Thousand Trails
reviews and complaints

On March 10, 2023 my wife and I were ordered to evacuate the Thousand Trails Park located in San Benito, CA due to a rainstorm that made a creek rise that could jeopardize a bridge used to enter & exit the campgrounds. This event turned into a complete loss and expulsion of our "Elite Membership" inwhich we paid, in full, over $8k cash in the fall of 2020.

The evacuation was presented to us in the form of an irate employee driving up to our class A RV, banging on the door and yelling that we had to leave the park NOW. The typical packing up the outdoor furniture, bringing in the slides, disconnecting the utilities, getting the interior secure with 2 cats, is normally a one hour job. Granted, this wasn't a "normal " situation. After 10 minutes, the lady in the golf cart was back banging on the door, yelling that we had to go. After 20 minutes, she was back and said that we had to leave the RV and take only our secondary vehicle. So we threw some clothes in paper bags, put water and food out for the cats and left the park. We stayed in a hotel until 3 days later we got a call to come get our rig. Within 2 hours, we drove back to San Benito from Gilroy, finished getting the rig road ready and left.

After 6 weeks, we had reservations for San Benito T.T.

After coming into the park at 7:00 pm, with the ranger station closed, but gate open, we preceded to find a site and check in the next day. The following day two rangers drove up to my RV and presented a letter to me stating that due to the events 6 weeks prior during the evacuation, we are now kicked out of all Thousand Trails Parks system, never to visit any of their properties again, and loose all of my Elite Membership benefits.

My first thought was that "is this a joke?". Or maybe they got us confused with someone else. Or this is T.T. weeding out full timers, making room to sell more memberships? It's been almost a month now, and still no clarification on the reason of expulsion. The manager says to talk to member services and member services says to talk to the camp ground manager.

What recourse do I have to recover my membership or money paid for the membership?

To start off i’m a cabin member and I think your customer service people are not helpful at all they are rude and need to be trained more on how to solve issues and answer questions better.. And other thing is as a member and i’m sure a lot others complain we try to make reservations nothing is available at all why? Because the people that have a longer grace period gets to take up all the days that’s not fair something needs to be done about that.. We pay just like they do.. I’m going to fight for my money back that I paid out so far this year and canceling this pathetic cabin pass [censored] that we can’t use.. I think you need to figure out out to a cold having passes it’s not fair how it works 180 days or 60 days we all pay and we should have the days that we want.. Also the cabin we did get last year 2022 they where dirty and loaded with sickly cats hanging around cabin areas starving and the cabins had fleas and it was suppose to be a no pet cabin. If you would like to speak to me my number is [protected] name is mary. I thought this was a great idea and spent money on this pass for me and my grandkids to enjoy but we can’t because I can’t book nothing it’s pretty much free money for you to get rich off us middle class people.. I would like a refund please get back to me thank you. Reviews won’t be good on my half with this cabin pass.. It a [censored] show with trying to book.. Waste of my time and money

Last week I tried to make a reservation two months out for a one week stay at the Ponderosa Resort. Web page told me I’d have to wait until 08/23/23 (four months out) for a stay of one week. It also said I could phone Reservations for assistance. Tried phoning (during their stated work hours): got recorded message that they are experiencing higher than normal amount of phone calls and to try again later. They didn’t even give the option of leaving a voicemail for a callback. Tried later and got same message. Left an email via their website. Never got a response back. Same thing happened a couple of months ago. This seems especially aggravating since Thousand Trails has contacted me recently both by email and multiple phone calls to get me to one of their sales meetings for an upgrade. I can’t even seem to use the membership I have—which has already been upgraded once. Is Thousand Trails going out of business?

I am unable to make reservations on the dates I choose, eventho a non-member can make reservations!
Very frustrating.
Also TT has eliminated all of the "adult" services ie: pool, clubhouse, etc.
One of the reasons we joined was the idea when we retired, we could have peaceful "adult" time without kids screaming, yelling, splashing etc.
VERY DISAPPOINTED with the way TT has gone...

I visited Thousand Trails in Menifee, CA yesterday and I could not believe could not believe the condition of the park the grass has not been cut not even at the campsites. Would like to know why is this park not being kept up it is one of the four(4) in the southern California. Looking for to seeing a difference when I go there to camp on May 23-June 2.

