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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

GRRRRRRRRRRRR- HAVEN HOLIDAYS ARE JUST RUDE!COMPANIES/PR EXECS WHO DISRESPECT MUMMY BLOGGERS.

48 replies

methusulamum · 14/05/2010 14:34

Is it me? I'm full of chagrin and disappointment with HAVEN HOLIDAYS. I'm a mummy blogger and they sent me an email offering me a free holiday if I replied immediately.

I replied immediately. Enthusiastically saying YES!
It happened to be my birthday. As a single parent and a 51 year old my birthdays are not widely celebrated so the invitation was really wonderful.

I've just received an email telling me that I HAVEN'T got a free holiday. They are flogging me a holiday at a discount instead. They say this is due to the numbers who replied. But since they said the criteria was first come first served and I replied immediately clearly some other measure of choosing the freebie went on other than the timing of my reply.No doubt the choice was made on the basis of who they think will give them the biggest coverage of their story via their blogs and media connections. Well, fair enough. But they INVITED me to a FREE holiday if I replied immediately, which I did. So now I feel as if I have been turned down, my blog dissed and that a nice thing that happened on my birthday is not very nice after all. They raised my expectations and then dashed them.

it leaves me DISLIKING HAVEN HOLIDAYS.

OP posts:
Original poster
methusulamum · 14/05/2010 14:36

Are there any other mummy bloggers who have been treated in a disrespectful way by PR execs and companies hoping to get press coverage amongst bloggers?

OP posts:
cluckyduck · 14/05/2010 14:37

Um, calm down, it was probably a marketing hook. Are you going to take them up on their discount?

Happy birthday too!

pickledmonkey · 14/05/2010 14:38

wtf is a mummy blogger?

SixtyFootDoll · 14/05/2010 14:38

Sorry dont have much sympathy if you expect free stuff because you write about it in your blog.

Who reads blogs anyway?

RealityLovesYou · 14/05/2010 14:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

shockers · 14/05/2010 14:41

My sister, a work colleague and a friend have all come back from different Haven holidays disgusted with the standard of cleanliness.

I'd book a campsite instead .

Fimbo · 14/05/2010 14:41

There is always some catch to these things though. I think you are slightly overreacting tbh.

grumpypants · 14/05/2010 14:41

what is a mummy blogger?

nickelbabe · 14/05/2010 14:42

aww, i used to love Haven Holidays as a child.

they were different then

ps YABU; things like that are always a marketing ploy.

BoysAreLikeDogs · 14/05/2010 14:42

urgh a Mummy Blogger

next you'll be linking us to your blog, yes?

Thediaryofanobody · 14/05/2010 14:44

LOL you have a bit of an ego, your a blogger your a small fish in a big pond in the eyes of the business world.
Just because of your family circumstance doesn't mean you deserve a free holiday or should be part of Havens consideration when dealing with you.

cluckyduck · 14/05/2010 14:50

I don't understand blogging at all. It seems like the 21st century equivalent of my colleague telling me about her dreams from last night, interesting to YOU only.

SixtyFootDoll · 14/05/2010 14:52

at cluckydusk, or like the colleague on a diet who tells you everything they have eaten that day and how many clories it all was, yawn!!

AgentProvocateur · 14/05/2010 15:12

"mummy blogger"

noyoucant · 14/05/2010 15:14

When on a few Haven Holidays several years back when the children were younger. They loved them - plenty of activities and stuff to entertain them.

At the end of the day you didn't lose something you already had, and I doubt it was intended as any kind of deliberate slight on your blog. I'd always take any such offer, no matter how good it seemed, with a pinch of salt. In fact the better it seemed at first glance, the more salt!

2shoes · 14/05/2010 15:16

wtf is a "mummy blogger"

Mouseface · 14/05/2010 15:18

Suckered in by Haven I see..........

I used to LOVE going to their parks as a child. Sleeping in a giant caravan, listening to the seagulls hopping up and down the roof every morning. Waiting for that days adventure.....

Bliss.

Didn't give a shit how clean it was, it was just summer!!!

BetsyLittleson · 14/05/2010 15:21

At least they didn't try to cancel a holiday you'd already booked like they did us because they had two group bookings confirmed subsequent to our booking...

Downdog · 14/05/2010 15:28

FWIW I shall express my solidarity with you by never going on a HAVEN HOLIDAY!

shockers · 14/05/2010 15:58

Mouseface, I too remember having a nice time at one in Wales.I think standards have dropped since our day.... my sister aint houseproud but she moved into a B&B after 2 days because it was really bad!

GypsyMoth · 14/05/2010 16:05

i have a free Haven holiday to go to this year.....for me and 5 dc.....are they so bad these days???

ABatInBunkFive · 14/05/2010 16:11

ilove depends where you go i think, some parks have a great rep.

BetsyLittleson · 14/05/2010 16:11

When we moved back to the site we'd originally booked on we had a brilliant holiday. Had we been forced to stay where we'd been forced to change to I think we'd have come home early, tbh.

I think it very much depends on the site itself - I can't fault the site we originally booked on or the staff there whereas the staff on the site we were forced to change to were absolutely dreadful, totally useless and totally uninterested in giving us a good holiday in the standard of accommodation we had booked.

smallishsheep · 14/05/2010 16:13

Treated in a disrespectful way?
They didn't use your mooncup without asking did they?

shockers · 14/05/2010 16:13

ILTiffany I hope you get a good park and have a fab time!!