Michigan State Parks Fee Nightmare

Randu wrote:
Standard policies that have been in effect for many years. Nothing new here. It is clearly stated on your confirmation that was e-mailed. I have copied the text below. Randu

CONFIRMATION COMMENTS
Campers must check in upon arrival.

AGREEMENT
For changes or cancellations, please contact the reservation center at 1-866-644-6727. You may also cancel your reservation online by logging on to your account and viewing reservation details. Changes or cancellations made up to the close of business 31 days or more prior to your scheduled arrival date will result in the loss of the $8.25 reservation fee. Changes or cancellations made 4 to 30 days prior to your arrival will result in the loss of the $8.25 reservation fee and a $10 cancellation fee. Changes or cancellations made 3 days or less prior to your arrival will result in the loss of the $8.25 reservation fee and one night's rental fee. For changes or cancellations made on or after the day of arrival, please contact the park directly. If you cancel a reservation, the cancelled site or Getaway Rental will not be available for reservation until 7am the following morning when new inventories are released. For changes and cancellations of reservations paid by credit card, you will be required to verify the card number. For each reservation, except those booked on the first day of availability, you will be allowed to make one change or modification per reservation with no penalty. These changes are limited to an occupant change, a site change (which may result in a fee adjustment based on the cost per night of the site), adding a discount, or changing dates as long as the new arrival date is not within the dates of original stay. If at any point, you would like to change or modify this reservation, please contact the Call Center at 1-866-644-6727 for more information. When you complete a reservation the first day it is available, you may not make any changes to that reservation. If you want to modify the reservation, you must cancel the entire reservation and rebook the following day when new site inventories are available.


Happy Camping

Well, it looks like I'm the only person with any sympathy for the O.P. at all here...I'd like to add to my previous post that I think it's BOGUS that the above language is sent out only with a confirmation.

Why isn't the above language on the website one visits BEFORE handing over one's credit card number?
( Michigan's page on fees says only this:

Michigan DNR wrote:
Associated Camping Fees at State Park and Recreation Areas

Non-refundable reservation fee - $8
Cancellation fee - $10

)

Folks deserve to know up front what the (potential)charges are, not get "informed" after they've plunked down their money....that's the same thing as unilaterally changing any other contract. Such after-the-fact changes by one Party are automatically void everywhere.

I still recommend complaining to DNR. If nothing else, maybe they'll post that disclaimer on the website where it belongs so that there can be a true "meeting of the minds" between themselves and their customers.