AIBU to Think CenterParcs are Total Rip Off Merchants

[F4ttyBumBum]

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?

Is one day late worth £400.00? How much admin has that actually entailed?

CP clearly don't actually do admin so keeping £400 is taking the piss.

That is really harsh OP and for £400 I would be fuming. But CP are a business and have to have a deadline. How did they know you would pay so soon after the deadline had passed? I would expect more as a repeat customer though, a telephone call perhaps!

You booked in August 2014, I personally think they lost your booking and had never sent any emails or letters. Contact the Whinfell general manager to explain. The booking clerks are inept and just spout the rhetoric. We've spent some serious money there as a family over many years. Time to look at other holiday options.

If they've managed to resell it they should refund you. If they haven't resold it yet they should let you pay the rest of it and have the holiday!

Totally shitty of them and puts me off. Especially in view of your good history with them.

Not sure if it helps but reading their cancellation policy they will take the higher of 30% of total cost or £75 if cancelled more than 10 weeks prior. Not sure how much you the booking totalled but if over £1300 and over 10 weeks to go could you claim some back?

Sorry. Less than £1300

OP, every spam email you get has an unsubscribe link in it (has to, by law). The spam you are getting comes from probably no more than 20 companies. Instead of browsing through 100+ spam emails a day unsubscribe from them - this will reduce their number significantly.

I also agree with the poster who said payment days need to go into the calendar immediately. I don't see why CP would be "total rip-off merchants". The booking constitutes a contract. By not paying by the agreed deadline you were in breach of this contract, so CP considered it null and void. I see no problem with this - they are not the ones in breach of the contract with you.

I think CP only appeals to snobs anyway

SSD, I find it great for avoiding reverse snobs.

That's really crap of them OP, we're repeat customers but things like that put me off. Also, think they need to sort out some of the older style lodges.

Hope you get the £400 back and why not have a change from Center Parcs now? Surely after 18 holidays you must fancy doing something different?

We used to go to CP.

But:

when my Dd was tiny, their supplied cot collapsed (not user error) trapping her arm. She was okay but they couldn't have cared less. The cot also had a mattress that was the wrong size, and stained. Rubbish.

I am disabled. I once bought some shopping from the parc market. Walking back to villa realised I was in trouble and couldn't carry it. It was dark, and I'd got lost . CP hospitality van went past, empty. I flagged it down. The driver basically laughed and refused to give me or groceries lift back to villa.

Both times I complained bitterly. Pointless.

To all the people who say she should have made a note of the due date, in 12 months have you never forgotten or lost anything? In moving house maybe paperwork and diary mislaid. Also in my experience CP have always chased up the balance. Personally I think that because she made the booking whilst still on a CP holiday 12 months ago, there has been a cock up at their end. Their admin are not the easiest people to deal with.

How much imagination must one lack when not going abroad amounts to Centre Parcs 4 times a year?

The sterile, pre booked and carefully managed outdoors. How boring!

OP: did you not have your mail redirected from your old address? If you have paid for redirection and haven't received anything then either CP haven't sent anything or Royal Mail have failed to redirect.

CP is a very successful business and forever changing hands. The owners will see it as all about profit. Also, because they change, policy and practice may change from year to year too.

They have absolutely staggering occupancy rates, about 99% even 'off season' so would easily be able to re-sell your villa.

I'm fuming on your behalf op

We forgot to pay our balance on a haven holiday. They phoned us and left a very nice message on our answer phone on the day it was due to remind us. I was very grateful.

They do have you over a barrel as you're at fault, but they could have tried harder to contact you before cancelling your holiday and putting your villa back on the system.

I'd be inclined to write this one off and never bother with CP again. Book a haven holiday, or similar, they are much better value.

It's up to you to make sure you aren't in breach of contract by missing a payment. I fail to see how it's their fault that you forgot to pay. We book with CP and stick the email reminder on the fridge so we don't forget to go online and pay.

I'm afraid I agree with pp in that you should have remembered to do it. They send emails as reminders and I put it in my diary with warning reminders leading up to it. From their perspective is far more likely that you just forgot then didn't receive their communications as reminders. After all is still the customer's responsibility to remember not theirs.

However, you are entitled to complain and add others have said you'll get further if you skip the call centre and email or call some one further up directly.

I think it's worth speaking to someone higher up. Presuming they've rebooted your accommodation (in two days?) keeping the deposit is unfair.
I don't think their administration is the best at the momen. We've had to chase them for holiday details for a coming break.
Also I had to unsubsidised from their spam recently as they were addressing it to my father, which is upsetting as he died recently, but also odd because I haven't lived with him for 20 years.

Tweet and I would actually seek legal advice.

Also contact watchdog.

But don't let them get you down. This could be a blessing. Google search Ingrid flute for holiday cottages in Whitby. It will be much less expensive! You will easily save £400.

Thanks for all the replies, especially the supportive ones.

I used to be/normally am incredibly organised and efficient- I have to be to juggle what most of us do. Looks like I put the wrong date in the diary on this occasion.

My point being is that I did not expect CP to be so ruthless that by missing the deadline and then them selling the villa on ( the next day it looks like) that it would be at a cost of £400 deposit. That might be the law/contract but then it's wrong.

I am aware of other businesses that have DD set up on or around the payment date and send correspondence as prompts etc because they understand how hectic their consumers' lives can be.

I am going to ask for evidence from which email address and with what subject line and to what address they sent information to. I wish I could unsubscribe from most of the "junk" in my email address but I have had the same address for 18 years now and once it gets out, it goes on some dodgy mailing lists so I wouldn't want them to know my account is even active. The rest of the legit junk mail is of interest because it's from companies but I wouldn't want them coming through to my inbox pinging away so if I have made an order etc, I will pull them out.

CP used to be an easy get away from the rat race with minimal effort since they are nightmares at bed time, unruly etc so maybe sterile for some but at least it was a break.

I am completely disillusioned with the system and feel ripped off. It's not how I'd run a business when your consumers are human beings, capable of error who are just get through the week sometimes because life is mad and hard work.

Yes, OP should have paid the balance on time.

But, as a loyal customer they should want to keep her, surely? It was clearly a mistake!

OP, look up the name of the CEO on LinkedIn and Google the format of their email addresses you should be able to guess his/her email address. Complain directly to him/her. I doubt that they will respond to you but someone who works for them will.

Or search for their head of customer services and do the same.

Good luck.

If you can ever face a CP holiday again try Centre Parcs Europe. We have just priced up a villa for 8 in Elveden ( October half term) £1800. Same in Holland 800 euros. Guess where we are going? And yes we have been to both before. Much prefer De Kempervennen.
Hope you resolve the issue.

Gosh that's handy info ^