4 replies to this topic

[AnRuaRi]

Customer service was dreadful, & very rude when a problem arose. You might enjoy, but I dont think its worth the risk of using a site with poor attitudes to customer service.
As part of a tour around Ireland, on our first time using our caravan in included a booking at Trabolgan.
This is a resort type site, with a wide range of leisure facilities on site, with a "family" emphaiss - similar to a Butlins or Haven in the UK

I was going to be travelling with a dog, so when doing my research I specifically asked if a dog was allowed on site and was told that the dog was allowed in the caravan, and around it when on a lead, but would not be allowed any-where else on the site.
I confirmed this again when making the booking some days later.

The price was €240 for 7 nights in May 2011. Paying in full 6 weeks in advance received a 20% discount, so the price was €190. That works out at €27 per night. not too bad in ROI, & included access to pools & many other facilities. You can only book for 3, 4 or 7 night stays, starting on fridays or mondays (weekend, midweek or full week stays)

We were still in Newry (on the border, some 300 miles north) at 1700 on the planned day of arrival, so we phoned the site who said a late arrival was no problem and to report to security on arrival.
We arrived about 23.30 Hrs. and were assigned a pitch. This was a fully serviced hard stand pitch with water, dranige and electriciy on the pitch. All pitches had same facilities, which some in a landscaped area, and others at regular intervals on eather side of a road-way.
There is an upstand for water at the mid point of each of these pitches which would encourage people pitching awnings to put their awnings the same way (up-slope) from the hard stand if pitching their awnings on the grass. The hard stands are gravel type so an awning can be pitched on the hard stand.

The stands are not level, so levelling ramps are a must.
The water uses the 1/2" thread on all tape, so make sure you have your adaptor. (all other sites I've been to have had taps with a 3/4" thread and our adaptor had been lost)

I went to the on-site shop looking for leveling ramps and water adaptor, to find the site shop has no caravan or camping accessories. They sent round one of the maintanance people to see if they could help.
That person told us where the nearest motor-home shop was (30 mins drive away in Middleton... this shop is a workshop & rental company, so does not have a large range of accessories)

about 30 mins after the maintenance man left one of the reception staff drive up, and very rudely informed us that we were not allowed to have a dog on site.
We were kicked off the site, and after making a big fuss they refunded €150 to our payment card. that left us paying €40, plus card fees for a 1 night stay.
We found the staff member exceptionally rude. and she absolutely refused to accept that we had asked if the dog was permitted on 2 occasions prior to making our payment.

The amenity block looked like it had bee refurbished in the past couple of years but had subsequently been vandilized, with holes punched in the walls, and grafitii.

We never reached the swimming pools or other facilities.

We packed up and moved to a more normal caravan site on the other side of Cork. Reviewed separately.

I would not reccomend Trabolgan due to the very poor standard of customer service. despite being less than 10% of their capacity they did not want our custom, and it was the rudeness with which we were treated that really upset us.
Unfortunately I paid for the visit on my debit card, not my credit card. I will therefore be unable to reclaim the remaining money from my credit card company. - Thats another lesson. Allways pay for this type of holiday on a Credit card (not a debit card)- as it gives you a UK company against whom you can demand a refund if things go wrong.

[Beejay]

Hmmmmmm  

You have no written confirmation that your dog would be accepted on a site that does not accept dogs.
despite theT&C's of Trabolgan Holiday Village  stating.....   (i) Pets We regret that, with the exception of guide dogs, we do not permit any pets within our Holiday Village.  

You  arrive late at 11.00p.m. and are accepted...    ( BTW 300 miles in 6½ hours is some going some  in Ireland)

You have no fitting to provide a mains water connection.  

You have no levelling ramp     but the site provided a member of staff to help .........at 11.00p.m (?

[AnRuaRi]

Beejay, on 27 May 2011 - 02:47 PM, said:

Hmmmmmm  

You have no written confirmation that your dog would be accepted on a site that does not accept dogs.
despite theT&C's of Trabolgan Holiday Village  stating.....   (i) Pets We regret that, with the exception of guide dogs, we do not permit any pets within our Holiday Village.  

As you state, it's buried in their T&C's. Most camp-sites provide this information in their large print. I did check verbally twice before making my booking.

Quote

You  arrive late at 11.00p.m. and are accepted... ( BTW 300 miles in 6½ hours is some going some  in Ireland)

I did ring them at 17:00 to confirm this was acceptable.  From Newry to cork is motorway all the way, so not as bad as it would have been 10 years ago.

Quote

You have no fitting to provide a mains water connection.  

You have no levelling ramp     but the site provided a member of staff to help .........at 11.00p.m (?

Hey it's my first time in a caravan. I was sold a "Full kit, with everything we've needed in 15 years,  from awning to cuttlery" by the sellers...
I accepted I would need to buy some things, but until I tried it, I didnt' know what. It's easy to go crazy buying everything in an accessories shop, but it's a waste of time until you know what you will actually need. My parents had always camped on hard stands, on sites where those stands are already very level. I now know that is not in any way guaranteed. ironically they'd never used a site that provides mains water connection, or on pitch waste drainage.

The staff member came at about 9:30 am... after I made enquiries in their on-site shop. Not at midnight the night before.

I'm sure you'll find lots of people on here who have at some point lost the 1/2" to 3/4" adaptor for their mains water connector. I dont see that either of those warrant a for a total newby.

[Beejay]

AnRuaRi, on 27 May 2011 - 04:21 PM, said:

I dont see that either of those warrant a for a total newby.

The was intended to indicate your frustration, however the lack of the adaptor did not preclude you from getting water and an out of level caravan can be an occasional problem.

Perhaps, as a newby, your post complaining about poor service may be seen as  unjustified when most of the problems seem to be of your own making even if caused by lack of experience.
You are quite correct  that many experienced caravanners, including myself,  lose or lack bits from time to time but would not see fit to take it out on the site operator by complaining on a forum.

I've just completed 40 years of  caravanning with the occasional hiccup but all good experience and   I hope you will have as much.

[AnRuaRi]

Perhaps the reason for my dissatisfaction was misunderstood:
The reason for the complaint was the total rudeness which which the staff dealt with the problem of my having arrived believing it was ok to keep a dog in the van.
I accept that a site has every right to have these policies, and misunderstandings can occur. What I felt was unforgivable was how rudely we were treated.