Municipal Campground/RV Park reservation discrepancy.

[Skid_Row_Joe]

Recently, I made a telephone call to this particular city owned and operated RV park to reserve a space for my RV later that day. I left my name and cell phone number when asked for the name on the reservation. I did not guarantee the reservation in any way, shape or form. Hence, the RV park did not have my credit card information.

I was unable to make it to this RV park, as it started storming and I was still about 75 miles away, when I decided to stop along the way in another small town for the night.

The next morning about mid-morning, I received a terse telephone call from the RV Park manager, telling me they were charging me for the night, since I was a no-show. I reminded the manager that I had not guaranteed the site for the night, and that it was understood that the reservation would cancel upon my absence. Well, that set-off the manager at that point again telling me that they were charging me for the night. At which time I re-stated the above. The manager then hung-up on me.

I am wondering if I should have called the city manager to relate the story in-full, as to file a complaint on this rude manager? I fully intend to stay at this RV park in the future, but am wary because of this out of control city worker they have managing this RV park. What would you do?

[answerswillvary]

Time to close this one.

[Jim_Shoe]

Well, skid row, that's four pages of "you were wrong" and nobody that agrees with you, including me, and very likely the City Manager IF you actually call him. The fact that they didn't take your credit card information was their mistake. Bet they'll never do that again - because of you. While you're thinking up something to say, look up "Common Courtesy" in the dictionary.

[winnietrey]

Sounds like you have stayed there a number of times in the last ten years. And you like the place. And, if it is, the situation, that he did not get your CC # because you were a returning customer, and trusted you.

I would humbly apologize for not calling, and offer to pay the fee. Because it would be a relationship I would want to preserve. And the right thing to do.

It is not a question of what is legally correct, but a question of what is morally correct. Just as a business has a moral obligation to treat the customer fairly. The customer has a moral obligation to treat the business fairly. A fact that seems to be lost on many people

[Skid_Row_Joe]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I sure would call........dang government employee. How dare that park manager for taking you at your word and then calling to chastise you when you didn't live up to your word.

What's the matter with folks now a days.....don't they know that a persons word is meaningless.

The gall......City Manger should immediately fire any employee gullible enough to actually believe what anyone says these days.

That's the spirit, bisquick! I'll CC your postings - esp. the part about "your meds." 😉

[Old-Biscuit]

Skid Row Joe wrote:

The question was simple. I'll re-state it for you: Would you call the city manager after an incident like this to be sure the manager of the RV park was reigned-in before staying again at this city-owned RV park?

I sure would call........dang government employee. How dare that park manager for taking you at your word and then calling to chastise you when you didn't live up to your word.

What's the matter with folks now a days.....don't they know that a persons word is meaningless.

The gall......City Manger should immediately fire any employee gullible enough to actually believe what anyone says these days.

[Lantley]

Skid Row Joe wrote:

Lantley wrote:
You feel the need to rant here and possibly file a complaint but you never felt the need to call back and cancel!
Consider it a lesson learned on your part.
If you want to do the right thing, how about call the manager back and apologize for the confusion you caused.

Where is this "rant" you write of?

The question was simple. I'll re-state it for you: Would you call the city manager after an incident like this to be sure the manager of the RV park was reigned-in before staying again at this city-owned RV park?

This whole thread is a rant/complaint. However if you prefer to look at it as a survey of what should be done that's fine.
However my thought remains you should not call to complain or have the manger reigned in but you should call call to apologize for creating the confusion. Without your phone call the manager obviously thought you were still coming. How was he to know anything different?

[Wavesprite]

Skid Row Joe wrote:

Naio wrote:
You were rude first, by not calling. The manager responded to your rudeness with his own rudeness. That's how humans are.

Complaining to the city manager is not going to help, because you are in the wrong.

No one was "rude" besides the RV park manager. I stated in no uncertain terms that the reservation was not guaranteed for payment. The manager went the "rudeness" route, not me.

Not complaining - just asking a Q about calling the city mgr. to report the incident of "rudeness" from their employee, for no reason.

I would actually think if you did, you would be laughed at! You are the one that was rude by asking them to hold a site for you and then not showing up and not bothering to call.

[Wavesprite]

Skid Row Joe wrote:

Wavesprite wrote:
Why didn't you call back and tell them you weren't making it?

Because the site reservation was not guaranteed for payment. Perhaps you missed this key detail?;)

Perhaps you weren't raised with what is called "common courtesy". If they are willing to save a spot for you without keeping your credit card information, perhaps you could hav done the same and called them to free up the spot.

[Rotis]

Why did you call to make a reservation if availability was not guaranteed? There was no point in calling if you did not expect him to hold it for you. If he had rented it before you got there you would be complaining that you had made a guaranteed reservation.

[Old-Biscuit]

That's right it was their fault......YOU were completely blameless.

[Skid_Row_Joe]

soos wrote:

Skid Row Joe wrote:
So, something's up with their system, if they thought they could charge me for something I didn't agree to purchase.

Well, not to quibble, but you DID agree to purchase when you made the call to make a reservation. You asked them to reserve a spot for you, which they did.
It is not the norm to have a verbalized "hold for late arrival". RVers arrive at all hours as a matter of course.
Whether you gave a credit card number or not is immaterial in determining whether a reservation is made. You said you would be there. Period.

Moving on, I don't see anything to be gained by complaining about the manager to his superiors. as you said, he's been there for 10 years. thats not likely to change. What would you gain besides letting off steam? If he figures out you complained, realistically it could effect your future stays at that campground. It shouldn't, but that doesn't mean it won't.
My two cents- life is short- let it go and move on.

If the non-guaranteed status of the reservation was immaterial, then why didn't the manager charge my CC? The answer is easy - there was no contract enforceable. Unfortunately, because of the rudeness factor of the accusatory and belligerent manager, at that point they decided to escalate the call into a threat to charge me. Which of course was an empty threat, on the unenforceable contract that clearly did not exist. Once again, I'm not complaining about anything, other than their manager's extremely rude behavior and bullying tactic.

[Skid_Row_Joe]

Naio wrote:
You were rude first, by not calling. The manager responded to your rudeness with his own rudeness. That's how humans are.

Complaining to the city manager is not going to help, because you are in the wrong.

No one was "rude" besides the RV park manager. I stated in no uncertain terms that the reservation was not guaranteed for payment. The manager went the "rudeness" route, not me.

Not complaining - just asking a Q about calling the city mgr. to report the incident of "rudeness" from their employee, for no reason.

[Skid_Row_Joe]

Lantley wrote:
You feel the need to rant here and possibly file a complaint but you never felt the need to call back and cancel!
Consider it a lesson learned on your part.
If you want to do the right thing, how about call the manager back and apologize for the confusion you caused.

Where is this "rant" you write of?

The question was simple. I'll re-state it for you: Would you call the city manager after an incident like this to be sure the manager of the RV park was reigned-in before staying again at this city-owned RV park?

[Skid_Row_Joe]

Wavesprite wrote:
Why didn't you call back and tell them you weren't making it?

Because the site reservation was not guaranteed for payment. Perhaps you missed this key detail?;)