The National Trust Swindon reviews

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

What a mess!

Just to add another voice of dissent.Just checked online and the properties near us that we go to on a fairly regular basis (Dunham, Styal and Lyme) were all booked out for the times we could go (weekends only as we're both still working) yet again. That's now nearly 3 months of paid membership with no visits. Based on the number of cars we saw on the NT car park last week (very few), most people were parking in Styal village, thereby causing congestion in what is usually a quiet place. Local residents will also be getting fed up too. Why can't the NT at least open the car park?The NT need to comment on this shambles and let everybody know what they intend to do about it. The booking system is not fit for purpose. The NT should spend some of our membership money on a decent online booking platform. and give us a fair crack of the whip.

PhilP · 12 June 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

More stress than enjoyment

Joined National Trust earlier in the year and looked forward to enjoying unlimited access to parklands and gardens throughout the spring and summer months. Then along came the pandemic, but at least we would have the opportunity to walk in the local parks. The national trust has 3800 acres available to us at nearby Clumber Park.How wrong could we be! The National Trust decide to ignore their fee paying membership and create a ‘free for all’ for the countries 68 million inhabitants.We stayed at home that weekend as we feared the consequences and were not surprised that chaos had ensued. The Trust then decide to close all their parkland to everyone including its members!Very recently it has reopened some of its gardens and parkland but for booking only with very limited places. This is not reserved to members, it is open to all. The experience is very lengthy and stressful and at first it appears to be fully booked. We have found if you wait until Friday and set a couple of hours aside for online queuing, some places are available.We have made one visit to an estate so far and had an enjoyable walk seeing very few people.It appears that ‘The Trust‘ who thought it wise to ‘open to all‘ at the height of the pandemic are now being over cautious and eroding its memberships value for no good reason.So in summary the product has brought more stress than enjoyment.

Darren · 12 June 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

No concern for memberships

After having a family membership for years we are disgusted with how the national trust are treating us. It seems they are taking advantage of the covid 19 crisis by just trying to make more money! Selling tickets for £5 to non members means current members dont even get a look in for any slot (even a car park space) for re-opened sites. They are not accepting emails as all are rejected. They do not value loyal members and just care about money

Lorraine · 11 June 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Depressing visit.

Depressing visit.I have commented before about the attitude of the NT to its members re access to properties. Today we visited a nearby property with our daughter who had persevered to gain an admission slot for us. How depressing. All benches turned inwards or upside down. This means that visitors especially the infirm, disabled etc. are unable to rest or take in the views or the atmosphere.Flowerbeds not planted, access to many areas blocked off leaving one path around the grounds in a one way system. During the visit there were occasions when we couldn't even see others in the grounds. I accept the buildings being closed, but to restrict access to the large open areas is beyond belief, especially when beaches and parks are fully open. Please let us use common sense and police our own distancing rather than treating your members as children who need to be controlled in their every movement. Even the staff were apologetic about the situation especially when admitting there were many no shows from booked members. A request to donate £5 by text on leaving the property seemed a little insensitive. Some response from the NT to members comments on this site would perhaps assuage the severity of these views. A request to donate £5 by text on leaving the proerty seemed a little insensitive

Solihull · 10 June 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Membership means nothing.

Second time we as members have tried to "book" a trip to Wallington this year only to find the only date and times available coincide with our working hours.We have been members for years now but we are going to request our money back and cancel the membership.I can only assume that the NT wants visitors who pay at the gate and not us who pay by direct debit.At least English Heritage extended this years membership by three months to compensate us. What are the National Trust doing for members?

Graeme · 7 June 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

I can only echo the frustration of…

I can only echo the frustration of other comments on here. From the ill conceived idea of opening their estates to the general public, the NT has been an unmitigated PR car crash. We’ve had annual family membership for many years, which automatically renewed on 31st March, although as always they took the money 3 weeks early. I argued for a full refund as I’ve had no opportunity to utilise my renewed membership and they cannot fulfil the terms of our ‘contract’. The new booking system is an absolute shambles. No priority for members, who have in essence already paid. I work full-time so can only visit at weekends. I went online at 6.30am on Friday for a property close to me and the entire weekend was already fully sold out! I’ve been offered 25% discount off next year’s renewal. Jog on NT!

