CLOSED - Your bookings are not safe

It was Blackknowl CC site at Brockenhurst.

I booked in February and booking was cancelled less than 48 hours before arrival!  I was due with my caravan on the 31st March and the holiday was cancelled 4.30pm on the 29th March. Not even the Easter Weekend! It was purposely book after Easter to avoid crowds etc.

I did not realise it was so far back in time and thought it was for the forthcoming bank holiday.  Is there a reason why you have left it so long before raising this thread?

Vivien raised the issue straightaway, some of us thought there had been flooding problems at the site but this wasn't the case and the response from the CC to Vivien has been slow and vague. Luckily she got a CL pitch in the area so she could visit her solo friends on the site. This was down to her own last minute efforts and could easily have ended with no holiday at all.

All members should be aware of the T's & C's to which they and CC Ltd sign up so it is well worth reading them.  

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/uk-holidays/club-sites/important-booking-information/uk-sites-bookings-terms-and-conditions

As per the T & Cs;

9.1  If we fail to comply with these Booking Terms, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breach of these Booking Terms or our negligence, but we are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. Loss or damage is foreseeable if they were an obvious consequence of our breach or if they were contemplated by you and us at the time we entered into the Contract.

It was Blackknowl CC site at Brockenhurst.

I booked in February and booking was cancelled less than 48 hours before arrival!  I was due with my caravan on the 31st March and the holiday was cancelled 4.30pm on the 29th March. Not even the Easter Weekend! It was purposely book after Easter to avoid crowds etc.

I did not realise it was so far back in time and thought it was for the forthcoming bank holiday.  Is there a reason why you have left it so long before raising this thread?

Write your comments here...I raised the problem on the 30th March, wot rote acomplaint on 4 th April, I only received a reply fron the Divisional manager Friday 22.04.16

It was Blackknowl CC site at Brockenhurst.

I booked in February and booking was cancelled less than 48 hours before arrival!  I was due with my caravan on the 31st March and the holiday was cancelled 4.30pm on the 29th March. Not even the Easter Weekend! It was purposely book after Easter to avoid crowds etc.

I did not realise it was so far back in time and thought it was for the forthcoming bank holiday.  Is there a reason why you have left it so long before raising this thread?

Write your comments here...I raised the problem on the 30th March, wot rote acomplaint on 4 th April, I only received a reply fron the Divisional manager Friday 22.04.16

I thought that they were supposed to reply back within 5 working days and not 10 or more days?

All members should be aware of the T's & C's to which they and CC Ltd sign up so it is well worth reading them.  

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/uk-holidays/club-sites/important-booking-information/uk-sites-bookings-terms-and-conditions

As per the T & Cs;

9.1  If we fail to comply with these Booking Terms, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breach of these Booking Terms or our negligence, but we are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. Loss or damage is foreseeable if they were an obvious consequence of our breach or if they were contemplated by you and us at the time we entered into the Contract.

Write your comments here... Best bit! Within 35 minutes of the office being open after my phone call at 4.30pm by 9.05 the following day it showed 3 vacant pitches!

During my trips twice a day to the site, there were empty pitches!

People that had booked the week before and for the same duration had holidays honoured!

This is a copy of my original post to the CC

From: solos1@virginmedia.com
Sent: 04 April 2016 17:34:08
To: UK Sites Booking Service ; "UKSitesBookingServices@cavanclub.co.uk" 
Subject: For the Attention of the Sites Booking Manager


Re Cancellation of booking at Black Knowl CC site Cancellation Number 0006328400

After speaking to two members of staff within the Caravan Club Headquarters at East Ginstead, I was asked to right a formal written letter of complaint.

I will start! I am one of the founders of Solos within the Caravan Club, ensuring single people can still enjoy caravanning within the Caravan Club after they have either been bereaved or divorced.
Solos has ensured that approx 450 people can still carry on and enjoy their times away on site.

It was arranged that a 'Meet' be held from the 21st of April till the 4th of May 2016. The dates are clearly advertised in the Solos section of the Caravan Clubs forum, Club Together.
This advertising of dates had 7 people book into the Black Knowl site. I myself booked in on the 27th of February.

As time approached, Solos arranged a BBQ for the Saturday evening as it was my Birthday, plus trips out, this was also to welcome new Solos into the world of caravanning alone.

29th of March at 4.30pm I received a phone call from a lady warden telling me the hard standing pitches were flooded, so my holiday at Black Knowl site was cancelled! I explained that I had NEW Solos, which was their first trip out, they would be on their own, which would be daunting. The warden had no compassion and said it was not her problem, but would let them know I was not attending the site. I was then told to try ringing the New Forest site to see if they could book me in there.
I was not pleased at all about the wardens attitude, nor the fact my stay had been cancelled.
What the warden was not aware of, was a friend was already on site and told be there was one pitch with a puddle, but no more than that!

30th of March 9.05am I rang the Caravan Club Headquarters and spoke to a gent with a South African accent, who could not understand why my booking had been cancelled, as the site was actually showing 3 vacant pitches on his computer. He also spoke to his Manager, and both suggested I sent in a formal letter of complaint. It was also suggested that my booking should be reinstated, but thought best not, as the wardens would recognise my name. It was also confirmed that the grass pitches were not available and that I should have been on hard standing due to the time of year.
I was left to sorce another site, which I managed to get into a CL on Silver Street in Sway, eight miles away.

