Camping can be a fun, economical, and relaxing way to spend either a quick weekend or a prolonged, leisurely planned vacation. Spending a few days in the great outdoors should be a worry-free experience. Shopping for and selecting a camping club membership should be just as worry-free. Washington State law is designed to protect you from unfair business practices regarding camping clubs, but the best way to avoid unlawful scams is to avoid being fooled in the first place—know your rights as a potential customer and as a member.
If you have any additional questions or would like to request a mail-in complaint form, call 1-800-551-4636. If you would like to file a complaint online click here.
Hook, Line and Sinker
Many camping clubs attract potential customers to their sites by offering travel vouchers or other gifts, such as audio/video equipment, for visiting the campground and attending a sales presentation. Offering such gifts is perfectly legal as long as:
The gift is actually free. This means that you don't have to buy anything or commit to anything in order to receive the gift;
The market value of the gift is listed in advertisements and sales literature;
All qualifications that must be met in order to receive the gift, such as age, marital status and financial stability, are also listed;
Any gifts given out on a random basis have corresponding odds of winning listed in ads and sales literature;
Any restrictions on the use of the gift, or any necessary investment of time or money by the customer in order to use the gift, are fully disclosed.
Sometimes, a sales representative may tell you that he or she is temporarily out of the free gift. In such cases, you are entitled to a raincheck, meaning the camping club should give you a raincheck which can be exchanged for the promised travel voucher or merchandise within 30 days.
How to Protect Yourself
Questions are key – Protecting yourself by asking questions is perhaps the best way to avoid being pressured into a bad deal. Answers to the following questions will help you decide whether a camping club investment is truly the right decision for you.
How many facilities and recreational services are currently offered under this membership?
Are any other facilities planned and, if so, when will they be finished and available?
Where are club facilities located?
How often will I be able to use these facilities?
Do I need reservations?
What are the club's bylaws or rules?
How can club members participate in making changes to bylaws and rules?
What experience does the club owner have in the camping club business?
What are all charges to myself as a member, including initial fees, maintenance fees, etc.?
If I pay off my initial membership fee, can I cancel my membership at a later date? What procedures would I have to follow?
What are my rights if the camping club goes bankrupt or if the club loses some or all of its property?
Make sure, for your own protection, that the answers to these questions are all clearly stated in the contract form. Answers to these questions should also be included in a Public Offering Statement (POS), which club owners and sales representatives are required to give to you before you sign a contract. Keep in mind that the information presented to you by the club owner or sales representative should match exactly the information in the contract and the POS.
A Quick Background Check – Before signing a contract, make sure that your camping club is in good business standing with various state agencies. For example, each club should be registered with the Washington State Department of Licensing. The fact that a club is registered does not mean that the state approves or recommends the club. Each operator and sales representative should be registered with the Department of Licensing as well. Check with the Better Business Bureau also.
Canceling Your Contract
If you have second thoughts about your camping club membership, you have a three day cooling-off period during which you can cancel your contract for any reason at all. In addition, if you signed the contract without first inspecting a campsite, you have an additional three days to cancel, giving you a total of six days to cancel your camping club contract.
Also, if you didn't receive a copy of the Public Offering Statement, you have the right to cancel your contract three days after finally receiving the POS. To cancel your contract, send a letter to the camping club office by certified mail. Ask for a return receipt at the post office. Your cancellation must be postmarked by midnight of the 3rd or 6th business day. When counting days, do not count the day on which you signed the contract, Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays.
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