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Original poster

Feather Down Farm - last minute group split... Advice

461 replies

Nicky1234 · 02/08/2011 17:37

A group of 5 families has booked early in the year to stay with feather down farm and were advised that we would all be together. Now 2 weeks before our stay we have been advised that in actual fact we are being split up because a group of 2 wants specific tents and so it makes that field too small for us.
Anyone been to one of these farms and do you think it will be a problem, we have 10 kids between us, 6 and under, so I am worried that they'll disturb other guests (rather than all being together they'll have to find each other). Also though there is a brook between the 2 fields so we're going to have to shepherd them about and it seems such a shame they cant just roam a little free (poor loves get no freedom). Selfishly the adults won't be able to hang out in the evenings either...
Im also really upset that we have to split up as seems unnecessary and unfair...
Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions to put my mind at ease.
Thanks

OP posts:
ClaireDeLoon · 10/08/2011 10:02

Ooh the pop up hotel looks lovely and how nice of Canopy and Stars to be trying to help!

HerdOfTinyElephants · 10/08/2011 10:08

Exactly -- discount on "next booking" is not appropriate if you are charging full price for not giving customer what you promised them on this booking. A proper apology and (say) 10% off this booking as a goodwill gesture and this thread would have taken a very different turn.

AitchTwoOh · 10/08/2011 10:09

i don't think it's this weekend, canopy and stars... where is frazzled? really nice of you to offer to help, C&S.

HerdOfTinyElephants · 10/08/2011 10:11

But, wow, pop up hotel looks fab (and I'd never have heard of it if it hadn't been for this thread...)

elliott · 10/08/2011 10:11

I agree it wld have been easily solved had they handled it with more humility at the outset- made a generous offer that wld have made op feel good about them. But now, having refused to conemplate moving 2 tent group, and been grudging and miserly with concessions, it is hard to see how they can get out of it. I do think they have been arrogant and cynical though and I wld never book with them ( prob wldn't anyway as overpriced franchised packages wld irritate me anyway). What annoys me though is the idea that families are an easy target for being fleeced- when they are actually more likely to be financially stretched than childless couples, their desire to give the kids a great holiday is simply being exploited.

killercat · 10/08/2011 10:14

I really wanted a FDF holiday, and was searching and searching for late availability the other week. Absolutely NOTHING suitable was available and so I think they would be able to sell these again.

But this thread has completely put me off booking FDF another summer!

Good luck Nicky1234 in finding something else. I hope you do manage to sort out something better!!

AitchTwoOh · 10/08/2011 10:16

agree btw that shit happens and mistakes get made All The Time, but a mistake is an opportunity to demonstrate how much you value your customer (and at 5 tents x £900 x 2 weeks featherdown farms bliddy well should value them). what featherdown have demonstrated is that they don't give a damn.

it must have been so galling for frazzled to repeatedly be told that she would have a 'wonderful time' by featherdown customer services, as if that was sufficient to repay them for not being sited together.

it seems very simple to me, if frazzled had been told back in november that one member of the group would be in a different field, they would have booked somewhere else.

elliott · 10/08/2011 10:16

Btw I'm surprised that there is still last minute availability in mid august at so many places- maybe this target market is suffering in the downturn too? I don't know many families who cld afford fdf prices that's for sure...

elliott · 10/08/2011 10:22

Agree completely aitch. It's like they feel their customers shld be grateful to them for the honour of staying there.

feelingvfrazzled · 10/08/2011 10:22

Right so still no concession from them, at all. I even sent an email saying do you realise that IF we got the discount off of this booking and not a future one we would accept it. They seem to think offering us a refund exonerates them..
We are still trying to work out whether we just lump it (against every moral fiber in my body) and go as we just can't find anything else... Kids are so upset and it's heart breaking. But they know that sadly.
Canopy and Stars - the pop up tent looks beautiful but it is as you suspect just too far - and yes its for this weekend.
Nettletea thank you for your offer but sadly its this weekend not next, I would love to say that we could come but this is the only weekend that we can all make.
I am so, so humbled by all of the help people are giving us.
THANK YOU ALL

ChristinedePizan · 10/08/2011 10:23

The thing is that the OP booked this holiday in November when they assured her they could all be together. I cannot believe that they were so incompetent that they haven't checked the arrangements to make sure everyone all fits in before now (if there are 4 tents in one field and 6 in the other, then with the OP's party and Kate and Wills, that's still only 7 tents occupied) when other parties have booked.

At some point ages ago it would have been clear that they weren't going to be able to accommodate the OP but I suspect they decided to leave telling them until they had no choice but to come because it would be too late to find somewhere else.

