Terrible KOA Kampgrounds of America RV camping experience.
I purchased a 28 foot Keystone Passport Ultra Lite RV travel during March. My plan was to do extensive RV travel and RV camping throughout the 48 contiguous United States. Allstate RV Roadside Assistance insurance offered a free membership to an RV camping organization called KOA - Kampgrounds of America.
Most RV camping facilities offer fresh water and electrical hook-up's, sewer and other camping amenities depending upon the facility. Based upon the information on their web site (http://www.koa.com), it appeared that KOA - Kampgrounds of America had an extensive network of camp grounds and camping facilities throughout the United States.
I have stayed in several KOA Kampgrounds of America facilities since taking delivery of my RV camper. The KOA's in Virginia, just outside of Washington DC, and New Orleans were excellent.
I checked into the KOA Kampgrounds of America facility located north of Atlanta, Georiga on April 29 at approximately 10:30 PM. I had made my reservation on the KOA Kampgrounds of America web site and the facility is registered as Cartersville / Cassville-White KOA, 800 Cassville-White Road NW, Cartersville, GA 30121, (800) 562-2841, (770) 382-7330. When I made the reservation, I accepted the non-refundable deposit condition, which amounted to one night's stay.
The following day, we (my camping partner) checked with the office at Cartersville KOA and indicated that we intended to stay until either May 2nd or 3rd, but we were uncertain of the exact departure date. We were told that we could reserve the camping site until May 3rd, and if we left earlier, we would receive a refund for the unused days.
On Friday, May 1st we stopped by the KOA Cartersville office and told them that we intended the leave the following day (Saturday, May 2nd.) We were told that as long as we checked out before noon the following day, we would receive a refund for Sunday (May 3rd).
We arrived at the KOA Cartersville KOA office at approximately 11:15 AM on Saturday, May 2 to check out. As soon as we walked into the office, the owner/manager had an attitude that we perceived to be uncooperative and arguably nasty. We told him that we were checking out, and that we would like a credit for the following day, which we had paid for, but would not be using.
We perceived his attitude as arguably belligerent as he stated that we would not be receiving a refund because it is in the rules and policies that we agreed to that no refunds are due for any portion of a reservation not used. I indicated that we did not believe that it was fair to have a policy that charges customers for services that they are not receiving, and I thought to myself that this appeared to violate the doctrine of unjust enrichment.
The owner / manager of KOA Cartersville then told us that it is the corporate policy of Kampgrounds of America. I reiterated that I felt this was unfair treatment of a good customer, and that I would likely be making a complaint with Kampgrounds of America and writing a review for the various camping websites. He then told us that he was not refunding our money because our dog had been off of his leash while we were there, and we are therefore not entitled to a refund, we are banned from the Cartersville KOA campground, he has flagged us in the KOA system, and we were trespassing. I asked him how it is that we are trespassing if we were paid through the following day, and he responded that he is calling the police to have me escorted off of the property, and having me arrested for criminal trespass.
He told me to await the arrival of the police or I would be further charged with fleeing the scene of a crime. Again, I'm not sure to what crime he was referring, but given this man's rather shocking attitude, we decided to wait for the police to arrive so there would be a report. Approximately fifteen minutes later, Sheriff's Deputy D.L. Hicks, # 913 arrived and took the report and assigned case # 09-013743. Evidently, the manager now insists that the incident was all surrounding our dog having been off of his leash a day before. I would argue that it was arguably because of the extra day we were forced to pay for which we did not use.
I'm not sure about the laws in Georgia, but in Ohio it is problematic to use threats of arrest, or to involve law enforcement as a form of intimidation in what amounts to a civil matter, or to facilitate an agenda.
I am left with the clear impression that staying at KOA Kampgrounds of America could be very detrimental to me. Since I am allegedly flagged in KOA's system, have been banned from a registered KOA, and threatened with arrest for criminal trespass, it is anyone's guess what could happen the next time I attempt to check into a KOA.
There are several legal doctrines that are troubling from this situation. I was detained against my will, under the threat that additional criminal charges would be levied against me for leaving, and I was left with the fear that I would be hunted down and arrested if I left the property. Conversely, I was accused unjustifiably of criminal trespass, despite that I had paid to be on that property for several days, and until the following day.
KOA has been unjustly enriched, irrespective of their cancellation policies or whether my dog had been off of his leash, or whatever other excuse they arguably fabricate. I have allergy been flagged in KOA's system, but I have been given no opportunity to review or rebut whatever comments have been made about me. This is supposedly a national system, and I have no idea who this information is shared with. I feel that I have been the victim of defamation and slander.
I have been a professional Airline Transport Pilot and traveled professionally and extensively for decades. I have also been the President & CEO of Inc 500 corporations. I am keenly familiar with customer service Best Practices.in my entire career, I have never even witnessed such utterly repugnant treatment of a customer, let alone been the subject of such treatment. Of all of my travel, in the United States and abroad, I have never experienced anything that even comes close to this horrible travel experience I have had at KOA Kampgrounds of America's Cartersville, GA camp ground.
In my opinion, KOA Kampgrounds of America's representative at KOA Cartersville has demonstrated a level of customer service that is the worst I have ever experienced in my entire life.
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