ComplaintsforSesame Place

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Sesame Place advertises they are a cashless institution. No problem, until you go to pay for ANYTHING, and they add a 5% fee for using a card for your purchase. How is this legal? You won't accept cash and make customers convert it to a card inside the park (which can't be used anywhere else) and then charge for using a card for purchases. I bought $92 worth of merchandise and then was charged a $4.60 surcharge for using the card. The team members just laughed at us when we questioned them about it and said "Don't like it, don't buy it!" Is this how a supposed family-friendly organization treats families? I want my money refunded.

  Business response

  07/10/2023

  Please see your personal email for correspondence regarding this matter.

  Business response

  07/10/2023

  Please see your personal email for correspondence regarding this matter.

  Customer response

  07/14/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Refund policy is unfair and out of date. purchased tickets for my family and i on a sale, realized we were not going to be able to go, asked for refund was told no. I can Choose another date at a higher price and pay the difference. I told them i bought On a sale why can they not honor the price told no they can’t and have to pay. Asked to speak to a supervisor and was told they will tell me the same thing. I’ve noticed this is a usual thing as other complaints and reviews mention the supervisor not being given and being told they will say the same thing. My family is Not able to use the tickets and can not choose another date. Unfair and out of date policy. I should Be able to cancel a week prior. Don’t know any other place that doesn’t allow that. Even for a small fee.

  Business response

  06/12/2023

  Please see your personal email for additional communication.

  - *****

• Initial Complaint

  06/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We are going with a large group of people and all the families purchased their own tickets. I do admit I purchased the wrong tickets. It took me 3 days to get in contact with someone after several calls and webchats. No one was available. When I finally got in touch with someone the gentleman on the phone agreed to give me a refund so that I could repurchase the correct package. He never did so and I can't repurchase until my refund is processed because I need the funds from the other order for the new order. They said they would refund and it hasn't been done yet.

  Business response

  06/28/2023

  Hello,

  Please check your personal email for further correspondence.

  Customer response

  06/29/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: they purposely waited until after the date of my tickets to reply. Forcing me to use them or I'd be losing out on even more money. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  

  Business response

  07/01/2023

  I have responded to your most recent message in our existing email chain.

  Customer response

  07/07/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is ****
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: **************** said he would get this refunded waiting to hear from him.

  Regards,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  05/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought a gold season pass for my family because this year they falsely advertised a new wave pool. I go on Memorial Day weekend which they also advertised stating that their new wave pool is open now. I excitedly go check it out only to find out that there is no wave pool. And to make matters worse I spoke with some team members and they told me that there was nothing new done to the park it was an attraction that was always there just renamed and opened as a wave pool. I’m very upset as my son who’s only 5 loves going swimming in the wave pool. There is absolutely no pool at sesame place big enough that he can swim in that has waves in it. Now I’m stuck with a season passes to a park that has no wave pool. What upsets me is that I had my choice of water parks to choose from. I was considering doing hurricane harbor and I chose sesame place because it was targeted more to smaller children. If you see their advertising about their new wave pool dont believe it because it doesn’t exist and everything about it being new is all a lie !!!!

  Business response

  06/03/2023

  Please see your personal email for further correspondence regarding your order.

• Initial Complaint

  05/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Sesame Place has been charging a 5% surcharge on evey purchase made in park for months. The have minimal signage stating this, and when questioned on it they insist it's to avoid raising prices and to provide the best experience possible. This is obviously nonsense as the prices have been raised by 5%, and needing to do extra math while wrangling children to know what will show on the register at checkout does not make my experience any better. I feel very strongly that this is an unfair and dishonest pricing scheme. I believe they are doing this to take advantage of people not being very good at calculating percentages so they can price products on the shelf such that they optimize profitability on the supply and demand curves, and then squeeze out an extra five percent on top of it. I believe this is an exploitative practice that results in people purchasing items for a higher price than they would be willing to pay if they had fairly posted the true price on the shelf. What makes it even worse is that they are doing it using beloved characters on children's toys. If I already told my child they could get a toy, I can't reneg when they hit me with an additional 5% fee unexpectedly. They are extorting extra money out of parents using their own children against them as leverage. This is a despicable practice and it needs to stop.

