're too small so you can't tuck the sheet under and 5 mins after you go to sleep the sheets a mess under you they're small beds already did you go out of your way to get even smaller sheets?

Rides were all open during our stay aside from flop flop and we were treated well. The whole park is like it was when we first started coming 20 years ago it just feels really run down, back then they turned it around now it's back in that state again.

The Tiger and Lion overlook the wooden path actually has holes in it, my walking stick went right thru it due to it being rotten and I nearly fell over. None of the fences have seen paint in years, splash area jets are messed up so they spray water on the footpath.

The upper deck restaurant they were once so proud of is now shut and half of it a staff area and looks really sad.

People mover we didn't manage to catch it working.
The walk thru house of horrors area is closed now.
Aquarium is closed now so that's another indoor area gone.

Considering the premium prices Flamingoland are charging now, our break was supposed to be nearly 2,000 for 5 of us in TERM TIME which was reduced to 1,500 in January when we booked. They're charging premium prices and delivering a pretty poor experience.

For the same money I could book all inclusive abroad, if I wasn't fussy. I'd get almost guaranteed good weather and beds I could sleep on as well as all my food included.

On the positive side the pool was always good, cleaned and very warm. Guest services were lovely to our ASD teenager and overall staff were nicer and friendlier than Alton Towers.

SAD to say but coming here from the old 99p camping days this will be our LAST trip here as to be honest I'd just rather not bother again.

Arrived had me move my car under his canopy etc gives me the speech, does his photos tries to fix a sub £1 size chip. Knocks on the door says sorry windscreen didn't survive I've booked you in at the depot 30 miles away next week at 3pm.

Well thanks I really want to spend my afternoon stuck on an industrial 30 miles from home then drive home thru rush hour.

Wish I hadn't bothered with the "free" repair I guess that's why they offer free repairs they get a windscreen replacement out of it if it fails.

Cancelling the job and I'll live with the crack until or unless it reaches the drivers side. If I had a choice I'd go elsewhere in future but I'm stuck as a motability customer. 2 new windscreens inside 12 months? No thanks

Yes I know they warn you about the possibility they don't then warn you new windscreen means you sat on an industrial estate 30 miles each way whilst they sort it afterwards

Fast delivery and unlike the CPU I ordered previously the graphics card worked perfectly.

Computer stuff seems to be a lottery from CEX good vs DOA but at least you're always guaranteed a refund.

5 year warranty is actually better than new retail.

Ordered Friday arrived Monday can't say fairer. Graphics card was spotless looked new. Haven't checked the paste as thermals look good.

Cautious 5 stars, always test your purchase immediately on arrival as I've had dead stuff from them.

Second time having Merlin passes. They've changed Ride access pass for disabled guests so you have to prebook your ride access ON TOP of having to prebook your entry to the park.

When it first went thru the system changed your booking day and you wouldn't know until you arrive only to be told tough you'll have to buy fast track.

Since then it seems better for booking but it hasn't reduced the queuing in the ride access line as we were told it would. We're still being made to wait twice, we wait once in a possibly long rap queue at the ride then they make you wait again by ignoring that time and adding on the main queue time on your pass.

On more than one occasion I've queued for 30 mins in the RAP queue to then have 60 mins added to my card for the next ride when adding 30 mins would be fairer.

Staff in general are EXCELLENT esp as a disabled guest I've only ever had one bad experience with a ride operator.

Also you can only prebook 3 dates per venue at any one time. So no you can't book an Airbnb and go to alton towers for a week because you can only book 3 days and then they'll be fully booked.

Furthermore we managed to get to a theme park ONCE all summer, every time we looked July and August were fully booked.

I appreciate it's difficult for Merlin to run this but this 3 date thing for passholders is unfair, as is allowing RAP dates to get fully booked so far ahead.

Unfortunately disabled guests often can't plan that far ahead for health reason so you cant say I'm going to Chessington on 19th August so I'll prebook RAP now.

If you are in that boat I still think the passes are good value however accept that in school holidays you're going to struggle to get a prebook and whatever you do DON'T just turn up or they will say no and try to sell you fastrack instead.

The gold and platinum passes are good value in particular as you get free parking and if you put your car reg plate on they use ANPR so you can get out quickly and easily.

It'd be Nice if the passes gave a discount on EV charging now they're putting chargers in.

As well as theme parks you also get the Sea Life centres where you don't need to prebook weeks ahead so they're handy on a whim and always interesting.

There is much more than just the 4 headline attractions Chessington, Thorpe park, Alton Towers and Warwick Castle.

You also get discounts at several restaurants too and the discount at the hotels.

We've stayed in the classic Alton Towers Hotel and the little chalet style village huts. The hotel is spacious, easy to access although parking as a disabled guest is a nightmare a staff member literally told me you'll have to park in the main car park and walk (missing the point much).

It's a huge missed opportunity that disabled guests cannot sort the RAP out at the hotel entrance you've got to off and find a guest services place.

The hotel is starting too look a bit worn in places but is clean and bright, the entertainment is first class too.

In Splash Landings there's a buffet restaurant that has in credible value esp when you take 20% off the bill. The choice of food is amazing along with a huge choice of cakes plus bottomless soft drinks

If you don't need ride access passes Merlin passes are an absolute no brainier with children or teenagers.