Thanking you in advance for your cooperation in this matter

Sincerely,

Arner Tatum

I have run into this problem on a number of occasions and now a family member of mine just ran into it as well. This family member is also a member of Thousand Trails due to my prompting. He wanted to come into the Ponderosa site in Lotus CA on Monday 3/27/23, he did not make a reservation but had called me as I was still onsite and asked if there were any open sites, which there were. There were (5) open sites and a tent camper in a site. I realize that Ponderosa sites are cut way back due to flooding of the lower campsites, but that being said, if a member shows up and there are open sites that member should not be sent away because Thousand Trails is holding open sites for public traffic off the road. We all pay good money for our memberships in most cases such as my wife and I we paid over $5,000 for our membership and pay around $700 for our dues. This to me is unacceptable and needs to be addressed, or if you continue to put your member base last, you might just find yourself being a public only operation.

Overall, Thousand Trails campgrounds are fairly nice, some better than others. However, their customer service sucks. I tried calling on numerous occasions to cancel my membership. Today Jean, a salesperson, called me and I told her to cancel as I have stage 4 cancer. She was very rude to me and insisted on getting my address. There were no words of compassion and condolence. I will NEVER use them again! I will NEVER recommend them to anyone!

Om January 19, 2023 approximately 7:00 am I called thousand trails costumer service and spoke with "Trish". I explained to her that I have been billed for three months of membership, and that I had paid in full for one year membership on October 2021 so that I did not have to make monthly payments. I told TRISH that I would like a refund for the previous three months and make sure that my membership was cancelled. I also explained that I haven't even used my membership this past year because sites were not even available since members would that live in their RV would book a site for 10 days then go to a neighboring site for ten days then return to the original site for 10 more days and continue the cycle. TRISH said"" I don't care about your usage, don't you receive monthly statements? I will NOT give you a refund and you will give me in writing your request to cancel your membership! I requested to speak to her supervisor and she responded "I am the highest up and there is no one higher than me!" I asked for her name and she kept saying "I am TRISH! I am the highest up and everyone knows me!" When asked for her l last name she refused multiple times. She responded in an elevated voice" I am going to tell you what's gonna happen, You will get not a refund! You are going to write me the cancellation letter! If not I will continue billing you! You signed a contract and I will email to you! I explained to her that she is being unprofessional and unpolite and that I have been a member the past three consecutive years and that I have never been talked at the way she has by any organization. She was tormenting, belittling, bereding, and an utter bully. First, I am kindly requesting immediate cancellation of membership, second a refund for the previous three months billed taken from my credit card, and third I would like to know what actions will be taken with this customer agent who was extremely rude and unprofessional and using a false identity. Her real name was finally revealed through her email as PATRICIA RAMER and during the phone call. As a member for the 3 previous years, I am disappointed in the service and treatment I have received. Please rectify this situation as soon as possible to resolve amicably. If not I will publish a detailed review of Thousand Trails on Google Review, contact the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Affair. A timely response will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Kind regards,

Manuel Garcia, MA/MS

"Mail" TT camp ground charges $5.00 (CASH ONLY) for each individual piece of mail that they receive for each camper. I had one individual order from Amazon that came in three pieces of mail. The order had my exact address number and street name on the order to the TT camp ground, but it got delivered to the mail room. I got charged $15.00 CASH ONLY for the one order from Amazon.

Just imagine if I received 10 Christmas cards at TT camp ground it would cost "$50.00 CASH". I received more than 10 at other camp grounds at no $ charge.
This is not fair to us campers. I do not remember reading anything about this when making reservations.
I recommend that TT Investigates this situation or not this in their Info when campers go to the site of TT Camp ground.

