Poor Campground customer service

SaskCampers · 08-10-2010, 07:39 AM

Well we are now just 3 days from leaving on our first major adventure 4000 mile round trip. We have been planning this trip since March and have had all the campsites booked since then. However last night we got a call from the first site we would have been staying at friday night and the person informed me he was the new owner and noticed we had a site booked for Friday and one 2 weeks later for our return which I concured to. Then he tells me that he wants to give our site to someone who wants to book for a number of days and needs to relocate us. I said oh ok but we have 34' trailer so we need to have room to get it in and out to which he replies he has nothing for us then. When I mentioned we had booked these sites in March his reply was that was the old owners and pretty much I don't care my policy is if you don't book for an entire weekend you don't get a site. So this poor excuse of a campsite owner left us 3 days before a trip which we had finalized the details for 2 months ago without a site for the first and last nights of our trip. Fortunately I found another campground that is abt 60km closer to our end but still within my schedule for day 2. I told the campsite owner of the issue with the other and she was very accomodating and got us setup with a nice pull through but it is abt 15 bux mor for the 2 nights.

So for anyone traveling through Manitoba Canada. STAY AWAY FROM SHADY OAKS CAMPGROUND in Sidney Manitoba the owner is a jerk. and the name says it all... Shady has nothing to do with what the trees provide.

revrnd · 08-10-2010, 08:46 AM

Go to rvparkreviews & post submit any reviews from your trip. Including this 1 which you didn't stay @.

NWJeeper · 08-10-2010, 08:49 AM

John,

I would check to see if they have an affiliation with anyone like Good Sam or Woodalls and make a complaint, 2nd, go to campgroundreviews.com and leave a review with your experience.

There are parks that do not like to have "overnighters" during the summer and won't book for just a night or two, but to drop you after the reservation was made is just lousy and low class.

SaskCampers · 08-10-2010, 09:38 AM

Well, I have sent an email to the Manitoba Association of Campgrounds and Parks which this campsite is a member of as well as RVParksReviews so far and I am just getting started. Like I said in the original post I could understand it if he did this a month or so ago but not 3 days. And I must say the 2 campsite in Ontario that we are one nighting at on each side of the trip bent over backwards to ensure our trip goes well.

The_Stuff · 08-10-2010, 06:01 PM

thats not good! hope that the other place works out for you!

SaskCampers · 08-12-2010, 07:43 AM

I got an eamil from the president of the Manitoba Association of Campgrounds and Parks.

Good morning John
Thank you for your e-mail regarding your issue with one of our members, on behalf of MACAP I would like to apologize and I ensure you this will be addressed by the association at the next available opportunity...With this said I am glad you were able to re-work your plans and stay at Meadowlark .
Again I thank you and hope you will choose Manitoba as your destination in the near future
sincerely,Dennis Crockatt
President MACAP

Mike001 · 09-21-2010, 10:04 PM

Terrible customer service, no excuse!

D.Tuchscherer · 11-23-2010, 09:32 PM

Hey John,

Great to know about this campground, but in addition to pointing out this less than acceptable campground, I personally think you should give the name and location of the campground that "was very accomodating". My thinking is that when someone does good they deserve the credit.

Derek

crocus · 11-23-2010, 11:05 PM

We experienced a similar situation with a campground just outside of Calgary, changing the rules on the fly, and then treating us like crap . It was worse for us however, as we only found out when we arrived at their "campground". Coupled with a bad experience with local campers at another Alberta campground, I will never stop in Alberta again.

The_Stuff · 11-23-2010, 11:44 PM

crocus, you should make a thread about your experience for everyone to read.

hehe you could stop in sask and make it to bc in a day

crocus · 11-24-2010, 07:37 AM

"you could stop in sask and make it to bc in a day"
===================
That is exactly what we do now.

SaskCampers · 11-24-2010, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D.Tuchscherer

Hey John,

Great to know about this campground, but in addition to pointing out this less than acceptable campground, I personally think you should give the name and location of the campground that "was very accomodating". My thinking is that when someone does good they deserve the credit.

Derek

First Derek,

Welcome to the forum and I certianly will put in a shameless plug for the campground who was more than graceous in helping us out.

It was Meadowlark campground in Brandon Manitoba.

It is an old campground but very well kept. We had a site right in the middle of the campground that was very easy to get in and out of which was nice for our neighbors as we left at 6AM. The WiFi worked great and they are in walking distance to Tim Hortons which was a bonus. We would not hesitate to camp there in the future but it is really to close to us as Brandon is only abt a 5 hour drive from home. They even have a local welcome comittee that goes around to new campers and provides info on Brandon with brochures and coupons and even a a garbage bag for your site..

A very nice place to stay.

SaskCampers · 11-24-2010, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crocus

We experienced a similar situation with a campground just outside of Calgary, changing the rules on the fly, and then treating us like crap . It was worse for us however, as we only found out when we arrived at their "campground". Coupled with a bad experience with local campers at another Alberta campground, I will never stop in Alberta again.

Where was it?

The only 2 places we have camped in Alberta was Drumheller and in the campground at Callaway Park just west of Calgary. Now when we camped at Callaway we still were tenting (abt 5 years ago) and were in the overflow but we got treated well. We are taking the grand daughter in June so I guess we will see how it is then but we will still camp in overflow as the sites are much larger.

crocus · 11-24-2010, 09:54 AM

The campground was just east of Calgary, but can't remember the name. It was pretty fancy, and busy.
We were forced to camp at what can only be considered a dump, as the water wasn't even safe to drink. I can't remember if it was closer to, or farther from Calgary, but the two were fairly close to one another.
Our other "experience" was in the Alberta section of the Cypress Hills, and most of the campers had Alberta plates. The people were the most unfriendly and rude I have ever experienced.

SaskCampers · 11-24-2010, 11:05 AM

Wow,

I know of the campgounds you are talking about. The fancy one, my son and I camped in a tent for a couple nights when he first moved to Calgary in 2000. It was very nice and the staff were friendly and helpful. Good to know about Cypress Hills as we were planning a weekend trip so we could go to Eastend, Guess we will stay on the Sask side. If you like dinosaur things, you should go to Drumheller and visit the Royal Tyrell Dinosaur Musem. A great place to stay is Dinosaur Trail RV Resort, we spent a few days there and it is beautiful and quiet. Allt he sites are in a treed setting.

crocus · 11-24-2010, 01:33 PM

The Sask side of the Cypress Hills is much nicer, and very quiet. I think the problem with the Alberta side is the lake and the type of people it attracts. They seemed to think we were intruding in "their" playground. I get that feeling a lot when in Alberta, a feeling that is shared by many who visit the province.
We have visited Drumheller, and actually forgot that we stayed at the Dinosaur Trail RV park. It was ok, and it is convenient, but not where I would want to spend more time than necessary. The museum was really good, and well worth the trip.
We have had the good fortune to have stayed at many outstanding campgrounds throughout western Canada and the US, and have met countless great people as a result, so I guess I am a bit particular.

trailraider · 01-25-2011, 11:43 PM

It hurts me to hear about the " rude albertans" everyone seems to meet. I take it personally as there is more people who have moved to Alberta then I think have actually been born here. As a true Albertans we have a saying "Alberta is like Canada , everyone lives here but nobody's from here." as for the treatment at campgrounds it think regardless it is a service you pay for and should get the best service. poor service is unacceptable in my books.

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