not very happy with this campsite in bournemouth - what do you think

[mabel1973]

I booked 2 nights at Wilksworth Farm Caravn park nr bournemouth for the beginning of July, it was part of our main holiday and we were travelling there from Cornwall (where we'd stopped for a week) in our VW camper.
I'd booked over the phone a couple of days before we set off from home and they'd asked for my card details. I'd never experienced this before having always paid cash on arrival at campsites. I was told it would be £46 i felt this was very expensive for a small camper van and awning (no electric hook up or anything), but as it was part of our main holiday and looked a nice site I decided to go with it.
On the way there our van broke down, and we had no option but to be towed to a nearby garage and fortunately were able to stay at a relatives.
I rang the campsite to let them know we wouldn't make it, and what the situation was and asked i there was any possibility of a refund. I was told not, and when I said could I just have my money back for the 2nd night having given them 24 hours notice, they said very bluntly ' we don't do refunds'.
£46 is a lot of money to us and I am not prepared to give this up lightly. I wrote to them and was told that on their booking form their terms and conditions were clear and that a cancellation policy of an extra £1 per night was available. I replied that i booked over the phone not via a booking form and was not offered a cancellation policy. They said i should have familiarised myself with their terms which are on their website.
I am not sure what else I can do to pursue this, they are clearly not going to give me any money back, I just wanted to say that they are crap and don't go there!! This just seems such an over the top way to operate a what is basically a field and some loos!

[forevercleaning]

what a bummer. If anything they certainly should have given you the money back for the 2nd night. After all it is peak season and im sure they would have been able to book the pitch out to someone else.

Only suggestion is that if they have a website with a review section state what you experienced on that site, they may remove it so see if it is on www.ukcampsite.co.uk and put your review and warning to others on there. Just spread it about on all campsite reviews on the web.

Doubt it will get you your money back, but at least you will have the saitsfaction of letting the world and his wife know how crap they are!

[mabel1973]

Hi!

yes I did think of doing that....I thought I'd start on here and gradually spread it about!