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AIBU?

AIBU to Think CenterParcs are Total Rip Off Merchants

53 replies

F4ttyBumBum · 25/05/2015 19:49

We book with Centerparcs 2-3 times a year and have done for the past 6 years. We have been bloody good customers since we had the kids and didn't want to travel abroad with them. Our big holiday being in the summer with my parents so last July 2014, I booked a great place in Whinfell for the 6 of us put down the £400 odd deposit and put a note in my diary to pay in May 2015.

As it happens, we booked impromptu in April 2015 to go to Sherwood so as I paid up front, it was a good reminder to send them a letter to let them know we had moved In Dec 2014.

I phone up this weekend to pay the final balance to be told the booking has been cancelled and I will be losing the £400 deposit. This is reasonable to them because they sent me an email (and if I received the original email then I must have received one they sent recently - don't know about you but massive difference in locating a relevant email out of your junk mail when you are expecting it!) and a letter. I've not received either nor a phone call (tel number not attached to this booking apparently - I can't remember if I did or didn't).

First up: how absolutely shitty of them to not even send letters recorded delivery so they are sure someone is aware they are going to lose their holiday. I work in healthcare and we make sure we are at least confidence we have communicated with someone. For something as important as this (with a loss of £400), the company policy has massive repercussions and they are so self-righteous about their lazy attempts to communicate with their customers.

Lastly, the villa that we wanted has gone, as "goodwill" the deposit can be carried over to a new villa with the high last minute costs attached. I am absolutely gutted to be paying extra. The company showed zero flexibility in taking part-responsibility in this and at least not raising their prices for a loyal customer. I felt over a barrel, do I lose the £400 deposit on principle because I am so disappointed in the company or do I put it towards what seems a massively overpriced holiday now.

AIBU to never book again because they are ruthless rip off merchants?

OP posts:
ghostyslovesheep · 25/05/2015 19:53

if I read your post right you missed the deadline to pay and lost your deposit?

if so I don't see how that's their fault Confused

HoneyDragon · 25/05/2015 19:53

We had a very similar issue with cp after going for years. Similarly their soloution to their mistake was to charge us more money to rectify it. That did it for us, we spent £600 less on a fantastic week in DLP that was also full board.

HoneyDragon · 25/05/2015 19:55

When was the deadline? It's still May.

CrohnicallyInflexible · 25/05/2015 19:57

Why was the booking cancelled? From your OP it didn't sound like you had missed the deadline to pay.

maroonedwithfour · 25/05/2015 19:59

Did you miss the deadline?

IvyWall · 25/05/2015 20:01

When you pay the deposit it says in the confirmation when the balance is due. Why did you not note this date at the time ? That's what we do

F4ttyBumBum · 25/05/2015 20:03

What is DLP HoneyDragon? Sounds like a future option for us....

Ghostyslovesheep - it's been a lesson learned on my part which is why I absolutely avoid cut throat companies like Easyjet, Reiss etc with inflexible customer services because being real life, we do sometimes over look deadlines, make wrong entries in diaries, miss payment dates. Even in my employed work, I treat others how I would want to be treated myself - with fairness and flexibility.

Their image lead me to believe they were a reasonable and accomodating retailer/service provider so I think they do have part-responsibility to either refund the deposit or at least not charge me prices 12 months later. All about the money with this transaction only it would seem.

OP posts:
F4ttyBumBum · 25/05/2015 20:05

To the others - the deadline was 22 May.

OP posts:
HoneyDragon · 25/05/2015 20:05

Disney Land Paris, so not everyone's cup of tea Grin

But we went with zero expectations and had an absolute blast.

HoneyDragon · 25/05/2015 20:07

They got that Villa back online pretty damn quick then Shock

pictish · 25/05/2015 20:15

I think it's totally shit of them not to refund your deposit. Fair enough they let the villa go, assuming you no longer wanted it...but when they found out a mere day later that the deadline had been overlooked, they ought to have had the decency to offer you back your £400.

Of course, Center Parcs are all about making money so it doesn't surprise me that they would keep your cash.

Fuckity fuck. I'd be gutted.

F4ttyBumBum · 25/05/2015 20:24

I am gutted, I was crying with rage on the phone - absolutely brutal policy and felt like a real "computer says no" response on their behalf.

