ComplaintsforRiver Rest Resort

• Initial Complaint

  10/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 9/17/22 we made and paid camping reservation in full. The dates where from 8/7 to 8/14/23. Almost a year in advance.We weren't able to go because, my husband got covid and tested positive the day we were going to go. I called and emailed them right away. They refused to return our $491.08. That's alot of money. The way things are etc. It was beyond our control. I also reached out to *************************** at kgo 7 news, call for action. He advised me to contact the BBB since they didn't get back to him either. Thank you. Hoping for a resolution.

  Business response

  10/23/2023

  
  ************************* did in fact email us the day of her reservation asking to cancel and requested a refund due to her husband testing positive for COVID that day. As per our cancellation policy it reads as follows:
  
  IF FOR SOME REASON YOU NEED TO CHANGE OR CANCEL YOUR RESERVATION YOU MUST DO SO 30/14 DAYS. 100% REFUND (MINUS SERVICE FEE) IF YOU CANCEL AT LEASE 30 DAYS BEFORE YOUR CHECK IN DATE. 50% REFUND (MINUS THE SERVICE FEE) IF YOU CANCEL 14 DAYS BEFORE YOUR CHECK IN DATE. ANY RESERVATION MADE LESS THAN 30 DAYS MUST BE CANCELLED WITHIN 24 HOURS OF MAKING THE RESERVATION. ALL CANCELLATION MUST BE DONE THROUGH EMAIL TO ************************************************************ SO WE BOTH HAVE VERIFICATION. 
  IF YOU FAIL TO CANCEL YOUR RESERVATION AND HAVE NOT ARRIVED BY 3PM THE FOLLOWING DAY AFTER YOUR SCHEDULED ARRVAL DATE, YOUR RESERVATION WILL BE CANCELLED AUTOMATICALLY WITH NO REFUND. 
  
  This policy is sent with the customer's confirmation email, which she had for almost 1 year, and can be located on our website, riverrestresort.com. Before scrolling down to the "Book Now" feature on our website we do have a disclaimer to please familiarize yourself with our Cancellation Policy which reads as follows on our website: 
  
  CANCELLATION POLICY
  REFUND POLICY:
  30/14 day policy
  100% refund (minus service fee) if you cancel at least 30 days before check-in.
  50% refund (minus service fee) if you cancel at least 14 days before check-in. Partial cancellations under the 30 days are not subject to a 50% refund.
  No refund if you cancel less than 14 days.
  Any reservation made less than 30 days away must be cancelled within 24 hrs of making the reservation.
  All Cancellations must be done through email to ************************************************************ so we both have verification.
  In order to treat everyone equally, we do not make exceptions to this policy if you experience an unforeseen reason for not visiting (e.g. weather, smoke, illness, breakdowns etc.). It is strongly suggested you protect your trip with travel insurance. Please consider travel insurance if you will need to recoup your reservation fees in the event of a last-minute cancellation.
  If you fail to cancel your reservation and have not arrived by 3 PM the following day after your scheduled arrival date, your reservation will be cancelled automatically with no refund.
  No refunds are given for an early departure. 
  
  We responded to ******'s email about cancellation restating our cancellation policy and informing her we could not refund her. She responded back on the same day that she had a doctor's *********** at 4pm on 8/7/23 (the day of her check-in date) to make sure they were okay. She asked us to please not cancel her reservation and if anything would be arriving the next day 8/8/23. She said she would let us know after the *********** and then we did not hear back from **************** again. We in good faith held her site as requested and she never showed up for her reservation.
  
  We did receive an email from *** 7 on 8/15/23 which we chose not to respond to. They sent a follow up email on 9/5/23 to which we did respond stating all the same information we are providing now. They asked us if we were going to respond to ****** and I told them they were welcome to forward my response to her. 
  
  I have all of these conversations documented through email. I will have to copy and paste them to a word doc and attach them for you below. 
  
  Please feel free to contact me, *************************** manager of River Rest Resort ***** at ************** should you have any questions. 
  
