RV Park collects twice for spot

MO Farmers · 10-08-2017, 07:26 PM

Has anyone else ever had this happen to them.
Made reservations for 2 spots, for 1 night. Called
several weeks ago to cancel 1 spot because the couple that
was to join us had a major health issue and can't drive,
was informed they have a no refund policy. I said ok, I'm keeping both spots, since we paid for both.
Checked in tonight, was charged for both spots,
I said fine, I have two spots. Campground rented my
2nd spot to someone else, about 10 minutes after we checked in.
Never said anything to us, asked us or anything, and we never
told them we weren't going to use spot.

ifallsguy · 10-08-2017, 08:03 PM

If it was one of the chains, such as KOA, contact the home office and file a complaint. You paid for the site, it's yours to use or not. You should be entitled to at least a partial refund.

Please name the campground and location so the rest of us know how they operate.

MO Farmers · 10-08-2017, 08:14 PM

Santa Rosa Campground, Santa Rosa, New Mexico

We could forgive the 'no refund' because of the Albuquerque
Balloon Fiesta, 100+ miles west. But to have someone rent a spot
you have paid for is pretty underhanded, especially since we never
gave it up. Kind of feels like stealing.

SouthCo · 10-08-2017, 08:18 PM

Did you go and ask the office about it?

MO Farmers · 10-08-2017, 08:46 PM

Yes, very polite and nicely. Office person said owner told him to put someone in site 14
that was our second site. Also said owner lives in diublewide. So I rang doorbell, asked how he could put someone in site we had paid for, he informed me that he had a no refund policy, and we didn't have rv on it so he rented it out. I said since you rented it, could I please have our money back, he replied, no refunds. I responded that it wasn't right to rent out a spot that had been paid for, rv on it or not. To us that is stealing.

SouthCo · 10-09-2017, 06:15 AM

I can understand the no refund policy if that policy was in place at the time of booking. I don’t think it’s right that they then re-booked it without refund. You should have had use of both spots since you told them you’d keep both spots over the phone.

I’ve never stayed anywhere that had a no cancellation policy. But I’ve also never had to cancel a reservation either.

Hope you enjoy your stay. Don’t let it ruin your trip...

Mark S · 10-09-2017, 06:16 AM

Did you pay by credit card? Sometimes the card company can assist in matters like this.

FishAr · 10-09-2017, 06:26 AM

I was paying by the month and had about 2.5 weeks left paid for when I got laid off. I sent the owner of the rv park a text saying "I'm pulling my trailer out today and taking it home to put it up for sale. If I get more work before my rent runs out I will be back with another trailer"

His response-Let me know as soon as you can I have people needing spots!!!

I just ignored it. What the heck, I was paid for. He wasn't going to give me money back. Why should I care if he needed empty spots.

Then about 2 days before my rent ran out I sent him another text "No work so won't be coming back now, spot is open, hope you have an empty one when more work comes up in the area"

ifallsguy · 10-09-2017, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MO Farmers

Santa Rosa Campground, Santa Rosa, New Mexico

We could forgive the 'no refund' because of the Albuquerque
Balloon Fiesta, 100+ miles west. But to have someone rent a spot
you have paid for is pretty underhanded, especially since we never
gave it up. Kind of feels like stealing.

Contact the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, Santa Rosa Mayor's Office and Better Business Bureau. These organizations don't want word getting out about businesses taking advantage of consumers. This type of conduct needs to be brought to their attention.

FYI, I stayed there years ago when I believe it was a KOA. Stopped late at night while traveling from Flagstaff, AZ to Georgia. Owner wanted to charge me for having two vehicles in site. My wife was driving her car to leave with family in Georgia. I filed a complaint with KOA. Wasn't aware they apparently are no longer KOA (checked KOA site).

**norty1** · 10-09-2017, 09:05 AM

Most cg's we have had that happen have the refund policy clearly marked. I recently had a site reserved for 3 nights and extended it for 2 more due to a hurricane at home. We only used one of the extra nights I had paid for and they said they needed over 24 hours for a refund. I left and someone else was on the site before I got home per my friends who were still there.

It's the breaks and it's not going to ruin my life.

Same thing happened this week, we were in a park for 4 days and the ####Nate was coming so we left a day early to get to our next place before the rain started. No refund and none asked for.

DonaandDon · 10-09-2017, 09:35 AM

It's sad that you couldn't have called a friend (after the spot was rented) and have him check in.

RyRoRyan · 10-09-2017, 10:38 AM

I have been to this place. I actually live in Albuquerque so Santa Rosa is sometime a nice weekend getaway. We stayed there twice and both times, the owner has been a complete jackleg. Very rude to customers and he would complain to other customers in line about the previous customers who just checked in. The groundskeeping is pretty crappy. I had to limit how much my kids got in and out of the RV because of all the goathead thorns that were all over the ground.

I would not recommend them to anyone. If I were you, I would call the BBB and the chamber of commerce to see what could be done.

Lady Fitzgerald · 10-09-2017, 12:02 PM

It's one thing to have a no refund policy to ensure the park wouldn't be stuck with a space that couldn't be rented due to a cancellation but renting out a space you had paid for without your permission and keeping the money you paid for it is just wrong.

**norty1** · 10-09-2017, 02:00 PM

I know and it's bad pr cause negative comments can and do have an effect on cg review sites.

MO Farmers · 10-09-2017, 02:15 PM

Update: I did visit, very nicely with rv in site we had paid for this morning.
They were in another site, but not enough electricity for their rv, so office person moved them to our paid for site after we had checked in. Office told them they had a cancellation for that site, not true. The real kicker, they paid for a 30 amp site, got moved to 50 amp site, no up grade charge and gave them a free dinner at the little restaurant. Guess what, the office then put someone in their former site. They also stated, never staying there again, owner very rude. Oh well, live and learn, was just curious if anyone else had ever had this happen to them. Not to many years ago campgrounds were begging for customers, guess they have plenty now so customer service has went down.

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