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On holiday and found out we are in somebody's private accommodation!

161 replies

reallifeboogie · 16/05/2024 10:07

We are on holiday in the UK on a caravan park. Parkdean site. On arrival, went to the reception and was given our keys and told where our caravan is. All good. Caravan is much nicer than expected with some lovely personal touches that didn't expect such as pictures on the walls, blankets in a basket for sitting outside on the decking.
This was a cheap caravan booked through the Suns £9.50 offer.

There are dvds and children's games, cleaning products under the sink and other things that we presumed previous people had left behind.

Last night around 9pm a car pulled up (we are parked in the space for this caravan) and an irate couple got out and came to the door demanding to know why we were in their caravan. Assumed some mix up and they were guests in another caravan, and had got confused as the site is massive.

Long story short, turns out this is their own private caravan that they own and occasionally rent out to friends and family!

As it was late, reception was closed. Security guard intervened and the owners allowed us to stay the night and they would find a b&b.

At 8am they were back and we've packed up and left the caravan. Reception opened at 9 and all we are getting is "there has been a mix up"
We now have nowhere to stay until Saturday. We will go home but going cost us as we're on isle of wight so need sort ferry.

The caravan owners are trying to blame us and want us to pay for a deep clean and towards use of the gas etc we've used! They said surely we could see it was a private caravan.

OP posts:
Rottweilermummy · 19/05/2024 06:17

reallifeboogie · 16/05/2024 12:32

Update.. we have been moved to another caravan. Manager doesn't know what happened. I mean, I'm sure he does but pretending he doesn't.
The owners of the caravan have actually been lovely since they realised its not our fault and said that if they hadn't wanted to use the caravan themselves then they'd have let is stay!

Glad it worked out for you, I can understand why owners of caravan were angry but they should never have been angry at you, what did they think? that you randomly chose their caravan and broke in! It was quite lucky they turned up in a way, or mistake in you getting wrong caravan would not have been noticed, I expect manager does know mistake. I hope the employee who caused this gets reprimanded,

Emmz53 · 19/05/2024 08:25

When we stayed at Parkdean last year, we returned to our caravan after buying shopping on the first night, to a strong smell of gas. We called security and after about 30 minutes we were moved to one of their top lodges. We'd paid for a middle range caravan and I said we wanted something of the same quality or better.

Don't go home. Insist they find you alternative accommodation on site. You have made a contact with them to provide you with a caravan

riceuten · 19/05/2024 11:49

Someone has been letting the caravan concerned out on the sly and pocketing the money.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Notamum12345577 · 19/05/2024 12:03

SavageTomato · 17/05/2024 00:55

You lost me when you said it's a Sun voucher thing. Anyone who buys or reads that propaganda and keeps a straight face can get to the far side of you know where and keep going. Ya ken? JFC.

You don’t have to buy or read the sun to get the vouchers, people give the codes away free on Facebook etc

Fizzyfish67 · 19/05/2024 12:15

reallifeboogie · 16/05/2024 10:07

We are on holiday in the UK on a caravan park. Parkdean site. On arrival, went to the reception and was given our keys and told where our caravan is. All good. Caravan is much nicer than expected with some lovely personal touches that didn't expect such as pictures on the walls, blankets in a basket for sitting outside on the decking.
This was a cheap caravan booked through the Suns £9.50 offer.

There are dvds and children's games, cleaning products under the sink and other things that we presumed previous people had left behind.

Last night around 9pm a car pulled up (we are parked in the space for this caravan) and an irate couple got out and came to the door demanding to know why we were in their caravan. Assumed some mix up and they were guests in another caravan, and had got confused as the site is massive.

Long story short, turns out this is their own private caravan that they own and occasionally rent out to friends and family!

As it was late, reception was closed. Security guard intervened and the owners allowed us to stay the night and they would find a b&b.

At 8am they were back and we've packed up and left the caravan. Reception opened at 9 and all we are getting is "there has been a mix up"
We now have nowhere to stay until Saturday. We will go home but going cost us as we're on isle of wight so need sort ferry.

The caravan owners are trying to blame us and want us to pay for a deep clean and towards use of the gas etc we've used! They said surely we could see it was a private caravan.

Am I the only one that thinks that the caravan park didn’t make a mistake, and thought they could get away with using the private caravan because the owner wasn’t there. Very prevalent with villas in Florida a few years ago. Home owners took to turning up without telling the management company to see if they had put holiday makers in without notifying them.

who makes money out of a holiday for £10?
not the company and certainly not the caravan owner, whether they knew or not, £10 won’t cover the gas

PinkyFlamingo · 21/05/2024 09:34

SavageTomato · 17/05/2024 00:55

You lost me when you said it's a Sun voucher thing. Anyone who buys or reads that propaganda and keeps a straight face can get to the far side of you know where and keep going. Ya ken? JFC.

How snobby. It's the only way somr people can afford a holiday, Oh and the codes are widely available online so need to buy the Sun.

TallulahBetty · 21/05/2024 09:36

Emmz53 · 19/05/2024 08:25

When we stayed at Parkdean last year, we returned to our caravan after buying shopping on the first night, to a strong smell of gas. We called security and after about 30 minutes we were moved to one of their top lodges. We'd paid for a middle range caravan and I said we wanted something of the same quality or better.