Customer · 7 June 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Disgraceful

Disgraceful! As a long time NT member I was hoping to revisit local sites now that lockdown is easing. The booking process is horrendous. If you do get onto the site you will find almost zero availability. I understand that numbers have to be somewhat limited, but this is truly pathetic. We are entering into open spaces, can easily keep 2m distance but capacity seems to be kept at trifling low levels.Ii is especially galling when one sees the number of people ‘legally’ allowed to cram onto public beaches!

Andrew · 5 June 2020

★★★★★ 3/5

Trustpilot

Long wait. Poor system. Honest reply appreciated

Like others, I waited nearly three hours today to get tickets. I didn't get the time I wanted, but I did get an hour later! The Eventbrite system is hideous and gives no idea how long you might be waiting. While waiting I decided to drop an email to every National Trust email address I could find, including the director general herself, expressing my annoyance. To their credit, and to my surprise, I got a reply within an hour from a very courteous chap, apologising and explaining the situation. He explained that with nearly 6 million members and only 100,000 spaces the demand is through the roof. He acknowledged that the booking system isn't ideal, and doesn't usually handle this many people, they are working on a better solution but this won't happen overnight. Apparently they will be increasing the numbers allowed in once they are confident it is safe to do so, and will be opening more and more places over the coming weeks so the booking issue should improve. The message was essentially ""sorry, we know it's a bit rubbish for you and we're working on that, but it'll calm down, hang in there, thanks for your support."Well played that man, I'm impressed by your honesty, politeness and integrity. I only hope he is a fair reflection of all National Trust staff. For others complaining on here, I fully understand why. As a side note, apparently bookings go live at midnight so set your alarm clocks next week!

PLarner14 · 5 June 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Appalling treatment of members

I have spent all morning trying to get tickets on National Trust web site - a complete waste of time and effort. After 4 hours of attempting to connect with various NT sites in my area - I managed to get one ticket! My partner and I have joint membership which we have had for many years. I couldn’t get back on to get another ticket and another hour later discovered all tickets sold out.This system is absolutely appalling and no consideration for long term members who pay every year. I sent an email complaining last week but have been completely ignored. I like many others will be cancelling my membership.

Gill · 5 June 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

National Trust has handled this all…

National Trust has handled this all very badly. I’ve been a member for over 30 years but like others have now decided to cancel. Two reasons - lack of any consideration of booking system on members and secondly I have actually found some very nice places locally to visit which are free to access. Plus I don’t have to pre book. The advantage of being a member of the NT was the facility to visit places without having to massively pre plan. Now I’m expected to be grateful (having already paid in advance) if I can even get a booking (which I can’t) to visit on a future date (which may be seriously affected by weather). Wake up NT you are going to lose members in their thousands. Emailed NT and they couldn’t even be bothered to respond.

Mary · 5 June 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

National Trust Amateurs

The national trust has been completely out of touch since this covid experience began. Why can supermarkets open 15 hours per day with their car parks and confined shops open to all, yet the national trust (which has exactly the same car park dimensions as supermarkets) and acres of wide open spaces once you are through the gates with social distancing not a problem, has banned all visits? It doesn’t make sense. During the lockdown it would have made more sense for national trust properties to remain open for the good of everyone’s health. Now this latest farce of queuing to book a space in their wide open car parks and acres of grounds. The queueing system is primitive. Most websites show you how well you are progressing and how long you have to wait when there is a queueing system - not so with the national trust. It seems that fully paid up members also have no priority over non members.Whoever runs this organisation needs to take a hard look at their operating practices. They obviously haven’t a clue. I don’t expect they will be giving refunds for members who haven’t been able to use their membership.My browser has been in the queue for an hour now so I’m giving up. Complete amateurs!

