Poor quality pitch at holiday park (1 Viewer)

May 29, 2014
6
1
North Norfolk
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31,710
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5 berth coachbuilt
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Complete novice.
Hi all, I would appreciate your views on whether I did the right thing by writing to a large holiday park following a one-night stay on a less than satisfactory pitch in my newly acquired motorhome. I have had four separate weekend stays at another site where the pitch conditions are excellent, each time on a different pitch. I have copied my letter here. The reply I received never included a word of apology although I thought my letter was polite and to the point. The reply was that I should have complained to reception but, for me, this would have completely spoiled our first visit to this holiday park from outset and the problem manifested itself as the day went on, not right from the start.
Dear Vauxhall representative,
I am writing regarding my stay with you last weekend. This was my first visit to your holiday park and was, mostly, a very enjoyable experience. I was accompanied by my daughter and her two young sons aged 3 and 4. The downside of our visit was the appalling state of the pitch on which you placed us. This was supposedly a 'super pitch' and had all the facilities that we expected but the condition of the ground was totally unacceptable. We paid for a large site to give the boys room to play outside in a fairly safe, enclosed space but immediately outside of the motorhome door the area (where awnings have been erected in the past) was totally devoid of any grass at all. It was a really large patch of bone dry, dusty earth which clung to our clothes and footwear and was kicked up every time we stood on it. The boys' feet were filthy as they wore crocs most of the time and the inside of my motorhome became covered with a dusty film for the extent of our stay. There was a smaller but similar dry area where, presumably, cars have been parked alongside this dry area. We had to sit around the edge of these dusty patches to eat our meals and once the boys had walked across them we could actually taste and sense the dust in our mouths.
I do appreciate that awnings and groundsheets do have a detrimental effect to the ground on which they are placed but walking around the holiday park I did not see another pitch in the same condition as the one you allocated to me. It is with regret that I have to bring this to your attention as we all enjoyed our short stay with you and would like to visit again sometime but unless I can be convinced that our surroundings would be of a much higher, pleasanter standard then, sadly, I would think long and hard before rebooking with your holiday park.
I would appreciate your comments at your earliest convenience.


Have any of you had cause to complain about the condition of a site and what did you do about it please? The reply I was given is that it is a perennial problem and I should have covered it with an awning to alleviate the problem.
 
Feb 24, 2013
12,991
101,170
Bolsover, Derbyshire
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24,833
MH
Hymer S800
Exp
not long enough
I am with the site on this, at least in the part that you should have made your feelings clear before leaving

Particularly if there were other pitches you could have moved to

That said, it is really poor on their part to give you a poor pitch, even if only for one night, if better were free

But it would have done no harm to start their reply 'sorry you were disappointed'

We stayed at the Ayr Haven site with a caravan, given a god awful pitch, told them so, no alternative, but with a heavy lean they moved us to a static inside the park for our three night stay

David
 

sdc77

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Jan 28, 2013
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I think we have found that almost every time we have stayed on a holiday park touring pitch (usually to meet up with family) We have been dissapointed.. In fact we expect them to be pretty poor now.. Esp some of the bigger names.
I know I know.. Why stop there... ....

I also appreciate lots are good.. Waldegraves is an example of good one f ex

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TheBig1

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Nov 27, 2011
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many many years! since I was a kid
there is little to no point in writing to these faceless emotionless organisations after the event. reject a poor quality pitch immediately and it wont taint your enjoyment of your trip away. unfortunately it appears that you have been disappointed and carried that feeling home with you.

best advice is vote with your feet (wheels) and never spend money with the site again. after many many years of motorhoming. we have a blacklist of a few sites that we wont return to. however we tend to seek out the family run sites as they are generally cleaner with better facilities. if you are looking for an all inclusive holiday camp, then you will need to lower your standards i am afraid. they tend to be dirty crowded and noisy

what ever you chose though, dont forget to have fun and enjoy your van
 

irnbru

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Jun 27, 2013
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We went to a large site a few weeks ago and when we arrived at our pitch it we found it wasn't acceptable to us. We returned to the office, explained why it wasnt acceptable and asked to be either moved or refunded so we could go elsewhere. After several minutes on the pc we were allocated a new pitch.
To me its like going for a meal, eating it then complaining....NO GOOD. You must complain at the time so you are giving the company a chance to rectify the issue.
 

