to expect Center Parcs to actually give a damn?

[PinkPetal38]

Has anyone else suffered at the hands of Center Parcs appalling customer service. I can't believe how i've been treated, and i've not even gone on my break yet! It's absolutely ruined my holiday and i won't be going back again. To be honest, i want to stand in the middle of the park with a banner in protest!

Since i've had my run in, i've heard of a lot of stories of how they just grab your money and run, so it's not just me. They don't care about 'you' at all.

CP sucks. sigh

Believe me I know, DH drags me there every year.

I think they are being very silly and short sighted.

It's in their interests to persuade people to book early - so they can hang onto your money for longer and have it earning interest for them as oppose to you.

Many similar companies offer price guarantees.

And I don't accept the flight analogy someone mentioned earlier. If you book with easyjet and the price goes down, they will offer you the difference in easyjet vouchers. Which is a great policy for them because then you spend more on a subsequent flight .

I would email pointing out to them that they have just disincentivised you and all your friends from ever booking early again, and that you hope they will reconsider in light of your customer loyalty.

The legal right may be on their side - but I think it's worth moaning a bit to see if someone sees that penalising people for being upfront with their money is completely illogical.

YABU

It is not unusual for hotels / travel companies to drop rates in the last couple of weeks. It is costs them more in the long run to have the apartments empty.

We have booked last minute for Center Parcs and got an 3 bed bungalow for EU 50 for a weekend. Just happened to be a slow weekend, we might have been unlucky and not got anything.

Are you only 3 weeks from your holiday?

PinkPetal38 - YANBU. This happened to us and I did get a refund. You do expect to get a cheaper price if you book earlier, as their policy indicates. I booked a new year break way in advance for £1200. Then much nearer the time, I saw the price had gone down to £900. I phoned up and moaned about it and they said they couldn't do anything, telling me it's a "flexible pricing" policy. I asked for the email address to make a complaint, and then as I was writing the email, I got a call from the call centre manager saying I could have the £300 refunded. (And we had a great time.) So try and speak to a manager / supervisor, tell them you're a repeat customer, or put it all in writing and quote back their misleading policy wording at them. You might still get refunded.

They change their prices a lot, and for when we want to go (Jan-March, not half term at Longleat) it is cheapest to leave it to the last minute. You have to play a balancing game based on how much they have sold. You can tell roughly how much is left by looking at which number villas you can reserve (bearing in mind they haven't allocated the people who haven't paid to pick their villa).

Also, we have got 3 beds cheaper than a 2 bed before, and executive villa for only £35 more than comfort.

I'm going next Monday.

Please note - i'm not complaining that i've not got my money back - i don't think that i'm necessarily entitled, I'm complaining about Center Parc's lack of good customer service and the fact that they were misleading on the website about the amount of chalets they had left which led me to book early, and therefore being penalised in the process.

Good to know that more of you have experienced the same behaviour, I'll be booking elsewhere next time.

Wants to know where Honeydragon is going on holiday. It sounds absolutely fantastic!

I got £125 refund for something

ok, just looked at the pricing policy and it says that no will get a better price than you on that day

That is why you are getting short shrift from them.

I suspect that they have started this fab new Pricing Policy and that many are overlooking the small detail "on that day" clause. Bet they are innundated with calls at the moment, as they seem to have reduced prices slightly across the board. That is why they were so unfriendly.

I'll be booking elsewhere next time.

Any ideas on where, as I'm looking at trying other similar places but as yet haven't found any apart from Bluestone (which is a bit far away).

Sorry, but YABU, in this case.

YANBU to suggest that customer service is lacking at CP. I have now had two pretty poor experiences there (food poisioning first time and the second time a filthy apartment (completely with vomit on a toilet)). I didn't even bother complaining with the second time as I knew that they wouldn't care and it was much easier for me to clean it, properly.

It definately pays to book last minute there (I live right next to one).

Whippoorwhill going in June - will post a thread to let you know if it is as good as it sounds!!!!
Always happy to share.

I have to agree on the money grabbing comment. I have just tried to see if they would wave their ridiculous charge of £25 per person for visitors so that my brother and his family can join us for a family meal for my mum's 85th birthday on site at Longleat in June. Twelve of us are staying on site and the three visitors would only be coming in for the meal. Not a chance of them budging on thier 'policy' even though we will now be eating elsewhere and they stand to loose in excess of £400 in their restaurant. I too feel let down, have always enjoyed CP but wont be going back.

Crikey.

Reading the thread like this . Don't like the sound of CP at all.