joppa
Massachusetts
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Joined: 09/12/2006
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I've stayed at a few KOA's over the past year. Usually just 1-2 nighters so I never bothered to buy the KOA Pass for $24 because I sort of thought I'd never get my $24 worth.
Today we checked in at Fort Mill, SC KOA and things are a bit crazy here due to the gas shortage in the Southeast. This KOA is also a gas station and they were slammed. It was also a gray rainy day. I mention all this because no doubt the whole staff was pretty stressed... and for good reason. Having driven in rain for 7 hours and without food was not making me a smiley happy people either.
So... I sort of understood that even though my reservation was made a month ago and even though I requested a site that was friendly for satellite and big rigs.... well my site was indeed pretty tight with tree branches on and around the roof. OK it's just a pretty bad day. It happens. It was nice that one of the senior staff behind the counter took the time to seek out options but none existed. Oh well an effort was made.
So later that day (per their request) I go back to do the registration. My stay of about 11 nights is over $500. I ask about the card discount, this was discussed when I made the reservation. Yes I get 10% off with the card and therefore pay the $24 cost of the card and save another $25 or so on the stay. Oooops, wait a minute the most you can get off on your first stay is the $24 cost of the card. Damn.
We discuss this further, to no avail.
I have them change my reservation to one night and buy the card. Then ask them to now book me a 9 night stay. Well the young evening manager won't do that despite all the stuff with my site. He knows I'm going to leave and book my reservation online 5 minutes after I leave the office but he still can't/won't help.
Guess I need a new prescription. It's not just the $25 dollar savings it's the darn lack of common sense that just drives me to go out of my way ugggghh. Well now I have a swell KOA card.
* This post was
edited 09/26/08 06:17pm by joppa *
The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~St. Augustine
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larry cad
Whatever.....
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Yup!! Happens all the time. Gotta wonder what they put in the water that people drink now-adays!!
I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.....
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The Garrells
Cheraw, SC
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Joined: 02/26/2004
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We had a similar problem at this same KOA. Sites are WAY too small and extremely cramped. We weren't impressed with the gas station office set up. Anyway, we won't go back to that KOA. Others have been wonderful and always helpful. Good luck in your travels.
Mike & Terri
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jay2003
San Joaquin Valley, California
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I'm sure they have a policy against all the stuff you mentioned to keep them from losing money. Figure you buy the card and they discount all the nights stay basically paying for the card a couple times over. Then you don't come back again.. so they lose $$. I'm sure KOA functions like the cell companies do. Free phones .. umm.. yeah.. they make their $$$ back by signing you up for a contract that pays for the phone ultimately. So you buy the KOA card.. they overprice their sites to begin with but you end up coming back again since you have the card. You pay the discounted yet still overpriced site costs and they make their $$ back over time.
I have to tell this story that happend to my best friend because it applies here. So my friend purchased something at a big box clothing store but paid for it on his ATM card. He turned away from the counter then rememebed he promised his daughter he would give her some coins to stick in one of the vending machines. He didn't have any coins so he asked the cashier. She wouldn't open the drawer and break his $5 bill even though he had just made a purchase. She said she couldn't open the drawer without purchase. Ok so someone else was in line so he waited. When her drawer opened he asked and she again said she couldn't do it.. It was against policy to give change. So he reaches down and found a nicknack on the counter and said he wanted to puchase it. She rings him up gives him change which he pockets. When her drawer closes he tells her. "Ok now I would like to return this product." Cashier couldn't do a darn thing except take the return and give him his money back. He ended up with his change, made his point with the cashier through his actions and his daughter was happy. Too funny if you ask me. Sounds like your KOA cashier experience.
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Eycom
Fl to NY
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While you are in the area, drive down to Rock Hill, SC and check out Ebenezer Park on Boatshore Dr. First come, first served, very popular with locals, but fairly accessible this time of year. Considerably larger sites, sat friendly, less traffic, FHUs, 30&50 amps, much, much better value. $15/night (non-resident) and $10/night seniors (over 60).
Might be a better fit for future visits to the area.
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retired logger
WA USA
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Joined: 12/10/2003
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Well you know what KOA stands for? "Keep On Adding." We stayed at one (last time) a few years ago. Every time we turned around`they wanted extra money. Besides the space was so small our sewer dump was about two feet from our neighbors picnic table. I had to dump while they were eating, no I couldn't wait. Needless to say they weren't very happy with me... Sooo that was the last with Keep On Adding CG's.
Short time young and a long time old !
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Golden_HVAC
Fulltime, CA, USA
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retired logger wrote:Well you know what KOA stands for? "Keep On Adding." We stayed at one (last time) a few years ago. Every time we turned around`they wanted extra money. Besides the space was so small our sewer dump was about two feet from our neighbors picnic table. I had to dump while they were eating, no I couldn't wait. Needless to say they weren't very happy with me... Sooo that was the last with Keep On Adding CG's.
I had always heard it was Kamp on Asphalt - basically because of the cram you in design of the park.
Sewer site 2' from a table, makes perfect sense!
Yes sometimes you just can not wait to dump, and that is why you went to the campground.
I would much rather be back up at the North Rim, where you can have hundreds of feet of space around your RV.
I am tempted to buy into a campground in Texas with 1/2 acre sites! That would be great! It is actually 1/2 acre deeded lots, about 20 miles from the interstate.
Fred.
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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Joined: 12/01/2005
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seems sort of like the same issue that the emergency road service plans have, a 24 hour waiting period. makes sense to me.
but I am not a KOA hater.
bumpy 
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H & E
North Texas
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We have used one KOA in the last 5 months of traveling because it was the closest to where we wanted to visit. (Calabash, NC) The staff was very friendly and the park was not asphalt, however the site was small. I had looked at several KOA’s before we started on our trip and had decided we never wanted to stay at one of them. We have found that there are a lot of undesirable RV parks out there that are not KOA. Some places I will never return to. I recommend that you use RV Park reviews before selecting a place to park. Our favorite places are COE parks and second are SP’s.
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jplunkett
Virginia
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The thing I've found with KOAs is that the quality of the CG is very uneven. Some are very nice, like the one we visited in PA - Twin Grove -, while others are run down and in general pretty uninviting. You'd think that there would be franchise standards so that one could expect some minimum level of quality.
safe travels,
John & Elizabeth Plunkett
Louisa, Virginia
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