Press release —
3 shocking holiday park owner experiences - from ECC's case files
Holiday park consumer abuse is hitting media headlines a lot these days. But what does that look like from the perspective of leading UK claims firm ECC? Here are three shocking examples of client histories
European Consumer Claims
At ECC our enquiries team speak to thousands of former lodge and caravan owners. We have borne witness to pretty much the entire gamut of negative holiday park behaviour and there is very little left that shocks us.
Greedy park owners charging unfair pitch fee increases?
We hear that all the time.
Someone was put in a position where they were forced to sell their caravan back to the park at a 90% loss after only owning it for a short period?
Everyday stuff.
Shoddy van quality? Basic repairs promised when making the initial purchase, but never happened? Park monopolises and overcharges for utilities and building work?
You name it, we've heard it.
To paraphrase Shakespeare, "there is (almost) nothing new under the sun" when it comes to unpleasant and predatory behaviour from park operators.
So what, these days, does it take to shock European Consumer Claims? Here are three of the worst examples from our files. Names changed and parks not named for legal reasons.
Widow's medical compensation targeted
We came across this case in August 2025. The victim, a disabled woman in her 70s with a host of debilitating medical issues, had been awarded over £120,000 in compensation for an infected blood transfusion which ruined the quality of her life.
Joan (name changed) had decided to use some of the money to buy a lodge as it would bring her large family together for holidays. She went to visit a seaside location managed by a well known, national park operator.
Joan needs a mobility scooter to get around or can make slow progress with a walking stick. She had only been there a couple of minutes when a kind seeming young man approached her. He said he was a salesperson and could help her get around the park in his golf cart. Before she knew it she had bought a caravan for £61,000, which she would have been happy with if everything had turned out as promised by the park staff. Her family would have a holiday home, which had been her intention.
However The caravan turned out to completely unsuitable for a handicapped, elderly woman, in a dark and distant part of the park. There were many faults with the unit and promises of perks that came with the caravan (such as free access to activities and entertainment) proved false. To rectify the situation the park sales staff convinced her to spend more and more money on a series of upgrades until her £120,000 was completely gone.
Joan was told that she could rent the units out and more than cover her annual costs. This proved completely untrue and the annual costs were prohibitive.
When she asked the park to buy her caravans back, on the advice of her children, she was offered a fraction of what she had paid - despite the park originally allegedly promising to buy the units back at any time for their full value. Joan is out of pocket for the full £120,000, has three unsellable caravans which cost her many thousands of pounds a year in pitch fees and regrets the day she set foot on the park
ECC is currently suing the park for compensation based on mis-selling and unfair contracts
Suspicious fires burn down complainers lodges
A well known British TV documentary show aired an investigative report highlighting unfair and predatory behaviour in the holiday park industry.
The usual themes were exposed: Disproportional pitch fee increases; customers being told they can live permanently on sites only licensed for holiday use and people being forced into situations where they have to sell their lodge back to the park for a small percentage of the original sale price (the park then selling the lodge on shortly afterwards for full price again.)
Many people spoke to the producers off-camera, their identities concealed. Two of the victims were brave enough to speak on camera about one well-known park. They shared their experiences about being allegedly lied to by park sales staff and spending huge amounts of money under false pretences.
The park are reported to have reacted negatively to the two who spoke out, with a barrage of threats and legal letters.
After a year of this, both of the complainers' lodges burnt to the ground in unexplained circumstances. Both on the same day.
They were the only two lodges out of dozens on the park to burn down. They are at opposite ends of the park. No other lodges were affected by the fires.
Both fires broke out when the lodge owners were out. The police forensics team say that because of the intensity of the fires, they may never know how they started.
ECC has recently taken on the cases of both victims.
XL Bully dog attacks and machete wielding thugs
One young couple, Robin and Alex bought what they were told was a residential, static caravan on a friendly, well known park.
After moving in the couple's experience was very different from the rosey picture painted by the salesman. The experience left their finances and plans for the future ruined, and one of them checked into a mental health facility on a semi permanent basis.
The park flooded regularly, despite the salesman having told the couple that millions of pounds had been spent on flood defences. A host of quality problems with the caravan followed, which the park never seemed to get around to fixing despite promising to do so when the couple made the purchase.
The 'deal breaker' issues for this couple began with the XL Bully dogs that they say were allowed to roam unattended around the site. "There were several reported attacks where they killed smaller dogs," says Robin "We have two chihuahuas ourselves which we didn't feel were safe, even on the lead. We ourselves were intimidated whenever we saw these huge dogs near us."
The final straw came when the couple were walking home one night along the dark track (they claim that the park lighting rarely worked) and witnessed a gang of machete wielding thugs threatening passers by, and even passing cars.
The couple moved out of the park. Robin moved back in with her mother, and Alex was traumatised so much that she had to be looked after in a long term mental health institution, from which she has only recently been discharged (after more than a year).
ECC is representing the young couple in multiple claims against the park.
Expert comment
"In a largely unregulated industry, or at least not regulated well enough, there are are many potential pitfalls," explains Greg Wilson, CEO of European Consumer Claims, the company fighting back against mis-selling in holiday ownership industries. "Greedy operators sell the dream to people looking for a slice of holiday heaven or even a pleasant but affordable living solution. These operators have earned a reputation in the media for overselling, under delivering and in many cases ruining people's lives.
"These are significant amounts of money we are talking about. Tens of thousands of pounds and sometimes hundreds of thousands. Lives have literally been ruined.
"The message I have for people who feel like they have been duped or let down by holiday parks is: Firstly you are not alone. Secondly there are often legal options to challenge the sale and reclaim your money back in the form of compensation.
For free, confidential advice on an unfair holiday park situation, get in touch with our team.
Related links
- European Consumer Claims (ECC)
- Greg Wilson: Consumer hero
- ECC contact page
- Holiday Park Advice Centre
- Holiday park owners 'forced' into huge losses when reselling
- Leading consumer claims firm ECC targets rogue holiday park sales operations
- Holiday park sales victims speak out as ECC steps in to help
- UK courts are punishing holiday parks. Here are the most common reasons why
- The former holiday park owners who say they lost tens of thousands dealing with Seal Bay Resort
- No-win-no-fee vs individual, tailored Holiday Park claim. Which is best for you?
- Affected holiday park customers join forces with ECC for compensation crusade
- Is holiday park abuse this generation's "timeshare scandal"?
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Relevant websites for this article
www.holidayparkadvicecentre.co.uk
www.americanconsumerclaims.com
www.timeshareadvicecentre.co.uk
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