Scout

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Apr 4, 2009
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put a matt down or complain at the time and ask to move, or ask for a refund and leave

simples

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scotjimland

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Jul 25, 2007
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During a hot dry busy spell , pitches get worn.. that's a fact of life.. by the end of a busy summer season, little or no grass may be left.. unless sites let pitches recover, which means lost revenue, .. it can't be avoided..

Go to southern Spain and you will rarely find grass on a pitch.. just dirt or sand is the norm.

I've always taken a large groundsheet for pitches like that.. if you arrive on site and don't have one, pop down to a builders merchants or garden centre and buy a cheap plastic tarp.. use ground sheet pegs to keep it in place.

On Spanish sites, especially along the Med Coast, it is common practice to sheet out the whole pitch in plastic..
 

Debs

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Jun 9, 2014
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Yep I agree, you really needed talk to the site at the time.

Many years ago we were booked on Pinewoods in Wells-wheres-the-sea and there was some sort of electric box (not hook up point) on the pitch that we couldn't avoid being INSIDE the awning.

They knew we had booked for an awning and I think even the van size - went straight to reception and insisted they came to look at the pitch. The caravan was still hitched to the car.

We were moved to a super pitch at no extra cost. No shouting or scenes, just a firm insistence that they sort it. Probably helped that we were blocking the service road tho :whistle:
 

Tootles

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And yet..........
We booked three nights at the CC site at Southport, where we were meeting up with friends from the Midlands. We found two adjacent (nice) pitches, and all was great until 0700 the next morning. I awoke to a heavy engine noise, with the 'peep peep peep' of a reversing bleeper. looking out, I could see a very large road roller being unloaded from a lorry, about three feet from our van, a bit disconcerting. The noise got worse. At 0900, I was into the office, to be told that a large amount of new tarmac was being laid near to us. I complained, to a shrug of the shoulders from the wardens, even though I asked the question 'If this was planned work, why did you not cone off the involved pitches'?
We went out, (couldn't move if we had wanted to), returning after lunch, to find a huge mound of hot tarmac had engulfed our tow hitch and front end, (tugging days), with tarmac splashed over the van. More complaints, more shrugs, so we cleaned off the best we could, and left.
I complained by email to the CC, and sent them the pictures. Within half an hour, they phoned me at home. The upshot was, a free two week 'pass' to any CC site in the country, and a cheque for £300 to have the van professionally cleaned, and any minor paint damage rectified, plus a very nice letter of apology.

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Janine

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Aug 22, 2007
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On our 2-week tour of Cornwall last year, there were only 2 sites that we didn't like. Both were large sites with static caravans and lots of 'facilities' but near towns that we wanted to visit.

On one occasion we just upped and left (we'd only paid £27 for 3 nights) because it was so horrid - dirty site, dirty showers and loos (photos sent to head office but they weren't interested) - and the other one we asked to change pitch as it sloped so much we couldn't get level.

Lesson learned.
 

Debs

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Jun 9, 2014
6,277
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West Notts
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And yet..........
We booked three nights at the CC site at Southport, where we were meeting up with friends from the Midlands. We found two adjacent (nice) pitches, and all was great until 0700 the next morning. I awoke to a heavy engine noise, with the 'peep peep peep' of a reversing bleeper. looking out, I could see a very large road roller being unloaded from a lorry, about three feet from our van, a bit disconcerting. The noise got worse. At 0900, I was into the office, to be told that a large amount of new tarmac was being laid near to us. I complained, to a shrug of the shoulders from the wardens, even though I asked the question 'If this was planned work, why did you not cone off the involved pitches'?
We went out, (couldn't move if we had wanted to), returning after lunch, to find a huge mound of hot tarmac had engulfed our tow hitch and front end, (tugging days), with tarmac splashed over the van. More complaints, more shrugs, so we cleaned off the best we could, and left.
I complained by email to the CC, and sent them the pictures. Within half an hour, they phoned me at home. The upshot was, a free two week 'pass' to any CC site in the country, and a cheque for £300 to have the van professionally cleaned, and any minor paint damage rectified, plus a very nice letter of apology.

Wow glad to hear they sorted it for you but not surprised at the wardens response. Although some are very nice there are some who perhaps should be in other jobs - one of the reasons we started using cls and cs's.
Probably a whole new thread - I know it's been discussed on the cc forum....
 

