Bogus campsite reservations

[RRinNFla]

Recently, there was a post in another forum where the OP questioned the honesty of campground operators who swore he was getting the last site, only to find the CG half empty when he arrived.

This got me thinking about something that happens at Florida state parks, and I would imagine is a problem in other places as well. There have been many times when I have reserved one of the last available sites at a SP CG, but noticed many empty sites once I arrived.

Earlier this week, DW and I were camping at Tomoka SP, and our travels took us near Gamble Rogers in Flagler Beach, FL. We had heard this was a great spot and decided we wanted to take a look at the CG. The current CG has 34 spaces, literally on the oceanfront. We parked, walked past the sign that said "Registered Campers Only" and were looking at the various rigs and campsites, when a ranger asked us if we had obtained walk-through passes. (I had never heard of this, and it has been a long time since I was scolded by a ranger) Anyway, this led to a conversation about how popular this CG has become. There were several empty sites, but the ranger insisted they were fully booked.

This is how the ranger explained this phenomenon to me. When the reservation window opens up 11 months in advance. Some RVers will reserve every weekend in a given month, or the entire month, not knowing exactly when they will be able to travel. When their travel date gets closer they simply cancel the dates they don't want and pay a $17.50 cancellation fee for each cancellation.

So here is the math. The guy (who probably owns a $250K DP) reserves a large site every weekend for June committing $204 in reservation fees ($28/night times 8). When he cancels the other weekends he ends up spending $56 for one weekend, plus $52.50 in cancellation fees. So what does he get for $108.50, his choice of weekends, in season, at a campsite just steps from the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile the sites were unavailable for reservations by others.

My gripe: what about those of us who can't make plans 11 months in advance or don't feel like we have and extra $50 to throw away. I thought that part of the idea of the park system was to make sure that these lovely places were not reserved solely for the wealthy.

Am I being unreasonable?

Is there a better way?

[rwbradley]

GordonThree wrote:
So, where are folks selling their excess blanket reservations... craigslist? silk road? ebay?

LOL that one made me laugh because it is so sad...

I can just see it when Silk Road gets resurrected, it will be the go to place on the Dark Net to get your: Drugs, Guns, Rent a Hacker and Camping reservations in Florida

[4X4Dodger]

majorgator wrote:
It's very presumptious to put a negative label on all the folks who make reservations like this. The truth is, we do this ourselves sometimes. As a contractor who works all over FL, my schedule changes almost daily. I might make a reservation for a certain week months in advance, only to have to cancel it the week before because it coincides with a bid...or a bid date changes. Sometimes, instead of picking a certain date, I have to select a date range and make reservations (sometimes multiple) accordingly.

Also, here in FL, this happens terribly during scallop season along the Big Bend area. People will reserve an entire month or 2 of hotel/resort rooms and campground sites just to make sure they get 1 or 2 good weather weekends. I've heard of people reserving MANY rooms at the hotels over a 2 month weekend, then brokering them out for higher fees. Now there IS something to say about that crap...

I am sorry but as a hotel owner in the past in a resort area I cannot imagine that any hotel is allowing this. The person who makes the reservation or the person named in the reservation must be the person standing in front of me with ID to get that room.

I really question the authenticity of this.

Further any hotel that lets one party reserve a block of rooms over a long period is going to ask for a substantial deposit. or full payment of the first night at least. Again I think this is mostly "urban Myth" material...

[4X4Dodger]

The simple no-cost solution to this pretty simple problem is to not allow more than TWO reservations by a HOUSEHOLD at any one time.

Then as many states do, insist the site is occupied on the first day of the reservation before midnight.

[GordonThree]

So, where are folks selling their excess blanket reservations... craigslist? silk road? ebay?

[RRinNFla]

majorgator wrote:
I've heard of people reserving MANY rooms at the hotels over a 2 month weekend, then brokering them out for higher fees. Now there IS something to say about that crap...

In the sports world that would be called scalping, and that is illegal almost everywhere.

Again, this practice is legal, but IMHO, it is still rude because of the attitude that I am going to get what I want, and if it has a negative impact on others, that's just too bad.

[majorgator]

It's very presumptious to put a negative label on all the folks who make reservations like this. The truth is, we do this ourselves sometimes. As a contractor who works all over FL, my schedule changes almost daily. I might make a reservation for a certain week months in advance, only to have to cancel it the week before because it coincides with a bid...or a bid date changes. Sometimes, instead of picking a certain date, I have to select a date range and make reservations (sometimes multiple) accordingly.

