so angry at caravan park

[Clara35]

Hi all. Just wanted other peoples opinions. I had booked a caravan site for our motorhome 1st week of Aug but unable to go now. Phd today - 2 weeks notice to cancel and they are keeping deposit which was half of total charge for the site. I was not told when I booked that deposit was non-refundable. Tried to reason with woman on phone that I was giving 2 weeks notice & as site in very popular tourist area they would have no problem rebooking site but still no refund. Surely they shouldnt keep full deposit when giving them plenty of notice of cancellation. Woman on phone wasnt pleasant & told me she was running a business! She told me how her friend had lost £500 deposit when cancelled a wedding at a hotel. I tried to argue that a hotel would give 48/24 hours cancellation notice for a room & she advised she wasnt a hotel she was a caravan park. In the end she has given me a credit note & will allow me to use next year - although dont want to go near the place now. AIBU to be so annoyed and frustrated?

That is why I like the caravan club, no deposit to pay and you can cancel at anytime, not that we have needed too.
It does make booking difficult at times though, as sites get full quickly.
If this bloody rain continues I may be tempted to cancel our 3 weeks in Devon.

oblo the last 2 campsites I have stayed in this summer have allowed 48 hour cancellation. Obviously diff places have diff terms & conditions & I will chose more carefully next time.

A deposit IS non refundable that's the whole point!

the park owner has been generous i am going to malta in october have had to pay all of the cost by last week and if i cancelled anytime now i would lose the whole lot no refund at all

The reasonable thing for firms to do in these circumstances is to refund a deposit if another party don't take your slot. This is high season, afterall.

Err, if another party do take your slot.

If the shoe was on the other foot you would be very unhappy.

Ie if you were looking forward to your holiday, and she rang you with 2 weeks notice to say she didn't have space for you anymore so you can't come, you would be pretty fed up (even if she did refund the deposit).

The purpose of a deposit is to secure the booking on both sides. In the same way that you don't want to have to scrabble around at the last moment trying to find a new holiday, she won't want to scrabble around trying to find someone to fill a slot (esp when she will probably have turned away custom assuming they are fully booked).

You've got a PhD but you don't understand the word "deposit"?

You sound like a loon.

Thanks for all your opinions. I'm putting this one down to experience - still miffed but!

nonno what are you on about? Who has phd? I understand what a deposit is but hotels can give full refund with 24 or 48 hour notice of cancelling. This wasn't a full holiday with flights etc booked. It is a piece of grass in a campsite in a popular tourist destination who probably have waiting list for people to take the place so will be keeping my deposit & renting pitch again. I have no doubt about that.

Sorry - misread post.