The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) recently passed a judgment that deemed Alton Towers' Rainy Day Guarantee offer in violation of ASA code regulations.

Under this promotion, visitor to Alton Towers were entitled to claim a complimentary return visit if their day at the theme park was disrupted by rain affecting ride availability. However, the ASA found fault with the offer due to its lack of clarity regarding the requirement of one continuous hour of rain. Consequently, Alton Towers has promptly removed the offer page from its website and plans to conduct a thorough review before potentially reintroducing it in 2024.

The ASA's decision outlined several breaches of advertising regulations, specifically pertaining to misleading advertising (CAP Code rules 3.1 and 3.3), qualification (3.9), and guarantees and after-sales service (3.54). This ruling came in response to a customer complaint about the Rainy Day Guarantee not being honored, and the ASA concluded that the offer had the potential to "materially mislead" customers. In defense of their position, Alton Towers argued that ride availability on the contentious day was quite high, at 93%. However, intermittent showers persisted over a four-hour period, including a 27-minute heavy downpour.

Galactica, located in Forbidden Valley next to the Nemesis rollercoaster which has been closed throughout 2023, experienced the lengthiest delay of 50 minutes, said to be for guest comfort.. Additionally, Thi3teen (located in Dark Forest on the opposite side of the park) was out of operation for 40 minutes, due to a recurring issue during wet weather. Merlin Attractions Operations, the company managing Alton Towers, has indicated its intent to reintroduce the Rainy Day Guarantee in 2024.