Just experienced our first Non-refundable campground

[randot]

We finally had to face the sad facts and cancel our trip to Lake Almanor (burning up right now in the Dixie fire). I had made several reservations on the way to our final destination and had to start the process of cancelling those reservations. I came across a NO-REFUNDS policy at one of these campgrounds (credit card charged in full once reservation is made and no-refunds for any reason). Full disclosure, it does say this on the website when you make the reservation, but of course, at the time I had no reason to cancel. Also, just because it is in writing, that doesn’t negate the fact it is a crappy policy.
I understand a cancellation fee for late cancellations, but I cancelled this reservation more than three weeks out. Obviously, we all know that the campground will be able to re-book this site and not be out any money – did I mention it was for Labor Day weekend? I would really rather donate $100 to a firefighter charity than just let this campground take it.
Has anyone else run across such a crappy policy?

[12th_Man_Fan]

I understand why parks have to have these policies but I also believe if they are able to rent that space on the day or days in question they should provide a refund minus a reasonable cancellation fee.

I will not make a reservation at a no refund park until I am 99.9% sure I will make it to that destination, however I nearly go burned this year when all of the parks at my scheduled stop were all booked.

[RKW]

I refuse to book an RV spot from an outfit that has such a strict no refund policy.

[Dutch_12078]

wapiticountry wrote:
Having owned parks for many years, we have heard every excuse imaginable as to why we should waive cancellation fees. When someone's parents have died for the third time you get suspicious. When they tell you they are hospitalized and cannot travel the 1000 miles to the park and then when you call them to ask where you need forward a package that arrived they tell you they will stop by to pick it up in a couple of hours you realize people LIE. We therefore took the position that we are not the judge and jury of excuses. No Exceptions.

The one time we had to cancel a one night stay at the last minute was when my mother died years ago and we needed to cut our trip short. I called the KOA we were booked at for the night to let them know we wouldn't be getting there, just as a courtesy since I knew we would lose the entire one night payment per the KOA policy. I was quite surprised several days later when we received a very nice condolence card in the mail from the park along with a coupon good for two nights at their park or one night at any other KOA. Several months later we booked a one week stay at their park, one of the few times we've stayed more than a day or two at commercial parks.

[wapiticountry]

Lantley wrote:
We all make our plans and commit to reservations based on our personnel iteneraries however when outside forces such as covid closures or a wild fire, which was not anticipated/expected by anyone at the time the reservations were made impact our plans consideration shoud be made.
If the bridge leading to the CG collapses should I be charged a cancellation fee?
What if the collapsed bridge causes me to take a 500 mile detour? Must I drive aound to avoid cancellation? If the government shuts down my event due to covid should I have to eat my resrvation.
At some point the CG needs to be reasonable in their expectations of the customer.

If the Campground is in Wyoming and the bridge that collapsed causing your detour is in Ohio then yes, you should eat your reservation. Having owned parks for many years, we have heard every excuse imaginable as to why we should waive cancellation fees. When someone's parents have died for the third time you get suspicious. When they tell you they are hospitalized and cannot travel the 1000 miles to the park and then when you call them to ask where you need forward a package that arrived they tell you they will stop by to pick it up in a couple of hours you realize people LIE. We therefore took the position that we are not the judge and jury of excuses. No Exceptions.

[phillyg]

You knew the cancellation policy up front. You chose to cancel, your loss.

[valhalla360]

craig7h wrote:
Randot,

I posted a commit just about like yours last year when I had to cancel a site due to covid, where I was going was for all purposes closed. The RV park would not refund my money (full payment) and wanted to charge me 50 to change date.

When I posted I got the same response you are getting. I know I was out a little over $300.00, guess that amount does not phase folks.

Good Luck safe travels

Last year's Covid situation was wildly different from what is described here. You would be hard pressed to find a park last year where there wasn't significant impact to operations AT THE park due to Covid. So an argument could be made you would have a degraded experience AT THE park inconsistent with what you had contracted for.

In this case, so far as we know, is fully prepared to provide what was contracted for.

It's not that we don't have some sympathy for the OP losing $300 but we also have sympathy for the park owner who likely is struggling also, so in fairness, if the park owner is prepared to provide what was contracted for, there is no justification to make the owner lose.

[valhalla360]

mockturtle wrote:
At least give them a negative review on one or more of the RV campground review sites. Under the circumstances, it would be reasonable to expect a refund.

Unless you want the OP to lie about what happened.

The park had the reservation policy well documented and followed the policy that the OP agreed to.

The park is not in the area impacted by the wild fires, so is not under a force majeure situation that might suggest the policy should be reconsidered specifically for the OP.

I get that it sucks for the OP but it's not the parks responsibility to compensate him when they are prepared to meet their end of the contract.

[Crowe]

No refund means no refund. If you don't like the policy, don't book there. It's that simple.

