A B.C. man is warning campers to be extra careful when making online reservations.
Last month, Michael Dixon tried booking a spot on the BC Parks website for next year. While making the reservation, he accidentally typed in August 2016 instead of August 2017.
“Oh my goodness, what did I just do?” Dixon said.
Within minutes of making the mistake, he contacted BC Parks and tried explaining what had just happened. He was told by an agent nothing could be done.
“He said his hands were tied and there was nothing he could do about issuing the refund,” Dixon said.
Dixon was on the hook for $1,103.90. The BC Parks cancellation policy states all fees are forfeited for cancellations made less than 28 days from the date of the reservation. Because of Dixon’s accidental typo, the computer had read he was only giving two days notice. The policy also states refunds will not be granted for errors making a reservation.
“I just felt like the BC government stole eleven-hundred dollars from me for an error,” Dixon said.
Dixon said he was stonewalled and contacted Global BC’s Consumer Matters. Global BC contacted the provincial Ministry of Environment and received the following statement:
BC Parks has looked into this specific situation. The customer made an honest error in their booking.
The customer has been notified and the situation has been resolved and a refund has been issued.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate the customers patience.
Dixon says he’s now looking at other options. He’s considering other campgrounds without strict cancellation policies.