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?

Even a successful business needs to remember to try everything to keep a customer happy. Even when the customer is in the wrong.

Reminds me of the time I booked a panto at my local theatre and we completely forgot about it until the day after! I was absolutely gutted and called them in tears. They were really lovely and offered us free seats that night, up in the balcony. It was half empty so they wouldn't have made money from the seats anyway, plus we bought flashy light things for the kids and a programme and ice cream, so they made money out of us. They could have done nothing at all but I've never forgotten their gesture of goodwill.

I first went to CP about 23 years ago and loved it. After that we went every year for 17 years and it got steadily worse IMO. It's overpriced and too busy to be enjoyable unless you can go out of school holidays. Their customer service is pants and the idea of 'goodwill' doesn't seem to register with them. I wasn't at all surprised by your post OP.

I finally gave up on CPs when I pulled a girl out of the water who was close to drowning. Because she was upright (under the water), the lifeguard hadn't seen her. I put her over my shoulder and hoisted her onto the side; as I did so, water came gushing out from her mouth. The lifeguard carried her away wrapped in a towel, but nobody came to ask what had happened, or recorded it as far as I'm aware. I was appalled.

Please try and ring someone other than the call centre. You'll get much further, especially if you mention the fact you've been going 2/3 times a year.

Don't give up!