That really stinks, Featherdown Farms. And alienating your core market is unbelievably stupid of you.

lovecat · 10/08/2011 10:24

Just caught up with the last 4 pages and I am Shock and Angry and :( for Frazzled. What a bunch of shysters!

I will NEVER BOOK WITH FEATHERDOWN FARMS due to their APPALLING CUSTOMER SERVICE !

Given that there were 17 of us looking for something like this next summer, you've just lost a lot of money, FEATHERDOWN FARMS and the TERRIBLE way you have treated your CUSTOMERS.

Sorry for the shouting, but grr...

Frazzled, I do hope something works out for you. What a gang of shitehawks...Angry

AitchTwoOh · 10/08/2011 10:28

so tell us EXACTLY what your dates are, frazzled, and where you can drive to. (for some reason i thought you were away for a fortnight...)

NettleTea · 10/08/2011 10:29

So sorry about this

AitchTwoOh · 10/08/2011 10:30

(btw and i mean this most lovingly, frazzled... you could all buy really, really, really nice tents for the money and go and stay in a nice Proper Campsite with really nice Proper Campers. i know that FDF is a special treat for the parents but suspect strongly that the kids will not care either way so long as you have a field and some trees to point them at).

ChristinedePizan · 10/08/2011 10:30

x-posted with everyone

Blu · 10/08/2011 10:36

Why on earth don't they just offer you a compensatory discount for this time? It would be so reasonable: "so sorry we have made a mistake and cannot accommodate you together as we said when you booked, and would therefore like to offer you a discount and see what we can do to address the practical issues caused by being split up".

That's basic NVQ level 2 Customer Service, surely??

And they must be watching this car crash of bad publicity unfold. Bear in mind that the OP did not start the thread in order to expose or criticise FDF, but simply to ask other FDF visitors if it would be too mjuch of a problem, and to seek advice on how to handle it.

FDF - please re-assure the planet that you do care about your visitors' holidays.

oranges123 · 10/08/2011 10:39

Aitch makes a really good point. Each family could get a bell tent from Soulpad or similar for about £300, cheap airbeds/SIMs and just bring picnicware and a few saucepans and all cook together over a fire or on a BBQ or even go out and eat and probably still have some money left. You could glamp up your tents yourselves with duvets/pillows/throws from home and have a marvellous time. And you get to keep the tents (or, in fact, sell them and get most of your money back - you would be amazed how much a bell tent goes for on Ebay and if you wait until next Spring, there will be even more potential buyers around).

There will be no shortage of good ideas on here for campsites if you let us know what areas you would consider in and around Dorset.

AlmaMartyr · 10/08/2011 10:44

I've looked at most places on goglamping.net and most of them are fully booked for this weekend :( These three places don't seem to have availability listed on their website (unless I'm being really stupid and missing it, which is possible) so might be worth contacting? Blackdown Yurts, Yurt Camp, Devon Summerhill Farm.

Like Aitch says, you could buy some fantastic tents for a weekend but I imagine that's a lot more stress.

oranges123 · 10/08/2011 10:48

I have just discovered that UKcampsite.co.uk has a late availability search: www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=385&rg=South West which lists some sites in Dorset (as well as in other areas of course). Might be worth having a look there if you would consider the self-service option. This is one example I found: www.moretongardensdorset.co.uk/

AitchTwoOh · 10/08/2011 10:50

again, though, it's brinksmanship. if they had come to this a week ago, been clear about the fact that frazzled had to accept this stupid babysitter idea or cancel, she'd have had plenty of time to rent a big car, pile it high with cushions and bell tents, and find somewhere.

oranges123 · 10/08/2011 10:51

Link was wrong I think: www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=385&rg=South West

AlmaMartyr · 10/08/2011 10:53

This is on this weekend (linked to on MN Local!). I think it's a farm run by the people who set up Neal's Yard Remedies. May well be booked up but could call and ask? Some of these places would probably appreciate the publicity they would get if they were able to help you out (I know I've added Canopy and Stars to my bookmarks for the future already!).

glastocat · 10/08/2011 10:53

God you poor thing, I would be LIVID. I really hope you manage to get sorted out. I have always had the FDF brochure delivered and had vague plans to go, but now they are definitely off my list. Holiday time is so precious, and Feather Down Farms treatment of you has been shoddy to say the least.

CestTout · 10/08/2011 10:55

Another who has been following this thread and is absolutely DISGUSTED with the way FDF have treated their customers. In the spirit of a previous poster I have already mentioned this to well over thrity people who will also be passing along to friends/colleagues.