Nearly 2,000 people have joined a group legal action against holiday park companies, alleging they lost thousands of pounds due to mis-sold static caravans and unfair pitch fees. The Holiday Park Action Group, which is leading the claim, says the number of claimants is growing daily, with some losing their life savings and being forced to sell their homes.
The group alleges caravans were sold at overinflated prices and that pitch fees were drastically increased, often forcing owners to sell up. Carole Keeble, the group’s founder, described the industry as the “wild west”, adding: “People losing their life savings – that is the norm.” The legal action, expected to be heard later this year, includes claims against unfair pitch fees and buyers being misled about the real value of caravans, which can depreciate rapidly.
Sally Nicholls, 70, lost her pension savings and had to sell her home after losing more than £50,000 on a caravan lodge bought in 2020 at Tattershall Lakes Country Park, run by Away Resorts. She bought the lodge for £69,000, but when pitch fees and park pass costs rose sharply, she sold it for just £15,000. She claimed she was given misleading verbal information, but nothing in writing.
Away Resorts said the industry had faced economic challenges leading to increased operational costs and the need to raise pitch fees, adding they took “great pride in our professional approach to holiday home ownership”. The Holiday Park Action Group is seeking compensation for those affected, with the case highlighting a lack of regulation in the sector.
