Before travelling to the Isle of Wight we decided to make appointments at all the parks on our shortlist. Booking an appointment with the park’s sales team ensures that you are shown around far more effectively than if you visited the park yourself on spec. It also allows you to go through the numerous options for purchasing caravans on the site.
Dealing with sales representatives isn’t always easy, but in this case it is necessary. We can honestly say that, during our search for a caravan unit, no company or company representative gave us the hard sell, and staff were generally helpful and informative.
For this blog, we will focus on our visit to Thorness Bay Holiday Park on June 5th 2011. This park is operated by Park Resorts.
Having travelled over to the island by ferry, we arrived at Thorness Bay at 12:30. On arrival at the park’s smart new reception, we were offered coffee by our sales representative, who then sat us down and ran us through the itinerary she had planned for us.
At this point, she gave us a detailed insight into the purchasing process, including information on typical costs and payments. Her honesty was refreshing and we were pleased to learn that there were no hidden costs, although we guess that this transparency is to avoid wasting time with customers who cannot afford to buy.
Park Resorts approved members of the National Caravan Council (NCC) which protects consumer interest and promotes best practice on its associated parks. The NCC also run a code of practice, which ensures a minimum standard of compliance and quality from its associated partners, a scheme that we support. It is worth checking for the NCC’s badge of accreditation before you purchase a caravan on a park.
As the Park Representative showed as around, she explained the details of the Park Resorts subletting scheme, which allows you to recoup some of the running costs when you are not using your caravan. This information was presented honestly, with no hard sell, and included information on all the pros and cons of the various options.
If you need to enquire about the finance options available when purchasing your caravan, just ask your representative. They will give you a rundown of the different finance options and even a quote on the option that best suits you.
Park Resorts break the buying process down into the following five steps:
Step 1 - Is the Park right for you and your family?
- Are the facilities right for you?
- How long is the park's season of operation?
- What does the local area have to offer?
Step 2 - Are the running costs within your budget?
- What costs are involved?
- Can your caravan be rented out or sublet to help offset the running costs?
- When are the costs due for payment?
Step 3 - Which caravan best suits your needs?
- What do caravans cost?
- What caravans are available?
- What is included in the unit price?
- How long can I keep my caravan on the park?
- What are my funding options?
Step 4 - Which pitch best suits your caravan?
- What pitches are available?
- Do certain pitches have different site fees?
Step 5 - The Welcome Meeting
- Have all your questions been answered today?
- What happens next if you say yes?
- How soon can you move into your caravan unit?