Summersville Lake Retreat In Wv - Don't Pay In Advance!

I am posting this out of frustration with this resort.

Do NOT PAY in advance here!

They make absolutely NO attempt to help you if you need to cancel for an emergency!!! They even rented our space to someone else for the MAJORITY of the time we had paid, and they still didn't refund ANY of our payment, nor did they offer to let us come and stay another time. They "double-dipped!"

We will NEVER go there!!!! A little goodwill could have gone a LONG way. There are too many other beautiful places to stay in this area. Not a happy camper here!!!!

 

From their website:


If you must cancel, you may choose between a rebooking or a 90% refund on cancellations made 30 days prior to date of reservation. On cancellations less than 30 days, you may receive either a rebooking or a 90% refund, ONLY IF RE-RENTED for your ENTIRE RESERVATION PERIOD. NO REFUNDS OR RE-BOOKINGS ON CANCELLATIONS OF 3 DAYS OR LESS.

When did you cancel your reservation?

 

And, not for nothing, but if you don't pay in advance, you don't have a reservation. So, what you're suggesting then is, if I want to camp there, I should call 3 days before driving from Syracuse to WV in hopes that they have a cancellation?

I get it. You had an emergency. Hope all is well with you and yours, sincerely.

You felt the campground should've worked with you. Maybe they should have.

BUT... Their policy is clearly stated on their website (which took me all of 17 seconds to locate), and (most likely) on the registration form or file or email that you read/signed/agreed to when registering. If you didn't agree to that policy, you probably shouldn't have stayed at that park.

EVERY campground I've stayed at has some policy like this. It is a business, and they must have policies in place to maintain that business. They can't pick and choose who they alter that policy for, lest they be charged with favoritism or worse. And when it comes to excuses, surely they've heard ALL of them.

Does it suck for you? Yup, sure does.

Should you go and blast the campground for following their stated and written policy word-for-word? Nope.

 

QUOTE(BoomerNY @ Sep 22 2014, 08:22 PM) [snapback]38403[/snapback]

And, not for nothing, but if you don't pay in advance, you don't have a reservation. So, what you're suggesting then is, if I want to camp there, I should call 3 days before driving from Syracuse to WV in hopes that they have a cancellation?

I get it. You had an emergency. Hope all is well with you and yours, sincerely.

You felt the campground should've worked with you. Maybe they should have.

BUT... Their policy is clearly stated on their website (which took me all of 17 seconds to locate), and (most likely) on the registration form or file or email that you read/signed/agreed to when registering. If you didn't agree to that policy, you probably shouldn't have stayed at that park.

EVERY campground I've stayed at has some policy like this. It is a business, and they must have policies in place to maintain that business. They can't pick and choose who they alter that policy for, lest they be charged with favoritism or worse. And when it comes to excuses, surely they've heard ALL of them.

Does it suck for you? Yup, sure does.

Should you go and blast the campground for following their stated and written policy word-for-word? Nope.

Pretty much the whuppin' they took over on RV.Net h34r:

 

And I'm sure we'll not hear another word from them...

 

It is always so nice when people become members just to blast a campground for sticking with the policy they have on their website. They may have had a true emergency but most CG's hear that story over and over and many times find out the people have just decided to stay in another CG.

 

There needs to be a requirement for posts like these. OP must give proof or verifiable detals of said emergency. If. Not, admin should post the email address of the rabble rouser so we can send them various money making opportunities from the land of Nigeria.

Just my opinion... I could be wrong.

:blink:

 

QUOTE(BoomerNY @ Sep 23 2014, 12:03 PM) [snapback]38409[/snapback]

There needs to be a requirement for posts like these. OP must give proof or verifiable detals of said emergency. If. Not, admin should post the email address of the rabble rouser so we can send them various money making opportunities from the land of Nigeria.

Just my opinion... I could be wrong.

:blink:



Let's cut the guy some slack - not hang him. He goofed up and should have known about their cancellation policy. Like many people who feel they have been wronged, they like to vent and forums are an easy and convenient way to do that.

He most likely will not return here. Why would he? No one paid any attention to his "plight" or gave him what he was looking for --- sympathy or understanding. He was pretty much "raked over the coals for being so stupid".

