A camping issue - Is this right, legal or fair?

earthan7dor1

I am new to camping, and to this official camping site. I fist came to store my caravan. But on 2nd January, having been pressured into a membership/joining fee; as a 'senior' entitles 25% discount. Having now paid, I learned 'discount' does not apply to 'high season' or 'serviced pitch'. I was offered a deal whereby I am on site for 28 days, I leave for one day (2 x half days) paying almost £6 to leave my van sited for that day. I then return and start another 28 day cycle. I was told I could keep doing this as the site is open all year. I wasn't looking to be there ad infinitum, but this deal would give me unrushed breathing space.
So I did this for January and February. Towards the end of February when I went to pay my March fee, I was unceremoneously ordered to leave the site at the end of March as they had booked my pitch out for April (without asking, advising,warning me they will do this). Nor did they offer any alternative, storage facilities, whatever else. The attitude was 'tough'.
They said Head Office had booked the pitch, brooking no more discussion. So I rang 'customer services' department. They said the site does all its own bookings! Conflicting information, but not offered any solution.
4 March: I was summonsed to the site office and told to go immediately ("here and now"), because I had phoned head office. [Who issued this directive?].
I offered to pay May, even though well in advance - this was ignored. I was expected to simply roll over and disappear without any given explanation, apology, etc.
Also, the manageress advised, "we have thoroughly investigated you". What for, I am not a felon or a fraud - simply a normal paying customer of a caravan site. I have nothing to hide. Is their unwarranted infringement of my privacy allowed? To what depth, and/or how far have they spread their 'investigation? What damage to my credibility have they perpetrated? Where did they obtain permission to conduct this ferreting? She would not enlarge. Likewise is this Head Office or site manager instigated?
Meanwhile, I am frozen in Coventry, there are vacancies on hard standings in April, I consider they have callously voided my membership and I want a refund. Worse, I must try and find somewhere to re-site, which is proving impossible (on my low income pension price bracket at Easter 'high season', so I'll be driving round the roads like a snail with a caravan shell on my back for the foreseeable future).
The sick joke (!) is, others are living on site under the 28 day scheme for many months on end, and others have been 'lodging', but actually living on site for years. I lodge, have a rent book and part of my rent goes to Council Tax. All my official documents and pension have used that address for years without quibble. Why should Caravan and Camping Club make it an issue?
Worse, I was suggested having a 'seasonal pitch' - paying a couple of £thousand now. Apparently, they hold a certain number of 'hard standings' back in case they can sell them for 'seasonal pitches’ (kerching!). But if not thus sold, they revert to touring pitches.
I have not been treated with any modicum of fairness, but discrimination.
Any tangible suggestions please? NO trolls thank you.
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hollydays

It might help others if you can add some paragraphs:):)
Did you mean to post that last line?

Confused!! You have been using this site address for years?

pogofish

Camp site owners have always tended to have their clients over a barrel with all sorts of restrictive/intrusive/commercially disadvantageous clauses.

But your asking a question does make me wonder if you have understood what the PVW board is here for - Maybe you should be asking in Consumer Rights if you actually want a resolution.

photome

Maybe you are too far off grid and didnt tick the right box

CIS

I lodge, have a rent book and part of my rent goes to Council Tax.

It shouldn't be paid via the rent - whilst the caravan is occupied as a residence the resident of the is liable to pay the council tax direct to the council (it shouldn't be getting paid to the owner of the pitch).

Craig

Ectophile

If it's a camp site, then you're not supposed to live there permanently - it's a planning permission thing. It's not unknown for site owners to look the other way and not notice that people are doing it, but if you kick up a fuss, they may decide it's easier just to get rid of you.

Who was the membership to? If it was the Caravan Club, then they probably don't own the site - the site owners are just affiliated to them.

cavework

I must admit to being a bit confused...You say you are new to 'camping'. Can I ask if you are living at all at the permanent address ie your lodgings or living full time in your caravan and just using this address as a base address ?

lincroft1710

cavework wrote: »

I must admit to being a bit confused...

I'm a lot confused!

The OP starts a thread about camping, but it appears to be about owning and siting a caravan, possibly one used for permanent or semi permanent living.

cavework

I hope this is allowed so here goes..
There is a site on Facebook called 'permanent caravan dwellers' where you will get advice about this and available locations that I think you might be looking for.

teddysmum

We are members of the former Caravan Club (now the Caravan and Motorhome Club) and you have membership of the club, but deal individually with sites for stays (some owned by the club and some approved but privately owned, with their own rules). Pitches for hire are according to availability , with no guarantee, unless you pay for a seasonal pitch, so I'm confused, too.


You can't just wander for weeks, parking as you please (unless you are from a certain background that the police seem to avoid) as local regulations can make sleeping overnight in a layby illegal. (There was a series of tv programmes about caravans, some years ago, and one featured a lady who had toured with her family since the 1940s was no longer able to do so, because she couldn't afford to use sites.)


Unless a static van site is residential, owners are not allowed to stay all year round and most close around the end and beginning of the year, when you have access to your possessions, but cannot stay there. Relatives have a static on a Haven site and ,besides the winter closed season, are also restricted to the number of consecutive weeks that a stay is allowed.

Cakeguts

None of this makes sense to me. You start by saying that you were looking for somewhere to store your caravan but then you decided to live in it where you were paying to store it? Why? Then there is something about using your lodging address. I can't see where the lodging address comes into where you have stored your caravan. The site that is storing your caravan doesn't have to allow you to live in it where it is stored. A touring caravan is for holidays not permanent living. If you want to live in a caravan you have to find a static one on a park estate you can't just live on touring caravan sites used for holidays. You can't decide to live in a caravan that is being stored for you.