Site Lock Guarantee

[bpaikman]

This reminds me of the discussion of people buying a new coach and not wanting to pay the $90'ish or whatever it is for windshield protection...

What?? Windshield protection?

 

[Jim]

I think we’re all so tired of being taken advantage of that this sort of thing sits poorly. Everywhere we go, someone is trying to get in our pocket. Banks are some of the worst. Put money in their bank and watch them find ways to charge you for the privilege.

An hour ago, Trish brought in our credit card statement, and she had highlighted some of the recurring debits that she couldn’t identify. As I’m the one who has the majority of recurring debits, i.e. Spotify, Go Daddy, Google, etc., I naturally became the primary suspect. Long story short, it turned out to be a company called “Catalog Favorites”, and for $14.95 you can join their club, which gives you free shipping on the product you are buying today. It’s vaguely worded, and difficult to understand, but when you check the box, you are agreeing to a “monthly” debit of $14.95. And that’s what she did, way back in November of 2018. So, for the last 3 years, Catalog Favorites (under an ambiguous identifier) has been debiting $14.95 from our account.

And while the idea behind “site guarantee” and “join our club” are dissimilar, they both tend to cultivate distrust and make us a bit more skeptical to the motivation behind the creation of said services.

 

[bpaikman]

I think we’re all so tired of being taken advantage of that this sort of thing sits poorly. Everywhere we go, someone is trying to get in our pocket. Banks are some of the worst. Put money in their bank and watch them find ways to charge you for the privilege.

An hour ago, Trish brought in our credit card statement, and she had highlighted some of the recurring debits that she couldn’t identify. As I’m the one who has the majority of recurring debits, i.e. Spotify, Go Daddy, Google, etc., I naturally became the primary suspect. Long story short, it turned out to be a company called “Catalog Favorites”, and for $14.95 you can join their club, which gives you free shipping on the product you are buying today. It’s vaguely worded, and difficult to understand, but when you check the box, you are agreeing to a “monthly” debit of $14.95. And that’s what she did, way back in November of 2018. So, for the last 3 years, Catalog Favorites (under an ambiguous identifier) has been debiting $14.95 from our account.

And while the idea behind “site guarantee” and “join our club” are dissimilar, they both tend to cultivate distrust and make us a bit more skeptical to the motivation behind the creation of said services.

That happened to me once with Serengeti catalog. Infuriating.

 

[Jay58]

As a member of several RV Park Forums dedicated to sharing information between campground owners, one of the ways RV Parks are generating additional income, is to sell the visitor a "Site Lock Guarantee". For a minimal fee, say $10-$30, they guarantee your site (or one with similar attributes) will be available when you arrive.

I understand there are different models that RV parks operate under, and I suppose that in some rare models there "may" be justification for buying insurance. But IMO, and in most of the cases I'm seeing, it's simply a way of generating additional income without actually providing a tangible service. If I were booking a site and was told that the only way to guarantee my site would be available when I arrived was to buy insurance, then I would go somewhere else.

I'm interested in others opinions on the matter.

I agree. Why should I pay to assure they will do their job. ( won't happen)

 

[bpaikman]

I agree. Why should I pay to assure they will do their job. ( won't happen)

well their reasoning is say they have 100 sites available but as in most parks, some might be more desirable to some people... so they sell you a site but they only guarantee one of those 100 sites... they guarantee a Particular site to the people who are willing to pay a few extra bucks to get that site, say, by the river, or with a special view. You'll still get A site, but maybe not assigned until check-in. You can request site number 37 and they'll give it to you if no one else "locks" that site.
It's kind of like some airlines: if you don't pay for first class you might get first come first serve.

 

[redbaron]

This reminds me of the discussion of people buying a new coach and not wanting to pay the $90'ish or whatever it is for windshield protection...

I was that guy!

 

[AbdRahim]

Site locks are a $$$ grab, like a restaurant charging for coffee/tea refills. You can do it, but you shouldn’t. Guaranteeing a guest, a requested site is just good business and something that the business should do.

If I see there is a 2 night stay that has been orphaned, I like to offer it as a “Special” to the campers that live geographically close to the campground. I have a list of these people and I can usually book the space with a simple email or phone call.

Pretty savvy for a new owner.

 

[D Magee]

As a member of several RV Park Forums dedicated to sharing information between campground owners, one of the ways RV Parks are generating additional income, is to sell the visitor a "Site Lock Guarantee". For a minimal fee, say $10-$30, they guarantee your site (or one with similar attributes) will be available when you arrive.

I understand there are different models that RV parks operate under, and I suppose that in some rare models there "may" be justification for buying insurance. But IMO, and in most of the cases I'm seeing, it's simply a way of generating additional income without actually providing a tangible service. If I were booking a site and was told that the only way to guarantee my site would be available when I arrived was to buy insurance, then I would go somewhere else.

I'm interested in others opinions on the matter.

We did pay one site lock fee this past summer, basically because I wanted a drive through site and didn’t want to get bumped to a back in spot. We were towing a 26 ft travel trailer and we wanted an easy in and out at a campground with pretty tight back in spots.
I get why some places decide to charge the lock fees, but would probably opt for a campground that didn’t if choosing between two.
I also feel as long as they state clearly on their reservations page that we could be bumped, I have the choice to decide. If we got bumped or asked to move mid-stay without knowing ahead of time, it’d be unlikely that I’d ever book there again. I’m fine with people running their business how they’d like, just looking for them to be upfront.

 

[Jim]

We did pay one site lock fee this past summer, basically because I wanted a drive through site and didn’t want to get bumped to a back in spot.

In my opinion, I see it as inefficient to be manually assign sites. Put those sites online where people can look at them individually and book (online) the one they want. There is no reason for a “site lock” because the visitor has locked his site by default. Pricing can be set differently on each site depending upon amenities, pull-through, lake view, etc.

I know my park (Deer Springs RV Park) is small, but it’s efficient, and the model I use will scale nicely. A park that is employing someone to assign sites manually, or to manage a “site lock” system, is wasting money that could be better used to improve something elsewhere in the park.

Again, just my opinion.

 

[sheridany]

Article about site lock

Want to reserve a specific campsite? Then pay up!

You wearily pull your 40-footer and toad into one of your favorite parks. All you want is to set the stabilizers down at that wonderful site on the pond you res

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