I'm so sorry for your treatment. It's totally uncalled for.
It's funny that although KOA is a franchise, most of the people running them all appear to have the same character - rude and uncaring! This applies to northern California KOA's apparently. We had a reservation for a certain type of space and when we arrived late in the day and dog-tired - they had a short barely large enough space for our class A (not what we had reserved!)! In addition, the manager's attitude was if we didn't want the space, there were others who would. We're NOT talking about an area that is beautiful or a CG that has great amenities - it was dusty and ugly - but in a part of the state where there wasn't a lot of choices...next time we'll just pull into a parking lot before we pay for the KOA's overpriced spaces and have to deal with their rude managers.
Dave & Brenda
Angus & Shadow, Faithful Compatriots
2008 Itasca Sunrise 35L
Love Boat II wrote: We have developed a bunch of RUDE people in our country.
And as they get older it well get worse.
And their kids get out into the work force.
ps
I don't owe any of them a living.
I spent my time catering to people.
RETIRED airline pilot.
They owe me respect if anything.
I well not put up with it any time........
Quote: Will people ever learn that KOA is a ripoff?
Why is there so much negativity on this forum?? So many (like the poster who posted this enlightening remark) seem to be very unhappy. Why is this? If you don't like the rv-ing life, why are you in it? Is anyone here at all familiar with koa and all that it does for the communities? Is anyone here aware of the fantastic new fuel rebates that Branson koa is offering? I'll bet not. Stop looking at all the negative and look for the positive.
Koa is a franchise. Most are quite different. Pricing is different. Rules are different. Don't bunch them together. That is being very prejudice.
For anyone interested, koa in Branson is offering a $50 rebate if you stay a week. Two weeks will get you $125. Three weeks will get you $200. A month will get you $400. Seasonal's will get you $500.
Now, I'm sure that some of you will look at their prices and say that they are too expensive anyway. I have Not looked at their prices, BUT...I would guess that since it is in Branson that they might be kind of high ie: Disney, Key West, etc.
Lets be fair about this whole thing. Koa has good parks, bad parks, and so so parks JUST LIKE ALL PARKS !!!!
Save your breath Gerannandbob. the whiners will continue to whine. In one thread, somebody was complaining about KOAs and then they revealed that they had never stayed in one. If they would rather spend $7.00 and stay in the mud in a campground with no hookups, so be it.
bumpy
Quote: Will people ever learn that KOA is a ripoff?
Why is there so much negativity on this forum?? So many (like the poster who posted this enlightening remark) seem to be very unhappy. Why is this? If you don't like the rv-ing life, why are you in it? Is anyone here at all familiar with koa and all that it does for the communities? Is anyone here aware of the fantastic new fuel rebates that Branson koa is offering? I'll bet not. Stop looking at all the negative and look for the positive.
Koa is a franchise. Most are quite different. Pricing is different. Rules are different. Don't bunch them together. That is being very prejudice.
For anyone interested, koa in Branson is offering a $50 rebate if you stay a week. Two weeks will get you $125. Three weeks will get you $200. A month will get you $400. Seasonal's will get you $500.
Now, I'm sure that some of you will look at their prices and say that they are too expensive anyway. I have Not looked at their prices, BUT...I would guess that since it is in Branson that they might be kind of high ie: Disney, Key West, etc.
Lets be fair about this whole thing. Koa has good parks, bad parks, and so so parks JUST LIKE ALL PARKS !!!!
Maybe there's so much negativity about KOA's because there's so many negative experiences with KOA's all over the country. A few would be expected, but this kind of response would definitely lead one to think there might be a systematic problem here, doncha' think?? Get the rose colored glasses off and and read what people are saying. There are exceptions, but for the most part KOA's are overpriced, under maintained and run by uncaring, rude and obnoxious people. The franchiser appears to only take action when the system has gone well beyond bad, if at all.
John
2008 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40' QSP
2006 Chevrolet Colorado Toad
BlueOx Aventa LX Tow Bar
SMI Air Force One toad brake
Copilot Live Laptop 10 GPS
KOA was a good idea back in the 70's. You knew that there were certain standards needed to satisfy the franchise requirements and the owners paid extra to be members and we paid extra to camp there.
