Following the announcement that the Believe in Books Literacy Foundation had canceled its popular “Journey to the North Pole” train ride, several ticket-holders have voiced their ire at the non-profit’s decision to hang on to their ticket money and grant vouchers for future year’s runs rather than issuing refunds.
A.O. Lucy, executive director of the Intervale-based foundation, said the ticket policy was announced last summer in recognition that pandemic-related restrictions could lead to the cancellation of the holiday excursion ride that is loosely based on the book The Polar Express. And in fact, the excursions were canceled last week.
Noted Kate Coyne-McCoy of North Scituate, R.I., “I was told that due to COVID-19 the event would be canceled and that I would receive a voucher for use in 2021 or 2022. I paid $685 to take my children and grandchildren.
“For a not-for-profit to keep such a large sum of money so close to Christmas and in the middle of a pandemic that has hurt families is really unconscionable,” she told the Sun in an email.
“Believe in Books is essentially forcing me to make a charitable contribution against my will. I give plenty to charity — but I want to make that decision myself,” she said.
Paul Powers of Fremont told the Sun: “The state of New Hampshire is not shut down, so they made this decision on their own. When you bought the tickets there was a disclaimer that if they were forced to shut down you would receive a voucher. This does not apply as not only were they not forced, they never even began operating!”
To which Lucy responded on Monday: “All of those folks who bought those tickets agreed to our policy. … Normally, our policy for the past 25 years has been no refunds no matter what,” he said. “But this year, we knew it would be extraordinary circumstances due to COVID-19, so we told them this is our policy this year: We would issue a voucher for next year or the following year for the same number of tickets.”
He added that “those people who have chosen to do that will get first dibs at tickets this winter whenever we launch those dates. So those are the facts — they willingly and knowingly bought tickets knowing that it was possible that COVID would force us to shut down.”
He said Believe in Books had worked diligently over the past few months with the Conway Scenic Railroad and the Hobo Railroad in Lincoln on making train cars safe for the excursions, which normally run from the day after Thanksgiving weekend through the holidays.
“About two weeks ago, we started getting calls (from customers in other states) saying we are now restricted in going to New Hampshire, that when we come home we have to be quarantined for two weeks, and they could not do that, that it was their state not us putting these restrictions in place,” Lucy said.
“Then Monday or Tuesday last week, we got more restrictions — that New Hampshire was a red zone and that states were requiring quarantines and that customers could not stay out of work or home from school after coming here,” Lucy continued.
“So, that’s what forced us to cancel — which we all knew all along was possible, and it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
He said “the majority of people have been thoroughly understanding but “there are a few” with a negative reaction.
As for not returning the money? “This goes back to when we put this policy in place this past summer. We assume that people want to come back and do this when they can — they have a two-year voucher and they can come back when they choose to, either next year or the following year. They haven’t lost anything. And they willingly did that when they bought their tickets. They cannot make that sale without agreeing to those terms,” said Lucy.
Asked if returning the funds would nudge his organization toward bankruptcy, he said he doesn’t know but that “it would certainly work its way toward that.
“We need to somehow survive the next 12 months so we can do it again,” said Lucy. “We are not keeping the money on purpose just to hold ourselves up, although that certainly helps.”
He said capacity was to have been at 45-50 percent for the rides, which was imposed by the state.
“Sales, frankly, had been slow,” said Lucy.
He said the two Journey to the North Pole venues annually average 25,000 guests per season, with about 60 percent riding the rails in North Conway and 40 percent in Lincoln.
It consists of a two-hour excursion in both settings, with volunteers serving as elves.
The event, which in normal years sells out, raises funds for the non-profit Believe in Books Literacy Program’s literacy programs throughout northern New Hampshire.
Believe in Books was started in 1995 with the first “Journey to the North Pole” (then called Polar Express). It was officially incorporated as a non-profit in 1998, Lucy said.
He added that the event annually has a positive economic impact on the region’s tourist-based economy
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