If you do struggle with queues due to disabilities I would read others experiences first as it may not suit you. I don't think it's particularly good asking disabled guests to book twice or effectively saying you can't access the rides if you just turn up like everyone else.

I don't know if Merlin has a panel of disabled guests who advise on what they're doing but it doesn't feel like it. It feels like able bodied people coming up with stuff and telling us how great they are at understanding our needs.

I'd really like to see a disabled person running their accessibility stuff.

Anyway TLDR

If the average guest go for it you'll love it plus the discounts are awesome £7 odd to reactivate your cocacola cup is pretty good value

20% off clothing etc is very good too we have saved more than the costs of the passes in merch over a year or so

The monthly subscription system makes it nice and accessible too

If you're disabled read up reviews from disabled guests and fully understand how RAP works before committing

Gave me a time, arrived on time box wasn't damaged and driver was polite. Knocked on my door didn't just drop it over the fence like others.

Best couriers out there

Turned up on time as expected, polite, friendly and handed parcel directly to me

Washing broke down, logged a fault, 2 days or so later guy comes out and declared it unrepairable.

Next day we get the email from D&G we chose a nice Samsung 11kg machine as an upgrade cost us a total of £95 being delivered on the 28th December.

Cannot fault the service that's a £500 washing machine pretty sure we are up financially now. New machine has a 5 year warranty too.

Great selection of parts available, got the best price on the internet on the tubing and fittings and flow meter I bought. Delivery was within 48 hours.

Extremely happy finding someone with branded 1/2" 3/4" tubing and the fittings in stock wasn't very easy WCUK had me covered though

Ordered a fruit box after seeing some exotic fruit YouTube videos and thought it'd make a fun family night trying all these funky fruits.

Anyway ordered and just before my del very was due I got an email to say some of the fruit I had ordered they weren't happy sending and would I mind waiting an extra day until they restocked and sent a discount code as an apology.

I was really pleased with the communication lots of big companies would have just delayed the order and said nothing or blamed the courier for being late.

Box arrived today and every was really well packed and seems to have arrived in good condition.

The prices were excellent especially for their boxes choose 18 fruits etc really great value. Looking forward to trying lots more in the future.

The scheme when everything is working is great, love it.

But

When things go wrong there's very little support from Motability themselves, they just hand out phone numbers before washing their hands. It's Motability we pay over £300 each month let's not forget not Direct Line nor RAC etc.

First time my car broke down Europcar called me to say sorry we don't have any cars available, my sole request was automatic be it electric, traditional auto, DSG whatever but nothing sorry.

Motability will only use Europcar so despite all the other big car hire companies having at least one vehicle available nope that's it.

Other option they send you taxis. This isn't bad but again they only use big taxi companies that have a contract with some national app.

The result is taxi coming from 30 miles away to drive me 2 miles and it cost Motability nearly £80 as they were billed for 62 mile journey effectively. Plenty of local taxis but none contract with their management scheme.

So all that leaves is we give you a payment AFTER your car is repaired based on how long you don't have it to use. Talk about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

After an accident which I reported to the car insurance. After 2 weeks haven't heard a thing. Ask Motability reply is call direct line. Call directline nothing on record we'll get back to you, they never do.

Complain to Motability over a week before you get a lengthy reply designed to basically get rid of you.

Motability don't want to hear how their contractors mess up and tell complain to x not us. Same when BP Pulse were awful about installing home chargers and messed me about for 6 months

How a company is supposed to manage its SLAs, targets etc when you're actively not collecting said complaint data because you're saying go straight to whatever company.

Considering Motability has a slush fund of £1.6 Billion you'd think they could afford enough staff to respond promptly and to take care of customers.

I joined Motability so that it was a one stop shop and thought I'd have some backup but nope doesn't work that way. That combined with ever increasing advance payments for cars you can actually fit equipment in and I'm wondering if I'm better off private leasing these days

Really really really disappointed not to mention stressed out.

I know it's "only" 2 weeks after the accident but with zero contact from anyone aside from the sorry you had an accident email but apparently it's going to be another 2 weeks before a decision is made I wonder if they'll let me know what it is?

At least they haven't asked for the excess yet I suppose.....

Three weeks no contact now, Thanks Tom for the offer I've already done that just got Heres direct lines number and they need another 2 weeks to look at your car before deciding.

Call Europcar to try and change car and get told nothing available keep calling back...

I'm just so done with the whole thing now I just can't stir any enthusiasm to go look at new cars.

Oh and the hassle I got when I asked about a grant for the AP last time. They won't let you choose fuel so you can end up being told you can have this car even tho you can't afford to drive it.

It's shocking tbh

Had an accident in early morning called RAC as I'm a Motability customer. They arranged a taxi to collect me and would recover the car later as it was out of the way.

Got a link to track the taxi despite confirming my location they'd sent the taxi to collect me from a location 100 miles away.

Called them back said they sort it heard nothing more. Called again.

In the end it took 6 phone calls from me before they finally got a taxi heading to me.

Just as I was getting out of the taxi I get a call from a recovery company we're at your car where are you....

Total failure to communicate so they had to leave the car and return later.

Few days later I want to collect personal belongings takes me 5 calls to find out where my car is. Then I find out it's about to be moved 25 miles further away from me. This is all with RAC and their contractors not insurance company.

I hurry over and struggle to get my stuff as car as surrounded tightly on all sides by wrecked vehicles like a scrapyard plus mud everywhere. Total nightmare