If you read today’s newsletter, you may have seen our story about campgrounds that are “full” on paper but have empty campsites sitting vacant all weekend. Those unused sites are one reason some parks are beginning to impose stricter penalties for campers who don’t show up and don’t cancel their reservations. (Here’s the story.)
It’s easy to understand both sides. Those empty campsites can keep other RVers and campers from booking a place to stay, especially during busy weekends when reservations are hard to come by. On the other hand, life happens. RV breakdowns, illness, family emergencies, and unexpected weather can derail even the best travel plans.
Many campgrounds already charge cancellation or no-show fees, but some park systems are considering tougher rules to encourage campers to either use their reservation or cancel it in time for someone else to enjoy the site. The goal isn’t necessarily to punish people—it’s to make more campsites available when demand is high.
So where should the line be drawn? Should campers who don’t cancel their reservations face tougher penalties, or is the current system fair enough?
What do you think? Would you support stricter penalties for campers who don’t cancel reservations?
After you vote, please leave a comment and tell us why. Have you ever missed out on a campsite because someone else never showed up? Or have you had to cancel a trip at the last minute yourself? As always, thank you for voting!
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RVT1267b
I up in the air about this poll. While it may seem right to do sometimes there could be circumstances why not to. When I had cancer I cancelled my reservation. I wish I didn’t for one before suegery.. My wife had a major medical issue that required surgery she had over a week ago. After talking to some woman who had the same surgery without any pain, sickness or issues. A week before I made two additional reservations for the days before and dropped my camper at the campsite and a day and a half later we showed up. She has additional treatments in July before we can decide what to do for a week long reservation. We could make it for just a few days.
Then you have issues that can happen traveling. Another issue is with your credit card refund. This year our financial institutions change one card from Mastercard to Visa and my wife’s changed banks. Neither of which are our fault. when this happens you have to hope to get the money back. When possible I do cancel or worst case scenario maybe call the state park. In my instances my reservation is either six months or a year ahead.
My rules;
No shows pay full rental
One week before pays one night + processing fee
More than one week before pays processing fee
The poll is about those who reserve, but never contact for cancellation. They just don’t show up. Admittedly, I would be upset if a campground made the cancellation contact difficult; e.g., phone only and repeated busy or no-answer.
I once had to cancel my COE campground reservation – and did so a week in advance. Because I used my lifetime pass, the fixed cancellation fee was equal to my discounted one-night reservation. Still I cancelled because it was the honorable thing to do. IMO, that lack of personal honor is why we find litter in fire pits, dog doo on paths, rock collecting in petrified forests – – no regard or compassion for those who may follow us.
You have integrity. A rare trait in todays world.
Reservations don’t guarantee occupancy, they guarantee you won’t be occupying that site.
Regardless if a person cancels with or without penalty, if it wasn’t cancelled when you were looking, it wasn’t available and you booked elsewhere. Thats the problem. People book months in advance without full commitment. And then plans change.
If it costs a lot to cancel, folks won’t cancel and the site will go unoccupied. If it costs nothing to cancel, folks have less reason to cancel and the site goes unoccupied.
Pay up front, require the RV license plate to book and mandate that license plate can’t appear at more than one site per arrival day. Address the problem where it starts.
I like this idea. I wonder how costly it would be for software to be updated to include this feature. It would only work for campgrounds that use the same reservation system, such as state parks or Campspot.
My other idea was a reimbursable “Occupancy Fee” that charges double or triple the campsite fee at time of booking but is reimbursed in full at time of occupancy.
If you book and show up, no harm, no fail, here’s your “Occupancy Fee” returned in full.
If you book and don’t show up, you might get your site fee back if you cancel but you don’t get the Occupancy Fee since you’re not occupying the site. I think that’ll curb the hoarders, scalpers and the noncommittal.
I dunno. I’ve had a lot of time to think about this staring at so many empty yet “sold out” campgrounds. I like the quiet of the emptiness but…..
IF…. Reservations had to be paid in ‘full’ when made then it really doesn’t matter if they show up or not. They have rented the spot(s) and can use it as they want too. I mean that it could be worse. You could have someone with ATV’s and electric scooters ripping around.
