Strange Reviews/Site Choice
From time to time I check out new site reviews as they appear on latest posts. I admit that I only rarely check out reviews of sites that I am about to book.
What often amuses is me are posts that say 'site isolated and no access to other areas' - usually from motorhomers who do not wish to visit places with the motorhome.
Or those that say 'No dog Walk and nowhere to walk dog from site'.
Or complain that 'there was no toilet block'.
The one that amuses me most from those that stay on a site is 'site too expensive' and especially when they are staying on a bank holiday etc.
Comments
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I know what you mean EasyT, especially the reviews that say it was "too expensive " surely they know the price when they book!
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The probable reasons are not the fault of the reviewer its that nobody actually "advised" them before they got there, as it would have meant the reveiwer actually having to do something for themselves as seems quite common when reading reviews
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We are currently looking for somewhere to visit and stay. Will have to take into account state of underwheel ground, dog walking, price, how quiet it is, can we easily park where we want to visit, what is there of interest to us in a reasonable distance, would we be better doing a short tour?
Its not that hard to get it right if you do it properly. Pick a location, choose a few possible sites, read about the sites, read reviews on here and on other review websites, look at location on map and on satellite image. If somewhere looks good, then we phone and drill down stuff like ground conditions, dog walking, price overall, arrival and departure times, anything else we want to know about. The only variable then will be purely down to if site is as expected, no surprises in terms of number of outfits onsite, and if we would use it again. If you do as much research as you can, (and let's face it, it is quite easy to do,) then moaning about prices, lack of facilities, being too isolated just tells me that the reviewers didn't do their research, so don't blame the site!
We have only ever not stayed our full time booked on one site. It is in fact a rather lovely CL, but we just hadn't anticipated that the road adjacent, a B road, is in fact a local race track and the noise from vehicles racing past was just not peaceful enough for us. It's a question we now ask!
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Whilst I do not generally read reviews before I book that is because of the CC sites and affiliated sites there are none that are likely to be a problem to me. That does not mean that there is not an odd one that I will not return to.
I a not troubled by no toilet block, isolated, site cost (after all that is clear at booking) or no suitable dog walking.
When I have had a dog I never used a site dog walk anyway and even at home never bored my dog with the same walk every day.
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Yes some of the comments do seem a bit strange. If those sort of things bother them you would think they would do a bit of research. So easy to do with the internet. One of the things we like to have with a site is the ability to walk from it, without walking on roads. This is fairly easy to check on by looking at the relevant 1:25000 map, available fairly cheaply online.
For other reasons we may visit sites where walking from them is difficult or not possible. So if I was writing a review I would mention it by way of information, rather than a complaint. I suppose someone saying it is expensive could be meaning it in a similar manner, as in site ideal for what they wanted but a bit pricy.
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Both mean nothing in isolation to me....too pricey compared to where/what? Too expensive compared to where/what?
Its a bit like wanting to go to Australia. There will only be a few methods of getting and staying there, but what do you compare it to? It is what it is, at the price you have to pay to get there. If you don't pay, you won't ever see it!
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The majority of things in reviews are subjective. Noise, location, amount of shade, ease of access, price, quality of facilities etc.
However, I take ET's point too expensive is slightly different, as they are meaning too expensive for them.
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I tend to be very careful about site reviews, having been 'caught out' on a commercial site, last year. The reviews were more than glowing and it was AA 5 star rated and the site photos looked wonderful. However, on arrival, it was anything but the impression that had been created on line - and there was definitely a great deal of artistic licence in the descriptions. In a nutshell, it was awful and the nearest thing to a scruffy car park that I have ever seen. We left immediately, despite having paid over £200 up front but I was of the belief that life is too short to put up with that for two weeks, especially after a 200+ mile journey.
In fairness to the site, after I had sent a detailed written complaint, pointing out where their description failed to meet reality, they did reimburse me in full - but I learned the lesson to be very careful in the future.
With sites closer to home (mainly CLs), we tend to go out for the day with a short-list and do a recce. That also has produced some surprising results - such as the one that raved about wonderful views of Filey Brigg, which in reality could only be seen if you had stood on the caravan roof!
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Both mean nothing in isolation to me....too pricey compared to where/what? Too expensive compared to where/what?
