KOA Reservations vs what you get when you arrive
Before leaving for our current trip, we made reservations for all our camping. The first night and the last night we going to be just stop overs, so a quick overnight was all that we needed. In fact, I didn't really plan to unhook the trailer unless necessary.
We made reservations for our first night using the KOA website and selected a full hook up pull through site. We drive the 250 miles to this first stop, arriving about 5:30. As soon as we walk in to check in at the Lisbon, OH KOA, they inform us that they owe us some money. Since it was our first reservation with our KOA rewards card, I figured that I hadn't been given that discount and didn't think twice about it.
So, the host then takes us back to our 'pull through' site. We have a 20' Sunset Trail Reserve trailer, no slide outs and an f-150 short bed truck. The site they gave us was barely long enough for the trailer, in fact our back door is hanging off the back of the site. The truck stretched across the road so there was no way we could leave it connected. At the time, I couldn't remember with 100% certainty if I had reserved a pull through so I didn't say anything and proceeded to unhook.
Is this common with KOA campgrounds?
To me, it's a bait and switch. If you don't get the type of site you reserve, what is the point of their reservation system? I don't care which specific site we get, but I do care the type of site. I want the type of site we reserved not a $4 refund after a day of driving!
To top it off, the campground is a dump. Potholed roads, mud, and old trashing seasonal sites everywhere. When I camped as a child with my parents back in the 70s, you always knew that a KOA campground was a little nicer, even if it did cost a bit more. Is that not the case any more?
There were also no seasonal campsites KOAs back then to my knowledge.
I do plan to take this issue up with KOA corporate, complete with pictures, when we return. And reviews of this campground and experience will be posted online to help future travelers make a good decision about their campground selections. Any good review website? Seems those are badly needed and not easy to find.
Now, I'm concerned about the remaining KOA campgrounds we have reserved for this trip, what will we get when we arrive?
We made reservations for our first night using the KOA website and selected a full hook up pull through site. We drive the 250 miles to this first stop, arriving about 5:30. As soon as we walk in to check in at the Lisbon, OH KOA, they inform us that they owe us some money. Since it was our first reservation with our KOA rewards card, I figured that I hadn't been given that discount and didn't think twice about it.
So, the host then takes us back to our 'pull through' site. We have a 20' Sunset Trail Reserve trailer, no slide outs and an f-150 short bed truck. The site they gave us was barely long enough for the trailer, in fact our back door is hanging off the back of the site. The truck stretched across the road so there was no way we could leave it connected. At the time, I couldn't remember with 100% certainty if I had reserved a pull through so I didn't say anything and proceeded to unhook.
Is this common with KOA campgrounds?
To me, it's a bait and switch. If you don't get the type of site you reserve, what is the point of their reservation system? I don't care which specific site we get, but I do care the type of site. I want the type of site we reserved not a $4 refund after a day of driving!
To top it off, the campground is a dump. Potholed roads, mud, and old trashing seasonal sites everywhere. When I camped as a child with my parents back in the 70s, you always knew that a KOA campground was a little nicer, even if it did cost a bit more. Is that not the case any more?
There were also no seasonal campsites KOAs back then to my knowledge.
I do plan to take this issue up with KOA corporate, complete with pictures, when we return. And reviews of this campground and experience will be posted online to help future travelers make a good decision about their campground selections. Any good review website? Seems those are badly needed and not easy to find.
Now, I'm concerned about the remaining KOA campgrounds we have reserved for this trip, what will we get when we arrive?
