I think a non refundable deposit is very fair, they are a business and have as much right to make a living as we do, I'm self employed and it's so frustrating when people dont turn up or cancel and I'm unable to fill the spot, last year I lost over £1000 through just this.
Some people can be so unreliable and in some cases pure selfish and unfortunately business have to come up with "rules" to try and guard themselves against this, I personally would refund the deposit if I filled the spot but it's down to discretion, if the booking had been made for a quiet month they may well not have been able to fill it.
Caravan parks have to make enough cash in the open season to live on through the months they aren't making a penny.
Your scenario is completely different and I agree that when people just don't turn up it is just as unreasonable. Also as I said earlier if it was only a few weeks before it would be a different story, however this scenario is 10 weeks prior - and as I've discovered the pitch has been re sold within a week.
------------- Mike
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Mike,
A non refundable deposit is reasonable. It mitigates the uncertainty, otherwise what is the point of requesting a deposit. It IS exactly the same as, say, a package holiday. I don't know of any such holiday company that will refund a deposit regardless of the period of notice or chances of reselling the holiday. I think you are in the minority on this one.
The fact that you havn't responded to my last posting, together with your statement "I don't want to debate whether it was or wasn't in their T&Cs" is rather telling.
I can certainly confirm SpampMan's assertion "I think you are in a minority on this one" !!
Try another topic.
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The fact that you havn't responded to my last posting, together with your statement "I don't want to debate whether it was or wasn't in their T&Cs" is rather telling.
Or could just mean I haven't been on the internet for a few days - I have a life! But to answer your question the non returnable bit wasn't clear - hidden in the small print and not highlighted as part of the online booking process until after I had made the payment.
I can’t side one way or the other with this, I have had to cancel bookings twice, once a few years ago owing to work commitments, and I could understand losing deposits, however the C&CC where very understanding.
This year I have been involved in a serious accident, and I am having to re-arrange a lovely long break we had all booked in and deposits paid up for, when I explained to the campsites I did expect there to be a modicum of understanding and there was nothing, I guess in this climate it really is a case of what you can get, but by the same reasoning I thought they would want customers to be happy.
It feels like when you do the right thing and book in or have to cancel in advance you get stepped on.
I think the fact that you have been allowed to re-book at an alternative date is reasonable.
Unfortunately I had to have an operation which led me unable to take our may holiday last year and also had to delay our summer break, on contacting both places to amend our arrangements. The park we had booked for the summer allowed us to change however no response from the latter. I was dissapointed I have to say and certainly wouldn't visit there again.
------------- Elaine
Easter Southerness
Jubilee TBA-
July - Blue Dolphin
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My view is that if you are making the deposit payment online, its pretty important to be told that it is non-refundable BEFORE you make your payment........you can then make the payment on the full understanding of the situation. Its your decison to book or not, with you then knowing the consequences if you did cancel. That is very fair to both parties.
I think the fact that you have been allowed to re-book at an alternative date is reasonable.
Absolutely agree, as it happens I should be able to book for next Easter so in a sense I haven't lost the deposit. I just felt with so much advance warning etc etc... and especially as I did let them know I had to cancel - as has been pointed out I could just have left them to it and left them no time to re book? Makes you wonder sometimes, but it's just not in my nature.