Merlin pass buying weirdness

[Henry Rawlinson]

For the first time we are considering buying an annual Merlin pass for our young family.

We are interested in the Premium adult Merlin annual pass 'Pay monthly' option which is advertised at the rate of £11.99/month plus joining fee of £34.99. We understand this pay monthly option is new this year (2019).

The only way it seems we can purchase this pass is by using their website.

On the website when we go through the process we reach a screen which says, with regards to the joining fee:

Monthly membership: £11.99 monthly cost
Membership joining fee:. £34.99
Subtotal: .£39.15
VAT: £7.83
Total: £46.98

Weird eh? How is that subtotal coming to £39.15? And why do they advertise the prices without any VAT included? Isn't that considered poor practise in the UK? I can understand overseas visitors being able to reclaim the VAT but that's no reason to buck the UK norm, I reckon. It feels like false advertising....

It only adds these prices on after we have filled-in the form and taken a selfie to upload for your ID. That's not being up-front and clear. It's like when airlines added 'hidden extras' at the last stage of booking, before TV's "Watchdog" got involved...

On the website it says there's a 'live chat' that can be used to ask questions. It apparently only comes up when there's someone available to answer. We've not seen it come up at all yet. Plus we cannot find a telephone number to ring and ask. We've emailed them but, unlike similar services, they don't say in what timescales they will respond.

Has anyone else struggled to understand their pricing for this?

Henry (wanting to buy a pass, but not prepared to shell out on unexplained costs.)

 

[djtruefitt]

But the advertised price does equal 46.98 doesn’t it which is what the total is at the very end and is therefore the price you pay?

They are only showing you how much the VAT is, which is what a lot of recipes and sites do. But if the total price is the same as the advertised price then I don’t see what’s wrong?

 

[Maelstrom]

I don't get the issue as the price is advertised at £46.98, it might give an ex Vat price later on in the signup process and list the Vat separately, lots of places do this our order system at work certainly does.

 

[John]

You're paying the joining fee + 1 month membership fee. It is a bit confusing though as prior to payment they present the joining and monthly fees (but not the amount to pay at sign-up) then at the payment page they show the total and the pre-tax amounts (without showing where the £47 figure came from), so there's quite a bit to take in.

 

[Henry Rawlinson]

Ah I see. So the subtotal is the pre-tax total price. Ok that makes more sense now, thanks!!!