  Business response

  05/21/2023

  Please see your personal email for additional information.

   

  Customer response

  05/22/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The explanation provided was that they use a surcharge so customers don't have to pay tax on the increased price. However, this is false.  Customers are charged sales tax on the total including the 5% surcharge. 

  the surcharge is used simply to dishonestly hide the actual cost of goods and services.  The only acceptable resolution is removing the 5% surcharge and pricing items fairly on the shelf.

  Regards,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  04/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  April 8, 2023 my grand children and I, along with my son went to Sesame Pl., in bucks county PA . Ten Family members from the state of VA also came to attend this gathering. I financed a good amount of this gathering to the tune of about $ 500-$600 which I have receipts for. I am 57 years old and handicap. While I was sitting mainly because of my condition with my service animal allowing my family to enjoy the festivities. I was approached by a female guard. At this time it was about 2:55pm. I was sitting with one of my grandchildren. The initial guard that approach me. Told me (I had to leave with the dog) I explained to her that this was my service animal provided the proper credentials that are state issued. Then shortly after three more female guards approach me. My dog nor myself had any altercations with anyone at any point during my presence. Many people and their children came up very interested and wanted to pet my dog. However my dog wears a vest that says. I am a service animal do not pet along with his issued tags and credentials. during this time I was asked several times what my medical condition was that I required a service animal. Which I am positive is prohibited by HIPAA law because that would require me to disclose my medical health information. Especially to have four individuals demanding it in a public setting was very embarrassing and humiliating. Secondly I am handicap. In the United States of America businesses are prohibited against discriminating against the handicap. After this went on for a matter of time. A manager which was a male came with the Suggestion to call the police. I said please do 3:34 PM the police sure did arrive. I was not approached by the officer at all they talked to the management and then left. I know that the company was informed that there was nothing that could be done and that they were wrong. This is unacceptable and very disrespectful. I came as a patron with my family and was humiliated and disrespected.

  Business response

  04/12/2023

  Hello ******,

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

  Please see your personal email for further correspondence.

  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  11/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  So yesterday I had drove 8 hours with my children to go to sesame place this was planned out and when we get there the lady at the gate tells us you better off person soon the tickets online because they're cheaper because it was $100 a piece at the gate and I said okay thank you so we go to set up an account so we can purchase some tickets online but the thing kept saying error when I was trying to purchase the tickets and it said I just assume it didn't purchase it at all cuz that's what it said when I take the online thing as well so we decided to come back home he was like we'll just try to plan something else now mind you we stay all the way in Detroit Michigan so we're on our way home and at one of the rest stops I decided to check my email and I get an email from sesame place saying that I purchase tickets and I'm like no I didn't because it said I didn't so I tried to click the app to see what it's talking about cuz it says sign up with that you see a purchase or whatever so I tried to look at it and it says no tickets found no purchase found so I'm like what the **** are they talking about so I tracked I checked my credit card statement and it's a hundred and twenty nine dollars charge to my credit card from sesame place but I'm like how is that possible when it's telling me I don't have a purchase and it's not showing upp so I decided to try to call customer service I'm on hold for a very long time so I decided to you know wait until today because the day was already ending the place was closing and I'm like okay so let me call tomorrow and remind you we're still on the road I called today and the lady would let me tell whats going on and listen to me or whatever and then she would say the exact same thing oh I'm sorry we can't refund you I'm like but I'm halfway home and I need my refund I have five kids and we're halfway home we playing this out and like there's nothing we can do I'm not about to drive 6 hours back to go to sesame place when I was I was

  Business response

  11/06/2022

  Hi *****

  I need some additional information to help you out with this.

  Please see your personal email for more details.

