Yes, I know, this is an issue previously debated and the general comments in answer were that RV Resort should or should not have to provide Internet facilities. It is several years that I am spending my winter in Florida, in a resort, the campground is not bed a little up in cost per month but promoting several facilities (i.e. swimming pool , tennis, camp for children, SPA and internet). Almost every thing is in line with the facilities advertised except for the internet which is provided upon payment but always available at the reception and at some sides of the resort. My question is, is the company making an improper advertising promoting internet facilities without specifying that it is not available at every site ? Making an analysis of this issue, I am bivalent in interpreting the internet promotion since, yes it is there but not reachable from your RV site. Is this a misleading promotion or ??? Your opinion would be greatly appreciated
A lot would depend on exactly what the park's advertisement says. If it says wi-fi is available at all sites and it is not, then their advertisement is misleading. If their advertisement just says wi-fi available, and it is available in some form (for payment, able to connect only in certain areas, available at only certain times, available for only a certain amount of minutes, etc.) then in my opinion that is not misleading because it is, in fact, available, and the park has made no further claim about where or when it is available.
QUOTE(Galli @ May 15 2013, 03:28 PM) [snapback]33436[/snapback] Yes, I know, this is an issue previously debated and the general comments in answer were that RV Resort should or should not have to provide Internet facilities. It is several years that I am spending my winter in Florida, in a resort, the campground is not bed a little up in cost per month but promoting several facilities (i.e. swimming pool , tennis, camp for children, SPA and internet). Almost every thing is in line with the facilities advertised except for the internet which is provided upon payment but always available at the reception and at some sides of the resort. My question is, is the company making an improper advertising promoting internet facilities without specifying that it is not available at every site ? Making an analysis of this issue, I am bivalent in interpreting the internet promotion since, yes it is there but not reachable from your RV site. Is this a misleading promotion or ??? Your opinion would be greatly appreciated The internet is important to us and I'm going to contradict that statement some. I always call and ask if the internet works in ALL sites. I have found most park operators to be honest and tell me how it really is. Yet we camped up on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. A wonderful campgound with no internet and no cell phones. We stayed a week and thoroughly enjoyed it. We all want to receive what we are told we are going to receive. The internet can be a funky thing and work fine for two years and then the week we are there, be horrible. The best advice is to ask and if it works, great if not we will be moving on sooner or later. If I can get away with it, I like to pay for one night. If everything works, we stay. IF not we move on. I always have an alternative RV Park on my approach charts.
If the internet is that important, why not get a Mi-Fi and subscribe to Verizon wireless. I did, cause the internet is important to me and have not regretted the decision to do the aforementioned 3 years ago.
But the original question was: Is it misleading to say you have internet if it is not available at all sites?
QUOTE(Texasrvers @ May 15 2013, 04:09 PM) [snapback]33440[/snapback] But the original question was: Is it misleading to say you have internet if it is not available at all sites? I think you gave the most appropriate answer. Depends on how they advertise the service. If all they say is that is available then all is necessary for it to meet the ad is to have "It available" as you mentioned. Without knowing the exact wording of their advertisement your answer is the most appropriate.
You also have to take the terminology into consideration. If they just say "internet available", this could be a couple of outdated computers in the clubhouse, but "wi-fi" availabe, means it should be available in a least a few sites.
QUOTE(Fitzjohnfan @ May 15 2013, 08:05 PM) [snapback]33442[/snapback] "wi-fi" availabe, means it should be available in a least a few sites. You would hope, but "available" could also mean you have to take your computer to the office or clubhouse or the outhouse by the big tree in order to get a signal.
This is just an extension of the lengthy thread on this forum relating to wifi. My personal view is that CG owners do themselves a disservice by over-promising about their internet access. Advertising that internet is available at all sites but not delivering, is, IMHO, no worse than advertising that you have internet yet what is available is, at best, marginal service. When CG owners jump on the bandwagon and advertise as a "plus" something that is barely worth a "minus" they may be worse off with their customers than if they didn't have or advertise it at all.
Bad WiFi reception in my number one gripe. Some people just down right lie about it. Many don't have a clue about how it works or what it means to campers. I bought an all weather, omnidirectional antenna and that makes things much better, but we still have problems. If they lie to me, then they get a bad score. MiFi is self paid and WiFi is normally free. (or figured into the cost of site). We will quiz them on the phone before we get there and I have a hand held WiFi detector to check it out before we unhook. There also Smartphone apps to check WiFi bars.
Many times at CG's the problem is not seeing the wifi access point but having enough power to transmit back to it. Many people report that this problem is actually worse with newer laptops in which manufacturers have sacrificed wifi power in return for longer battery life. A better antenna can help somewhat, but what is really needed is increased transmit power. Specialized routers with "Wi-Fi as WAN" capability are produced by companies such as WiFiRanger and Cradlepoint. Coupled with external antennas and transmit power in excess of 500 mW they are capable of connecting with almost any wifi situation they encounter. Recently we were at a CG at which the manager told us "you'll never connect to the wifi at your site." Well, we had no problem which was nice since this was in Death Valley where we had no cell phone service and some connectivity was better than none at all. All it takes is the right hardware.
I'm finding that more and more CGs are upgrading their wifi systems. Although we use a MIFI, we will check out the CG's WIFI and if its decent we will use it. But if a camp site says it has free WIFI I would assume it to be available throughout the CG
QUOTE(B. Kidd @ May 15 2013, 04:05 PM) [snapback]33439[/snapback] If the internet is that important, why not get a Mi-Fi and subscribe to Verizon wireless. I did, cause the internet is important to me and have not regretted the decision to do the aforementioned 3 years ago. Well, you have to understand that, not only Americans enjoy your campsites , I am Canadian and we don't have such facilities :angry: , well, let me correct myself, we could have it but at an exorbitant cost. In Canada, at least, from my part of Canada, we have two provides (i.e. Bell Telephone and Roger) and because of that they do what they want h34r: . If you do have any good suggestion, please let me have it .
It seems most RV parks say wifi. They don't say whether it's available at site or not. Usually it is but sometimes like where we are now you have to be close to the office and I feel this is misleading. It should be stated as such. I have my computer tethered to the iphone for such instances.
