Colorado Campground - Beware of Cancellation Policy

Contact the Colorado BBB and State Attorney General file complaints with both

Diane Jobe wrote:
Unreasonable Cancellation Policy at Dakota Ridge RV Park (outside Denver). We booked in April 2016 for an August 2016 5 night stay. We had to cancel due to illness (canceled in June). When I canceled the reservation I was informed they would not refund my payment of $158.57 (which they referred to as a deposit). Yes, $158.57 - not the typical cancellation fee or one night's stay but the entire amount (1/2 of the total cost of my stay). I was told by staff that when I booked I was informed, if I canceled, they would keep the full amount - I Was Not. If I had been told of that outrageous policy, I would not have booked. Don't know why anyone would! I was also told I could apply the amount for a stay until the end of this year - really, I live in Arkansas. We have never experienced this kind of greed at any RV park. I emailed the owner and received no response (also owns Spruce Lake RV Park and Elk Meadow RV Park).

Their cancellation policy is on their website:

Deposits
A deposit equal to 50 percent of your entire stay plus any applicable additional charges (for pets, additional guests, vehicles, etc.) and tax is required, with the balance due upon arrival.

Early departures
No refunds or credits will be given for early departures.

Cancellations
Deposits are non-refundable.

http://www.essentialcoloradorv.com/dakota-ridge/resort-policies.cfm

Lynn

Diane Jobe wrote:
Unreasonable Cancellation Policy at Dakota Ridge RV Park (outside Denver). We booked in April 2016 for an August 2016 5 night stay. We had to cancel due to illness (canceled in June). When I canceled the reservation I was informed they would not refund my payment of $158.57 (which they referred to as a deposit). Yes, $158.57 - not the typical cancellation fee or one night's stay but the entire amount (1/2 of the total cost of my stay). I was told by staff that when I booked I was informed, if I canceled, they would keep the full amount - I Was Not. If I had been told of that outrageous policy, I would not have booked. Don't know why anyone would! I was also told I could apply the amount for a stay until the end of this year - really, I live in Arkansas. We have never experienced this kind of greed at any RV park. I emailed the owner and received no response (also owns Spruce Lake RV Park and Elk Meadow RV Park).

This appears to be a Good Sam CG.

I would suggest you go over to the Ask Marcu Forum and choose the Good Sam Club Forum and post what happened to you. At least you will get a call back from them which in turn might give you a main line to the CG and or Good Sam helping you out directly.
http://www.goodsamclub.com/travel/campgroundsandrvparks/generalinfo.aspx?cgid=930000497

Their cancellation policy is on their website:

Posting it on a website does NOT eliminate/protect a CG from the responsibility of STATING it to all campers who 'call' in their reservations.

If I get a phone number of a CG off google while traveling I would have NO way of knowing their cancellation policy. Not everyone reads a CG website.

If you look at the CG listing on the above link for Good Sam website, NO WHERE is it noted the no deposit refunded. Many RV'ers use GS to look up CG's.

The CG manager SHOULD have stated the cancellation policy when 'taking' any reservation over the phone. That is the policy for all companies regarding deposits.

Good Luck. Call or post to Good Sam forum what transpired between you and that Good Sam CG. Only if to make them take a good long hard look at THEIR listing of the CG without any notation about the refund policy.

One only needs to READ their 'Reservation' requirements and the 'policies' information to see that 50% Deposit is required and that that deposit is non-refundable

From Reservation page.....LINK

Reservations of two nights or more will still require a 50% deposit.

From Policies page......LINK

Deposits
A deposit equal to 50 percent of your entire stay plus any applicable additional charges (for pets, additional guests, vehicles, etc.) and tax is required, with the balance due upon arrival.

Cancellations
Deposits are non-refundable.



While I do NOT agree with their 'Non-Refundable' Policy it is clearly stated on their website.
Buyer Beware..........READ ALL of the info

This is actually a pretty common practice. I got burned by this once. Fortunately I only lost $35 and their policy was that I could apply it to either a later stay or use it in their store. Since they were on the way to another destination a year later we stopped and cashed out what we had coming.