Why does he have to give verifiable details or proof of his emergency? It may have been genuine - we have no way of knowing and perhaps it is none of our business. Maybe it was some kind of personal family business that he does not want to share with forum members. He said it was an emergency so let's assume he is being truthful and accept it as credible. The next time one of us has a family emergency, I hope we don't have to prove to the whole world that we aren't lying.

While he made a mistake and should not feel ripped off, I don't think we need to tear the guy apart here on the forum.

 

My last comment was tongue-in-cheek, with a slight touch of hyperbole.

That said, if I had a true family emergency, probably the last item on my list of priorities would be to fire off multiple rants on various camping forums about the inconsiderate business policies of a campground.

For what its worth, I have "been there". Example: A couple years back, I had an appointment with a specialty medical practice. The night before my appointment, my father fell ill, and I had to leave urgently in the middle of the night. Missed my appointment the next day (called that morning to let them know). And yes, I was charged my copay per their stated policy. The last thing on my mind was to take to the interwebs to blast the doctor's office for not making an exception in my case.

 

QUOTE(BoomerNY @ Sep 23 2014, 06:18 PM) [snapback]38414[/snapback]

My last comment was tongue-in-cheek, with a slight touch of hyperbole.

That said, if I had a true family emergency, probably the last item on my list of priorities would be to fire off multiple rants on various camping forums about the inconsiderate business policies of a campground.

For what its worth, I have "been there". Example: A couple years back, I had an appointment with a specialty medical practice. The night before my appointment, my father fell ill, and I had to leave urgently in the middle of the night. Missed my appointment the next day (called that morning to let them know). And yes, I was charged my copay per their stated policy. The last thing on my mind was to take to the interwebs to blast the doctor's office for not making an exception in my case.




As I said, the guy made a mistake. Actually, he made two. The first was to get all hot and bothered about a cancellation policy he knew about - or should have known. The second was to vent on the internet/forum about this resort.

 

Wow... I had no idea people were so aggressive on here.

I made this post about the campground out of frustration because they had re-rented our space for 5 of the 7 days I had paid for. Our friends were able to go, so they saw others on our space. The campground said they had only rented it for 4 nights - but that's a moot point in this situation.

As they were "double-dipping" with getting paid for the space, an offer for us to come visit for a couple of nights when they have availability, or any other nice gesture would have been goodwill that would have gone a long way. Rather, they were quite nasty about the entire situation.

Apologies if I ticked several of you off by posting this to your forum. After seeing the responses here, I certainly won't share any other opinions.

Kind regards, Valerie

 

Aggressive? You blast a business for following their own stated policy. You're frustrated that you are out of money - but it's not the CG's fault you had an emergency. Everybody cancelling and wanting a refund against the stated policy will say it was an emergency.
I've had to cancel reservations twice in our TT adventures - one when my father died and one when my mother-in-law had emergency heart surgery. Lost money on both - didn't blame the CGs.

 

Other than my last comment (which the sarcasm was lost in translation, and probably not the most civil of tones), I didn't think I was being aggressive. I understand that frustrations lead to ranting and raving sometimes.

Upon posting a comment to a forum such as this, with people who are fairly well-traveled and familiar with the ins-and-outs of campground policies, I think one would have to expect opinions from both sides of the coin. Pointing out my disagreement with the point raised by the OP does not in and of itself make my position "aggressive". In fair context, the OP's tone and nature was extraordinarily aggressive. To be surprised and dismayed that others in the discussion would use the same level of emotion (lack of better term) in their response is a bit perplexing.

 

QUOTE(VWP @ Sep 23 2014, 08:35 PM) [snapback]38418[/snapback]

Wow... I had no idea people were so aggressive on here.

I made this post about the campground out of frustration because they had re-rented our space for 5 of the 7 days I had paid for. Our friends were able to go, so they saw others on our space. The campground said they had only rented it for 4 nights - but that's a moot point in this situation.

As they were "double-dipping" with getting paid for the space, an offer for us to come visit for a couple of nights when they have availability, or any other nice gesture would have been goodwill that would have gone a long way. Rather, they were quite nasty about the entire situation.

