Parents slam 'lame' children's expo for 'false advertising'
Angry Perth parents have turned against a children’s exhibition calling it a “scam” after it promoted “a close up look of larger than life size animatronic creatures” and failed to deliver the experience promised.
Monster Creature World Perth opened an exhibition on January 15 promising visitors a “walk through of different islands namely insects, reptile, fish, mammal and amphibian island” to get a close up look of massive robotic creatures “whose anatomy is a mirror image of the actual creature in real life”.
“The unique outdoor and indoor exhibition is a perfect opportunity for science explorers of all age groups to enrich their knowledge of environmental science,” organisers wrote on Facebook.
“The event will offer various amusement rides [and] fun games for the entire family.”
Promotional photos for the event show kids playing outside amongst giant scorpions, crickets, caterpillars and spiders.
Adult tickets are $25 with children $15 and kids under two free.
However, it turns out the event wasn’t exactly “larger than life”.
Photos from the actual event show sculptures of the creatures behind fences in an indoor setting set up more like a gallery.
Instead of being set in bush and forest like the promo pictures, the animals are next to pot plants.
As one dismayed parent described on Facebook, it was “creatures just sitting on [a] concrete slab in a dimly lit building with a couple of plants on each side, no backdrop, no info sheets, no screens of information for the kids to read, just a little laminated sign with a QR code”.
Parents lash Monster Creature World’s ‘lame’ exhibition
On Facebook, people vented their fury at Monster Creature World, accusing organisers of misleading them with a “lame” exhibition and encouraged parents to avoid wasting their money.
One woman called the exhibition “a joke” while another added “glad we didn’t go” and another suggested it was “the most underwhelming thing since 2020”.
“Considering I paid $155 for tickets the event was very lacklustre,” one woman wrote.
She called it a “very disappointing event”.
“What a scam,” another woman wrote.
Monster Creature World responds to criticism
On Facebook, Monster World Perth thanked people for supporting the exhibition and said it was now offering free use of amusement park rides “to the customers who were not satisfied with the show as a compensation”.
“We look forward to seeing you at the Monster Creature World and hope that you will enjoy,” organisers wrote.
“We promise that next year we will bring this event bigger and better in an outdoor venue to make your children's dream come true.
“The organisers arrived at the above conclusion to reaffirm their commitment to ensuring that the people of WA especially for the kids to get the best value for money. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.”
The exhibition closes on Sunday.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
