Complaints with the Caravan & Motorhome Club
Does anyone here feel that they have ever got a fair resolution of a problem that they have had with the caravan club ? Anyone ever got a positive outcome . Waited almost a month for a reply to something regarding Freshwater East site and it feels like the original email wasn't even read . I knew it would be a waste of time writing . But before i leave the club to join ‘ the other side’ ....did anyone ever get a satisfactory outcome ? Anyone get a positive ending ?
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Have you had a reply to your email? Other than the automated one.
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Hi...thanks for your replies folks . Yes , literally a month later i got an email and it was honestly as if the person writing the email had not read the main point of the complaint . It didn't address the main issues at all. In any way shape or form . I have re sent an email asking again for the main points to be addressed . But sadly i am not holding any hope .
I will wait again. But really i am just wondering of anyone ever gets any satisfactory results here or is it just a case of ...if you dont like it just leave .
Has anyone ever been happy with a fair resolution? Thanks
The issue was Freshwater East site and some unfairness from the wardens there that was absolutely ridiculous :-(
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I got a positive result by phoning and complaining about a pricing error but that’s a little different to the nature of your issue, Giz.
You could try taking it to the top (Nick Lomas), as you now have two grounds for complaint - the original issue plus the way it’s been handled. I’m afraid the club, at all levels, isn’t great on communications.
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Thanks Tinwheeler. I am torn , as i know there are more important things in life . But i just wonder if i am the only one who feels mistreated. I do thank you for your thoughts and appreciate the time and trouble you took to reply. Will see if i get another response from my second email ( as i was well and truly fobbed off with the first) and possibly take it from there :-( . Thank you
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Cheers, Giz.
I know what you mean. You feel worn down by the effort of trying to elicit a response and wonder if it’s worth the effort. Then again, you realise they would like you to give up and go away and that can make you all the more determined to fight on.
Good luck.
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Aghh its the injustice. I knew when i wrote the first email i was never going to get anywhere .....the attitude of the email reply coming a month later confirmed it , the contents of the email were ridiculous. Yet what happened was so so unfair . And it is that unfairness and principles ( and that fact it ended up costing us an extra £84) that make me want to stay and fight .
Soon as our membership runs out this year , it wont be being renewed unless i at least get acknowledged for the original problem and not fobbed off .
Anyway ....enjoy your weekends folks . Nothing is worth getting upset over . Hope everyone has a lovely weekend anyway
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I know ...dont really want to go into it again as its upsetting , really unfair and i guess the club should have chance to try and respond again i guess. :-( Glad you are happy with them anyway . Hope you have a great weekend :-)
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Giz - your problem, as I see it, is no different to many people who receive poor service.
The trouble is, most get all het up and complain to everyone who will listen, but do nothing about it.
Others write a letter or similar, get a standard rebuff (it’s what most companies do to claims of compensation to start with) and then give up, after more chuntering.
Unfortunatly, these days if you want a genuine response, apology, compensation or whatever, you have to put in a little more effort. You shouldn’t need to, but many organisations find it easier to lose a customer than deal wih a complaint properly.
If you are looking for financial compensation or a refund or similar, you need to clearly set out your complaint and what you want and give a realistic timescale (2 weeks maybe - depends on complexity) for a reply.
If / when you get no satisfactory response, you write a ‘letter before action’. It sets out your complaint again, says that you will be taking legal action (probably the small claims court) and what evidence you will be relying on.
You will find plenty of advice on-line for this.
Most companies tend to give in at this point and get realistic about your complaint. Failing that, you take them to court.
Most people just can’t be bothered to write a couple of reasonably detailed letters. And that’s fine, if you are happy for the company to win and you are content to accept no compensation. You will, at least, be able to complain about it to anyone who will listen for many years to come.
In answer to your question, yes I got a fair resolution to a complaint against the Club. I believe that both parties felt that the settlement was fair and reasonable and that there were no lasting ill feelings.
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Thanks again for the posts above . I appreciate that you took time out of your weekend to help me and for your wise words.
Thank you . I will wait for a reply from this second email and then consider what you have all written above . Thank you .
i do agree about being willing to fight and not just moan and do nothing ....i can fight and have done before on another issue with another organisation ....just weighing it up . Trouble with me is i am very tenacious and even though it may cost me personally in court costs ...when i am making a point and want to be believed , i will go all the way ! Grrrrrr! I have to weigh that up with my stress levels though , ( already had one heart attack ) , suffer anxiety so need to guard against another .
thank you so much for your thoughts and kindness in replying everyone . It means a lot :-)
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Thank you . Your post is really helpful ! I agree. The customer service at the caravan club is bad compared to general industry standards . Thats putting it politely Deleted User User . I was shocked and disappointed at the response i received and it came literally so so long after i sent the first letter , i would be very surprised if the wardens in questions could remember the finer details.
Of course i am going to say this ,( as its my complaint ) but anywhere else and it would have been resolved within a week , with a refund and letter of apology ...its not even up for debate to be truthful ...we have loads of evidence etc , photographs all sorts . It was just an 11 th hour fob off not even addressing the original points . It was a joke .