Apologies if I ticked several of you off by posting this to your forum. After seeing the responses here, I certainly won't share any other opinions.

Kind regards, Valerie


For them to be "double dipping", they would have to be completely full. If all they did was give a customer the site you were originally supposed to occupy instead of another site, that is not collecting double. My guess is like almost all parks, not every site is exactly equal, some are better than others and if the site you originally had reserved was better than someone else's and they got a slightly better site since you weren't coming that would be the right thing for the park to do.
And since you never arrived, how would you know which site was rented to who? My guess is you had a site reserved next to a friend and when you cancelled they put someone else into that site. Big whoop. That allowed one of two things. A fellow RVer got a better site than they had originally be scheduled to get, or a fellow RVer got a site instead of being sent down the road without a place to stay. Don't see how either of those two outcomes harmed you in any way.
If my guess as to how you know so much is wrong, the only other logical explanation is you actually went to that area and stayed in a different park. You tried the "emergency" excuse to get a refund from the Summersville Lake Retreat all the while staying nearby. That is the only other way you would know if and when a specific site in an RV park was rented. The way you handle things when you get feedback you don't like is interesting. Usually, sticking your fingers in your ears and running away is the response a 5 year old takes. Might explain why the park didn't spend a little more time explaining their policies.

 

QUOTE(kcmoedoe @ Sep 24 2014, 04:13 PM) [snapback]38436[/snapback]


For them to be "double dipping", they would have to be completely full. My guess is like almost all ............

And since you never arrived, how would you know which site was rented to who? My guess is you had a site reserved next to a friend ...........................

If my guess as to how you know so much is wrong, the only other logical explanation is you actually went to that area and stayed in a different park. ...................

Usually, sticking your fingers in your ears and running away is the response a 5 year old takes.



kcmoedoe

How nice of you to share with us what really happened between this couple and the RV park. I see that you've put your fine investigative skills to work and have laid out for us what actually transpired that fateful day -- an example of deductive reasoning at its best. Your outstanding detective work is on a par with that of Inspector Clouseau!

While the rest of us were merely speculating as to what might have occurred, you showed us what good guesswork is all about - not once but three times. You took us through this scenario step-by-step and when you were done, it all seemed so logical and clear. After you were finished with all of your guessing, your explanation of the events certainly left no doubt in my mind as to what this couple did that day. You know it's almost as if you were there witnessing the whole scene first hand.

You must be right - at least that's "my guess".

 

Having been in the lodging business for over a decade, I can tell you that our worst problem was last minute cancellations. We would be in a situation where we had an empty room and turned away many others who had called wanting to stay. Under those conditions, we charged the person who did not comply with the policy. They were usually PO'ed about it even with a great explanation. When you grandmother dies, you suffer the lost, not me. Sad to say, but that is the way it works because some people out there cheat about it and take advantage of you. Your chances with the credit card processors also goes way down unless you follow the policy each and every time. If the owner turned away folks based on your promise to come, then you are obligated to pay. They are running a business, not a hobby.

 

QUOTE(RTA @ Sep 25 2014, 10:30 AM) [snapback]38445[/snapback]

kcmoedoe

How nice of you to share with us what really happened between this couple and the RV park. I see that you've put your fine investigative skills to work and have laid out for us what actually transpired that fateful day -- an example of deductive reasoning at its best. Your outstanding detective work is on a par with that of Inspector Clouseau!

While the rest of us were merely speculating as to what might have occurred, you showed us what good guesswork is all about - not once but three times. You took us through this scenario step-by-step and when you were done, it all seemed so logical and clear. After you were finished with all of your guessing, your explanation of the events certainly left no doubt in my mind as to what this couple did that day. You know it's almost as if you were there witnessing the whole scene first hand.

You must be right - at least that's "my guess".


Let's see my first "guess" was that all the sites in the park were not equally nice. Considering I have never seen a instance where that was not true, it is a pretty safe guess.
As for my second and third guesses, what other ways would you know a specific site in an RV park was rented on a specific date other than someone told you or you saw it for yourself? Not exactly the stuff of rocket science.
You seem to be trying to deflect my main point, which is why is it any of the original poster's concern what happens to a site after they decide not to use it? It is likely the park didn't make some obscene extra profit, they probably just put a guest in site A instead of site B. I mean how often do you really see a park with absolutely no vacancies day after day? And even if they were completely full and accommodated another RVer, what harm is that to the original poster? Like Florida Native said, these parks are in business to make money. They can't take a financial hit every time something bad happens to guest. If you make a reservation and can't make the trip, that is your problem.