Dunc · 5 June 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

It gets worse by the day

The timing system is a joke. I have been waiting for more than an hour to book - there is no indication of the length of time I may have to wait or indeed if there are any spaces left or the property I want to visit. Even worse throughout the lockdown, you closed some of the local open spaces that are unmanned for most of the time - hence, pushing people who usually use them back into confined town space. The fact that the Trust continues to take members money throughout this time was unacceptable. Now, it has moved into the realms of something else - members are justifiably angry at the total incompetence. Before you lose members in their droves, "someone" needs to pull this together!

Chrissy · 5 June 2020

★★★★★ 3/5

Trustpilot

National Trust requesting money

My wife and I are lifetime members of the National Trust.I believe that the National Trust does an excellent job. However, I have just received an email signed by Hilary Grady requesting a donation of £25 to assist in safeguarding the future of green spaces.I fail to see how she can have the nerve to ask for money, when to quote the Telegraph from 2013," Nearly half of the executives who are on £100,000 a year worked at the National Trust, where the numbers increased from 11 to 21 over the three year period.Analysis of the Trust’s annual report and accounts showed that it also spent the most on a single unnamed employee in a single year - £219,999 in 2012. The figure included a redundancy payment".I believe that her salary is at least £165,000 per year.That's an awful lot of money in seven years.

Andrew · 1 June 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Untrustworthy.

After over twenty years joint membership of the NT we have decided to cancel our direct debit to the Trust over their woke, politically correct, and unnecessary decision to effectively name and shame previous owners of properties, now in their care, with respect to their connection to the slave trade, which was banned and enforced by this country over two hundred years ago.We assume the minority groups they seek to appease will support them in the future.

Bill · 18 March 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

I am so disgusted how the National

I am so disgusted how the Nationaltrust has treated theirMembers I have sent this letter to the Chairman Mr Tim Parker - you can find his email address on google is you wish to tell him what you think.Good Morning Mr Parker,As the chairman of the National Trust I would like to ask you - not one of your staff please - do you value your members who have been paying membership fees for years.? - I think not! My partner and I visit Dunham Massey about every two weeks every year and we have been paying our membership for years. It is a delightful place to visit and we and the other regulars are the people using your facilites- they are the people spending money in your shops and restaurants etc. all year round - not the families who just fancy a day out in a nice sunny day. Just before lockdown you decided to open up (In my mind without much thought) your gardens etc free to the general public and like anything that is free it drew in such large crowds that quite a lot of members were turned away. Then of course because you could no longer cope with so many visitors you had to close a couple of days later. Today, we saw on the News that you are opening your National Trust properties on an appointment only basis - did you not consider it would only be polite to advise your Members in advance?. when I went into the site this morning I saw that most of the slots had been booked by non members - on the first slot there was only one member booked. Needless to say we couple not even get a slot at anytime of day. I would like you to tell me Mr Parker why members should be paying for a whole years membership and then have no or little chance of visiting places like Dunham Massey. Speaking to friends who are also members we feel our loyalty to you over the years has meant nothing.I await your personal reply - please give me the courtesy to reply yourself

Ann · 29 May 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Opening gardens...what a farce!

I have to agree with the person who wrote the review below. I’ve been paying for a subscription for the past 18 months. I kept paying our subscription, even though my husband has had to take a pay cut recently, as I’d hoped they would give some priority to their members when they eventually opened their properties. I logged on first thing this morning and ALL slots were gone as they were open to non-members too. So disappointing that they only release one week slots at a time so most likely it looks like we’ll never get a chance to go to one of the gardens we pay every month for. Very disappointed and I will be cancelling my membership now as I’ve paid for 6 months recently without attending any NT properties.

