It is always tempting to bypass ‘regular channels’ in many areas of life be it for anything from selling your house yourself to avoid estate agents fees, to arranging your own holiday flights and itinerary without travel agents. All of which is to save a bit of cash. And, caravan holidays are no exception.
However, cutting out the ‘middle man’ can sometimes come back to bite us. When booking and more importantly paying for a caravan holiday, like anything else, you need to ensure you know who you are paying, and what channels of accountability there are.
If you book a holiday through the official Haven website for example, you know where your money is going, and you’ve got a fair idea of what how to go about complaining if you’re not happy. eBay offers many opportunities for private caravan rental at many of the UK’s parks, and at least the vendors have feedback scores so you have a fair idea of the vendors reputation.
Gumtree however is a different ball game. It is a great website for certain things, as it is local, and you don’t have to go through a bidding process (which some people love, and others hate). However, the site is covered in warnings for potential buyers, as the sites are ‘locally policed’ by small groups who run the sites, and the technological base of the site leaves a lot to be desired.
Between May 2012 and July 2013 one man took advantage of the Gumtree system by fraudulently selling caravan holiday rentals which did not exist. He pocketed a total of £5,850 for deposits from a series of hapless victims who didn’t have any real way of knowing if the adverts were genuine. The man Lee Baxter of Mountsorrel conned 35 people using false names. The man does not sound like a serious criminal, he turned himself in, and bearing in mind his circumstances the judge gave a lenient sentence of 10 months. More info. No one was injured in the crimes, however there was a lot of disappointment, and, for the rest of us, this is a bit of a warning.
If you do want to avoid getting stung, there is one way that may save you a few quid. Next time you are at your favourite park, take a walk around the caravans, as a lot of the privately owned ones will put a contact number in their window for rentals. At least that way you may save a bit on the booking process, and you also get to talk to the accommodation’s owner who will know the caravan very well.
And when going through a private booking, again you should ensure that you are getting exactly what you want, because if you are unhappy with the service or anything else for that matter, you can’t exactly go to the main office and ask for a different caravan. Scams are rare, and we wish you a good holiday this year, but if you are going to try and save a few quid, always remember ‘caveat emptor’.
And with so many deals on offer throughout the year, sometimes it may be better just to go with the company who owns the park, at least that way you get a bit more peace of mind knowing that there is someone onsite to complain to if you’re not happy.
By: Gareth Whieldon
