Higher Cancellation Fee at ReserveAmerica? - Oops My Mistake

PawPaw and Gram, your grandkids are wise beyond their years. Unfortunately we now live in the ME generation and the heck with everyone else.

It looks like Reserve America, Active Outdoors and Active Network are all the same entity. When I received an e-mail reply it was signed:

Sincerely,
-Customer Service Rep's Name-
Active Network
Active Outdoors
www.ReserveAmerica.com

Go figure.

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
As I tell my grandchildren - a person can decide to be a good decent human being, or a person can decide to be a jerk.

Unfortunately too many folks have decided to be jerks and cheat the system whenever possible.

I really like that quote. I will use it if you don't mind.

As I tell my grandchildren - a person can decide to be a good decent human being, or a person can decide to be a jerk.

Unfortunately too many folks have decided to be jerks and cheat the system whenever possible.

"1) Limiting the specific credit card to charging only one site per night - this would require RA to maintain a separate database of credit cards and information with security concerns."

Most people have multiple credit cards and each one also can have a slightly different spelling. One may say "Mr.Joe Camper." Another might just say "Joe Camper." Same person. Two different people to most computer programs. That also does not stop using the wife's name and card, etc.

Full verification could very likely limit use, and thus profit. RA is knowingly not going to give up profit. I don't blame them.

It is a tough situation and I certainly am not smart enough to solve it.

One of my favorite parks on Lake Texoma has the best site in the CG reserved almost every weekend the whole year by one person.

How he gets the reservation because of the moving Recreation.gov booking window, I don't know. Since his wife's uncle has been one of the contract gate attendants for several years - I wonder.

He shows up about 3/4 of the weekends - and doesn't bother to cancel the other weekends. To him the 'wasted' fees are just the price of having his favorite spot available.

The gate attendants actively discourage anyone for camping in that spot during the non-reserved days.

I have that spot reserved for two weeks in May this year. I'll be very unfriendly if they try to tell me I can't camp there when it comes May.

Dog Folks wrote:
It is a difficult problem with no easy solution.

Among the proposals to prevent the problem are:

1) Limiting the specific credit card to charging only one site per night - this would require RA to maintain a separate database of credit cards and information with security concerns.

2) Requiring full active verification of logins. Drivers license #, SSN #, identity verification, etc. A lot of folks don't like giving that information to a government agency or private company.

Yes, Reserve America tries to limit multiple reservations from the same person, but I am here to tell you it is very easy to get around. It is a difficult problem with no easy solution.

I won't teach anyone how to do it though, so don't ask. :)

GMandJM wrote:


Sorry if I'm being naive, but people really DO that? Could get very expensive considering you're charged full payment on your credit card immediately and each reservation is subject to a $17.75 cancellation fee or a $10 change fee (...or in my case - both).

Yes but, you get that initially charged amount back when you cancel, minus the cancellation fee.

I can't count the number of times I've been in a Fl. state park that according to the web site is totally booked, yet in a park of 40 something sites, at least 6 or 7 will be empty.

GMandJM wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:
Maybe Florida is getting tired of the many people that make multiple reservations for the same time period at three or four parks and then canceling all but one when the time arrives?

Sorry if I'm being naive, but people really DO that?

Reserve America tries to prevent that.

You cannot make a reservation under the same login name for the same time period for different parks. Anywhere in the system.

I have different logins for Recreation.Gov and Reserve America - I can make two reservations for a COE CG in FL and a FL state park at the same time with the different logins.

(Didn't realize they were the same system when I created the logins.)

I cannot however make reservations in two Florida CG for the same time, or a CG in FL and one in CA, OR, MA, KS at the same time - those are ones I've tested.

Reserve America's system of pre-payment is designed to prevent multiple login names. Because the person is charged the full fee at the time of reservation - it is presumed that most folks will not try to make multiple reservations for several CG or several sites at a specific CG at the same time.

Texas, which uses Active Network, does allow one person to reserve several campsite spots at a specific CG for the same period of time. The first night fee is charged at the time of reservation. The first person to check in must supply a complete list of names of responsible persons for each site and pay for all the sites. Specific sites cannot be reserved in Texas or with Active Network.

I see people come into my favorite Texas State Park with reservations for five or eight sites for the Memorial Day weekend - and the park allows the first arrival on Wednesday to 'save' the sites in the same area so the group will be together. That park very strictly enforces that all sites are used - and doesn't allow cherry picking of the best sites. The group must stay in the same area.

..................

GMandJM wrote:
On the previous R/A Rant thread someone mentioned that Florida park reservations are somehow being re-sold or auctioned, but that poster didn't elaborate. Is there a black market for Florida park reservations??

My step-son has lived in the Fort Lauderdale area for several decades told me about that happening with Bahia Hondo back about 10-12 years ago. The state and the park system try to stop it whenever possible - but it's hard.

Awesome! Thanks for the info PawPaw_n_Gram!