Since that time many members have left the chain as noted by the number of "A" frame office structures with new names. The reputation has faded and the rules have relaxed to prevent other owner departures from the fold.
KOA member campgrounds will rapidly decline in the near future with little hope of revitalizing the franchise.
I can't remember seeing a new KOA in the last 10 years and probably will never see a new one unless the corporate interests back it.
2005 F250 Crew Cab LWB Power Stroke, 2007 Montana 3500RL Fifth Wheel,Honda EU3000IS, Honda EU2000i, Porta Bote with 6HP Nissan and sail kit, S&W security system
We like and use KOA's...have so for over 25 years....We just stayed in the McKeenny KS KOA and it was top notch....also stay at the Fort Collins Colorado KOA, and it is first rate.
Where are the whiners going to stay when these campgrounds get fed up with the old grippers and close up shop.....Walmart?
2006 Winnebago Voyage 35A, W-22
Brake Buddy, Aventa II tow bar, Protect-A-Tow
2005 Hyundai Elantra toad
We usually stay at KOA's because that's where my husband makes the reservations...it's easy and usually works out fine for us...and they are not too far from the interstate so we don't deviate from our planned route.
I don't think it's fair to lump all KOAs into one big negative group and ALL people that work at KOAs are not rude and uncaring.
We have camped at quite a few KOAs and have had a very nice experience at most. A few KOA's that have been really nice are the KOA in Oklahoma City...the KOA at Devil's Tower...the KOA in West Glacier (very nice)...the KOA in Baton Rouge (suprisingly nice!)...the KOA in Kissimmee...the KOA in Pigeon Forge (one of the nicest parks we've stayed in)...to name a few.
Now there have been some that I wouldn't really want to return to, but those are usually the ones we camp in on our way somewhere else.
It "is" a franchise, but they are individually owned. I think that if most of the KOA bashers owned some sort of franchise that was well run and friendly and were then lumped in because of someone's bad experience with the same named business in another state, they'd have issues with that. So maybe some of you should think about not making such generalizations.
If you have a bad experience at a particular KOA...by all means post your experience and let everyone know...but I just think it's unfair to lump ALL KOAs together as all bad and all rude...this is just not true...and not fair to those that really do a great job and have a great park.
We have stayed at a lot of KOA's. My experience has been mostly good except for the Wisconsin Dells KOA. The spaces were so close that we couldn't put out the awning as it would have hit the next TT. I also couldn't open the other side storage door without stepping over their picnic table, which was next to their TT. I did write Corporate and complain about the tight spaces. I got the usual "we're sorry you had a bad experience..." letter. What surprised me was the letter that I got from the campground owner, which basically said that I was lucky that I had a site and blamed me for making a late reservation.
I had just the opposite KOA experience at the Kennebec (sp?) SD, very friendly, and among the best camping experience I've had. Owners came by to pet the dogs, offered to watch them while we saw the local sites, and were very attentive. I wrote corporate a positive letter about them and never heard back from them or the owners.
Maybe the "destination" KOAs are the ones to be concerned about as they have a higher demand and less need for repeat customers.
Regards
Gary
2003 F-250 Lariat CC 6.0 PSD
2004 Springdale 286 RLDS
3 goldens/2 yellow labs and Dylan, the golden "Wonderdog",
Waiting at the Rainbow Bridge since 3-16-05
Do a good job, the customer will tell 2 friends.
Do a bad job, the customer will tell 10 friends.
KOA's in my opinion are parking lots with a pool and sometimes a clubhouse (which I can never figure out what that means).
Campgrounds are spacious and you can at least walk around your rig without bumping into your neighbors.
I avoid KOA's, but did stay at one up in Durango, CO that was decent...but still a parking lot.
CampinHappy
2000 Suburban 4x4
2007 K-Z Spree 240 BH with triple bunks for my 3 amigos
Formerly a 99 Coleman Niagara PUP
wife version 1.0 (so far ) 3 boys (5,7,11), The former "Rig" at Mueller State Park, Colorado
Offline
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