  Chris

• Initial Complaint

  10/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 6/26/22 online tickets/reservations were purchased with Sesame Place Park, Langhorne, PA for a three day stay 7/7/22, 7/8/22 and 7/9/22. My ********** card was initially declined becasue I did not rspond timely to the text asking if the transaction was legitimate. Since I could not proceed further I entered my **************** card for the same 3 day stay. I received ONE confirmation and email from Sesame Place on the tickets purchased. Upon my return home I received my **** card statement and realized I was charged by **** and ****************. Subsequently, I contaced ***** *** regarding this duplication error. I have my ******* ********* and **** statements to prove the duplication charges. Sesame Place response was that I did not cancel the transaction. There was nothing to cancel since I received one set of tickets. This is abhorrent that Sesame Place franchise wast to be paid twice fo rthe same stay. The names on the tickets can be verified and checked by the clock in times to the park. I want the duplcation charge reversed. Sesame Place refuses to credit my $ 957.70. This is a lot of money not to mention it is morally/ethically wrong to charge customers twice.

  Business response

  10/11/2022

  ******,

  Please check your personal email for correspondence regarding this complaint.

  Regards,

  *****

• Initial Complaint

  09/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Hi, i went to Sesame Place to use their waterpark on a hot day last Monday and ordered the Platinum season pass for $330 to get me and my friends and family of 6 guests to attend their park. As soon as we walked in we noticed huge lines. We were surprised until we walked around the park and started noticing many ride/slide closures and were told of the lifeguard shortage. I went to their Welcome Center to ask for a refund and was told they can not do it only give me tickets to come back another day. Firstly that doesnt help anything today and secondly why would i come back and risk this kind of outcome again? I decided to purchase their magic bands to skip some lines in hopes of saving the day which they at minimum should have provided me for the huge inconvenience. They declined and so i purchased them for everyone for another $220. To our surprise even on the faster lines we still waited an hour and a half for a line that in general should have no wait. So the magic bands went mostlly unused. We went on maybe 3 rides in the span of 5 hours at their park mostly waiting in lines. Me and my guests were sure we would get refunded for such negligence by an amusement park. I called customer service teling then of the issue and their only response was sorry for the inconvenience and then the supervisor added later my system says all the rides were open all day. I also emailed the park 2 days ago still no response. I went on ******* to post my disappointments and noticed a few others had posted the same thing.

  Business response

  09/02/2022

  Hi *********,
  

  I apologize for your current frustrations. Please check your personal email account to continue our correspondence.
  
  Thank you,

  Chris

  Business response

  09/04/2022

  *********,

  I have provided additional information regarding your refund request. Please check your personal email to continue our correspondence.

  Thanks,
  Chris

  Customer response

  09/06/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me, assuming the business follows through on their end with the refund

  Regards,
  
  ***********************************

• Initial Complaint

  08/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I took my 2 grandchildren and my daughters to Sesame Place on August 30. I purchased tickets online. We have been here before but not for at least 6 years. We were especially looking forward to the water rides. When we got there it was obvious that the park was understaffed. We waited at least an hour for the first ride that lasted 10 seconds. Then we went to the Count Splash pool to be told that it was not open because they were waiting for more lifeguards. First it was a few minutes wait then a half hour then they did not know when it would open. We went to Elmo part of the park to try some of the water rides there only to find them all closed. What a disappointment. The children did go on 2 non water rides here. We had lunch at the Burger Bites. Over priced food of poor quality. The biggest ick was how dirty the place was. Dirty tables food all over the floor and steps. Back to the Yellow Ducky water ride one of only 2 open. We waited in line for an hour doe a 30 second ride. Tickets, food, parking for 4 cost close to $400 for the day and we only went on 4 rides. In the gift shop they tack on. 5% fee for shopping at the store. How do they get away with that? I went to the customer center at the park to complain and ask for a refund. I was offered tickets for another time. I turned those down. Like I would ever come back. So I was given a phone number to call and a email address to complain to. Both turned out to be dead ends. Who manages this park? It needs a major overhaul. Not the old Sesame Place of old.

  Business response

  09/04/2022

  *******,

  I need some additional information from you to provide you with a resolution. Please check your personal email account to continue our correspondence.

  Thank you,
  Chris

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