Complaint Review: Rachel & Rob's Wildwood Lake Family Campgrounds Inc

The Medina / Wildwood Lake KOA doing business under Rachel & Rob's had sold me a reservation for the week of June 30 - July 5, 2016.  They charged my credit card for the entire stay (as per their policy) and sent me a confirmation.

The site they assigned to me was not given at the time of reservation, only the area/region of the campground which they said can accomodate up to a 35 ft. trailer.  Mine is only 30', so this should have been fine.

When we arrived around 8PM on June 30 (after calling and letting them know we were close), they gave me my site and I drove off with map in hand to go get set up.  I've been driving large trucks & trailers for over 25 years now, so I don't have too much trouble maneuvering in and around normal obstacles.

However, the site they assigned to me was only bug enough for a pop-up camper and a small truck or SUV.  This was because of all the trees, utility hookups, stumps, and other obstacles in and around this site that made it infeasible for me to attempt backing in.  The "roadway" bordering this site was too narrow for me to position my truck & trailer so that I could back it in and navigate.

So I drove back out to the office and asked if they could place me in one of the other open sites that I saw in the same section.  After several pleasant (but no) minutes of discussion with the young lady working the shop, I asked to speak with the manager or owner to see if we could work something out.  I had this trip booked for two months and ust drove 7 hours to get there and I didn't really have any other options that night.

The manager came out; but he was unfriendly and unwilling to work with me, let me locate another open site, or even get my deposit back.  The best he would do is refund the remaining nights..claiming it was the policy and he could not help me.  

I had no choice; but to leave and began calling around nearby campground; but they were all booked.  We ended up parking for a couple of hours in a gas station parking lot after fueling up and buying some refreshments; but were asked to leave after a couple of hours (no camping).

So we got back on I-90 and hoped for a rest stop or truck stop that wasn't full like all the ones we had already passed by midnight.  This was a very long and frustrating day and it could have been avoided by this "manager" simply allowing us to hook up in one of the open spots that I could navigate into.

To top it off, the section he tried to stick us in was one of the dirtiest, run-down sections of any park we've seen in the past 7 years of camping at KOA's.  We even contacted KOA headquarters to see if they'd help us and hold that campground accountable for at least refunding us that first night's fees that they baited us in, just to turn us away with an inferior site that would not accomodate my rig.  So, basically I'm thinking this guy does this often - sets people up and charges the first night (non-refundable), then when you show up and can't squeeze in, it is your choice to leave.

What a rip-off.

Oh, by the way - KOA headquarters does not get involved in these incidents.  They claim to hold their sites accountable to certain standards regarding offerings within a campground; but they obviously do not care about unethical practices like this one at the Medina / Wildwood LAke KOA - Rachel & Rob's .