[Tvov]

Did you ask about a refund policy before making the reservation?

We've had to cancel plans in the past... many times the campground reservations have been non-refundable and we understood that. Other times the campgrounds gave us a "credit" to use in the future - one campground with a no refund policy still gave us a credit when we asked. Other times we got a full refund.

I've been told, and read on many forums, that the no refund policy is usually in place due to people juggling reservations to get the dates and campsites they want. This was (probably still is) rampant with Fort Wilderness (Disney World) reservations, and most people just shrug it off as nothing.

You have your reasons for canceling, but due to other people abusing the system you ran into the no refund policy.

Next time someone is basically bragging about juggling reservations for their own gain, remember this.

[Lantley]

We all make our plans and commit to reservations based on our personnel iteneraries however when outside forces such as covid closures or a wild fire, which was not anticipated/expected by anyone at the time the reservations were made impact our plans consideration shoud be made.
If the bridge leading to the CG collapses should I be charged a cancellation fee?
What if the collapsed bridge causes me to take a 500 mile detour? Must I drive aound to avoid cancellation? If the government shuts down my event due to covid should I have to eat my resrvation.
At some point the CG needs to be reasonable in their expectations of the customer.

[craig7h]

Randot,

I posted a commit just about like yours last year when I had to cancel a site due to covid, where I was going was for all purposes closed. The RV park would not refund my money (full payment) and wanted to charge me 50 to change date.

When I posted I got the same response you are getting. I know I was out a little over $300.00, guess that amount does not phase folks.

Good Luck safe travels

[toedtoes]

StarkNaked wrote:
I'm guessing a lot of the people replying to the topic have not looked at a map. Lake Almanor is surrounded on three sides by active fire. At the fire is still very much burning towards that 4th side that has not burned yet. The O.P. did not name the campground, but it may not even be there in three weeks. Multiple highways in that area are closed. There is probably only one way in, and it may be closed as well. Currently the fire has consumed over 500,000 Acres.

The entire area around Lake Almanor is under an evacuation order.

https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2021/7/14/dixie-fire/

Per the OP, this campground was not his destination, it was one of several overnight stops on the way to Lake Almanor.

I have reservations for Manzanita Lake campground in Lassen this fall. So I am watching this fire closely. But if I have to cancel my stay there, it doesn't affect a campground I may have booked in Medford or Yreka or Sacramento.

[toedtoes]

Stranger wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
If the campground were in the vicinity of the wildfires, then I would agree.

But the campground is not. It is somewhere between the OP's home and Lake Amanor. There may be only one or two people with reservations at that campground affected by the Dixie fire. And staying at this campground is not affected in any way by the fire (eg, he isn't going to be subjected to smoke).

So the cancellation is due to the OP's personal circumstances just like if someone died, etc.

Had his destination been anywhere else, he wouldn't have needed to cancel. And his not going to Lake Amanor doesn't affect his ability to stay at this campground - it just makes it unnecessary for HIM.

Dixie Fire Map. Updates frequently. The blue splotch is Lake Almanor.

With the erratic movements of wildfires, how can you say that the campground in question is NOT affected by the fire?

They are probably not refunding his fees because once the fire destroys the area the campground will cease to exist and his fees will be the last they will ever get.

Because per the OP:

"I had made several reservations on the way to our final destination".

This one reservation was not for the destination itself, it was for one of several overnight stops before he reached Lake Almanor.

If it were close enough to be affected by the fire, then he would not have needed it as an overnight stop.

[Stranger]

toedtoes wrote:
If the campground were in the vicinity of the wildfires, then I would agree.

But the campground is not. It is somewhere between the OP's home and Lake Amanor. There may be only one or two people with reservations at that campground affected by the Dixie fire. And staying at this campground is not affected in any way by the fire (eg, he isn't going to be subjected to smoke).

So the cancellation is due to the OP's personal circumstances just like if someone died, etc.

Had his destination been anywhere else, he wouldn't have needed to cancel. And his not going to Lake Amanor doesn't affect his ability to stay at this campground - it just makes it unnecessary for HIM.

Dixie Fire Map. Updates frequently. The blue splotch is Lake Almanor.

With the erratic movements of wildfires, how can you say that the campground in question is NOT affected by the fire?

They are probably not refunding his fees because once the fire destroys the area the campground will cease to exist and his fees will be the last they will ever get.

[StarkNaked]

I'm guessing a lot of the people replying to the topic have not looked at a map. Lake Almanor is surrounded on three sides by active fire. At the fire is still very much burning towards that 4th side that has not burned yet. The O.P. did not name the campground, but it may not even be there in three weeks. Multiple highways in that area are closed. There is probably only one way in, and it may be closed as well. Currently the fire has consumed over 500,000 Acres.

The entire area around Lake Almanor is under an evacuation order.

https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2021/7/14/dixie-fire/