 

QUOTE(kcmoedoe @ Sep 25 2014, 06:50 PM) [snapback]38450[/snapback]

Let's see my first "guess" was that all the sites in the park were not equally nice. Considering I have never seen a instance where that was not true, it is a pretty safe guess.
As for my second and third guesses, what other ways would you know a specific site in an RV park was rented on a specific date other than someone told you or you saw it for yourself? Not exactly the stuff of rocket science.
You seem to be trying to deflect my main point, which is why is it any of the original poster's concern what happens to a site after they decide not to use it? It is likely the park didn't make some obscene extra profit, they probably just put a guest in site A instead of site B. I mean how often do you really see a park with absolutely no vacancies day after day? And even if they were completely full and accommodated another RVer, what harm is that to the original poster? Like Florida Native said, these parks are in business to make money. They can't take a financial hit every time something bad happens to guest. If you make a reservation and can't make the trip, that is your problem.




I'm not in disagreement with the way in which this couple was treated by the park. As I have repeatedly said, they made mistakes. Secondly, I am not trying to deflect your point - I fail to understand what you are trying to say -- supported only by a number of "best guesses".

What I don't understand is how someone who was never there to witness what went on, never seen the park, doesn't know what or how many sites were vacant, what the vacant sites were like and has no factual information to back up his statements, can claim to know what went on. Your post is based on pure speculation and "best guesses" - one of which you claim is a "safe guess". What exactly is a "safe" guess?

Until you have some verifiable evidence that what you say (or guess) actually happened, everything you say about what occurred is indefensible and based on speculation not facts. Make all the unsubstantiated assumptions you like - they are as credible as the couples' claim that they had "an emergency".

Having said that, I do agree with those, including yourself, who said the couple handled this whole thing badly and made a bad situation worse by posting their plight on this and other forums.

 

QUOTE(RTA @ Sep 25 2014, 08:18 PM) [snapback]38453[/snapback]

I'm not in disagreement with the way in which this couple was treated by the park. As I have repeatedly said, they made mistakes. Secondly, I am not trying to deflect your point - I fail to understand what you are trying to say -- supported only by a number of "best guesses".

What I don't understand is how someone who was never there to witness what went on, never seen the park, doesn't know what or how many sites were vacant, what the vacant sites were like and has no factual information to back up his statements, can claim to know what went on. Your post is based on pure speculation and "best guesses" - one of which you claim is a "safe guess". What exactly is a "safe" guess?

Until you have some verifiable evidence that what you say (or guess) actually happened, everything you say about what occurred is indefensible and based on speculation not facts. Make all the unsubstantiated assumptions you like - they are as credible as the couples' claim that they had "an emergency".

Having said that, I do agree with those, including yourself, who said the couple handled this whole thing badly and made a bad situation worse by posting their plight on this and other forums.

A "safe guess" is something that most assuredly did or will happen. It is a "safe guess" that the sun will rise in the east tomorrow. Is it a certainty? Not exactly, the sun could implode into a black hole in the next few hours, but it is doubtful. I really don't think there is too much speculation when I say they only have two ways to know the site were occupied by other rigs during the time they were supposed to be there. They either had to have someone at that park report that information to them (and that would almost certainly be someone they know, but I guess it is possible a complete stranger got their contact information by hacking into the campground's computer system and then used that information to relay occupancy reports to them.) or they saw it with their own eyes. (And that normally would take being in the area, though I guess we can't dismiss the possibility that the OP works for the NSA and redirected military spy planes over the park on a daily basis.) If they were in the area, that would be direct evidence that their claim of an emergency was untrue, no guesswork involved.
I suppose I could have not used the word "guess" since that apparently upsets some people and just said there was only two logical explanations why they would know the site was rented to someone else. Sorry my writing skills are not up to your standards.