Deb and Ed M
SW MI & Space Coast, FL USA
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Well, I'm going to name names, because General RV in Wayland gave us a free camping weekend when we bought our Class C. It was for a newish park called River Ridge, and there was zero pressure to buy anything. They gave us a BEAUTIFUL site, and we really enjoyed ourselves - I think they did it just to get people to see their gorgeous facilities along the Muskegon River?
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spoon059
Just north of D.C.
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Yup, sounds like a typical sales pitch. Like when you walk into a Bass Pro Shops and they try to have you sign up for a "Free $25,000 shopping card" or some nonsense like that. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I would rather pay for 2 weeks of a camping trip than be forced into some high pressure sales pitch. Some people might love that, but I bought a camper specifically so that I would have a MOBILE vacation home. There are some places that I go every year, but I don't want to blow my entire vacation budget to only go to the same places every time.
On the other hand, I bought my camper from Keystone Mega RV in Greencastle, PA. They offer a free night of camping at their campground. Its not much of a campground, but you can park the night there for free and test all your RV functions. No sales pitch, no attempt to solicit information... just a good business practice for new trailer owners to test out the product within walking distance of the salesman to ensure they know what they are doing.
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Jbrowland
Planning my next trip
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Joined: 01/19/2015
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You lost me at Camping World. ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/wink.gif "wink") . But seriously, congrats on your new purchase! May you enjoy it safely and trouble free for many years to come! ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
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ro_sie
South Carolina
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We got the same thing when we bought a new to us class A. I handed the offer right back to the lady doing our paperwork and told her, " No thanks, that's just a scam to get our name and phone number. they are only going to try to badger me into buying something". She looked kind of abashed and said, well its up to you, its only an offer you know. The "offer" was left laying on the table when we left.
ro_sie
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kalynzoo
Los Angeles , California
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It's not just Camping World. Many dealerships will off trial memberships at local or chain resorts with your purchase. It's advertising, and for some good will. If you go to RV shows, or Rallies, you will also find membership campgrounds offering all types of promo programs to try a campground. Again, for some it is wonderful, for others, not so much. I bet getting you to use the freebee by a certain date is similar to the first 50 callers getting something special. Don't throw the certificate away, if you want, call them this summer when you want to travel and ask that they honor the certificate for a free visit. I sort of think they will. Naturally you will need to take the tour and have a 90 minute presentation about the wonders of membership. Again, for some this is great, obviously, because there are so many membership parks, for others, it is just not the right thing. Enjoy your new RV, and Happy Trails.
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ford truck guy
Pennsylvania
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What I purchased my KZ Montego Bay back in "07" I received a coupon book for several campgrounds in the area that were offering book a night, get a night free..
Some had to be used Mon-Fri.... some were any time...
Like stated, they are offered by the local business to get folks in there to see what they are about hoping to get a new customer out of it..
This was not a scam from CW... Just a ploy from the locals to drum up some new customers.
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DutchmenSport
Indiana
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We had a similar experience many years ago when we purchased our first travel trailer and traded in our PUP. The dealer was Tom Raper RV, who eventually sold out to Camping World in Richmond, Indiana. Camping World had nothing to do with that back then. But after signing, we were ushered to a table with a high pressure pitch for the 2 night "free camping". We were pretty clueless back then, and the Internet was NOT as powerful as it is now, so checking up on this offer was sketchy at best.
Well, we took the information and made an appointment to stay one week-end. After we checked in we were informed the condition for the free week-end was to endure a "presentation" about membership and privileges for joining their organization. We scheduled a late Sunday morning meeting.
Well, we were park out in the "North 40" part of the camp ground, kind of away from every one else. And I noticed there were a few others camped, pretty far apart. We enjoyed the first night and day, and then Saturday afternoon I stared talking to the "long distance neighbors". Found out they already had their sales pitch. I asked them what was the bottom dollar. I was shocked and horrified at the same time! And then having to use their campgrounds, with their restrictions, after paying a fortune, and there were really none convenient to where we actually lived, well .....
We discussed the matter between us, and decided we were not going to be high pressured. Several of the other campers caved and signed the dotted lines, and then had remorse, shocked at what they did, and were now trying to figure out how to get out of it now. They were miserable.
Well, we pulled up stake about 8:00 am in the morning and got the H*** out of there and never turned back! I was so D*** mad at Tom Raper RV then, I could spit nails and swore I'd never do business with them again for snookering us. We really though that was part of the package for the camper. Boy were we stupid or something!
Oh ... the name of the resort? yea.... Thousand Trails!
Edit! We did finally figure out why they parked all us there for the free week-end camp, spaced out so far apart. They were hoping we would not communicate with each other, before getting the sale pitch. It's almost as if they knew, if one person told the next person before they got the pitch, they would bail! Which is exactly what we did.
For 4 or 5 thousand dollars of initial membership, that a LOT of camping in ANY State Park and Private Campground for a LOT of years! And then add the annual dues. Oh my!
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qtla9111
Monterrey, Mexico
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Joined: 09/17/2003
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ThruTraffic wrote:PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:The Certificate has nothing to do with the price of the RV.
It hasn't cost you anything but s phone call.
Correct and true.
Posted the tale only to raise awareness. :-)
Great head's up. We're all lured by freebies. If you have a dealer across the street that doesn't offer that, which one will you choose?
Of course. But if it turns out to be a stinky offer, good on ya for posting it.
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ThruTraffic
USA
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PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:The Certificate has nothing to do with the price of the RV.
It hasn't cost you anything but s phone call.
Correct and true.
Posted the tale only to raise awareness. :-)
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ThruTraffic
USA
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NYCgrrl wrote:Where or what company is the free RV resort offer located at?
Always good to keep one's ears to the ground when presented w/ an offer that seems too good to be true .
It wasn't something I knew of in advance or had thought part of the sale. It was a surprise that it existed and promoted to me as a nice thing they were doing for me. :-) If they hadn't given me the certificate I'd have never known it existed.
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