Thank you
JIM

February 2023. When trying to make reservations via their online system. The dates requested get denied yet the "Availability Calendar" located just below reservation request clearly states that sites are available with all of the criteria I had entered. When I called TT reservation system I was told I would get a call back within an hour. 4 Hours later I got a return call and the TT Rep informed me that the sites were indeed not available but had no explanation on the discrepancy with their own availability calendar. This identical situation is common and I run into it all the time. Half the time the phone reservation system says that they are busy and cannot take your call and doesn't even give you a chance to leave a call-back request. Many time after leaving a call-back request, no call is ever received. It is very frustrating to know that the reservation system is broken and it will never be fixed if TT will not even admit there is a problem. I have a very expensive membership plan and can only get partial value because of the reservation system / process is broken. Buyer beware

First off, the salesmen flat out lie when you call with questions. They obviously put their "best" people in sales, because when you have a problem/issue/concern and call customer service you get the worst of the worse. They are rude, disrespectful and hang up on you because they "don't like your attitude", in spite of just trying to get to the bottom of the issue.

Second, they NEVER have any available spaces for members. However, log in and stay as a guest and they will have a spot for you no problem. This company is the best BAIT and SWITCH company on the market. Save your money. Customer service doesn't care about your needs or staying ability. They think everyone wants to just stay 2 nights here and 2 nights there. I was promised a long-term spot (3 months) as a traveling nurse, but when it came time to put the pen to the paper I got told "Who do you think you are, the only one who needs a space"... should have cancelled right away but gave them multiple chances.

Earlier this month I was scheduled to leave on the 6th but the night before I became very ill with Covid which I had direct exposure 5 days prior. I was barely able to raise my head from the pillow. I had advanced symptoms and as per CDC guidelines, I am mandated to self-quarantine/isolate. I phoned the office and left a message stating I would like to apply my floating week for the next few days for the manager but didn't receive a response. The next day I phoned again, and left a message but again no response. On the 3rd day a maintenance worker knocked on my door and told me I was supposed to be gone I informed him I had Covid and was very sick and he told me he would come back. He returned shortly while later and stated that Lisa the Manager had stated I needed to be out that day as she had not received any messages or communication from me. I was also told I would be receiving letters from corporate regarding my membership. I explained that I did call every day, I offered to show him my call logs on my phone but he said I needed to leave immediately sick or not. I phoned Lisa at the number and extension given but didn't receive a return call.

I phoned the 800 number and attempted to discuss having my week applied but he said he was getting an error and would have to call Wilderness Office. He returned to the line and said he was sorry but there was nothing he could do. I reiterated how sick I was and also cited the CDC guidelines for positive Covid, but he was unmoved. I was then told that I needed to leave the park immediately despite current guidelines. I was very upset I was very dizzy and felt terrible but was doing the best I could. I was approached 2 more times by employees attempting to get a status of my progress and confirming I was leaving.

The following day, Lisa called me and stated she had received my message and explained that a message was not acceptable and that staying without being told my reservation was extended was violating the rules. I explained that I was very sick and slept for the most part of 3 days. I did however call leaving messages every day and again offered her a copy proving my calls. I agreed that in the future I would definitely make sure I spoke to a live person. Lisa verified my upcoming reservation for my return on the 16th keeping my future reservations in place.

I was running late and phoned the Ranger station to inform them as I have been asked to do in the past and soon after received a call stating I would not be able to enter the park. I was fined $210 regarding my Covid and needed to pay this in full prior to entering any facility. I explained that I didn't have $210 as I am disabled and on a very limited budget. I also stated I didn't have anywhere else to go and that I had asked to have my floating week applied for those 3 days but was told I did not request that in time. I was told I could not make payments and I was advised to not enter the park after hours or attempt to sneak in or I would be removed. Being turned away at the gate is wrong. I am very upset as I do not have anywhere to go for the next 3 weeks I had planned to be at Wilderness. I received no letter, notice, message, or any other notification until I attempted to go in the park, and with being disabled my income is $1200 at the beginning of the month so coming up with $210 is next to impossible.

Attached, you will find the official and current guidelines of Health and Human Services regarding Covid positive people. There is no question or wavering still to date that anyone positive must quarantine and isolate not be sent into the public where immune-compromised people could be infected. The only time you should be in public is if you needed to see a doctor. I requested to use my free days for the year for my quarantine time but was denied. Now I am being further punished by having fines for days I followed the guidelines of our state? I should have never been forced to leave on the 9th which took me 4 hours to pack up feeling dizzy and in the freezing cold.

