ComplaintsforSycamore Lodge

• Initial Complaint

  11/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On November 13, 2020, I went to this business with the intent of getting 21 free days of camping that were offered with the purchase of my new RV. They proceeded to do a tour of the campground and offer a sales pitch for a lifetime membership package. This sales pitch was highly predatory, offering a one-time-only sales price, and the salesperson making misleading claims, such as being able to cancel anytime after the loan is paid off. I was under the impression that I would be able to use the "Sycamore Lodge" campground for free anytime I wanted as long as I paid the yearly maintenance fee, and that I could use the other campgrounds offered at a flat member-only fee. Then, after I had paid off the loan for the membership, I could cancel the Sycamore Lodge membership, discontinuing the maintenance fees, and continue to use the membership for the remainder of the 30 years to camp around America at any of the partner campgrounds. This was not the case. The contract and the salesperson failed to mention that the "membership" is intended to be more like a mortgage and that they want to trap the member into a lifetime of maintenance fees. Being in the military at the time of signing the contract, it was my intent to purchase the lifetime membership and have it paid off by the time I got out of the service and begin to use it to travel around the country. I paid off the membership September 26, 2022 and requested to cancel the "Sycamore Lodge" membership via the company's website. I never heard back from them, so I sent an email directly. They responded saying I needed to schedule an appointment to discuss cancellation options, which confused me at the time. After the appointment, I was informed that the only way to cancel was to pay $4000+ to "buy out" the contract. This also confused me, since it was never mentioned in the contract or sales pitch. After the meeting I did a search on ************com and **********.io to discover that this happens to a lot of people.

  

  Business response

  12/02/2022

  ******, thank you so much for this opportunity to respond to your concerns. As you know you purchased a lifetime membership and the intent of the membership is for a lifetime. You have been given your options for opting out of the membership as you have stated. However, you stated your intention is to use the membership to travel. Your membership would need to be active in order to do this. I recommend contacting Member Services so that we can help you utilize your membership for your travel goals. Member Services can be reached at ************. We look forward to hearing from you.

  Customer response

  12/18/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  It does not address the complaint. 
  I do not want to be contacted by the business.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

  

  Business response

  01/03/2023

  We will make a note that you have rejected our response and we will no contact you other than the allowable billing statements. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  01/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We were sold in this camping package with with the promise we could get a camping spot about anytime we wanted to. We have paid thousands only to be able to use it just a few times. The only times you can get a camping spot is during the off season. This is not what we were promised. It has been a nightmare to get what we have paid for on a regular basis They also have asked its members to pay a Covid fee of $79. Which I find ridiculous because of the government payments they have received. I am a disabled veteran and I feel this company targets older individuals and they also prey upon the disabled! I tried to make a reservation being a paid member and it was full, I was told there was no spots available. I then called back a few minutes later asking for a showing for 2 families with campers. They all of a sudden had two spots available because they thought they could sell even more spots!. This was not just a one time event. It was numerous times. I am actually in the process of producing a ************* on how they treat there members and their predatory selling practices!

  

  Business response

  02/03/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/01/26) */ We are very sorry to hear you were not able to reserve your preferred dates. Reservations are made on a first come, first serve basis and, due to high demand, we are not able to guarantee availability. Please be assured, membership satisfaction is our top priority, and it is important to us that every member is able to enjoy the resort. In looking at your account, out of the 9 reservations you've made, you've cancelled 6. We normally penalize individuals who cancel under 24 hours notice because it takes from other campers, but have waived this once before for you. Afterwards, the penalty must be taken care of before additional reservations can be made. We maintain availability throughout the year - off season or peak season, but is based on reservation ability. You have a 60 day reservation on your contract and can book that far in advance through our portal. We would love to further assist you on reservations if you'd like to reach out to ******************************.

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