Allanm

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Jun 30, 2013
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We've had unsatisfactory experiences on sites around the UK when we used to tug sheds around as well as with earlier motorhomes.
We always complained at the time, but some ( most) sites had nothing better.
Gradually, we stopped using campsites in the UK, preferring well researched CL and CS sites, but now, we don't really bother and spend all our holidays abroad where facilities and attitudes are much better.
If everybody complained as soon as they saw the sub standard pitches, owners would soon get the message that they need to get their acts together and provide decent facilities for everyone.
Maybe its just the British business way. Many companies pay out as little as possible and charge as much as possible.

Allan

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jhorsf

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May 15, 2009
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I was once on a site and as got out of the van at the pitch they sent me to the smell was something else.I went to complain and was told "oh we have a bit of a problem with the sewer at that end of the site" as if that made it ok !. I moved pitch to another end of the site but several people seemed to be putting up with it.I would not have put up with it and moved to another site with a refund if no other alternative"non stinking" pitch was available.From talking to others on the site it was clear they had this problem for a long time it was not something new.
 

jhorsf

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A pet hate of mine is when the site info says level pitches and they are like the side of a mountain
 
Oct 1, 2013
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The only sure way is to nuke them from orbit :)

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Tootles

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Found this picture of the Police on holiday.

Nothing to do with crap pitches really, but I bet if you turned up in that you would get a nice spot, with maybe an arresting view?
police.jpg
:cooler:
 

deniserobson1

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Oct 1, 2009
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we stayed on a haven site once where they had to put pallets down the ground was so muddy! On arrival at reception we were told there would be no refunds if we decided not to park up, pitch was not fit for purpose. despite complaining no apology received so like many have suggested we no longer patronise these sites and would not recommend them to others
 
Jun 30, 2010
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Burnham on sea Haven site we were put on a site that had drains water etc, the smell was horrendous we couldn't even sit outside our /M/H We complained, Oh its the "Touring Wardens" days off, We left!
Next time we went the "touring warden" gave us a pitch that was thread bare we took a look and said no, he gave us another pitch, the Neighbours were A/Holes we said we wanted another pitch, "All Pitches are booked "he said I went to the office, demanded to speak to the big boss, SORTED! When you leave you are asked to fill in a "How did we do?" If you put it in the box outside the "touring wardens" cubby hole it gets lost, we put ours into reception, actually asked to see the Manager, and handed it to him personally, we have also placed a comment on tripadvisor, sincerely hope the "touring warden" has lost his job!

If you ain't happy, tell them, not the mini management! the head honcho! only way to go!
 
Jun 30, 2010
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Devon cliffs is the best Haven Site, absolutely immaculate, all hard standings, a bit hilly to walk back up from the shop/bus, every pitch serviced

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Puddleduck

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Jan 15, 2014
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we stayed on a haven site once where they had to put pallets down the ground was so muddy! On arrival at reception we were told there would be no refunds if we decided not to park up, pitch was not fit for purpose. despite complaining no apology received so like many have suggested we no longer patronise these sites and would not recommend them to others

Had the second worst holiday of my life at Haven Mablethorpe in a static. We were the only static not hired by a teenager's football club that week. Haven gave us the static in the middle so all around there were kids screaming and shouting and kicking balls around at all times of the night - until the early hours. We had children under-5 at the time and they were constantly being woken up and as a result were very grumpy. We complained several times and a manager would come round and have words - all would be quiet for 10 minutes and then the noise would start again. After three nights we'd had enough, left and went home.

We were given vouchers for a week's free stay for two adults at one of their adult-only hotels during the off season but having young children could not use them and it was that or nothing ..... we gave the vouchers away.

I realise that the bad behaviour wasn't Haven's fault but it ruined our holiday and once we'd made a complaint we were then targeted by a section of the football club for special attention.

I'd never stay at a Haven site again.

Mablethorpe does have a glorious beach from what I remember!
 
OP
OP
T
May 29, 2014
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1
North Norfolk
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5 berth coachbuilt
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Complete novice.
Thank you to everyone who has commented and told their own stories. It will certainly give me confidence to speak up if I am dissatisfied with a pitch in the future. I think I have been spoiled having stayed at Searles, Hunstanton on four separate occasions and been allocated superbly kept pitches and facilities each time. I won't be going back to Vauxhall holiday park near Gt Yarmouth because the response to my letter lacked a plausible explanation, given that it was so early in the season and the hot, dry weather hasn't got going yet and no word of apology. Searles have had exactly the same weather conditions yet seem to manage their site much better but I will be packing a groundsheet in future - just in case.

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