Your kidding right ?

Swoffer · Senior Member

Your kidding right ?

madaboutled · Guru

Knowing that the following fees apply at the Rollingstone Beach Front Resort, I personally would not go there.

The following was extracted from their web site Booking Terms page.

Fees

Extra charges for day visitors. $15 a family, $10 adult and $5 child. Visitors are 9 am-5 pm.

Source: https://www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/qld/townsville-surrounds/rollingstone-beach-front-resort/booking-terms-and-conditions

If you really want to air a complaint why not visit there Facebook page and drop them a comment.... I did!.

daffyfrancis · Senior Member

I think its reasonable- leave within 1 hour & no charge. Imagine if a few site site occupiers decided to have 10-50 mates each over for a party lunch or dinner.

Most times we pay for a caravan park site the normal site charge is for 1 vehicle & 2 people + extra for more passengers.

David

Btrack22 · Newbie

Goodness me! Why do people keep complaining about normal commercial business arrangements on this site.

Businesses always make decisions that they believe to be commercially prudent and adjust continually to reflect customer responses. Clearly they have a reason to charge visitors and if this impacted negatively I am sure they would change this.

Guess if I was staying in an expensive Park with lots of facililities then I would like to know that I could use these without being adversely affected by the non paying "guests" of others staying in the Park.

There are plenty of things and places I would would like to enjoy that I cannot afford but I accept that and would not bother voicing a complaint via Facebook or elsewhere. I am too busy enjoying those things in life that are within my reach.

Lance

Eaglemax · Guru

This sort of thing, actions that complicate and costs us extra are now so common we are always waiting for the next mob that will rip us off. This means, as grey nomads, we have to put in place counter measures. At all caravan parks I'll now include my question "Do you charge visitors if they come to visit me"? If the answer is " yes". I'll go inland 30kms and free park. I'm tired of the lack of fairness. That my opinion. On disability, zero super, can't afford donations.

Swoffer · Senior Member

daffyfrancis wrote:
Imagine if a few site site occupiers decided to have 10-50 mates each over for a party lunch or dinner.

David

Yep fair enough that would certainly be undesirable but this piece is talking about 2 people visiting friends for a coffee. Just sounds like gouging to me .

Aussie · Senior Member

Hey Swoffer, now I am curious, is that charge for people who walk in, or people who drive in? Now I am really curious again, is there an extra fee for people who talk as apposed to people who just listen. Also do the GREEDY Park operators give a discount for cold weather?

Lancelot Link · Senior Member

I would ask why they need to charge and if it is to cover extra insurance, then suggest they should sell up to a more Australian orientated owner and not go down the American Litigation path. This has been the answer I have received, to cover accidents as well as extra administrative costs? Big Four or Big $ are the ones who have started this apparently, please don't quote me as this is only hear say, Adelaide Shores Big $ where I stayed in November where doing this and this is where I heard that they, Big $, started it!
It is ridiculous to suggest that a nephew can create $5.00 of dumpage or toilet waste. It is a licence to print money! I will not stay in a park that charges for visitors, charge higher prices as the available sites decrease, will not allow a Budgie and will not allow you to inspect facilities!

Explorer · Guru

Hmm, Wondering how many Grumpy Old Nomads would be willing to pay the $5.00 to get a visitor??

Mike.

Wizardofoz · Guru

If you park outside and walk in how on earth are they to know you are a visitor, just put your stuff in a shopping bag and waltz in...problem solved I would think.

