CLASSIC FANS LOSE MONEY AS MUSEUM SHUTS
Hit London attraction’s sudden closure sparks a battle by car fans to get cash refunded – we show you what to do next
Customers booked in to visit the London Motor Museum are scrambling for refunds after it closed its doors without warning. Home to a large collection of movie cars and US classics, the museum is currently reimbursing customers who paid in advance.
CCW readers from across the UK who had pre-booked tickets to visit the London museum’s collection of cars say that they had no warning – and are now in touch with the venue’s owners to try and get their money refunded.
Enthusiasts planning to visit the London Motor Museum were left shocked and angry after it shut its doors unexpectedly.
The museum, which is based in Hayes, Middlesex, is known for its 160-strong collection of cars, including movie star classics popular with children. It opened in 2012 and established a strong presence within the historic vehicle community, displaying its Batmobile at the London Classic Car Show earlier this year.
A spokesperson for the attraction said: ‘It is with great sadness to inform you that London Motor Museum is now closed. We thank you for your absolutely awesome support throughout the years and have extremely fond memories of all the cars that have been presented throughout the years. We are currently looking into a new location, but until we can confirm the location we will remain closed.’
Images posted online show that civil recovery firm, Dawkins, took possession of London Motor Museum’s premises on 15 June. Dawkins declined to go into detail of how and why the repossession had taken place, while museum staff and signage had insisted that the closure was due to relocation.
The closure came as a particular shock for CCW reader James Thornborough, who had travelled down from Thirsk in North Yorkshire to see the museum’s exhibits, having bought his ticket online at the advanced rate of £22.50. James says that museum staff came out and apologised, promised a refund, and said that they are looking for a new venue.
James said: ‘They said they had updated the website [to warn customers that the museum had closed down]. However, that was of no use because I did not return to the website, having already purchased the ticket online.’
‘They apologised, but I explained that they should have communicated with holders of booked tickets for the date range affected.
‘Apologies don’t cut it.’
James eventually received a refund notice for his £22.50 advance ticket via Paypal. ‘I didn’t get any kind of reply, I just received a Paypal alert,’ he said.
Pressed for details on how customers like James could get their money refunded, a London Motor Museum spokesperson suggested that they email their details through. Cutomers who bought tickets via Groupon and other third parties should contact their respective firms directly. Groupon would not confirm how long it had known about the venue’s impending closure, but said: ‘ We’re so sad to hear the wonderful London Motor Museum has closed. We will of course be refunding any outstanding tickets sold and if customers have concerns they can contact our team.’