Fancy a trip into Space?? (Unusual Gift Ideas)

Member Name: matty_:)

Product:	Unusual Gift Ideas
Date:	05/12/00 (202 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of variety and information available

Disadvantages: Not always as good as it first seems

It’s always the same old presents at Christmas isn’t it? Books, Clothes, CD’s, Socks, Underwear…. The list is endless. Well, how about buying something different this year, like one of the new “Amazing Adventure” packages from WH Smiths. I know your thinking ‘WHSmiths, that’s just a bookshop’, but the new products they’re offering are very appealing. Yes, you could be a passenger in Space on one of WHSmiths commercial Space flights, or even drive a Formula One car!

They state that they have 48 different Adventures available. And I’m warning you some of them are quite extreme with a massive price ticket. But, I think some of the others are very reasonably priced and will provide that special present this Christmas for someone close to you.

They categorise the Adventures in the following sections: Entertainment, Hobbies, Aqua, Flying, Ultimate Dreams, Driving, Thrill, Sport, Children and Indulgence. And the price tickets range from £29 to £100,000. Don’t worry I haven’t put too many 0’s it is that price!

What makes these items so tempting is the fact that they contain such variety and come at all different prices. If £100,000 is out of your price range, don’t panic. I’m sure you’ll find something to suit you. Myself, I fancied the Ferrari driving experience for £219.
Let me just pick out some of the ones I thought seemed very original:
Fashion Model for a day - £159
Radio and Television presenter experience - £99
A Tour of your favourite Football Club - £49
Half a day Circus skills experience - £69
Flirting experience - £119
Recorder Studio session - £249

Of course in addition to these there are the usual adventure ones such as the Ferrari Driving, Helicopter and Plane flying lessons, Skydiving, White Water Rafting etc. And not forgetting that amazing trip into space for £100,000. (I couldn’t believ
e it when I saw this one!).

However, a major disadvantage with some of these products is the ‘terms and conditions’. Beware; what may seem a good buy may not turn out to be! Although it may advertise that you can cook with Antony Worrall Thompson, what isn’t initially explained is that you will also have to share his culinary talents with another 25-30 people. Or, as in the case of the Space flight, £100,000 is only a deposit and there may be further charges.

I found some of the terms and conditions for the Space flight quite amusing when I read them. Firstly, the fact that the £100,000 was only a deposit and also that the flight may never occur. Furthermore, they were giving an estimate of the date the flight would be launched, 2003 – 2005. To be honest I doubt that anyone is actually ever going to buy this one?! Perhaps WHSmiths should just cut them down to 47 affordable experiences!

Don’t worry though all the details are given on the sides of the packages in store and are very informative of how many people you will be going with, what the price includes etc. Also included is the box pack that you get when you purchase the experience from a store. Each one is filled with books on that experience as well as all the terms and conditions, tickets, certificates and any other relevant pieces of information. Perfect for when you’re sitting around waiting to go on your chosen adventure, as some of them get booked up quite quickly!

I understand that these items have been available for many years now. Yet, they’re now available to us from a more accessible place and from a respectable company. So why not give them a quick glance the next time your rushing around to find a good present for someone.

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