BJordi · 29 May 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

ABSOLUTE DISGRACE

ABSOLUTE DISGRACE the way National Trust are treating their loyal members.I have paid for membership for myself and my 2 parents for as a xmas gift.I asked if I would get a refund for the month closed (as they are not providing the service I paid for) or confirmation the extra months would be carried forward. I had an email back saying I cant have a refund and the lost months wont be carried forward. They have now opened up with a booking system, which is impossible to get a time slot so that will be more months lost. I WILL NOT BE RENEWING MY MEMBERSHIP AGAIN IF THIS THIS IS THE ATTITUDE THEY HAVE TOWARDS THEIR MEMBERS. I booked a holiday, the hotel had to close, I got a refund straight away - that is good customer service.

Karen · 29 May 2020

★★★★★ 2/5

Trustpilot

Taken forgranted

As a long standing member who has bought gift memberships also for many of my family members over the years, I feel National Trust members are being taken forgranted. The experiences on here are similar to my own. I ve commented on Twitter (the only response I've had) asking them if they could provide members with some Spring videos of all the beautiful blossoming gardens we are missing but got a reply that seemed to ignore my question saying they will continue to update with photos/podcasts and others people's offerings! The latest move to book slots online for garden and carpark visits has proved impossible as each effort returns an error message. I feel another tweet coming on 🤞

Mrs · 29 May 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Customer Service is inadequate

It is impossible to speak to someone at the National Trust Customer Service helpline - it doesn't matter when you call - on how long you are on hold E mails are ignoredVery disappointing - the trust is not short of money - it should staff its Customer Service Centre It is clearly aware of the problem and does nothing

Christine · 26 May 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Stupid policy decisions

We’ve been members for nearly forty years, but absolutely disgusted by the way the Trust has been moving in recent years - silly campaigns, dumbing down of information etc. Now not only are the National Trust not extending membership for the length of time that properties are closed, but they are also planning to open car parks to everyone, whilst allowing only 30% of spaces to be used. What is the sense in that? I’m sure that a lot of other people are also wondering whether to bother with membership in the future.

OAP · 16 May 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Shame on National Trust …

Shame on National Trust for treating people so badly. Lets see what happens in the future I for one will not be paying for yearly subscriptions ever again. As the saying goes WHAT GOES ROUND COMES ROUND They wont even answer you when you try to contact them anymore. The least they could do is extend the time you can go to places on your yearly membership by the SAME AMOUNT of time their sites are closed. I myself would prefere a refund as would most elderly people who are not going to be able to go to these sites for a very long time.As i said at the beginning SHAME ON YOU

Howard · 13 May 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Another institution suffering from…

Another institution suffering from woke-disease. It chases an audience it doesn't have at the expense of the one it did have. Just like the BBC it treats its traditional core supporters as nothing more than sources of funds ...while treating them with contempt. Like so many institutions they are riddled with woke virtue-signalling hypocrites who have spurned the core values of the institution ...and turned their backs on the people who supported them for decades. a reckoning is coming.

Janet · 30 August 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Disgusting Treatment

The national Trust have treated loyal members in an appalling way.First they agree to open up their grounds and gardens to ANYBODY and when you enquire if you will receive a refund they ignore you.Afterall why should one pay £126 a year when they announced they would open for free.this i think was ill thought out as it was quickly rescinded when they announced all places would be closed and members would not automatically get a membership freeze.Gyms, and school swimming and other services have all frozen payments .Why do National \trust think they are better than everyone else and treat members this way.I am one of hundreds of disgruntled members who will be CANCELLING my membership.

Stephen · 12 May 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Disappointing attitude from National Trust

I have attempted to obtain a refund for a cottage trip I had planned for my husbands birthday. They requested the balance payment by 13th March 2020 which I paid and they 'postponed' it a few weeks later. They have eventually responded after i sent a number of emails requesting a refund simply to say that as they are postponing my holiday and not cancelling it if I do not accept their offer then they will consider me to have cancelled my holiday and I will forfeit the money paid. I think the attitude taken is very shortsighted as this was my first holiday booking with them and will obviously be my last and it has led me to cancel my family membership with them.

Scully · 12 May 2020