Almost lost reservation in AZ park

[michael_tee]

Got a call yesterday from an RV park in AZ where we have booked Jan-Feb-Mar of 2022 (will be first time staying there). They told me that someone else wanted that site, and wanted to be an annual guest, so they could bump us out unless we wanted to go annual also. They offered to help finding another spot in the park (further from facilities). Long story short: the someone else decided they didn't want an Elite spot (costs more), so we didn't have to move.
But what is troubling is that the park can just cancel my reservation if someone else wants that spot, and there are no other spots available, and we don't want to go annual. Note: this will be our first time to winter in AZ, don't know if we'll like it compared to Florida (we live in Georgia).
Anyone had this happen to them? I presume "going annual" means stating I will book that spot each year for the winter.
I don't want to name the park, as I have no hard feelings (at this point, at least).

[parcany]

azdryheat wrote:
2 years ago we stayed at Tombstone Territories RV park. A few weeks earlier we and another couple visited the park, picked out the spots we wanted, and went to the office to book the reservation. My receipt for the reservation had the space number printed on it. Yes, I paid a deposit.

Fast forward to the arrival day and I found an Allegro Bus in my space. The office told me the Bus wanted that space so they moved me to another part of the park. The office refused to move the Bus and my paid deposit for that space fell on deaf ears. I complained (an understatement) and the office got me at least back in the original row with our friends.

Why do you suppose an Allegro Bus was given priority over my 5th wheel toy hauler? We haven't been back to that park.

Same thing happened to us a few years back at the same park. I reserved 2 spaces side by side. About 1 week before I called and made sure things were ok, lady told me that one of us were going to have to go to another spot. I asked why and was told that the owners let a motorhome into one of our spots. I got a little upset and wanted to talk to the owner. No can do, The morning we left I got a call and was told that we will be side by side with our friend in the same row but one spot over. Got there and the lady behind desk was not happy with me cause I questioned why one of us had to move and not move the motorhome out.Still di9d not get any answer. I will say this it is a nice park, but don't know if I would go back there.

[Rice]

Dutch_12078 wrote:
A domestic dispute apparently led to a murder/suicide and a fire.

Hmm...people are all wanting to know what park it was that made someone get a site other than the one he reserved, and nobody wants to know where this murder/suicide took place. Maybe it was a one-off thing, but the fact that there was a fire in one RV that apparently didn't affect any other RVs would indicate adequate spacing between RVs, which people often complain about.

[lbrjet]

Did you pay in advance for this site? You should tell us the park.

[Dutch_12078]

Rice wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:
And that one was due to an ongoing crime scene on the site we reserved. The park went out of their way to accommodate us, even putting us on a vacant site in their "volunteer village" for a few days until our site was available.

It was a crime scene for days? What happened?!?!

A domestic dispute apparently led to a murder/suicide and a fire. Since it was an active crime scene, the remains of the burned motorhome couldn't be removed until the police and fire investigators released it. Add another couple of days to remove the debris and replace the removed gravel, and replace the burned power stanchion, melted water line, and sewer hookup. The park folks were still trimming burned shrubbery when we were allowed on the site.

[philh]

My "permanent" home in a campground, it's easy, any site that someone wants to make annual, take precedence over a seasonal or even temp site. They will work with people, but bottom line, annual memberships keep the doors open.

[Rice]

Dutch_12078 wrote:
And that one was due to an ongoing crime scene on the site we reserved. The park went out of their way to accommodate us, even putting us on a vacant site in their "volunteer village" for a few days until our site was available.

It was a crime scene for days? What happened?!?!

[JoeH]

I agree with the others-- please let us all know the name of the park to prevent possible issues with our reservations.

[Dutch_12078]

We've visited a number of parks where the "fine print" mentioned that reserved site locations are not guaranteed. Three years in a row at one park, we were relocated from the site we had reserved to a different site in favor of an incoming long term lessee. Their park, their rules... Now we favor state and national parks, so it's only been an issue once. And that one was due to an ongoing crime scene on the site we reserved. The park went out of their way to accommodate us, even putting us on a vacant site in their "volunteer village" for a few days until our site was available.

[NamMedevac_70]

This is a help forum and would be helpful to others to name the park so we may avoid the s

[azdryheat]

2 years ago we stayed at Tombstone Territories RV park. A few weeks earlier we and another couple visited the park, picked out the spots we wanted, and went to the office to book the reservation. My receipt for the reservation had the space number printed on it. Yes, I paid a deposit.

Fast forward to the arrival day and I found an Allegro Bus in my space. The office told me the Bus wanted that space so they moved me to another part of the park. The office refused to move the Bus and my paid deposit for that space fell on deaf ears. I complained (an understatement) and the office got me at least back in the original row with our friends.

Why do you suppose an Allegro Bus was given priority over my 5th wheel toy hauler? We haven't been back to that park.

[cptqueeg]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
snip...
___________________________________________________



OP ---name the park so others are aware of their 'reservation' practice

Agreed.

[mockturtle]

I agree that they should not be able to do that unless they let you know up front that you could be bumped for a longer-term tenant. Even so, my late husband and I wintered in AZ on an annual basis for about ten years. After he passed away I moved to AZ permanently. Except in the summer, the desert is the perfect place to be, IMO. You will like it!

[lots2seeinmyrv]

They should have put them in another site for Jan-Feb-Mar until you leave and then they can move in your spot for the remainder of their 12 months.

[bdpreece]

Sounds to me like they were attempting to get you to pay for 12 months rather than 3. Of course you get a per month discount for 12 months but they still make more money. There were a lot of open spaces in Arizona last year so I imagine they are trying to squeeze every dollar they can out of whoever shows up this winter.