Hi Mike: I agree with the premise that “I paid for it is mine” for the time I paid. However, I think the problem is – it is denying a site for other Rv’ers who could use it – and yet it sits vacant because you didn’t show up – or cancel. Trying to find an equitable way to encourage cancelling so others can enjoy too is the problem. A medical emergency or road accident or breakdown….? Should that reservation holder be penalized? A tough nut to crack…. to be fair to all!
I can definitely see your point BUT until they figure out some way to solve this then paying up front seems to be the easiest/quickest solution. At least the campground won’t be losing any money. Some people just don’t care about others…. It’s the ‘me’, ‘me’ world that we live in now. 🙁
Thank you for the question, RV Travel. Certainly for repeat offenders. Those doing it once may have become overwhelmed by whatever caused them to no-show and the cancellation intended but never done. Have a great weekend and safe travels!
Recently I had a reservation at White River State Park, I could not make the reservation date. It was past the time to cancel and receive any refund. I sent emails to both the park directly and to the Arkansas State Parks main office in Little Rock several days in advance advising them I was not going to make it and make the site available for someone else. I received a call from the campground the day after the first day of my reservation asking if I was going to make it to the campsite. Then about 6 weeks after the date of the reservation I received an email from the State Parks Office advising they had found my email.
So it may not be the camper but the inefficiencies of the system.
Email? Why didn’t you just call them?
On occasion the issue of an empty site might be software related. Recently I cancelled a reservation online several weeks in advance and removed it from our calendar. A few weeks later there was a reminder email about the upcoming reservation. Huh? Guess I only thought I had canceled. My husband made the second cancellation online. And a week later there was another reminder email. And I made a 3rd attempt to cancel. And the day before arrival yet another email arrived reminding us of the reservation. We gave up. This is an example of failure of contactless reservation systems. We did our due diligence and tried to be courteous to our fellow campers.
AI at work.
Why didn’t you call? At the second notice I would have taken the time to call and clear it up.
However the campground has to have someone to answer the phone when you call to cancel or explain you are running late.
No-shows must compensate the campground for not cancelling. Keep a list of those people and double their next attempt to arrive.
Had to cancel in July for a family member funeral for a site we’d booked at Christmas. Had only one week’s notice of funeral schedule. Sometimes stuff happens and this was the only time we’ve had to cancel.
Prefer that the frequent system abusers are the ones who need to learn their lessons. We also have seen campers book three adjacent campsites but only occupy the middle site. Paying extra for privacy buffer zones. How do we deal with that or should we? Don’t want noisy, drunk (or druggie) partying neighbors with loud obnoxious music or skunky pot smoke while enjoying nature.
Shouldn’t that’s what camper ground host or park rangers are for. Especially fed camp grounds cause it’s still illegal to participate in the use of illicit drugs on federal property.
How about allowing monitored subletting. If you are not going to use your reservation, you can notify the park or reservation system and your refund is what they rent it for. With demand pricing, your refund might be more than you paid, so there’s an incentive.
Then you set up the business of scalping and illegal issue. And I’m sure the feds are not going to allow you to make an income of their dime.
Yes, there should be penalties. Or at least allow half of the spots for first come first serve so there’s options.
Back in the early 1980s CA state parks would cancel your Ticketron reservation if you didn’t contact the park or show up by checkout time of the first day – 24 hours they’d hold, then you were SOL. There were not a lot of no-shows, and no repeat offenders.
Blacklist in a national registration listing that all camp grounds would have access to. And if payment was made no refund and ensure that in the registration form it clearly states NO REFUNDS. This way they can’t run to the bank and dispute charge. Maybe that will stop or surely slow down the abuse and inconsiderate actions.
Hey Barney, go get the rope. It’s time for another necktie party, another half-wit didn’t show up for their campground reservation!
For repeaters, yes. But some policies seem silly. I attempted to cancel the first 2 days of a 6 day stay at an Oregon state park last February, 3 weeks before arrival. Ended up calling them. I couldn’t get a refund for canceling the first 2 days, but could if it was the last 2 days. However, I could get a full refund if I canceled the entire reservation and rebooked, which is what I did. The clerk was surprised that I canceled! Their website warned one can’t rebook on the same call, but the clerk asked me if I wanted to rebook before hanging up! To me, this is an invitation to be a no show.