Lucy Devine
A couple claim they were treated like 'criminals' after being 'accused of fraud' and 'booted out' of their family holiday.
Claire Williams and her family were due to stay at Parkdean Resorts Sandford Holiday Park in Poole, Dorset, for a week earlier this year.
The family had booked onto the trip after taking it over from a friend who could no longer go. Claire explained she had contacted the resort and paid a £40 amendment fee to change all the details, which she believed was sufficient to switch the booking.
However, after a gruelling seven-hour drive with three children, Claire says the family were 'accused of fraud' because they hadn't paid for the £809 trip themselves, despite having reimbursed their friend who made the initial booking.
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"I was so shocked to basically be treated like a criminal," she said. "We contacted Parkdean and asked if it was possible to change the name and go in our friend's place, and they said 'that's absolutely fine, you've just got to pay a £40 booking fee'."
Claire continued: "After paying that £40, they sent us confirmation of the booking. From our point of view, we were going to go on this holiday. I didn't even think that something would go wrong.
"I was excited to have some time away with my family, and we had to travel a long way to get there. [After checking in], we got a phone call from the reception area saying, 'can we come back to talk to them about the booking?' It was to do with the changing name.
"I just thought we'd go in and it'd just be a simple explanation that could just be fixed there, but it wasn't like that at all."
Claire went on to say that the manager had begun to say that they'd 'not paid for this holiday' and 'that's fraud', which she said she thought was 'ridiculous'.
"Technically we hadn't paid for the holiday but we paid £40." she continued. "We had given our friends some money so that they weren't completely out of pocket. That's when she started saying 'it's money laundering and it's fraud'."
After a back-and-forth, Claire stepped away and 'had a panic attack in public', after which her husband came to her and said they had 'an hour to leave the site'.
"I didn't know what to think. I was so shocked," she said. Claire says the whole family were 'devastated' as they had to make the long journey back to Lancashire.
After complaining to the CEO, Claire received an apology from the manager, who offered them a full refund and £200 compensation.
"It was heartbreaking. My kids were devastated and we were all upset. It was a disgusting treatment," she said. "We were looking forward to having a full week and then just to be sent home. The drive back was horrible. I was just in so much shock to be called a liar, it was just so unbelievable."
Claire said she believed the siutation was 'so preventable' and could have been resolved on the day 'had they been willing to sit and discuss it properly'.
"I'm never going back there, and I'd warn other people away from this park too," she continued.
In response to what happened, a Sandford Holiday Park spokesman has said: "We're sorry for Ms Williams's experience. We have high standards for customer service, and what Ms Williams experienced certainly isn't to our standards.
"When Ms Williams reached out to us to share what had happened, we fully refunded the cost of her holiday, including the booking amendment fee, and offered compensation towards her travel costs, which she accepted.
"With that being the case, we consider the matter closed."
LADbible has also reached out to the park for comment.