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Holiday Home Claims UK

Mis-sold a caravan? Where you stand

Buying a caravan is meant to be the start of something enjoyable. For a lot of owners it turns into a running argument about fees, resale and promises that were made on the day and never written down anywhere.

If you were mis-sold a caravan, the problem is usually not the caravan itself. It is the gap between what you were told at the point of sale and what the paperwork actually allowed the park to do afterwards.

This page explains what that gap tends to look like in practice, what is worth gathering before you speak to anyone, and how to check your own position without committing to anything.

Check where you stand

What to look for

What counts as mis-selling

There is no single test, and none of the situations below automatically means you were mis-sold. They are the patterns that come up most often when someone asks us to look at what happened. If two or three feel familiar, it may be worth checking.

You were told it would hold its value

Caravans lose value, and most people accept some of that. What is different is being told, in the sale office, that this one was an investment, that it would keep its worth, or that you could sell it on in a few years for something close to what you paid. If that steered your decision and nothing in your paperwork supported it, that is worth looking at.

Letting income was presented as covering the costs

Sub-letting figures are often produced verbally, sometimes on a printed sheet that nobody lets you keep. Owners are told the caravan will wash its face, or that a set number of weeks each season will cover the site fees. When the real bookings arrive at a fraction of that, the question is what the figures were based on and whether they were ever realistic.

Fee rises were played down

Very few buyers are told fees are fixed. Many are told they rise a little each year, or in line with inflation, or only by a small amount. If the rises you have actually had bear no resemblance to that, and your agreement gave the park a free hand all along, the two things do not sit together comfortably.

Selling turned out to be nothing like you were told

Owners are often told they can sell whenever they like, or that the park will happily take it back. In reality there may be restrictions on private sales, a commission on any sale, or a part-exchange valuation that comes in far below what you expected. Being told selling would be simple, then finding it is not, is a common starting point.

You were pushed towards an upgrade

A conversation that starts with a maintenance issue, a site age rule or a licence question can end with a recommendation to move to a newer model. If the older caravan was traded in well below its worth, or the upgrade was framed as the only way to stay on the park, it is fair to ask whether that advice was in your interest or the seller's.

Key terms were never properly explained

Site age limits, pitch licence renewals, transfer fees, restrictions on who may sell for you and what happens at the end of the agreement all belong in a conversation before you sign. Where those terms surfaced only when they were used against you, that is relevant to how the sale was conducted.

What to do next

Start by writing down what you remember being told, and by whom, as close to their words as you can get. Memory fades and the detail matters more than the feeling. A rough date, a name, a room, the figures you were quoted — all of it helps.

Then gather the paperwork you still have. The sale agreement, the pitch or licence agreement, any brochure or printed figures you were given, fee statements and any letters or emails from the park. If you cannot find something, that does not stop you. Copies can often be requested from the park later.

You do not need to work out whether there is a case yourself. That is the part we look at. The free check on this page takes a couple of minutes and asks five short questions about what you bought, when, and what you were told at the time.

If what you describe may have merit, someone talks it through with you properly before anything else happens. Nothing is sent to your park, and nothing is pursued without your agreement. If there is nothing there, you will be told that plainly.

One thing worth knowing: time limits generally apply to matters of this kind, and they can run from when you bought or from when you could reasonably have realised something was wrong. If you have been turning this over for a while, checking sooner is better than checking later.

Check if you may have a claim

Three short questions. There are no right or wrong answers, and nothing you enter commits you to anything.

What did you buy?

Question 1 of 3

Questions people ask

Does a verbal promise count for anything?

It can. What was said at the point of sale is part of how you were persuaded to buy, and it does not stop mattering just because it was never written down. It is harder to evidence, which is why anything you can recall in detail, or anyone who was there with you, is useful.

I signed the paperwork. Does that end it?

Not necessarily. Signing a document does not automatically excuse what you were told about it beforehand, particularly where key terms were glossed over or the document was put in front of you at the end of a long day with little chance to read it.

Is it too late if I bought years ago?

It may not be. Time limits are not always counted from the purchase date alone, and they can run from the point you could reasonably have realised something was wrong. It costs nothing to ask, and guessing is the one thing that does not help.

What if I no longer have the caravan?

You can still ask for your position to be looked at after selling, including where you sold at a heavy loss or sold back to the park. Keep whatever sale paperwork you have, as the figures involved are often relevant.

Will my park be told I have enquired?

We do not contact your park. If something is later pursued formally, the party being claimed against would eventually be notified, and that would be explained to you before anything was sent.

Do I need the original paperwork to enquire?

No. Most people who contact us are missing at least some of it. Agreements can often be requested again, and the check on this page does not ask you for any document numbers.

Not sure whether any of this applies to you?

The check takes a couple of minutes, costs nothing, and commits you to nothing at all. If it is easier to talk it through with a person, that can be arranged instead.

Check where you stand

Free to check. No obligation. No cold calling.