Hiring private caravan at Butlins Minehead for next 3 weeks - Beware !!!

[Deleted User]

Just come back from Butlins Minehead for the weekend. We actually hired a private caravan on the butlins site.

Got there and found out that most of the normal butlins facilities werent available because theres a Spring Harvest religious festival going on there for the next three weeks. This means theres no entertainment, no additional activities and limitied use of the other facilities (such as pool).

All well and good if this is your thing, but theres nothing on the butlins website about this. I daresay if you phoned butlins and attempted to book for these weeks they'd tell you.

However, our private owner decided to keep quiet about this. I phoned him and his excuse was he'd only known about for a few weeks, and that he didnt think we'd mind because at least 'some' of the facilites were open.

Needless to say, I'm not impressed and neither was my 6yr old. I'm really annoyed because IMHO he had a duty to inform us of these changes but obviously he thought, got the money stuff it.

Gonna be on his case now for at least a partial refund of the £280 we paid for 5 days !!!!! Supposed to be there Sat till Thursday but came home yesterday.

Abbafan1972

We are going to Butlins Minehead on the 14th August.

Have been there a few times and love it. I don't think I would have come home early, just gone off site and done other things. If Butlins don't want you to use their facilities then so be it.

[Deleted User]

Abbafan1972 wrote: »

We are going to Butlins Minehead on the 14th August.

Have been there a few times and love it. I don't think I would have come home early, just gone off site and done other things. If Butlins don't want you to use their facilities then so be it.

My point is that I rented the caravan which was advertised as with full butlins facilities. The renter knew that this was not the case and chose not to tell me.

I suspect because he thinks I may have cancelled and wanted to keep the money.

[Deleted User]

BTW. Originally my mother-in-law was staying on her own with two of her grandchildren. She doestn drive so off site activities within walking distance would have been limited.

emmell

I remember years ago my son's friend used to go to Butlins on special weeks with the Salvation Army. Lot's used to go at the same time, I think it was some kind of special thing laid on for them. No drinking alcohol, no gambling so fruit machines were out.
Maybe your private owner did know but in the interest of profit decided not to tell.
I suggest you contact Butlins to find out if it is a regular thing and go from there.
ML.

Freddie_Snowbits

One quick check, and you'll find activities like this all the time at holiday camps! band festivals, Rock Festivals and Religious events.

peachyprice

Sounds like Amish have taken over Butlins.

It's apparently happening at Skegness too:

Spring Harvest 2010 dates

Minehead

Week 1: Saturday 3 - Thursday 8 April 2010
Week 2: Thursday 8 - Tuesday 13 April 2010
Week 3: Tuesday 13 - Sunday 18 April 2010
Skegness

Week 1: Tuesday 6 - Sunday 11 April 2010
Week 2: Sunday 11 April - Friday 16 April 2010

[Deleted User]

emmell wrote: »

I remember years ago my son's friend used to go to Butlins on special weeks with the Salvation Army. Lot's used to go at the same time, I think it was some kind of special thing laid on for them. No drinking alcohol, no gambling so fruit machines were out.
Maybe your private owner did know but in the interest of profit decided not to tell.
I suggest you contact Butlins to find out if it is a regular thing and go from there.
ML.

Yeh. Admitted he found out a few weeks ago. I reckon he had our money and decided not to mention it.

On speaking to him he couldnt understand why we were unhappy because in his words, 'theres other stuff to do in minehead - me and the wife always find stuff to do'. (they're both 75 btw).

He didnt quite understand why it was slightly different for a 6 yr old boy and why we couldnt do something else. I likened it to selling a TV on which only BBC1 works and then telling the buyer to stop complaining because they could just watch BBC1.

Anyway, got a full refund promised now. He even admitted that he'd had complaints from the people at the other caravan on the site. Sounds like this is the first year hes had these so I can foresee many complaints to him because hes rented both out for the next weeks. Serves him right for being sneaky and trying to keep quiet about it!!!!

And they say the younger generation arent honest? :mad::mad::mad:

[Deleted User]

peachyprice wrote: »

Sounds like Amish have taken over Butlins.

It's apparently happening at Skegness too:

Spring Harvest 2010 dates

Minehead

Week 1: Saturday 3 - Thursday 8 April 2010
Week 2: Thursday 8 - Tuesday 13 April 2010
Week 3: Tuesday 13 - Sunday 18 April 2010
Skegness

Week 1: Tuesday 6 - Sunday 11 April 2010
Week 2: Sunday 11 April - Friday 16 April 2010

Did you find that info from the butlins website? I had a quick look and it wasnt immediately obvious....

Sagz_2

A full refund is a great result, hope he honours his word. I can see why you were upset, and I would have fought for a refund too.

MARBLES

I am really gutted for you. Even if you had only paid 50 pounds, I would`ve still been gutted for you!

I really hope you at least manage to get some of the money back and hopefully, get to put it towards another holiday later in the year.

Good luck.