SANParks.org Forums

Ah, the Wild Card, my Pet Peeve. Still not working properly without manual intervention.

We recently had an interesting experience. In December I renewed our Wild Card, got my confirmation letter, updated my details, got my comfirmation letter, rang Wild Card who manually connected my 'new card' to my physical card (yes I did receive one). We visited Satara a week later and presented our wild card with no problems.
In march for the cricket weekend we stayed at Orpen then Skukuza. At Orpen we presented our wild card and were told it wasn't working or had expired or something. Fortunately we had a copy of the confirmation letter so were able to use that.
At Skukuza I again presented our wild card which was scanned with no problem. I even queried this and was told it was working fine!
I am waiting to see what happens in September at Croc Bridge.

Incidentaly, does anyone know if the two systems have been connected yet, or do you still have to ring to get the renewal manually connected to your physical card?

Also when are the promised benefits comming into effect?

They are still testing the the new MyPark system so renewals are still being done manually for now, although I think you should be able to renew at the Park gates/receptions and the receptionist should be able to make the phone call for you.

I haven't heard any more about the promised benefits.

I'll alert the Wild Card team about the problem you had at Orpen, has anyone else had problems there?

Finally managed to get my Wildcard yesterday thanks to Marietjie and Hein ...

Thank you for the speedy response and the resolution you two! I truly appreciate it.

My wild card [which I never received ] ran out in Januaryand I haven't yet renewed. I'm going to Kruger next week entering Croc Bridge on Tuesday 10th.
Would it be better to buy online now and thus save time at the gate or to buy it at Croc Bridge?

at the gate it could be "computer down"... so better before... but not a lot of time

Via the Internet. You get your confirmation letter anyway.

And it avoids administrative hassles as you will have to go onto the net anyway to fill in all your details. That also seems to speed up getting the plastic.

I requested a Wild Card magazine to be posted to me, and was told by email that my wild card had expired. They apparently were still using the confirmation letter from 2010!
I renew it annually and got my new card and number in October last year.
Surely the wild card department have up to date details by now. Have updated it umpteen times already.
Well, aparrently not. I eventually sorted my card out only to be told they don't have my postal address - how on earth did they post my wild card to me??????
Astonishing!

Thanks, Duques and Anne-marie. I got my confirmation letter within a couple of minutes so it will be interesting to see if I get a wild card this time!

so you are ready... plastic for another day
have a nice travel, sightings.... and all you can ask

I renewed my Wild Card in July 2011 at Reservation House in Johannesburg and got the confirmation letter. After some months, I checked the details on the internet - all OK. Nothing arrived and I made many trips to KNP with just the letter.

Two days ago I got a phone call out of the blue from a very nice lady at SANParks Head Office. "We posted your Wild Card in August last year and have just had it sent back at undelivered". I never received the slip in my Post Office Box (we don't have house deliveries here). I confirmed that she had the correct address and asked her to post it again.

Just shows that we are all quick to criticise SANParks but maybe the SA Post Office is also to blame for the Wild Cards not being delivered. I often get other people's post in my PO Box and I put it in the "re-post" box - maybe my slip was put in someone else's box and they just tore it up??

I am looking forward to getting my new Wild Card - just in time to renew it again. I still haven't received any copies of the magazine.

I'm so excited - slip in PO Box this morning - went to Post Office with ID book and lo and behold my Wild Card. Only 10 months since renewing. I hope it works next week when I go up to KNP. Thanks SANParks for re-sending - no thanks Post Office for not sending slip when it first arrived in August 2011.

My wildcard expired today and still no "card" received to date.... this is the second year that it happened

Oumie,

Please could you fill out the form http://www.sanparks.org/assets/docs/wild-card/registration-query-form.pdf, scan it and email to the email address on the form. They will be able to investigate the whereabouts of your card.

I must admit it was with some trepidation that I finally renewed my wild card in April of this year; April 5th to be exact.
On Friday the 4th of May I noticed that my confirmation letter stated that said letter was valid for only 45 days after issue, so I called the number supplied for the Wild Card programme and spoke to a very helpful fellow by the name of Michael; he checked the status of my card, informed me that it had been mailed on May the 2nd, checked to see if it had been mailed to the correct address, and supplied me with the tracking number
And lo and behold; the wild card arrived this morning (May 7th), so just more than a month after I paid for the renewal! After all the horror stories I had heard and read, this was indeed a pleasant surprise!

Good news!