Not my wording TTDA
To me 'a bit pricey' with a good review suggests that it is thought worthwhile in spite of the cost.
Too expensive means just that in the opinion of the reviewer although I agree no idea what it is compared with.
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Yes I realised they weren't your words ET, agree re your definition above as well.
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A restaurant here in Cornwall responded on line to a critical review with a well chosen sentence. "We certainly would not entertain your custom ever in future".
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That's the downside to reviews. The integrity or hidden agenda of a few will always be suspect. People are very brave online, if they have had a problem or an issue. Instead of politely trying to resolve things face to face, they resort to cowardly tactics online. Sometimes it's so easy to realise what is going on, and you just thank goodness they are not staying the same time as you. One of the reasons I always report a review for a CL if it's obvious the visitor hasn't stayed!
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The last site we stayed the warden had a prominently placed notice on the card reader
""Before you book in and pay please note this site does Not have toilets or showers",
They said people only seem to look at the area and price ,they never read the site details and it was getting more prevalent,but of course it is nearly always the club's fault
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We were a Hebden Bridge CC site on 16th September last year and at about 4.30pm a fairly large motorhome drove on site having apparently booked. I was in the wardens office and the couple had not realised that there were no toilet facilities and would need to find somewhere else for a one night stop,
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The one that baffles me is the 'not good for families' review. When we took our children away we went to be with them, have days out walking with them, share experiences with them. The last thing our family wanted was a playground or games field where children would just be left to their own devices. In fact those very sites which are viewed by some as not child friendly or should be adult only in the eyes of some were just the ticket for us as many were in the very locality we as a family wanted to be, it's not what the site offers or whether the site is good for families in many cases, it's the locality.
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there were no toilet facilities and would need to find somewhere else for a one night stop,
Why would a large M/H need to find a different site for a 1 night stop? Surely they had a toilet on board that they could use for a night.
I wonder if those that write the sort of reviews referred to in the OP ever read other's reviews. Perhaps they just like to see their "names" in print.
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I hope those of you that are critical of review also write them? If you want to encourage reviews you have to accept the good as well as the not so good otherwise you won't have any!!!
We do have to accept that there will always be a certain amount of "reading between the lines" as some will be factual (objective) and some will be emotional "subjective". I think noise and cost are worthy of mention. Some have a very low threshold of noise so if noise is persistent, like near a motorway perfectly legitimate to mention it although perhaps leave it up the the reader to make the assessment whether it will impact on their holiday. Likewise cost. OK we know the cost when we book but let's think for a moment that we are on tour and we stay at one site costing X but the next site with identical quality of facilities and location is a lot cheaper than X. I think it useful to mention this so the Club realise that it is difficult for members to understand the difference. It does seem strange that someone would turn up at a Club site and not realise there were no toilets but if they do perhaps there needs to be a look at how those sites are mentioned in the site book or online?
David
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I read a lot of reviews, doesn't worry me too much about what they say as long as they say something, I was so glad when the club started reviews. I like to hear what sites are like. An overall glimpse of several for each site gives me a general impression and some are very useful.
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Why would a large M/H need to find a different site for a 1 night stop? Surely they had a toilet on board that they could use for a night.
I did wonder the same Nellie. I certainly wou;d not be looking for an alternative site in the area at approaching 5pm on a Saturday evening. Perhaps they did not permit solids in the toilet? Who knows? I think that the site had one pitch vacant and that was a hard standing
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It does seem strange that someone would turn up at a Club site and not realise there were no toilets but if they do perhaps there needs to be a look at how those sites are mentioned in the site book or online?
I never had a problem seeing the info. We do most of our planning using book and map. On Line I think that it clearly says something like 'Note there is no toilet block' or similar.
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One issue with noise and reporting it in reviews is that it may only be a momentary thing. You may be unlucky during your brief stay and experience the very day when that field behind site was being harvested, the night of the town's annual summer charity fete and firework display, that charity ball night in the marquee across the road on the village green etc., or, dare I say it, the very one unfortunate occasion when that 'noisy' group pitched up next to you. I've experience all of theses and other one off 'noisy' events while staying on sites but would never attribute them to a particular site being noisy. Sometimes you are just 'unlucky' during your stay, for the rest of the year that site may just be that ideal tranquil setting many of us enjoy.
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