I've seen some of the more popular private campgrounds do this, especially on a holiday weekend. They want to make sure they get the $$ for the whole weekend and don't a site vacant for 1 or 2 nights.
Is it right, wrong, or simply greed that makes park owners do this? Or do they just simply not charge enough for the single weekend days? Have rvers driven park owners to this by arriving on Sat am and Leaving Sun am?
Should a single day renter pay more than a 3 day renter? 2 day renter? Or do they just flat take advantage of the supply and demand equation?
Greed? Where are we talking about? Russia? ooops, I mean, Cuba? We live in a capitalistic society. Its what makes us what we are. Taxes, utilities, labor, insurance, material costs all go up and a campground owner isn't supposed to try to figure out how to keep his head above water?
Its called optimizing his occupancy rate. If someone in the tourist trade doesn't do that he is either a fool or a poor business person.
I've run into this 3 day minimum on holiday deal once. No problem because I was staying that long anyway.But what if I left after the first day? Do they get to rent it out again for the other 2 days? I hope not!
Cape Ann Campground in Gloucester , MA is a place we have stayed for 30 years each year, no longer because of getting burned on this very matter.
I have no problem with a business making money, but this campground in particular has never made any improvements either. 30 years the bathrooms and pay showers continue to be disgusting, you'll be using your own that is for certain.
Water pressure that cuts in and out, gritty water that will clog your filters in a week, terrible roads and branches aching to scratch your camper, sites that 'level' means you won't flip over while parked on it.
All that i can live with but we were told about the three night min. they started that a good many years ago, we normally stay a couple weeks so never noticed.
last year we were told about it, and this time we were only staying friday through sunday, so made out reservations thursday thu sunday, why not? I'm paying for it anyway, might as well spend an extra day there...
they took the reservation and we got there thursday evening to find they were FULL...no place for us. took our money, booked the dates, no site until Friday.
mad? a little.
fourth of July we go back, it is a 4 day min. on holidays, we booked and laughed over the last time and we show up on thurs...no site. no site for sunday night either!
It was patiently explained to us that in order to keep the PER NIGHT cost down they charge for 3 and 4 nights, if they didn't the rates would have to go up and then in the guide books they would be in another price per night category and they don't want that.
So instead they book their minimum nights even if they over book, and if oyu show up to make use of the nights you paid for and you don't have a site, well, what can you expect? they are over booked!
30 years and we've never gone back now, we use Minute Man Campground near Concord, MA and SACO , ME KOA...both are better campgorunds, cleaner and better run. Saco is tops, close to the beaches and off the beaten path...
Both have min. stays on holidays and Memorial day guess what? the site I paid for was mine for all the days I paid!
4ontheroad! Holy Shmolies! That's unbelieveable that they would take your money for either the 3 or 4 days and then rent your site (again) to another camper. I'm my book, you paid for that site, and whether you are there or not, that site is yours.
Frankly, I believe that business practice is FRAUD. At the very least, they owe you your deposit for your site. They have no right to charge you for a site that they are charging to someone else.
I'd be writing letters to the states attorney general, complaints to the Better Business Bureau and letters to the local Chamber of Commerce. It's also only $15 (in my local county) to file a small claims suite on them, and if you win (which you would), then they have to pay that $15 fee and you get it back.
Just last week we made reservations at Tablerock St. Park in Branson for July 5-8. We had to make it for 4 days even though we are only staying three. Don't know if it had anything to do with it being a holiday weekend but we felt lucky to get a full hookup site at the last minute (I think it was the only one left!) We are staying the 4th in Omaha at Ozark View - only about 15 minutes from Branson. We figured the extra $20 was worth it in order to get a spot!
Lynn
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