The Belmont Bear · Guru

Recently did a shakedown when we took delivery of our new van at a local CP (Swansea in Lake Macquarie) and I saw that they had similar charges advertised for visitors. It's a very nice park with lots of facilities including BBQs, resort style pool, games rooms, tennis and basketball courts etc. I told the girl when booking in that we were expecting a few friends to come and visit us over the next couple of days to check out our new van and she said no problem no charge for that. She said they had to introduce a fee to cover the people (even some local residents) who were coming into the park for a number of hours or all day and using facilities that the other guests had to pay for, the charge also included the cost of cleaning toilet blocks, pool etc. Visitors are asked to park in the visitors car park so they have to either walk in or come in as a passenger in a guest's vehicle. From my observation it doesn't seem to have done anything to reduce the popularity of the place if the number of available sites in the middle of a week outside of the holiday season was anything to go by. Before we actually booked in the nice lady at reception gave us a map of the place with available sites marked on it and said we were free to have a wander around to help us in decide if we wanted to stay there or not.

At the time I didn't really consider the visitor charge as being greedy - being new to CPs I thought that it must have been normal practice besides it seemed to make sense to me. As Lancelot suggested you always have the choice to stay in certain parks, once you pay your money you've accepted their conditions - if you think that their policies are unfair just vote with your feet and go somewhere else.

Meredith · Senior Member

I don't think its unreasonable to charge a visitor fee, as always if you don't like the fee structure then stay somewhere else. What is unreasonable is to pay to stay at caravan park with facilities like a resort pool and then find those facilities overrun by visitors.

Cupie · Guru

I agree with the previous two posts.

We occasionally have drop in visitors for coffee or lunch when staying at 'local' CPs & never have had issues with them having to pay to visit. They always park outside & we pick them up at the entrance.

Nor have we ever had a refusal on allowing us to inspect sites. Some even open the gates for a drive thru & give us access to the amenities block.

As has been stated it is a commercial decision & if we don't like it we can vote with our feet & give them and their prospective clients appropriate feedback.

ps. Going off topic .. sorry ..

We rarely consider the cost of the site that we choose, considering that the spend on fuel far outweighs the CP fee margin. If we choose a 'premier' or 'waterfront ' site, and this is usually the case, then we are 'happy' (OK we might grumble a bit) to pay the extra.

Of course if we were on the road full time then we might have a different view.

It's just like drinking good wine v casks! You have to be prepared to pay for what you want. If you can't afford it, choose something else.

-- Edited by Cupie on Saturday 31st of December 2016 11:18:03 AM

madaboutled · Guru

Cupie wrote:
I agree with the previous two posts.
We occasionally have drop in visitors for coffee or lunch when staying at 'local' CPs & never have had issues with them having to pay to visit. They always park outside & we pick them up at the entrance.
Nor have we ever had a refusal on allowing us to inspect sites. Some even open the gates for a drive thru & give us access to the amenities block.
As has been stated it is a commercial decision & if we don't like it we can vote with our feet & give them and their prospective clients appropriate feedback.

Yes I agree with some of that, but if we don't give the "appropriate feedback" how are they ever to really know that their "extra fees" could be offending potential customers. Vote with your feet doesn't send an effective message.

Also off topic slightly but....
IMHO when renting a caravan park site regardless if its one night or many I would regard this as my address for that time. Then what about permanent sites??? If these fees are acceptable then couldn't this be extended to any Investor/s renting or leasing a house/flat/unit or providing any other type of accomodation and charging a daily visitor fee??? After all the extra traffic accross those floor coverings could lead to premature wear. Any excuse to make money is not neccessarily reasonable.

hako · Guru

I guess the owners need to monitor who comes and goes from a security point of view and I bet that if you did just want to pop in to see a friend briefly there would be no charge. A smile and friendly approach does wonders.

Good Luck.

Mobi Condo · Guru

We have stayed in the beautiful Gold Coast Resort Park 4 times over the last decade. ALAS, no more as we were told last visit that it was $10 per head for visitors per visit. NO way Hosea! Same reasons as above - insurance and use of facilities, so next visit we will be staying else where.

Aussie · Senior Member

I have just been told that there will be a visitors fee for people visiting Heaven, but not for people visiting Hell, WOW I'll make a fortune.

