Aibu to ask for a FULL refund

[Domjolly]

We were supposed to be going camping in the easter hoildays we paid £140 for four nights

So yesturday they called me and cancelled because the field is a boggy marsh and no camping can be , had fair enough they offered us camping in the summer but were already away for 3 weeks on two seprate occasions during the summer camping so oh could not get any more time off work

I asked if we could have a date next year they said no and are now keeping £40 of the £100 that cant be right can it or aibu

[AlbertoFrog]

Yay - result OP.

Enjoy Jack the Giant Slayer and stay warm and dry

[FryOneFatManic]

WMittens
what expenses apart from a little paperwork, phone call to OP, etc are they likely to have that costs £40?

Do you think they're sitting in a field with a telephone, or an office with furniture, rent/mortgage, utilities, staff costs (and associated employers' NI and tax), credit card and banking charges etc.?

I was talking about reasonable expenses in relation to the cancellation. Even banks got slated for the size of their charges in relation to the actual expenses of dealing with a customer overdraft.

And in this case it's not as if the customer cancelled. The operator cancelled and T&Cs do not appear to cover this situation so they can't just make up a fee on the spot.

[nicole5446]

File a chargeback on your card, or threaten to.

[CandyCrushed]

Maybe he is a MN'er???

Good result.

[YouTheCat]

Good result then.

I think you've had a lucky escape, the weather is foul.

[Domjolly]

hopefloats Sat 23-Mar-13 15:44:31
To be fair this time last year it was 28 degrees

[Domjolly]

Hi everyone thanks a lot just rung them


I think they were just trying it on I told him I was confused as to why he should keep my £40 he said there was a mistake made by a underling
Any who got the money back gonaa go with oh and ds to see jack the giant slayer :)

[hopefloats]

Who sleeps outside in March, for goodness sake? You had a lucky escape imo.

[AlbertoFrog]

You have my sympathy OP. We have a caravan booked for a week in Dumfries & Galloway and were half an hour from leaving on Friday when we got the phone call telling us the park had had to close due to the weather.

We've been offered a change of dates or a full refund but are holding off in the hope we can salvage a couple of days away during the week.

[MummytoKatie]

Agree with Tarka. In fact I'd go further. There are various measures that can be taken to prevent or reduce flooding. They generally cost money. If the campsite chooses not to take them then it can hardly charge the customer for the fact that the field floods. And if they have taken them and the field still floods then I wonder if it is a suitable field for a campsite anyway.

Looks out to the paddling pool that is the path at the bottom of her garden and remembers how 4 years ago before the council sorted the drainage it would have been a raging river by this point.

Decides against setting up a campsite on her garden.

The Op has made a loss here - her husband is using up a week's holiday and ey are not able to camping. That is the risk you take when you book a UK holiday. But you shouldn't have to risk the campsite cancelling your booking and refusing to give you your money back.

[TarkaTheOtter]

YANBU I don't think this is beyond their control.

In the UK early spring can be very wet. If you own a campsite that is liable to flood if we get rain in early spring (not exactly an unusual occurence) don't take bookings until late Spring/Summer. The campsite know the condition of their land and how well it drains, the customer does not so it is ridiculous that the customer should bear the risk.

Name and shame OP, this is awful customer service and potential campers should be aware.

[SoupDreggon]

Yes, because that is absolutely the same thing as refunding a client where you have cancelled their holiday isn't it?

[WMittens]

Yes. That is the risk they take running a weather dependent business.

OK, that's cool. It's a valid point actually, maybe we should be supporting the economies of Greece and Spain and holidaying there, rather than UK businesses.

[SoupDreggon]

So they have to do two lots of admin (1. take the booking, 2. process a cancellation and refund) and make nothing out of it and they're being greedy?

Yes. That is the risk they take running a weather dependent business.

[WMittens]

I would want all of my money back. They are being really cheeky and greedy.

So they have to do two lots of admin (1. take the booking, 2. process a cancellation and refund) and make nothing out of it and they're being greedy?

what expenses apart from a little paperwork, phone call to OP, etc are they likely to have that costs £40?

Do you think they're sitting in a field with a telephone, or an office with furniture, rent/mortgage, utilities, staff costs (and associated employers' NI and tax), credit card and banking charges etc.?

[CandyCrushed]

If they don't give a refund I would post a factual and honest review on Campsite UK so that other people can be aware of what may happen if they were to get their bookings cancelled by the campsite.

[lljkk]

I think they are legally in their rights but they are daft because you won't book with them again, will you now?

Wonder if they are struggling for money and will close down by summer, anyway.

[Sallyingforth]

They are taking the piss. £40 would be reasonable if you cancelled but you didn't.
Insist on a full refund.

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

Have you posted about this on the campsite UK site?

[CandyCrushed]

I would want all of my money back. They are being really cheeky and greedy.

[MadamePenguin]

YANBU. I had a holiday cancelled by the operator a few years ago. They offered other dates, but I couldn't make them. They offered places on their other sites at the dates I had originally booked. I didn't want to go to any of their other sites. They gave me a full refund.

They can't give you the holiday you booked, you shouldn't have to pay for it.

[YouTheCat]

I have no idea what expenses. But I was only pointing out the possibilities. It would be worth pulling them up on their T and Cs.

[FryOneFatManic]

YouTheCat
If your holiday company wants to cancel your booking you should check the terms and conditions of your contract. If the cancellation is beyond their control they may be able to keep some money to cover their expenses.

1. CAncellations fees and any clauses relating to them cancelling should be in their T&Cs. Op has said the clauses in T&Cs only relate to the customer cancelling, not the operator.
   
   
2. £40 is beyond what I would consider reasonable to cover their expenses. After all, it's a field, what expenses apart from a little paperwork, phone call to OP, etc are they likely to have that costs £40?

[zwischenzug]

They're taking the piss, of course you should get your money back.

If they really are entitled to keep your money, I might decide to start a holiday company, take a load of bookings and then cancel them all and keep some of the deposits for "expenses". Sounds like a licence to print money.

[ChippingInIsEggceptional]

It is not beyond their control - people could still camp there. It would make a mess and take some money & effort to put it straight, but it's a situation that is within their control.