Along with Wilderness Lakes violating Covid protocol they violated the law in many instances. Administrative, Health and Welfare, Business and Professions, to name a few. I have been told my being charged and full payment demanded following guidelines in force to protect the public is actionable. This is my home, and how I live and being disabled without funds to correct fines that arise without notice is a violation of my civil rights. Without a safe and secure place to park makes me vulnerable and an easy target for being victimized.

I feel I should be allowed in the park and not be charged daily fees of $70 when I was following the law. Currently, I am parked at a truck stop which is very scary, and I hope my letter finds its way to a corporate officer with authority to rectify the unfair actions of Wilderness Lakes. I should not have to spend the holidays in a truck stop again, for following the law.

I joined with membership in Oregon to Thousand Trails a year ago. I was concerned that I would be locked into a contract due to the possibility of moving to a state that may not service Thousand Trail customers. The salesman assured me at the time that if I needed to cancel, I could pay the fee of a couple of hundred dollars and cancel. Therefore I joined and ended up in Mississippi, which has zero campgrounds. I called after a year to cancel and was informed that I was misguided by their salesman and that I would have to pay an additional year before qualifying for the early cancelation fee. I would not be as frustrated if they did not require me to pay for a service they couldn't provide. Thousand Trails has no campgrounds in Mississippi.

Hello,

I have finally decided to reach out to cooperate for some explanations and answers. This season has been very much under par for our annual stay at Roundtop Camp Ground. I feel my contract, promises, and the amount paid for each has been neglected by your company.

While the customer service staff is satisfactory, the manager and his urgency to satisfy guest needs is underwhelming. The site that we paid for per our contract has been under construction for the past 5 months. We have been told very little of details on what is currently wrong with our site or when we can expect to be back on the site that we are contracted in for. On June 17th 2022 there was an energy surge through four campers that caused significant damage to two campers. One of those units being ours. We were not notified of the incident until 2 days later. When we arrived at our camper , we realized that we had no power, lost several pounds of meat and our camper was unable to be used. We reached out to our insurance company immediately and also to the manager at Roundtop who stated he put in an incident report. The monetary cost for repairs was paid out of pocket and the

receipt was turned in to the manager to include in the incident report. To date we have not heard anything from the Roundtop team, or your company regarding if such out of pocket expenses would be reimbursed as this incident was indeed caused by faulty wiring in the campground .The amount of times the water has been turned/ shut off is too numerous to count this season. The swimming pool which is a large attraction for the campground had been shut down twice for this 2022 season for weeks at a time

I have documented every concern through emails with the Roundtop Manager.

This can be provided to you if necessary as it pertains to the times we were unable to stay at the campground due to water outages, electrical outages, and the damage done to our camper. Only after us requesting , were we provided a cabin to stay in while our camper was being repaired. It was not initially offered, which to me would have been the proper customer service thing to do. We are currently staying on a site that was offered to us to finish out the season. With that being said, it is not a site up to par with what I would choose to pay an annual fee for. And not the site we were contracted in to. But as the season had already started, we were left with not many other options to choose from.

We evaluated campsites /campgrounds over a 50 mi radius in 2020 and decided to settle at Round Top because of the larger campsites, the cleanliness of the park and the the customer service. All of which have diminished this season. The "selling point" for us was the site we were contracted in for, which is currently still under construction.

We have referred several people to stay at Roundtop this season. And while they indeed came to stay for 2022 , I have been informed that they will not update their contract for the 2023 season.

I can only imagine that these are not the first complaints that you were hearing concerning this campground.

We are left now to decide whether we will be renewing our contract for next season. Still not knowing the status for "our site" and with no current offered compensation due to the disappointing 2022 season.

I appreciate your time and allowing me to voice my concerns and give your company ample opportunity to make things right.

