Former Caravan Salesman Alleges Holiday Parks Use 'Horror Tactics' to Force Resales and Boost Profits

A former caravan salesman, identified only as “George,” has told consumer campaigners that some UK holiday park operators use aggressive commercial practices to push owners into selling their units at a loss and then resell those units at full price for substantial profit.

George, who said he worked as a caravan dealer for a number of years, described what he called "horror tactics" in which parks allegedly increase site charges, utilities and other costs to make owners’ continuing occupation economically untenable. He said parks then buy the surrendered caravans for a low sum and resell them to new buyers for the original price, repeating the cycle.

In one example given to European Consumer Claims (ECC), George said a unit sold to a customer for £70,000 could be repurchased by the park for as little as £10,000 to £15,000 when the owner decided to leave. The park would then be able to offer the unit to another buyer for the original market price, a turnover George described as "up to £60,000 profit every time we turn the unit over." He said sales staff were often encouraged to secure deposits on the day of sale and that, at some parks, sales were structured so buyers were not informed of any internal cooling-off arrangements.

George told ECC that while consumer law generally requires salespeople to make buyers aware of a 14-day right to cancel for certain transactions, holiday park contracts do not always fall under the same statutory cooling-off provisions and some resorts provided no such formal period. He said some sales staff were not transparent with buyers about the existence or absence of a voluntary cooling-off period at particular parks.

The revelations were reported in the Daily Mail on 16 September 2025 and have been passed to ECC, whose chief executive Greg Wilson said the information helped explain opaque behaviour the organisation has observed in complaints from holiday park clients. "George's revelations certainly made sense of some otherwise difficult to decipher holiday park behaviour," Wilson said. He urged people who felt they had been subjected to similar treatment to seek expert advice, adding that many could be eligible for financial compensation.

The caravan and holiday home sector in the UK covers thousands of units across coastal and countryside parks, and sales and resales of lodges and static caravans are a recurring feature of the market. George told ECC he believed the practices he described had been used for decades and that the parks' business model could rely on recurring resale margins when owners surrendered units under pressure from rising site costs.

The former salesman’s account focuses on commercial arrangements between vendors, park operators and buyers rather than on criminal activity. ECC and consumer advisers typically assess whether sales and resale practices breach consumer protection rules, mislead buyers, or involve unfair contract terms. Greg Wilson said the evidence provided by George confirmed suspicions ECC had already formed after thousands of conversations with holiday park clients.

Industry responses to such allegations vary; some park operators say they comply with legal obligations and provide clear contractual terms, while consumer groups and claims firms advise owners to obtain specialist legal or financial advice if they believe they have been unfairly treated. ECC recommended that anyone who suspects they were pressured into selling, not informed about contract terms, or otherwise disadvantaged by park charges should collect documentation and seek independent advice on possible compensation claims.

The claims outlined by George have not been independently verified by ECC or other authorities in the material released alongside the report. The matter highlights tensions in a market where large upfront purchases, ongoing site fees and sometimes complex financing arrangements intersect with varying levels of legal protection for buyers. Consumers considering purchases of static caravans or lodges are advised to examine contract terms closely and seek independent financial and legal advice before completing a purchase.