Don't go home. Insist they find you alternative accommodation on site. You have made a contact with them to provide you with a caravan

RTFT

Viviennemary · 21/05/2024 09:43

You were given the keys and had no reason to suspect there had been a mistake. Park owners are responsible and should pay for any cleaning.

Thirstysue · 21/05/2024 10:15

Euwwww. Karma for buying the Sun.

SirChenjins · 21/05/2024 10:19

🙄

DistinguishedSocialCommentator · 21/05/2024 10:22

The "owners been lovely" - the bottom line is you told them what happened and its not your fault - I can understand their shock and allowing you to stay

Its a genuine mistake and mistakes do happen - enjoy your stay hols and I hope the park people pay the people for the clean and a free lunch or drink for you

Enjoy

DistinguishedSocialCommentator · 21/05/2024 10:23

Thirstysue · 21/05/2024 10:15

Euwwww. Karma for buying the Sun.

Stupid comment!!

sackballsrazorcrest · 21/05/2024 10:24

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Tdcp · 21/05/2024 10:26

Thirstysue · 21/05/2024 10:15

Euwwww. Karma for buying the Sun.

Apart from the snobbery here, some people do buy the Sun just for the holiday codes. Also the Sun holiday codes are usually posted online by other consumers so even if this was a Sun holiday you don't actually know if they even read the paper. Making assumptions about people because of a newspaper they may or may not read is more 'euwwww' tbfh.

Shropshiregirl51 · 21/05/2024 10:55

Isn’t this simple. Go and tell the guys you booked it through!

TallulahBetty · 21/05/2024 11:08

Tdcp · 21/05/2024 10:26

Apart from the snobbery here, some people do buy the Sun just for the holiday codes. Also the Sun holiday codes are usually posted online by other consumers so even if this was a Sun holiday you don't actually know if they even read the paper. Making assumptions about people because of a newspaper they may or may not read is more 'euwwww' tbfh.

Not snobbery, they're scum (the paper, not the poster). JFT97

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 21/05/2024 11:53

Happened the other way around to Dbro and SiL. They had given the keys of their seaside flat in Cyprus to friends of ours who lived in Nicosia, so they could use it for the odd weekend, after checking that it’d be available.

Only once they didn’t check first, and allowed friends of their own to stay there, so that when (booked) friends of Dbro and Sil turned up, they found what (to them) were random strangers asleep in the beds!

Dbro was livid - and that was the end of that ‘friendly’ arrangement.

Sturnidae · 21/05/2024 12:09

Can I ask which site? We were due to stay at one this week but it got pushed back until June, we have two caravans booked!

Tessa92 · 21/05/2024 12:39

We’ve booked a privately owned caravan at a Parkdean resort for next week. Booked through booking.com a few months back. It was clearly marked as a private rental and we soon received an email from the owner/their agent explaining that the key safe code would be emailed to us and that there would be no need to go to Reception.
The above situation is surely a mistake on behalf of the park.

riceuten · 21/05/2024 12:52

Tessa92 · 21/05/2024 12:39

We’ve booked a privately owned caravan at a Parkdean resort for next week. Booked through booking.com a few months back. It was clearly marked as a private rental and we soon received an email from the owner/their agent explaining that the key safe code would be emailed to us and that there would be no need to go to Reception.
The above situation is surely a mistake on behalf of the park.

‘Mistake’ - someone in the park is involved in this

shearwater2 · 21/05/2024 12:59

I think they should knock a night off your bill as a goodwill gesture TBH. What a fuck up.

WhotheHellisEdgar · 21/05/2024 13:22

riceuten · 21/05/2024 12:52

‘Mistake’ - someone in the park is involved in this

Exactly! Mistake my arse!!!!
I'm very sceptical 🤔

CoastPath · 21/05/2024 13:22

We used to own a caravan on a Parkdean site in Cornwall. We agreed with the site each year which dates we wanted to use it for ourselves and which dates they could rent it out and we'd get the income, less their commission.

It was always set in stone what dates were available for renting out, and which were for our holidays. The only things that went wrong were that we hardly got any money for the rentals because they were nearly all Sun cheap holidays, and we had a lot of theft and damage. Someone even tried to prise the TV off the wall, failed but still broke it.

WearyAuldWumman · 21/05/2024 13:24

riceuten · 21/05/2024 12:52

‘Mistake’ - someone in the park is involved in this

Yup. When our campervan was being rented out, the chap storing it blamed it all on an employee, but I'm certain it was all the boss's doing. I remember thinking it odd that he kept phoning me to ask how my husband was (in hospital, undergoing open heart surgery).

He was obviously just checking that we were still unable to use the van.

When I found the site sticker on our van, I phoned the site. They confirmed that a regular had booked in two vans, but wouldn't give me the name.

Tereseta · 21/05/2024 16:07

TallulahBetty · 21/05/2024 11:08

Not snobbery, they're scum (the paper, not the poster). JFT97

Absolutely not snobbery, boycot that paper