Kristie Hayhurst

Nathan Hayhurst

Roundtop Campground

joined Thousand Trails in July; Midwest and southeast regions. Have attempted to find a camp spot in various states on many dates to no avail. Contacted Customer Service for refund as have not been able to find a spot for more than 2 days... customer service advised me that a refund would not be issued and they would cancel my membership immediately. This unethical business practice is unacceptable at every level

One particular dirt road has a sink hole and its very deep… tire goes in almost 6” or more.. instead of fixing it.. they had put dirt and gravel in it… that went into it and now they put bricks or cinder blocks in it.. i believe cinder blocks… which pick out at an angle… management is never on site fot events here, or when trouble kicks up… everything that happened was left to a 21 yr old ranger… no one from management showed up when called. When work has to be done for electrical purposes, the person that is in that site was never notified… workers just showed up and started digging… that never notify anyone when there are people going around to check sites, and you would just see someone walking around you’rec site.. never meetiings to let annual members what’s going on.. we pay a lot of money to be here.. they do background checks in us.. we have rugid rules . Yet they allow people that come off the street, to hang clothes lines and do whatever they want. We have to have memberships but outsiders can come in that are not members. No restrictions at the pool, kids could run& jump in.. dont need an adult to be with them, no restrictions on the hot tub.. any age can go in without supervision….somethibg needs to be done

On July 4th 2022 I stayed in PA Dutch Thousand Trails Campground. We had a great weekend but after we left we got a call from Lesa asking us if we have damaged the meter in the campsite we were in. We told her that we had no knowledge and if there is any damage to property we will assume any cost related to it. We tried calling her for months with no response. We left several messages and never heard back so we assumed they took care of it. I had several reservations through the summer with no issues. I even stayed at a different campground for two weeks with no problems at all. I made a reservation for labor day weekend and got several confirmation emails including one that allowed me to do a check in online. I drove 4 hours with my two disabled children and medication that needed to be refrigerated. I pick up my RV from the storage at another Thousand Trails park and drive to my final destination. I got there around 10:30 pm and to my surprise my reservation was cancelled without notice. We then find out that my membership was suspended for a month because we "failed to communicate" that there was damage done to the property. We had no idea there was damage but we were still willing to assume responsibility. I renewed my membership a few days prior and I got my dues deducted from my account. I was talking to member services and nobody ever communicated that my account was going to be suspended. I got a bill for the damages two days prior to my reservation that stated that we should pay to prevent any suspension and we called several times with no answer or call back. I go to my confirmed reservation with the intend to pay for the damages and enjoy my weekend with the family. I arrived and the ranger immediately after she finds out that our account was suspended she treated us like criminals and kicked us out. Did not help us at all and simply told me to either go home or sleep at a parking lot at walmart or lowes. We drive back to the storage at the other campground and they were nice enough to allow us to stay until the morning so that we could talk to member services and get our issue solved. My husband and I did not sleep at all, we were anxious, we were scared, and even making this complaint I'm extremely scared that there is going to be retaliation. My husband speaks with the manager and she was not able to help us and we were ready to just drive back home but I knew that we couldn't drive. My husband and I spent the whole night worried about this issue. I go back to member services and speak with the manager and she calls her regional manager Adella. She was very nice by the way and I explained to her what happened. I told her my side of the story and she told me that I was supposed to receive notice 3 days before the suspension and because I never got a notice she was going to allow us to stay for the weekend. I am so thankful she allowed us to stay even when our account was suspended. I made a bad review about the campground because I was treated like a criminal and did not get proper notice or communication of this cancellation. We drove 4 hours to find out our weekend was ruined. We were not given proper time to respond to the bill, we were never told that our account was suspended, they had my email, my address and my phone number but I was still not notified. I disappointed because I was told by the regional manager that she was going to remove my suspension since I never receive a notice but instead I get an email saying that due to me leaving my opinion on google my suspension stays. I have had this membership for years without any issues. This company allows staff to treat customers like they are not worth it. I spend a lot of money every year with this membership and it's not okay to get an unjustified suspension when I pay my dues every year and spend my money and not be able to use my membership. I was treated like a criminal and I feel like I deserve respect and the opportunity to give my side of the story. The manager at PA Dutch Country (Lesa) has lied to the regional manager and I was not even heard. My suspension stays in my record even though they took my money. I don't want compensation, I want an apology and for my account to be reinstated. I was in tears and felt so embarrassed for the way my family was treated. I am a paying customer, I go camping every weekend with my family, I referred a lot of my friends and family and thanks to my referrals they have business from a lot of people. I post on social media and my videos go viral so I know you get business from my online accounts as well. I can't believe that this is the way thousand trails treats their customers.