31st of March at 12.15am I visited the Black Knowl site, I found caravans and motor homes being fast checked in, to avoid the road from being blocked. If the pitches were flooded, why so many booking in?
I walked the site, yes! There were grass pitches covered in fleece at the top of the site, but NO hard standing pitches were flooded, not alone wet! For the last two days there had been bright sunshine.
I returned later at 5.30pm, just shortly after the Chip and Fish van had arrived. Standing in the queue, a lady in a caravan stopped as they were leaving to return the key etc as they left. This was at approx. 5.50pm, yet I was stood under a sign attached to the front of the office stating you must be off your pitch by 11.30am.
Whilst in the queue, I spoke to several people, three present stated they had only booked the week before, they had not been contacted, they were families!
Before leaving at 7pm I walked the site again and found the site full except one hard standing pitch.

1st of April I again made two visits to the site, once at 10am, where there were empty pitches and again at 4pm. Again there were people leaving way over the 11.30am deadline.
Again, but this time two empty pitches.

2nd of April I arrived at 11.30am, there were empty pitches as I walked to collect a friend for my Birthday meal out! This had changed from the BBQ that had been arranged for the evening, as I am night blind and have to leave before it gets dark at 7.30pm.
On return to the site, it seemed full, and YES! People were still booking out, but this time at 7.30pm. I followed a motor home or the site on his way home!

3rd of April, in the morning people were leaving the site leaving empty pitches. One Solos asked if they could stay on, but we're told there was no pitches available. He left the site as planned.
Last night, the site was full, with one person on a grass pitch!

In between me travelling 8 miles each way on average twice a day, to and fro from the only CL I could get a pitch in local to Brockenhurst. I was asked via the Caravan Club Headquarters to contact them. This was on Friday, I spoke to a member of CC Staff known as Rosies2.

Again, it was stated that no reason should my booking have been cancelled. The Caravan Club works on a last booked in is the first cancelled if applicable.
As I had booked over a month in advance, others on site that booked the week before arriving should have been contacted and cancelled.
It was also mentioned that considering I was part of a Group, that promotes Solos caravanning in the Caravan Club once they are alone, then my booking should have been honoured, as people were expecting me to be present as I was the organiser of this Meet.
It was also agreed that Black Knowl is not one of the sites troubled with flooding of any kind. Apologies were received but this does not change the fact my holiday was ruined.
I agreed to send this report and letter of Formal Complaint on my return home. Which I have duly done.

Why has the cancellation made me angry?
I know the forest extremely well, I lived there as a child. I know natural pools can form when the weather is inclement, however, water can disappear just as quick.
I went to the ford at Brockenhurst, this is a good indication to how much water has fallen. At 12pm on the 31st of March, the ford was bone dry. I asked a local trader, he said there was about an inch flowing in the ford over Easter, that's all! In two days it had dried up.
It was my Birthday, which had celebrations planned, these were not allowed to happen as I had to constantly drive between the CL and the site, plus the BBQ was cancelled as I had to leave early due to being night blind.
I felt extremely obliged to be on the Black Knowl site, to help recently widowed Solos into the world of holidaying on their own. I did help the best I could commuting and spending as much time as I could sorting a few problems out, plus comforting one person who was overcome by being alone.

So, what with being told my stay was cancelled hours before I was due to arrive, due to flooded hard standing pitches, which clearly there was NOT. Plus having a Black Mark put against my name as I hadn't gave 72 hours notice... Emm? It was not me who cancelled.

Me, having to find a site local at last minutes notice, only to be told by the Caravan Club staff that the last booked in should have been cancelled not my pitch. Then me having to travel 8miles each way to the site each day, to make sure the other Solos were OK! This has taken a toll on my fuel allowance that I put aside as I live on a small pension. Yes! I am out of pocket!

Having a Birthday Celebration with friends ruined. And my social life made no existent.

Last is the fact that a nice relaxing weekend away with friends before my operation on Wednesday turned into a frantic rush all the time, trying to please people from afar after being told lies and having my booking cancelled. My health is not the best at anyway, but now I feel exhausted and very angry!

I do hope you can see your way, in to sorting this mess out that has been created by yourselves.
I have been with the Caravan Club for many years, yet this is the first time I have been let down, lied too and I am very disappointed indeed.

I await your reply,

Yours sincerely,

Vivien Blackmore
solos1@virginmedia.com

Moderator edit: Membership number removed

Vivien

When you arrange a "Solos" meeting on a Club site do you usually inform the site in advance? I appreciate that it would mean that you would be put together but I just wonder if there would be any value in doing so? 

Whilst I can understand that from time to time sites may have to cancel bookings because of unforeseen events the only basis on which that decision should be made is on a last booked first to be cancelled basis. Not only you, but the rest of us as well, deserve a proper explantion as to why this might be different.  

David

David, Solos makes a point of not bulk booking etc, as that way people  can pick and choose their pitches as normal. However, this may be a choice in further, but never had a problem in the past. It does make me wonder what would have happened if we had bulk booked??  6 booked people without a holiday??

I know I found after an hour of continuous phoning of sites, a very nice CL which had just one vacant pitch for the duration of original planned stay. I had rang both Caravan Club and Camping and Caravan Club sites and CL's, CS's but all booked up way in advance, not last minute dot com, like me!

All other organisations, clubs/rallies etc, tend to 'block book' so this situation doesn't arise.....perhaps the CC doesn't allow this?

Write your comments here...apparently they don't make a habit of it!  Although I have noticed another singles group at Christmas were hearded on a part of the site, right on the edge of the site away from everyone else, with some very tight pitches.

Vivien can I suggest you edit your post and remove personal details or if too late for that get a mod to do it as your personal life is now open to the whole world.