Eaglemax · Guru

Correct Aussie. There is a fee for visiting heaven.. A caravan park owner open the pearly gates and the Lord asked what he could do for him to which the park owner replied "You're sitting in my seat!" That is a joke. Many park owners are very good people. My argument is that it is many small charges we are hit with. Take City link. Got two cars. One car has a tag the other is listed but no tag. It costs 75c each time the no tag car drives through. OK, I got a tag, cost me zero $. Fine but you know what I'm saying?. And tge cost if searching tgeir rego database likely 10c. Mortgages, does anyone really factor in the $8 account keeping fee? Water authorities charge a fee even though you don't tap into it. Govt owns the water stored in private dams. Centre link ...you have to start paying off a debt that isn't a debt but a glitch in their computer system while you are waiting for the matter to be reviewed. Vicroads...make an appointment and break it charge-$50. If they are one hour late inspecting your car tough titties. Using your mobile phone while driving is dangerous. Perhaps police departments should start up tuition courses for members of the public to teach us how to use mobile phones safely....the same course that police members attend so that action somehow is no longer dangerous?? Yes I'll have a lemon lime and bitters darling...sorry gotta go....

Aussie · Senior Member

Yes Eaglemax, our clever Cops tell us it is dangerous to hold a phone beside your head, but is quite safe to hold a UHF mike in front of your head, go figure.

The Belmont Bear · Guru

What started out as a genuine discussion on the merits of a visitor paying a fee to visit a caravan park has now degenerated into the usual dribble............just make a choice if you don't think it's fair for visitors to pay a fee go somewhere else. Still trying to work out what the OP has got to do with heaven/hell or mobile phones but maybe I'm just a bit thick. Happy new year everyone.......

Aussie · Senior Member

Yes The Belmont Bear, I have to agree with your 2nd last sentence. If subjects getting slightly off subject upset you so much, maybe you are in the wrong paddock. Just a thought, and I am not always right, ask my Mrs she is. Now I am enjoying the last night of the year, Hic.

Eaglemax · Guru

Not thick...just a little grumpy. The thread ran its course and we like fun. But have a happy new year.

Aussie · Senior Member

Yes Eaglemax, I'm 5 days and 3 hrs 32 mins away from being 77, and am probably being a little bit sloppy for some serious oldies. I will smarten my game up tomorrow.

Bruce and Bev · Guru

Aussie - your great sense of humour is appreciated by most of us - enjoy turning 77 - your posts here don't "show" you age - I hope you feel like the 55 you sound like :)))

And have a great Birthday !!!!!!!!!!

-- Edited by Bruce and Bev on Sunday 1st of January 2017 02:17:51 AM

Eaglemax · Guru

Hope you have many years left Aussie.

The Belmont Bear · Guru

Sorry guys I have woken up refreshed and in a better mood like a number of others I had a few reds to celebrate while waiting for the fireworks to begin. Reread your post Eaglemax and my impression last night was that you were just waffling on about whatever came into your head..I thought maybe you had consumed one too many G&Ts. I can now see the point that you were trying to make about the total cost of all these extra charges that people have to pay. My intention wasn't meant to be a criticism of the humour contained in any of the posts just the going on about different government authorities and their policies. My New Years resolution will be not to contribute anymore comments to the forum when I've consumed more than a glass.

You are mistaken Aussie - having only just hit the 60 milestone myself you beat me by 17 years so maybe you should be referring to me as one of those serious young whippersnappers. Take heart though I am currently 78% of your age, in 10 years time I will be around 80% so if I continue gaining on you at this rate in another 70 years I'll be even older than you are biggrin biggrin Enjoy your coming birthday, personally I would prefer to forget them but unfortunately people won't let me.

Eaglemax · Guru

No problems. I'm 60yo also, forcably retired at 57yo. After building our own 10' van last Xmas we did our lap in the winter with total fuel cost of $1900 for our i30 diesel. Otherwise we couldn't have afforded it. Being on the lower end of the income scale results in the whining and anger at those small costs and the anti "freebies" attitude by councils etc. Thankyou for replying. I'll try to keep a lid on my groans :).