Shady Oaks Campground and Cabins

I have stayed at over 30 KOAs across the country. I am extremely familiar with the brand, and with their policies. While most campgrounds are individually owned and operated, they all abide by common policies and practices of the franchise for consistency of customer experience. Whenever I have experienced a deviation from these policies, the campground management is very forthcoming with their individual exceptions to the brand’s policies. If you camp with the chain, you know that the National Cancellation Policy for tent and RV sites is cancel prior to 4:00pm 48 hours prior to your stay for a refund of your first night’s deposit paid less a$10 cancellation fee. I booked a site at the Bucksport/Fort Knox KOA campground in May for a stay on Sunday, July 5, 2020 via the KOA app. I reviewed the cancellation guidelines button which was the standard National Cancellation Policy terms I was familiar with from many previous stays with the chain. It became apparent to us in early June that our summer travel plans to Eastern Canada were not going to be possible because of the closed US/Canadian border as well as interprovincial border restriction in Canada due to the COVID19 Global Pandemic. On June 5th, I called around to the various KOA properties we had reserved for this now unfortunately impossible trip. I was met with various responses from the different KOA campgrounds from we are waiving the cancellation penalty due to COVID19; to we are retaining the$10 cancellation fee on your account in hopes you will join us next summer and will apply it to your future stay; to we are sorry you won’t be able to visit us this summer and will refund your deposit less the$10 cancellation fee. Only at this horrid campground from this disgusting owner did I receive the response that“your deposit is non refundable”. When I expressed that this was completely unacceptable and demanded to know on what grounds they refused to refund the deposit, they claimed it was a“holiday week”. Now, this cancellation was requested a full 30 days prior to our reserved stay, no where on the website or in the cancellation policy does it state what dates are non refundable holiday weeks for this campground, the United States Federal Holiday of Independence Day is celebrated on July 3rd this year- which is the prior week, and their holiday weekend event festivities that are listed on their website are for July 3-5. If I am checking in at the check in time after the holiday weekend, and their holiday festivities end at checkout time on July 5th, why is the week following a holiday week considered a holiday? If you want to consider it a holiday, why do you not make the effort to modify the cancellation terms on your website to state this? How does a cancellation made 30 days prior to stay not give you ample time to resell the space? Why do you think you don’t need to follow the franchise wide national cancellation policy? Why do you have no understanding that my travel was impossible due to closed borders during a global health pandemic? Finally why are you in a position of customer service in the hospitality industry? These are all simple questions, to which“your deposit is non refundable” is just NOT an acceptable answer. Please, I implore you, take you business elsewhere! Maybe to those other very understanding KOA Campgrounds in the area who were so considerate and helpful when I cancelled my stay 30 days out.