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Watchdog update: the Lapland theme park has now closed down. There has been no official word so far from the people running the park.
Trading Standards statement
Dorset Trading Standards says it wants to take legal action and is currently taking advice from a specialist consumer barrister and the Office of Fair Trading in order to make sure they are in the strongest position to move forward.
The council is looking into a range of legal options, including how to help consumers get their money back and the action that can be taken against Lapland New Forest Limited for misleading consumers. It says that taking legal action can take some time.
People who have bought tickets for the event and are concerned about getting a refund are advised to call Consumer Direct on 08454 040506. Consumer Direct can offer advice and guidance on how customers can try to claim their money back.
If anyone has bought tickets on a credit card and spent over £100, they should contact their credit card company, as the company may be liable under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, 1974.
Further information and FAQ can be found at dorsetforyou.com.
Lapland West Midlands
A similar attraction in the West Midland has been cancelled. The park which promised on its website 'huskies, reindeer and cartoon characters on ice' was due to open on Saturday 6 December. The organisers said that it closed due to bad publicity and lack of ticket sales. The local council had come along to the planned opening and said they would have shut it down anyway as the organisers didn't have appropriate permission.
For more details see the BBC News website.
Staffordshire Trading Standards is advising people who bought tickets to the defunct park to contact PayPal, who processed the orders through the Lapland West Midlands Website. PayPal operates a Buyer Protection Recovery Policy that should provide a refund.
Further information and FAQ can be found on the Staffordshire government website.
Original report published on 2 December
Dozens of you have been in touch since the end of November to complain about a Lapland-styled theme park which has just opened in Hampshire, Lapland New Forest.
The 'winter wonderland' website, which is no longer accessible, promised guests that "the attention to detail of our theme park will truly wow you!"
Visitors were also tempted by pictures of huskies running through snow-covered landscapes and promises of a nativity scene, Santa Claus, a Christmas market and much more besides.
What was it, then, that led one guest to tell us that he could only describe the experience as a "complete and utter exploitation of the magic of Christmas" and another to say that Lapland New Forest was in fact a "huge scam affecting thousands of families in the south"?
The emails we've received have included complaints that the nativity "scene" was merely a painting, that the costumes were "filthy", and that the ice-skating rink "doesn't work". Some children even had to wait hours just to see Santa.
Worryingly, we were also told that "the animals are in a dreadful condition", with pictures showing huskies chained to wooden boxes. One park guest told us that they heard the huskies "screeching", while others have said that the animals looked "unhappy".
Another visitor, who spent nearly £500 on tickets for their whole family, left after less than three hours, 90 minutes of which were spent queuing for pictures of their children with Santa, costing £10 each. Indeed, a common complaint from many of you was that you had to pay for extras inside the park after having already spent £30 per person for entry alone.
In response
The response from the theme park isn't likely to offer much satisfaction to those who've written in about the tears shed by their children and grandchildren, upset at the attractions on offer at Lapland.
The BBC's Radio Solent managed to track down Henry Mears, who organises the park's marketing and advertising. He said: "We seem to have had a few groups of professional troublemakers and, like all people, they like to get into queues and just generate a bit of aggravation.
He insisted that they have "a beautiful, beautiful park, snow covered" and he said that when the lights come on in the evening "it takes the full effect."
In response to questions about people having to queue so much he said: "Well now it is quite obvious that the public just want to queue only to see Father Christmas, we're going to put some more grottos in.
"But I personally think there were loads of other people who really enjoyed it and I think that those people who enjoyed it weren't foolish enough to stand in a queue for an hour or so, just to see Father Christmas.
"The other half, the people who strolled around and took in the whole experience and then came back to see Father Christmas when the queue had gone, they all said they had a wonderful day."
If you have had any other Christmas-themed disappointments, let us know in the comments section below.
Read the latest on our updated Lapland report - 9 January 2009.