But it was a lesson learned. When going somewhere unfamiliar I now not only check the web site, but call and ask about their cancellation policy.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
One only needs to READ their 'Reservation' requirements and the 'policies' information to see that 50% Deposit is required and that that deposit is non-refundable

From Reservation page.....LINK

Reservations of two nights or more will still require a 50% deposit.

From Policies page......LINK

Deposits
A deposit equal to 50 percent of your entire stay plus any applicable additional charges (for pets, additional guests, vehicles, etc.) and tax is required, with the balance due upon arrival.

Cancellations
Deposits are non-refundable.



While I do NOT agree with their 'Non-Refundable' Policy it is clearly stated on their website.
Buyer Beware..........READ ALL of the info

Exactly!

Nice 1st post by the OP.

If it's a busy campground, can you re-sell the res to someone else?

rockhillmanor wrote:

Their cancellation policy is on their website:

Posting it on a website does NOT eliminate/protect a CG from the responsibility of STATING it to all campers who 'call' in their reservations.

If I get a phone number of a CG off google while traveling I would have NO way of knowing their cancellation policy. Not everyone reads a CG website.

If you look at the CG listing on the above link for Good Sam website, NO WHERE is it noted the no deposit refunded. Many RV'ers use GS to look up CG's.

The CG manager SHOULD have stated the cancellation policy when 'taking' any reservation over the phone. That is the policy for all companies regarding deposits.

It seems to me that at least as much responsibility falls on the one phoning in the reservation to ask about the cancellation policy if that is something of interest or concern to them. Similarly, if one were expecting to arrive early or late, or wanted to put up a tent next to one's RV, or needed to park extra vehicles at the site, perhaps asking about such things would also be a good idea.

If I call in a reservation, I ALWAYS inquire about the cancellation policy.

I just made reservations for one nite interim stop in South Carolina.. No deposit, no credit card required, just talked to them on the phone, and the guy said "okay, got your phone number, got you booked. I figured I didn't need to ask his canx policy.

50 percent deposit with no refund for busy campgrounds doesn't surprise me. You say if you knew you wouldn't do it, and don't know why anyone would.. Well some must do it.

Mike

rockhillmanor wrote:

Diane Jobe wrote:
Unreasonable Cancellation Policy at Dakota Ridge RV Park (outside Denver). We booked in April 2016 for an August 2016 5 night stay. We had to cancel due to illness (canceled in June). When I canceled the reservation I was informed they would not refund my payment of $158.57 (which they referred to as a deposit). Yes, $158.57 - not the typical cancellation fee or one night's stay but the entire amount (1/2 of the total cost of my stay). I was told by staff that when I booked I was informed, if I canceled, they would keep the full amount - I Was Not. If I had been told of that outrageous policy, I would not have booked. Don't know why anyone would! I was also told I could apply the amount for a stay until the end of this year - really, I live in Arkansas. We have never experienced this kind of greed at any RV park. I emailed the owner and received no response (also owns Spruce Lake RV Park and Elk Meadow RV Park).

This appears to be a Good Sam CG.

I would suggest you go over to the Ask Marcu Forum and choose the Good Sam Club Forum and post what happened to you. At least you will get a call back from them which in turn might give you a main line to the CG and or Good Sam helping you out directly.
http://www.goodsamclub.com/travel/campgroundsandrvparks/generalinfo.aspx?cgid=930000497

Their cancellation policy is on their website:

Posting it on a website does NOT eliminate/protect a CG from the responsibility of STATING it to all campers who 'call' in their reservations.

If I get a phone number of a CG off google while traveling I would have NO way of knowing their cancellation policy. Not everyone reads a CG website.

If you look at the CG listing on the above link for Good Sam website, NO WHERE is it noted the no deposit refunded. Many RV'ers use GS to look up CG's.

The CG manager SHOULD have stated the cancellation policy when 'taking' any reservation over the phone. That is the policy for all companies regarding deposits.

Good Luck. Call or post to Good Sam forum what transpired between you and that Good Sam CG. Only if to make them take a good long hard look at THEIR listing of the CG without any notation about the refund policy.

Double ditto.