Also, here in FL, this happens terribly during scallop season along the Big Bend area. People will reserve an entire month or 2 of hotel/resort rooms and campground sites just to make sure they get 1 or 2 good weather weekends. I've heard of people reserving MANY rooms at the hotels over a 2 month weekend, then brokering them out for higher fees. Now there IS something to say about that crap...

[nomad297]

The U.S. population has nearly doubled in the last fifty years.

It's only going to get worse.

Bruce

[Skid_Row_Joe]

This is a great thread to provide insight as to why there's empty spaces during prime-time at public CGs of various types. The more commercial or City sponsored CGs may provide more relief than the CGs mentioned in this thread. Also, the commercial, privately owned RV parking-lot style parks are a necessary back up to these gamed-CGs.

[Dick_A]

Moved from General RV'ing forum.

[wnjj]

rwbradley wrote:
This scenario reminds me of one up her in Canada that really angers a lot of people (myself included). In the Ontario Provincial Park system, many campgrounds are very busy and getting any site is very competitive. You can book up to 5 months before your arrival date. One of our big summer holiday weekends is Canada Day July 1. Most normal people would book at 8am March 1 (the first day of booking for that weekend) to try to get a site for the long weekend and often would be out of luck. The problem is the park is already full for July 1 because you are allowed to book for 3 consecutive weeks. People will book a start date of around June 11 thru to July 1. This allows them to start booking on Feb 11. They will then wait 3 weeks and cancel the entire reservation except the long weekend at the end of it, with only a 10% penalty.

Washington State and likely others fixed this by only letting you book when all days fall within the window. I had to book a 4-day stay one time by booking each day separately 9 months out, paying a reservation fee each time. If I waited 4 days to book them all, someone could have booked the first 2 or 3.

[IndyCamp]

I consistently book weekends we think we "might want" months in advance. We also pay for the entire stay in advance, and we certainly don't have a $250K rig.

With Indiana state parks, the reservation window opens up six months ahead of time. There is a run on the best sites, with people sitting on their computer to book them, so I have no choice but to play the game, book the sites, and then cancel if I can't use the site six months from now.

If I wait until the Friday of that October weekend, I won't get a site. That park, and all of its 600 sites, will be sold out. I have to book that October weekend in April. If I can't go, I cancel as soon as I know I can't go.

[_1Flyboy]

. . . Wife & I were Campground Hosts near YNP. . .Out of about 44 campsites there were on average about 8 that did not get used, AND, we could not give them away until after about 10AM next day if the people did not show up for the 1st nite paid. . .So, lots of folks wondering why we could not let them camp there if the site was not occupied. . .We did not make the rules but I think 1st come, 1st served OR a HEFTY FINE if you do not show up. . . Lots of UNHAPPY campers looking at unused - BUT paid for - sites. . .Made me sad to see this happen. . . Also, on another note. . .My parents were immigrants & went thru the DEPRESSION; my wife is a 3rd world immigrant. . .Campers nowadays are so, so , so WASTEFUL & UNCARING about recycling & wasting good food!!!! . . . Filet mignon, wine, beer, propane lamps, beautiful produce, unopened steaks, hot dogs, & on & on & on thrown in the garbage. . .Really upset my wife to see this. . .. . .Just my thoughts about this & understand we are all different. .

[rexlion]

Sometimes you can persistently check back on the reservation site every so often, and pick up one of those cancellations. That's how I snagged 2 nights in Yosemite Valley just 1-2 weeks before leaving home (in July).

[fla-gypsy]

3oaks wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
But the reality is, if we have the reservation system and (rich or poor) have equal opportunity! Make your reservation 11 months in advance and you'll have your campsite too!

In reality, it is not quite that simple.

Everyone does not have the luxury of knowing or scheduling their time off 11 months in advance. There are a lot of people less fortunate than yourself. Don't ignore them. The (poor) working class need and deserve a break too.

Lofty sentiments but no reservation system at all will guarantee the working class would never get a spot.

[3oaks]

DutchmenSport wrote:
But the reality is, if we have the reservation system and (rich or poor) have equal opportunity! Make your reservation 11 months in advance and you'll have your campsite too!

In reality, it is not quite that simple.

Everyone does not have the luxury of knowing or scheduling their time off 11 months in advance. There are a lot of people less fortunate than yourself. Don't ignore them. The (poor) working class need and deserve a break too.