A few campsites down insist on blasting their music all day and night. Even when they are not at their site it is still on. I can not sit outside my camper and relax and listen to my music because their music overpowers every sound. Also, i can not open my windows at night when its cool out because of their music. They do not even camp right next to me. They are a few campers down. I have asked them to lower their music and they put the base up. I have went to management here and again they lower a little and after management leaves they put it back up. Its not enjoyable to camp here having to deal with this. I am at a loss of what to do because how is it allowed to take over a campground with their own music and party and not respect other campers. I also have young children that goes to sleep at 9 or 10. What can i do about this?.. This is going on at Chestnut Lake campground NJ.

Hi I own a membership. I've also full time rv lived for 6 years and have Never had an issue. This week we are staying at lake magic in clermont Florida. On the 10th my 15 year old so brought down the trash while I played with my children in front of the rv with skateboards. I was called by management stating my kids could not be unattended. I stated I was in fact with my children and have been video taping them play on their skateboards so I have proof I am in fact with them. She then brought up my son taking trash out. I apologized and told her I was unaware because at the other campgrounds he was allowed. There was no write up or anything else involved and it was our first offense ever. Well she then wrote up an eviction notice on Thursday but did not bring it to our attention until early Saturday morning. She did that on a Saturday so I had no way to appeal it. Not only did she evict us from her park she went in and closed my membership for 30 days and now we have nowhere to go. I've never been in trouble at all. Pay all my dues on time. And now suddenly my membership is banned over a 15 year old taking out the trash. This is unjust and unfair treatment. All my money goes into these parks and I'm treated like this over something so small. Your system requires write ups to even be kicked out of a park so none of the protocols were followed on thousand trails end. I've tried calling every number on your site and everyone states they can not help me. My number is [protected]. I'd like a call back before I bring this all to a lawyer.

We stayed at Fiesta Key from July 17th through the 24th. We have been staying here for years and never had an issue. On Monday July 18th, we had an encounter with another person staying at the resort. Security was called 2x. The other person started attacking my son and calling him names and my husband became upset and started yelling at the other person at the resort. I stepped between the two and my husband left. The other person continued to berate me and my kids until we finally left. Security told us at the time, we were in the right and had the right to be where we were. The next day, Jessica came to talk to us, shut off our keys to the cottage because we left early in the morning for a fishing trip. Jessica and I discussed the incident; however, I did not give our side of the events the night before just agreed there would be no more issues. Jessica mentioned that there was a fish in front of our cottage that was left over night and she believed we fillet the fish at our cottage on a towel. I explained we hung the towel on the rail outside and it below off; however, I did not have any idea about the fish but we looked it over and did not see anything. After this encounter, I spoke with my husband and my son about the fish, and both do not know where it came from. My son stated that morning there were several fish heads in front of our cottage that he threw in the water; however, it was not ours. I had thought we might have left the bait on the hook, but I do not believe that was the case. I did not approach Jessice about this because it was over for us. However, we left on Sunday and returned home. I received a call from Fiesta Key and was informed we were charged at $250 cleaning fee and are no longer welcomed back to Fiesta Key because of the condition of our cottage. We left no damage to the cottage, we did not leave a dirty cottage. We took all the towels that were dirty and placed them on the floor at the door. We had 2 huge trash bags that we set outside on the front porch like we are supposed to do. Again, there was no damage done to the place. We did not deep clean the cottage, and it was dirty from 1 week of living it in. We did not use any plates or utensils because we brought our own. We cooked prepared meals and did not make a mess in the oven or microwave. I am utterly in disbelief this happened. We are clean people and feel this is not warranted. I have requested pictures of the cottage and the condition. I am not so worried about the cleaning fee; however, we do not want to be banned from returning to Fiesta Key. We have enjoyed our multiple stays there without incidents. I have never been so embarassed in my life as to receive this call from management. I have called and requested a return call, I have sent a FB message. I will call the CEO of Equity Life if I need to. I find this extremely unacceptable.