  Thank you,

  
  ***************************, River Rest Resort **** Manager

  Customer response

  10/25/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:  this was out of our control. In the past, when making a reservation we only had to pay the first night deposit and remainder at our arrival.  We had made reservations over a year in advance. The policy changed and we had to pay the full amount when we reserved online.

  This is alot of money close to $500. Were we expected to go contaminate campers there.

  Unfortunately, this was out of our control, I feel a refund is justified, based on the situation. Rules or no rules. This is inhumane and wrong.

  Thank you for your consideration.

  
  

  Business response

  11/05/2023

  Our cancellation policy is clearly stated on our website and we strongly suggest utilizing travel insurance should you need to cancel last minute. Below is our policy. It is true that in the past we did take a 1 night deposit and the remainder was charged at check in. We would also charge the card on file for the remainder of the balance owed for a no show. Many times the card on file was no longer active and we could not recoup our losses. Therefore, in 2021 when we opened our online reservations we changed our cancellation policy to the 30/14 day policy copied below. Upon creating the online reservation system we also decided to begin charging the full reservation amount. Many campgrounds follow this same policy and procedure for online reservations. 

  I will also reiterate that **************** asked us to hold her site, the day she was due to arrive, and to not give it away as she would be seen by a doctor and would let us know if she was going to make her reservation and would be more than likely coming in a day late. We in good faith held her site for her. She never communicated further that she was or was not coming for her reservation. The next we heard of anything about her reservation was from *** 7 asking that we refund her. We do not feel that it is fair to refund her due to the fact that we held her site as requested and with the last minute no show we were not able to fill her site and recoup what we would have lost. We are a small business and only have a certain window of time to generate revenue. **************** attempted to cancel last minute during one of our busy summer weekends. 

  **************** was provided the cancellation policy in her confirmation email. With Covid 19 being a part of our lives now and the reality that outbreaks can happen at any time she should have purchased a travel insurance policy if she know that the almost $500 would be a loss to her. The cancellation policy stands. 

  CANCELLATION POLICY
  REFUND POLICY:
  30/14 day policy
  100% refund (minus service fee) if you cancel at least 30 days before check-in.
  50% refund (minus service fee) if you cancel at least 14 days before check-in. Partial cancellations under the 30 days are not subject to a 50% refund.
  No refund if you cancel less than 14 days.
  Any reservation made less than 30 days away must be cancelled within 24 hrs of making the reservation.
  All Cancellations must be done through email to ************************************************************ so we both have verification.
  In order to treat everyone equally, we do not make exceptions to this policy if you experience an unforeseen reason for not visiting (e.g. weather, smoke, illness, breakdowns etc.). It is strongly suggested you protect your trip with travel insurance. Please consider travel insurance if you will need to recoup your reservation fees in the event of a last-minute cancellation.
  If you fail to cancel your reservation and have not arrived by 3 PM the following day after your scheduled arrival date, your reservation will be cancelled automatically with no refund.
  No refunds are given for an early departure. 
  

  Customer response

  11/06/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:

  I received email response. I understand their policy. This was beyond our control.

   

  Things happen that we cannot control.  I guess we should have all gone and give. Everyone covid so they'd be happy.

  each person's situation and circumstances are different

  Nobody is the same. We didn't know about the $500 insurance they're stating.

   

  My point is we're out of our $500 because this was beyond our control. Just like my husband having two heart attacks after the COVID.  But I guess the ambulance should have or could've taken him to camp site.

   

  Im sorry but this is very inhumane and cold hearted. $500 is a lot of money. My husband being self employed, not being able to work. Money doesn't grow on trees. We work hard for our money, I'm sure as you all do.

  I hope nobody has to go o thru this getting sick and not being understood . It can happen to anybody.

   

  We paid and reserved a year in advance and were looking forward to our vacation at a great place to relax and enjoy as we always have.

   

  Regardless, river rest is small like they say, but they're making money with their reservations, not loosing like us. With guests coming in is how they make money and have their jobs.

  Exceptions can be made, they just don't want to assist us in anyway. Rules can.change also.  Sorry but this is very upsetting and stressful, when one works hard to make ends meet.

   

   

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