It feels really at odds with their promotional image and focus on experience. I know it's not the bloody end of the world - it's not like someone's ill or has died. We'll crack on and learn from it but I really hoped they'd stick to the price when I paid the deposit, even for accommodation that is of a lower standard.

If it wasn't £400 I would have said bugger off, we'll never book with you again, I will be going elsewhere from now on. I quite fancy DLP! :)

OP posts:
HoneyDragon · 25/05/2015 20:27

I got my deposit back I hunted Google high and low and got a direct number for the CP site and explained to the manager there.

The call centre are shite.

Minisoksmakehardwork · 25/05/2015 20:33

Hmmmm. If you are a regular centre parks user, you should have their email address added to your safe list to ensure you don't miss such reminders. Though I'm sure they send them from a different to booking confirmation address as we've had reminders go to junk when the original email went to in box. Although you imply the original email went to junk as well.

Re the letter sent to you, did they confirm which address it was sent to? If you can prove they received your change of address - have you received the CP magazine and so on since updating your address, then I'd insist upon a full refund of your deposit. (Although bitch side of me asks if you sent it recorded since that change of address was potentially worth £400).

It is shit, if you don't rebook they're £400 up - it's not like they do mega cheap last minute deals. It's always better to book way in advance. If you rebook the same dates you're being asked to pay a last minute penalty as they'll argue they wouldn't have had to get that lodge ready so it's now extra work.

FlabbyFlabbyBits · 25/05/2015 20:37

We love CP. Been going at least once a year for years and years. However, wanted to book a big place this August (wanted a hot tub) and realised for the same cost we could actually fly and stay in Barbados for 7 nights (as opposed to the 4 nights at CP!). A no brainer really. And Barbados was All Inclusive!

HoneyDragon · 25/05/2015 20:46

I'm very dubious of CP. I posted on here when I found out Dh had booked a surprise trip for us. On his card, through his email address in his name entirely online.

They sent the balance remainder email to me.

Yes I'd booked all previous holidays. But in my name, my card and my email.

The only link would be our home address.

F4ttyBumBum · 25/05/2015 20:54

It's a right rum how do you do...

I have an exclusive inbox and nothing on my safe list unless I have already emailed that person. I'm so massively spammed with 100 emails a day I browse through them before I delete. It's a massive job if I've been on holiday... If they had sent me an email, unless it had some reference to Centerparcs payment, I might have missed it. Centerparcs also spam me with activities booking etc. Either way, a poxy email is just not good enough in my book.

It's interesting what you said Honey Dragon because they were talking like the Whinfell booking was very different from the Sherwood one in April 2015 and so they only had knowledge of the Whinfell details. I don't know what they do with their database but they denied knowing my new address (I did not send mine with proof of postage) even though my last booking was via my new address!!

OP posts:
WoahBodyforrrrm · 25/05/2015 20:59

That is very shitty of them. How about writing a post on their fb page or Twitter feed? I often find big companies more willing to help when thousands of other people can see their response!

Welshmaenad · 25/05/2015 21:01

They reckon that from midnight Friday theyve relisted the villa and it's been booked up already?

If their staff are that on the ball over a BH weekend you rather think they could have given you a quick call about paying, no? Wankers.

Nellagain · 25/05/2015 21:05

That was very bad of them.
I managed to miss paying my full balance to haven last year by about 2 weeks. They were very good and still honoured the original booking no problem.

I think a letter of complaint is in order? Chief exec? Bad trip advisor review?

Icimoi · 25/05/2015 21:08

I'd suggest it would be worth trying to talk to someone more senior. Also tweeting them.

CurbsideProphet · 25/05/2015 21:10

I agree that if you make public your displeasure on facebook and twitter CP will be more likely to help you.

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LotusLight · 25/05/2015 21:39

Most of us note payment dates in our diaries? Why didn't you?

Littlemonstersrule · 25/05/2015 21:45

So you booked a holiday and failed to pay the balance by the set date and somehow they are to blame?

You should have paid in full if lax with dates or put a reminder on your phone, calendar etc. If you can post on MN you can set a reminder.

DoJo · 25/05/2015 21:50

If they have re-sold the villa that you have booked, how can they justify keeping your deposit? Apart from anything, presumably they have now sold it for a higher price than your early-bird booking would have been for, so the most they can be out is re-advertising and admin costs which can't amount to that much. I would pursue that angle personally. Are they regulated by any travel bodies?

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