elevenplusexams' Waiting List Feature for Mock Test

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WorriedSick
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Mar 02, 2010 7:24 pm

elevenplusexams' Waiting List Feature for Mock Test

Post by WorriedSick »

I am quite upset. I booked a GL Mock test months ago. It is supposed to be taking place today. I used the new Waiting List Feature which took the payment from me. My assumption was that if there was no place I would be notified weeks before the test and my payment refunded. Yesterday, I went on the website and printed off the ticket for the test today. There was nothing on the website about not having a place for the test. I also sent and email and called yesterday morning just to confirm we were coming. Then I had a phone call last night saying I should not come with my child as there was no space. This is a terrible way to behave! These children are only 10 years old. You tell a 10 year old months in advance that they are doing a test and the night before you tell the child (who is in bed preparing to sleep) that it is no longer happening. It is most unfair. Harrow is very far from us and I had made all the arrangements to come in for the test with my child! As of this morning, the website had clearly been sanitised and it now clearly says we have no space and the ticket I printed yesterday is now gone too. It is not good enough. I am incredibly upset by this as is my child and I wonder if anyone else has had this unnecessary and additional stress during a period when there is already enough stress.
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: elevenplusexams' Waiting List Feature for Mock Test

Post by Sally-Anne »

Dear Worriedsick

I'm sorry to hear about this. None of the Forum Moderators will have had experience or knowledge of this app, so I have referred the matter onward to our office and asked them to let me know what has happened here.

Sally-Anne
Aethel
Posts: 1190
Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2015 6:24 pm

Re: elevenplusexams' Waiting List Feature for Mock Test

Post by Aethel »

That sounds pretty rubbish :(

We used the waiting-list feature, and it was pretty clear: about 2 weeks before the test we were informed there was a space, and we were sent an email
With a qr code a few days beforehand.
Did you get the qr code and candidate number through? If so, then it's pretty poor form for them to cancel a space unless there was a genuine admin screw-up.
It's possible they accidentally sent out spaces to, say, 50 kids all at once and realised they couldn't accommodate those extras, but in that case they should have offered an alternative. Hope you get something else sorted.
WorriedSick
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Mar 02, 2010 7:24 pm

Re: elevenplusexams' Waiting List Feature for Mock Test

Post by WorriedSick »

Aethel,

What you have described is exactly what I expected - to be told in advance, not the night before, and certainly not at my prompting! Yes indeed, I printed out the qr code. And yes there was also a candidate number with the qr code along with the confirmation of the date and time for the test which is today. I printed the ticket with the qr code and with all the other details confirming the test and all was prepared and placed by the front door with the clear pencil case before my child went to bed. Then I got the phone call to say it isn't happening. As of this morning, the qr code and candidate number have all now been removed but I have already printed it and still have it.

It is unforgivable behaviour.
Sally-Anne
Posts: 9235
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:10 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire

Re: elevenplusexams' Waiting List Feature for Mock Test

Post by Sally-Anne »

Dear WorriedSick

I have now had a comprehensive reply from our office regarding your child's waiting list place for our mock test.

I am told that the underlying problem in your case is that you had forgotten that the place you had "booked" was actually only a waiting list place, and not a confirmed place for the test, although the status of your booking on our system has remained as "wait-listed" throughout.

The process for booking a waiting list place is outlined on our bookings page as follows:
***NEW WAITING LIST FEATURE***
Due to overwhelming demand for the 'fully booked' mocks, you can now purchase a 'wait list' place. If we receive sufficient wait listed bookings for a particular mock, we may be able to increase the session size or arrange an alternative sitting. If your 'wait list' place is confirmed you will be notified by email. If we have not confirmed your place by the date of the mock exam, then a full refund will be issued. Alternatively, you are able to cancel your wait list place at any time and request a full refund. However, once your wait list place is confirmed by us, any amendment or cancellation is subject to the usual booking terms.
The crucial sentence is this one: If your 'wait list' place is confirmed you will be notified by email.

As we were unable to offer a place for your child, we did not send you a confirmation email. I understand you feel that you should have been notified in good time (even weeks ahead) that a place could not be offered. However, wait list places can come up until only hours before the test, so we do not send emails in advance to say that a place cannot be offered, only emails to say that a place can be offered.

If a place does not come up, a full refund is then processed after the test date has passed, and that is being done for you according to our normal procedure.

We recently changed the booking system to allow parents to access and print all their booked tickets for mock tests at their convenience, rather than waiting for tickets to be emailed to them. That proved to be popular with parents and has not, until now, caused any problems. This is why you were able to view and print a ticket for the test, even though your booking was only "wait listed".

When we called you on Saturday evening to discuss your complaint, I understand all of this was explained to you. In the light of what had happened, we then immediately asked our Programmer to disable the "print ticket facility" in case anyone else should have the same issue. It was certainly not an attempt to "sanitise" your situation. We hope to reintroduce the facility once it has been refined to allow only those with confirmed bookings to print tickets.

I understand that you have been assured that customers with wait-listed bookings are given priority for any additional GL test sessions that we may arrange to meet demand.

I hope this answers your query in full, but please do let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Sally-Anne
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