peeved at Haven holiday parks

The_mangler

WE're a little more restricted in we have to book a caravan that accepts dogs and these are snapped up very quickly - sun offers and the like. So we tend to book earlier but its annoying seeing the same holiday pounds cheaper the closer you get to it. We didnt have a dog last year and we got a fantastic deal for late September, lovely caravan. Not going to happen this year unfortunately

jonty1970

It's annoying that you can go abroad and enjoy lovely weather much cheaper than holiday in this country.
We have some lovely countryside and beaches, but I would say most people struggle to afford a holiday here.

uptomyeyes1984

well checked haven today as i recieved an e-mal reminding me to book my saved holiday lol lol its not gone up more to £849 they really try to con you outta your pennies by the scare tatic. will def be keeping my eye on it.

nektonic

why would you wanna use haven?
we went to Devon Cliffs 3 yrs ago. horrendous. paid £800 for a week. 1st caravan had dead flies and looked as if it should be in the middle of farmers field. we asked to move - 2nd van had wallpaper peeling of the walls, mould in the main bedroom. 3 days after we got there we moved to the van we should have had to begin with. but half the week had been spent complaining and moaning, along with many others. it was mega busy, and food in the centre total rubbish. haven offered to refund £100 - still waiting. it was a shame for the kids- wish we'd have just put up with it - but why should we after we'd paid for better.
try the haven site in weymouth if you must use them. very good!

Lifesaver

ellisa2079 wrote: »

There is another way book direct with the owners and cut Haven out all together. We use a site called UK Caravan Rental I've posted this before. Just had a look and you can get a top of the range carvan for £600 per week at peak. This would cost you £1,124 through the Haven site. What the difference? nothing you everything is the same.

http://www.ukcaravanrental.co.uk

I have to agree with this, I did it last year and saved a fortune! :j

pupsicola

We used haven in Devon a few years back. Never again. Accomodation and facilities were awful.

vikingaero

We won't stay at a Haven site either - all because of one bad experience:

About 3 years ago we booked a private pine lodge at Hafan-Y-Mor. With private lodges you collect the keys from the main reception. The private lodge was really nice, the noise from 5 million people less so, the restaurant was more like school dinners but again saved us cooking, the Gold Chalets were disgusting (we could see inside them when walking to and from the restaurant).

On the last day I was queuing to hand back our lodge key. The family being served by the receptionist was telling her about 10 things wrong with their Gold Caravan. The receptionist noted down the defects and assured the family that all the items would attended to immediately. So the family left happy having taken her word for it and went out to enjoy their day. Before she served me the receptionist picked up the phone to maintenance and told them to fix 3 things in the faulty caravan before explaining that there was a load of other stuff that needed fixing but not to bother with them. Then she served me and I handed back our keys. I left vowing never to return to a Haven site - it's one thing to skank your customers, but to do so openly and in public is deplorable and indicative of the Management and Company.

mum2one

We had a nightmare at Haven for 2 yrs running, the 1st yr - they had double booked us, - and hadn't got any bronzw accomodation (even thou we booked bronze as we had a dog), eventually they gave us a silver, - we walked in there was blood up the walls in the corrideer, the shower, we started cleaning it ourselves, stupid mistake, we found mouldy bread in the cupboards, shells in the bed - by the time we got to 2 bin bags I;d lost the plot and went to reception, 2 hrs later we finally got it cleaned to their standards!!........ and some vouchers for a meal.

Next yr we went back to same site, (as we'd booked it b4 the disasterous hol), this was even worse, - got a bronze van - the front room cushions were ripped and thread bare, we thought the net was an unusual shade of coffee with dark spots - it wasn't there was mould all up the windows, the net, the curtains, as for cleanliness a -10 was the word, - when I went to recepition told we couldn't be changed as there was no bronzes, and they couldn't upgrade becoz of the dog, made more annoying as the break was my mums 60th birthday present, and her bday was the week away. By the Monday I still had not seen anyone - so I contacted the local paper who rang the site to say they wanted an interview with the mgt team, when I got to reception to complain - they decided I would be better off in owners exclusive lounge, (to keep me away from people checking in), the woman on the reception was being really sarky, looking down her nose, as I kept asking for the manager, she said I've got the police on spead dial, so I replied, congratulations love, i've got the sun newpaper on speedial, - i think that trumps you.......... never seen someone shut up so quick.
Finally got to see the site manager, who had not been notified of my complaint, he came round to the caravan, and went mad at the state of it, have to give him his due he got stuff sorted as best as he could, new covers, new net, deep clean, he gave us a free weekend extension, vouchers, but we would never use that site again through Haven.

We tried the haven site at Blackpool 2 yrs ago, and you couldn't fault it, the staff were absolutely brilliant, we did have an issue with the air vents letting in rain, and we'd stored footwear in that cupboard, - they told us to get replacement footwear and they'd refund, - my mums shoes were £60, as she has medical condition and needs certain footwear, whereas ours were trainers replaced cheaply. Once we'd sent the receipt in, was 7 days later we got a cheque from then. x

adviceforall

Mum2one: what Haven site was that out of interest?

uptomyeyes1984

We did stay at a Haven site before, it was the start of season so everything was slow the site was boring with only really arcades for entertainment and it rained for the 1st 3 days and we just wanted to go home, but we couldnt fault the caravan we went with our then 19month old and 3 month old so cleanly-ness very important, it was a deluxe caravan and had no complaints from us, it was just the site which we complained about. so wouldnt be going back to that one. But we would like to try another Haven site more into the season this time. But getting the right price is what its all about.