Over 1,000 caravan owners have initiated legal action against holiday park operators, alleging they were misled into paying inflated prices and unfairly subjected to excessive annual pitch fee hikes. The Holiday Park Action Group is seeking compensation, claiming that current regulations fail to protect consumers from unjust practices. Many owners have experienced steep losses when attempting to sell their caravans, often receiving offers significantly lower than their purchase prices. Key cases highlight the emotional and financial burdens on individuals like Kim Graham, who faced devastating offers after investing life savings in caravans. A court ruling could empower more owners to seek justice.
More than 1,000 ‘rip-off’ caravan owners have launched legal action, claiming they were unfairly bilked out of tens of thousands of pounds by greedy holiday park owners.
Members of the Holiday Park Action Group (HPAG) are seeking compensation for unfair increases in annual pitch fees and misleading claims about the value of fixed caravans at the time of purchase.
They accused the holiday park of selling the homes at “significantly inflated prices”, leaving the owners with significant losses if they decided to sell.
Founder Carol Keeble told the BBC that existing regulations failed to protect consumers from “unfair commercial practices” on an “industry scale”.
The expected ruling in the high court will depend on a small snapshot of the test case, which could pave the way for the remaining roughly 1,200 people to sue to obtain compensation.
The group’s lawyer, Hugh Preston KC, said: “This is an essentially unregulated sector and there are no legal regulations telling parks what to do or how to act. …And there are broader issues where consumers feel it’s not fair.” value from.
The first application will ask the High Court to rule on whether annual pitch fee increases written into the contract between caravan owners and the park are fair and enforceable.
Second, holiday parks are legally required to explain to potential buyers that the value of a static caravan can be significantly reduced if it is sold, even after a few years. This is a test to see if it is necessary.
Carol Keeble told the BBC that existing regulations failed to protect consumers from “unfair commercial practices” on an “industry scale”.
Jim Green and his wife Lorraine (pictured) bought their caravan at Parkdean Resort Wemyss Bay in 2013, but they were only offered £4,000 to sell it.
Kim Graham paid £57,000 for a mobile home (pictured) at Hampshire’s Seal Bay Resort two years ago, but was offered just £15,000 this year.
MailOnline previously spoke to caravan owners who were only offered a quarter of the price when they tried to sell back after splurging tens of thousands of dollars on their homes.
Grandmother Kim Graham bought the mobile home from Selsey’s Seal Bay Resort for £57,000 two years ago.
Mrs Graham put her savings into the caravan shortly after losing her three-year-old granddaughter to strep A, hoping it would be a safe place for her family to grieve.
But when Ms Graham was diagnosed with breast cancer in June, she decided to sell the caravan, but the company only paid £15,000 for it.
Mrs Graham told MailOnline: “I’m devastated. I’ve put all my life savings into keeping my family entertained.” I thought I would lose money if I sold it, but it wasn’t that bad.
“I feel so sad and saddened that I have let my family down.”
Ms Green described her caravan as “beautiful” but said the company told her it was old and needed to be moved off-site.
Mr Green claimed he put the mobile home on the market for nearly £27,000 after the park offered him £4,000.
View from the deck of the old caravan at Parkdean Resort Wemyss Bay before Mr Green let it go
My grandmother added: “At the time, I had just lost my 3-year-old granddaughter suddenly to strep A, and I wanted to go somewhere to make new memories on a weekend/holiday retreat with her younger brother and other grandchildren. I was thinking.
“They recommended I buy almost new, but no one pointed out the pitfalls, so I wish I had taken more time to read the terms and conditions.
“Nobody knows what’s around the corner, but instead of painting a rosy picture and easily cheating me out of my life savings, someone should sit by my side and make me understand all the risks. I wish you had given it to me.”
Additionally, Mrs Graham said she had no idea the caravan would cost more than £8,000 a year in fees, and claimed the purchase was “completely wrong”.
“The costs are so high that it is impossible to make a profit or even cover the exorbitant fees,” she says.
Meanwhile, former caravan owner Jim Green and his wife Lorraine bought their mobile home at Parkdean Resort Wemyss Bay in 2013 for £31,995, and then spent a further £8,000 on the deck.
He paid £17,495 for the more expensive model with a trade-in exchange offer in which the caravan park paid him £14,500 for an old mobile home he had bought earlier in the same year for £12,500.
When they realized they had only three years left on their term, the park awarded them £4,000, claiming the caravan was too old and needed to be moved off-site.
But now Mr Green claims the company has put the house on the market for nearly £27,000.
He told MailOnline: Actually, we also bought it for our grandson.
“They put my beloved caravan up for sale on my pitch for around £27,000.
“We’re completely gutted.”
Parkdean Resorts Wemyss Bay said that since he sold the caravan, significant investment had been made into the caravan, including a new boiler, resulting in an increase in value.
They added that they would remind customers of the fact that caravans and lodges do not hold their value on the website or during sales.
A view of Mr Green’s mobile home deck before receiving the £4,000 offer.
View from the window of Mr Green’s former caravan at Parkdean Resort Wemyss Bay
The caravan before Mr Green was offered £4,000.
Other caravan owners also spoke to the BBC about their experiences of losing tens of thousands of pounds.
Sally Nicholls, from Sheffield, used her entire pension pot to secure her dream caravan at Tattershall Lakes Country Park in Lincolnshire for £69,000.
But when I sold it three years later, I only got back £15,000.
Away Resorts, which operates Tattershall Lakes Country Park, said in October it had provided buyers with “comprehensive information, including detailed terms and conditions” to ensure they were aware of potential risks.
Joanne Horner Bloomfield, 65, is one of those taking legal action.
She told the BBC she had “lost everything” after spending around £38,000 buying and decorating a caravan at Watermill Leisure Park in Lincolnshire.
Within two years, her annual pitching fee had increased from £2,795 to a staggering £4,100, an amount she said she couldn’t afford.
She was then informed that because the caravan was over 10 years old, the park would not buy it back and it would only sell for £5,000 on the open market.
A park spokesperson said there was no obligation to repurchase previously sold caravans and that the sale with Ms Horner-Bloomfield had been fair and transparent.
All caravan parks mentioned in this article have been approached for comment.
