No refund does not seem right

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SuwanneeDave

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Posts
213
Location
Savannah,GA
We live in Savannah. When Hurricane Irma was forecast to hit here, we made reservations at an RV park 150 miles west. When the storm track shifted significantly to the west, we decided it would be better to stay here and cancelled the reservation. The park owner says they will only refund half of our 2 day deposit. I understand the need for a late cancellation penalty under ordinary circumstance but a hurricane coming through the stay seems extraordinary.
 
Well this is dicey. Did you tell them you were evacuating? How long before your reservation did you cancel? If you feel that strongly let them know you won't be using them in the future.
 
I have had that happen a couple of times.  I called MasterCard and objected tp the charge explaining what happed.  They have always given my money back.  I think if more people would do this it might change some campgrounds policy.
 
To me the hurricane consideration is a two-edged sword. You claimed a site that was obviously in high demand and kept it from somebody else. Then you decided (perhaps for reasonable cause) that it wasn't needed and dropped it.  There is no evidence [yet] that the campground will be unusable or the site unavailable due to the hurricane, which will be considerably weakened when & if it passes through western GA.  A one day charge is not an unreasonable cancellation fee for a site that was in high demand, even if the demand has now abated.

That said, I would have hoped the campground would take a more generous approach and count you as a future customer. However, I'll bet the owner or manager has been jerked around a bunch in the last several days, at first with people in a panic looking for a site, and then with a raft of cancellations. Probably just tired of it all and swearing that next time a hurricane comes though GA, he will just close down and forget about it.
 
Refunding half of your deposit seems fair to me.  They are not responsible for you changing your plans and,like you,have no control over the weather.most policies I have seen specifically mention no refunds for bad weather.
 
Two years ago I made a reservation for a month and put a $100 deposit.  The place was close to San Antonio and suffered flooding.  They told me that by the time I was planning to get there the place would be open but not with all the amenities they had offered before the flooding.  I cancel the reservation but they never refund a penny.
 
First let me say I am not a lawyer but I have watched a lot of Judge Judy and I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

A deposit by its very nature is not refundable unless it is specifically written in the contract that it is.  If there is no mention of a deposit being refundable in any percent in the contract than the rule of law determines it not to be in any percent.  The fact that you are receiving anything back is a good will gesture from the park so you will come back at another time.
 
All deposits are refundable. Contact the bank that you have your credit card with and put in a complaint. They will get you all your money back.
 
All deposits are refundable.
Click to expand...

How did you conclude that?  A few things, such as most vehicle purchases, have a legally mandated period where refunds are guaranteed. Most everything else is governed by whatever policy is stated by the business. Hotel reservations (which includes campgrounds and other overnight accommodations) in particular are normally subject to cancellation fees and many states have "innkeeper" laws that give the management a lot of flexibility in managing.
 
The below excerpt is copy and pasted directly from the Competition and Commission Protection Commission:

You have a right to ask for your deposit back if:

you cannot agree on a new delivery date
the new delivery date suggested is way off what you originally agreed
the business fails to meet the new agreed delivery date
the business cannot provide you with the item you agreed to buy
If the business refuses to return your deposit, you may have to take legal action to try to get your deposit back.

Remember, deposits are usually non-refundable. If you pay a deposit and then change your mind, the business may not have to return your deposit.

Basically as long as the business can provide you the service you agreed to on the date you agreed the deposit is lost, especially if you are the one changing or cancelling the contract.  With that said, yes you can go to your bank and file a complaint regarding a credit card charge but if you tell the bank that you canceled the contract and the charge was a deposit to hold the space they most likely will not reverse the charge because it was a legitimate, approved charge but if you dispute the charge as not being a legitimate charge you might have a better chance of recovery.
 
Sadly SeilerBird is right. CC companies give the benefit to the card holder, not the merchant no matter who is right. Using this tactic in this situation is dishonorable.
Tom
 
You purchased peace of mind.

You reserved a safe place to go.

You changed your mind.

You prevented the proprietor from reserving that safe place to someone else who needed it and was willing to pay for a safe place.

I would be overjoyed they granted me a partial refund. Write them a thank you letter and send them a box of cookies.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
How did you conclude that?  A few things, such as most vehicle purchases, have a legally mandated period where refunds are guaranteed. Most everything else is governed by whatever policy is stated by the business. Hotel reservations (which includes campgrounds and other overnight accommodations) in particular are normally subject to cancellation fees and many states have "innkeeper" laws that give the management a lot of flexibility in managing.
Click to expand...

Exactly.  Under the conditions, I would consider the partial deposit return offer a win and move on.  Had the park in question been in the direct path and evacuations being encouraged if not mandated, I would hope a RV park would give full deposit refunds as a matter of good business.
 
What was the % or amount.
If it was a 50% deposit of about $100 or even less sounds fair to me. Especially if this is their normal policy.
 
When you make a deposit you enter into a contract.. Most contractrs contain "Fine Print" this Fine Print usually includes the park's Refund policy. and alas Contract law generally rules.

SO you signed an agreement. and they are forcing you to live by it. IS this right, since your cancelled due to a natural disaster not within your power to control... Well that is a moral question and I'm not going to answer it..  Would I be as pissed as you. Very likely.  But short of hiring an attorney and spending far more than you lost attempting recovery.. I can not advise any alternative.
 
If they  ended up closing the park due to the oncoming storm, then they could not have fulfilled your reservation anyway.

In any case, it worked out in your favor!
 
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