A dream turned into a nightmare: how a couple lost thousands on an ideal caravan
Two British women lost more than $108,500 when they bought a caravan in a park. Instead of a dream of a quiet life with two Chihuahuas, they got a "desolate wilderness" with machete-wielding thugs and floods.
The story began in 2023, when the couple found an advert for a caravan park near the town of Northampton in England, which is 108 km northwest of London. It allowed pets. "We were promised a resort complex with a swimming pool, bars and 24-hour security," Samantha admits.
However, when Samantha and Lushana arrived at the place, instead of the expected dream, they were deceived, suffered losses and acquired terrible problems.
Deception after deception
The first blow awaited the couple even before the move:
It turned out that dogs were not allowed to be left unattended, although this was a key condition of the purchase
Their caravan was installed on a different plot than promised
The annual land rent unexpectedly increased from $6,240 to $6,925
"We were surrounded by XL bully dogs who killed other animals. And one day we saw people with machetes who threatened visitors," says Lushana, who suffered psychological trauma because of these events.
Floods and losses
Despite promises to invest $12,000,000 in flood protection, water regularly flooded the area. "It stopped a few meters from our caravan," recalls Samantha.
Other problems:
The pool was closed
The street lights didn't work
The area is covered in rubbish and excrement
Financial disaster
The couple are now:
Paying over $2,014 a month in loans
Forced to live with relatives in London
Can only sell the caravan for $27,140 - less than half the cost
"They sold us a dream, but gave us a nightmare," Samantha concludes. They have now turned to the European Consumer Rights Organisation, which is fighting for stricter regulation of caravan parks.
The owner of the park declined to comment on this situation.
Recall that in the UK there is a special law on caravan parks, but, as can be seen from this story, it does not always protect consumers from unscrupulous sellers.