Sorry ...i am sounding off again . In short i thank you for sharing your thoughts Deleted User User. Much appreciated :-)
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+1 spot on👍🏻
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I have written to the club several times and got perfectly good responses although on one occasion I had to send a second email but they weren't complaints as such. I find it very difficult to comment because we don't know the nature of the complaint. If it was to do with a Club site and money was involved I can only imagine that it could be damaged caused to your outfit or you decided to leave early and there was some question about getting a refund. However if it was the latter the rules are perfectly clear and understood by most. I don't think anyone can answer the original post without knowing more.
David
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I don't think we do need to know more, David, as the OP is asking if people get satisfactory responses from the club. He's not asking for advice on his particular issue.
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Only time we have had cause to complain about a Club Service, was over an insurance policy. It wasn’t what we had been lead to believe (trust me, we read the small print). So we cancelled it and will not consider using Club insurance again. We got exactly what was promised via the C&CC interestingly, despite not being members. So they have come up with the goods repeatedly year by year, and we have spent a lot of money with them.
Determination, without getting too stressed, and seeking advice if you need it. Factual and polite, coupled with tenacity, and dare I say, the mind set to be able to weigh up when enough is enough is the best approach.
If your complaint warrants it, and you are on absolute rock solid ground, then get press involved. Nothing helps resolve a complaint with a large customer service company faster than a hit in the reputation. But go through the other channels first, you have to be fair and honest.
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I have used the Money Saving Experts Resolver system in a complaint against BT. If you follow their guide you can use templates to inform the other party of your complaint and what action you intend to take. Having been fighting for nearly 2 years problem was solved within a few days of using MSE resolver
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IAN😃
I hope I find you well, X. (Britters)
Good advice too.
I complain always, some very large companys too, Fiat, Jaguar, Comet (now gone), Solicitors and others.
It is an art, and nearly always you have to include either the threat of legal action or a passage of the relevant and current legislation to imply knowledge.
You also have to be honest with yourself and decide if it really is a complaint worth persuing.
Michelle (Wife) is in retail management and some of the customer complaints she receives are not that real. She makes a judgement on the person giving the complaint rather than the actual complaint, so attitude is another important factor.
Too aggressive or blatantly playing the system and you will be dismissed out of hand.
I have complained to the club once, not really dealt with in a way you would expect a large organisation to do. Didn't get the impression of any organised procedures, but as said you make your own judgements and move forward.
I would expect from a CLUB some form of formal letter, not email, if not a direct answer but at least an exercise in PR.
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I have never complained to the club itself so have no experience of their efforts. One warden did say that the club tended to take the members side and he was not happy so may be things are not all that appears here.
The only time we had a real problem was with an assistant warden and the site warden gave us an extra free night to stop us complaining, so they must do something at HQ. I think there had been a few others complaining about the one involved and he just needed to keep the numbers down.
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Not had cause to complain about Club issues for a long time now but have complained about package holidays and the delay of a month is par for the course. Acknowledgment emails usually include "...legally we have 28 days to investigate..." Just keep pestering if its worth it. Good luck.
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Not had such an incident with the CMC, but the Wardens would be VERY aware that I intended to report their dealings to the Head Office if I ever felt unfairly treated...if only to give the Warden the chance to put things right at the time.Nothing worse than not saying how you feel at the time, but complaining later.
Left the Camping & Caravanning Club many moons ago for an Ignored booking for 2 Frame Tents at Milorrochy Bay on Loch Lomond, yes the site was full and we had been driving all day...to find NO pitches reserved for us..The Warden just said go and find somewhere on the site..so we did..the onsite caravan storage area..which was the only space where 2 frame tents could pitch together. The Warden Was NOT a happy man when he was told where we had pitched (by worried weekender caravan owners)
But I refused to move either tent..and told him if he didnt like it..to call the police to move us. Yes I WAS angry..in the end we had a good holiday there. But left the C&C C. ps it WAS 30 years ago. Ha Ha.
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Once again thank you for sharing your thoughts advice and experiences folks. I do appreciate them all. Very kind of you . Will wait for reply from second email ...then take it from there . If i get no where i will cancel my annual subscription and tell them why .
Maybe its the kick i need to try more sites not part of the caravan club now . Time to spread our wings. But i will fight a bit more first on principle and due to the overwhelming evidence we have !
( we are not serial complainers and have been members for 7 yrs now ) . But this straw will break this camels back !
Just wanted to thank you again . 😊 thanks
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I have been a member since age 28, now 66 but did have a few years out. 55 nights out of 105 on tours are CC this year but others are available, I will have an additional 15 nights in December on a CC site as it is far and away the best option for where we wish to be
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That's quite a valid point, regarding trying more sites.
I left some years ago because of the start of price increases, our regular CMC York site became silly, so took a seasonal pitch round the corner.
You do become regimented in choosing CMC sites because "I'm a member" mentality.
We only came back because of our February holiday, Michelle wasn't upto travelling too far, and there isnt a great deal of choice that time of year, so Sandringham CMC site fitted the bill, upto that we have had some fine holidays on various commercial sites all over England and Wales.
But I will say, be sure of your complaint being legitimate, only you know the details, the CMC in our favour does have a good booking procedure, re chopping and changing, cancelling, no deposits, so be sure cancelling is the right thing.
Good luck.
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Thanks for your words again 😊
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