A Common Dilemma? Speak up, Put up or Shut up?
We've just returned from a short CL stay in our small motorhome over the New Year in Devon. For reasons that'll become obvious as you read on I'd rather not say precisely where. The site was really lovely, the owner very welcoming but the facilities were dire. However, it just didn't seem right to accost the owner and complain and there was so much to complain about. Who wants to start or end a stay on a really sour note? So we just made the best of it. Apart from the CL facilities the break was otherwise wonderful.
The signs at the entrance were either non-existent or so faded as to amount to the same thing. That continued into the farmyard where there was no indication for where to register on arrival and the faded, often unreadable, signs continued throughout the site. From the, finally discovered, reception a fair to good drive lead gently up across a small bridge to the site of 5 hardstanding pitches, beautifully spaced and arranged, all with electric hook-ups and nearby water. The bridge, however, was unlit by any means at all at night and a walk back to the facitlities shower block became a perilous expedition into the unknown; miss the bridge and you were into the gently flowing stream; a place where a torch of any sort was an absolute essential. Within the shower block the water was turned off in the ladies shower and toliet and had to be turned on each time from another room, the chemical waste disposal section. Apparently they were "waiting on the arrival of the plumber". The small electric hot water heaters over the basins in both the ladies and gents were "out of order" and looked like they had both been like this for in excess of 6 months. There was an unlit small step up into both the ladies and gents that was so easy to trip over if, in haste or any other time, you forgot it was there in the dark, which at this time of year is 14 of the 24 hours. The showers, which did work quite well on a coin operated meter, had a master switch in the wash room section with a notice by the switch which read, very helpfully, "Do not touch with wet hands"! And to crown it all there was no provision of toilet tissue.
That's about the sum total of it, and I can hear you all saying, "You should have complained and got yor fees back"! Well, it may be just me but I'm not made like that. So my solution suggestion is to request the club urgently to send round their regional assessor as it is, after all, a Club Listed site. If I write a review, and there are none so far for this CL it will forever damn this owner's credibility and possibly their livelihood. So I think they should have the benefit of a chance to put things right. A single member direct complaint would have been unlikely to have had much effect.
Has anyone else got any brighter ideas?
Comments
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Hi, if you do not want to reveal the CL and want the Club to look into your concerns please ensure you write in to the CL team at East Grinstead or we will not be able to do anything about it and other members will be subject to the same concerns as you.
We would appreciate the feedback. thanks Natasha0 -
Wow, i must say you are really nice people-too nice. You don't do yourself or anyone else any favours by keeping shtum. As you said this could have gone on for 6 months. I'm afraid the only way these things continue is by turning a blind eye. If you read
of someone being electrocuted or breaking a leg falling into the stream at this site you would regret never saying anything. I would(and have)approached owners/managers requesting things to be fixed as i have paid good money for a service not supplied.0 -
Hi you must complain or report problems otherwise it will never get sorted, also if some defects are dangerous you could save someones life i.e electrics and water. unlit ditches. I work as a milk tanker driver and i'm on farms every day and some are not
safety concious and we have to report safety issues regularly. You would be doing them a favour, they are very busy farmers and need a nudge now and again bless them. Allan0 -
Sometimes, one NEEDS to complain. As previously commented on, a life could be at stake and then his livelihood would fly out of the window! I am sure, said in the right way as a constructive comment rather than a criticisum, the owner would have listened. However, after that, I agree with you that the CC should step in and sort it. They don't do themselves any favours by neglecting their CL's. I just don't as a businessman, understand why they would let things slide to a point where people are put off and their incomes plummet. WHY?
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Thanks for all that. I cannot but agree with everything said so far and will send the matter on to the CL section at CClub.
For Dave's info above, it was £11 per night for 2 adults, pitch and EHU - good value really for the very nice site but not for the facilities. (£12 for 2013)
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'5 hardstanding pitches, beautifully spaced and arranged, all with electric hook-ups and nearby water.' 'The site was really lovely, the owner very welcoming' I'm not quite sure what you expect for £11 most of the CLs without toilet block now charge £10-12 Of course you should expect a CL to be dark at night that's why we carry a range of torches. I'm very surprised that you did not have a chat with the owner and point out these things and get their reaction. Then if not happy report it on, but I think it unfair if it was such a good Site and nice owners to just report it. If they had been unpleasant and awkward then fair enough. Most owners are very receptive to suggestions and comments I have found, lets face it they are not in it for the large profit.
Dave
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Oh dear. We have never tried a CL but were seriously considering it for this year. You have now put us off completely, especially as we don't know which site you stayed on.
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Oh dear. We have never tried a CL but were seriously considering it for this year. You have now put us off completely, especially as we don't know which site you stayed on.
Don't be put off, there are many fabulous CL's about and they are worth using. Some people expect the earth for £11 per night.
Here is one we use often.Dave
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Definitely don't be put off! We ONLY use cl's because we don't like big sites with noisy people / children and seek out tranquility as respite from our busy jobs. We have only ever been disappointed by one CL in the Forest of Dean, which in fact has just
ceased to be this year. Our caravan has an excellent bathroom and kitchen so we are not dependent on external facilities so if a cl should have them then thats a bonus.
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I don't expect showers, toilets etc on a CL. But if they are provided Id expect them to be at least clean and serviceable. Remember CLs of yesteryear just being a corner of a farmers field and so much fun, nothing more, nothing less!
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