To Think This Is A Pointless Gesture

[gscrym]

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Sandylands caravan park owned by Park Resorts at Saltcoats. The place wasn't up to much but hey-ho, it was just somewhere to sleep and dump our stuff. The caravan we got was infested with ants and hadn't been cleaned. After complaing we eventually got moved after my initial response of 'I don't want ant spray, I want a clean van'.

I emailed them to complain. They sent me a letter saying sorry, here's a 20% discount on your next holiday. You can't use it on any school holidays. I mentioned in my original complaint I had a child and his age was on my booking.

AIBU to think this is pointless. I'm not going to take DS out of school just to use this discount.

Yup. Pointless.

YANBU- I think the point is that it is obviously a pointless gesture, but it is still a gesture which is obviously enough in their eyes.

The park seemed quite run down. I've been to smaller parks before and they've been nice, actually prefer them due to the lack of amusement arcade. There was fag ends all over the ground outside the shop and the enteraiment bit.
Oh well, shant be using Park-Resorts again.

Write back and ask for the discount on the holiday you just had - or a useful voucher for a future holiday. Sometimes you just have to ask twice.

I usually do cottage holidays as well.

That's because my friend owns 3 beautiful cottages up at Fort William.

I have e-mailed the person who sent me the discount saying thanks for the acknowledgement but what was the point.

I've just got their brochure to look at, me thinks that it can go in the recycling.

The pictures of Sandylands don't show the hauliers yard you drive past to get into it.

We went to a park resorts near scarborough it was utter shit.

*the caravan was flooded with toilet water as we arrived (i was on my hands and knees cleaning it so ds could go to the loo)

*the kitchen was filthy (ive stayed in caravans loads of times good and bad ) this place had had all the seasons crap swept under the cooker...

• the seats were all damp and not sweet smelling damp

• the shower didnt work

*no lights

*the boiler was faulty

• no bedding for the children

• ds burnt his hand on a heat panel on the roof in his room - his bed was directly below the panel and as he stretched up he burnt it.

• the bathroom tap dripped continually and eventually fell off.

*the swimming pool was often shut bcos the lifeguard was about 20 stone and couldnt be safe monitoring the flume slide.

*the cooker grill and oven didnt work.

we were there only for a 5 day midweek break thing and although it wasnt expensive for what we got ,it was shocking even the maintenance man brought me his own air freshener -we didnt realise all the faults at once by the time wed had enough we called a manager who offered us a 'free' breakfast!! on complaining on arrival home we got the same as you but a 10% discount and £5 off drinks on a future holiday!!.

If you want a decent caravan holiday for the family ime haven is the way to go.

YANBU
Useless.

Nickchick
We went to Haven Haggerston Castle and hated it, although I have heard others say that some of Haven camps are good.

I'll have your voucher!! LOL

We went to a Parkdean holiday camp last year. The caravan was disgusting, smelt of wee, there was damp up the walls and on the carpets in the bedrooms, the shower curtain was mouldy, the oven didn't work, the curtains in DS's room were falling off. We complained and they refused to move us because it was a 'private' van - we booked through them so it was there fault!!!

I emailed them when we got back but all we got was a feeble apology and told they'd 'look into it'. We never heard from them again.

I think you should contact them again and tell them the voucher just isn't good enough

I had a similarly bad experience but with a cottage hire company (Rural Retreats). I too got a voucher first off. I spoke to the Trading Standards people who were very helpful; they told me to write back enclosing the voucher and declining it and to state exactly how much compensation I required, making sure it was reasonable. Since we had stayed the week, albeit in dirty a poor accommodation, I asked for 1/3 of the holiday value back.

The Trading Standards people said to be prepared to write several letters and just keep replying. It took about 4 letters and 3 months but I did get what I asked for.

We have been on several haven holidays - some have had faults but in the long run we have always enjoyed them - last year we went to seashore in yarmouth on arrival we realised the tv didnt hook up to our x box,ordinarily thats no big deal but ds2 suffers M.E needing rest periods and he was having a bad time so the x box occupies him and hes kind of resting at the same time.

Dh was about to go and buy a small portable (we could do with one anyway although hadnt planned on it for holiday lol) when the maintenance man came by and asked us what was wrong (we had leads in and out of the tv) oh my young lad will sort that out leave us ya keys he said,so we went off leaving ds1 and 2 in the caravan when we come back a new telly was there and the lad had even set the x box up for him!!.

YABU It's what you get for booking a holiday on a 'camp' in a tin box . Seriously, why? I have awful memories of caravan holidays. They're just terrible.

Write/email stating very concisely your complaints and pointing out the discount offered is unreasonable and completely unsuitable. Then write again and again. Perseverance is the key, most companies will crumble in the face of a relentless campaign.

Good luck (and book a NICE holiday next time).

Send them a link to this thread

Blimey - I thought Rural Retreats was mwant to be the best of the best