Retired lorry driver Christopher Jeff, 60, is facing a staggering £45,000 loss after purchasing a caravan for less than £15,000 at Doniford Bay holiday park in Watchet. Mr. Jeff and his wife Ida, 56, had fond memories from previous visits to the park, which inspired them to buy a caravan for family holidays. However, the dream quickly turned into a costly ordeal.
The couple first discovered Doniford Bay 13 years ago and returned in 2023 with their grandson Theo. Motivated by nostalgia, Mr. Jeff used a significant portion of his pension to buy a second-hand caravan for £14,859 as a leaseholder from Haven Holidays, which owns the site.
“We couldn’t afford a brand new caravan, but this one seemed like a reasonable option,” Mr. Jeff explained. “I thought it would be worth it for some peaceful family breaks away from the rat race.”
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Yet the initial purchase price was just the start. Christopher soon found himself shelling out nearly £10,000 on refurbishments, including installing a microwave, fridge freezer, bedding, and additional accessories. He spent around £5,000 on essentials and was pushed into paying £4,500 for side decking, plus smaller sums for a storage box and bench.
The most shocking expense, however, was the ground rent—a fee paid to the park owner. Initially expecting a lower amount, Mr. Jeff was hit with annual site fees exceeding £6,000, which have since risen to £8,161—over half the caravan’s purchase price.
Haven Holidays maintain that all fees and terms were clearly outlined in the purchase agreement. Nevertheless, the Jeffs were advised to rent out the caravan to offset these costs. Unfortunately, renting proved difficult and unprofitable. To break even, the caravan would need to be rented weekly at £450, but Haven rents out their own caravans at significantly cheaper rates—sometimes as low as £150 during off-peak seasons.
“We only managed to rent it out five weeks in 2024,” said Mr. Jeff. “My wife’s sales commission from last year went entirely toward covering the shortfall.”
Calculating all expenses, Mr. Jeff estimates that each day spent at the caravan has cost them approximately £1,500. They’ve used the caravan for only around 30 days, which adds up to the £45,000 loss.
Things worsened when a national grid failure damaged electrical appliances on the site. After months of uncertainty and multiple contractor visits, they were told the boiler was fine, as it was actually a water heater. Haven Holidays stated they addressed the problem promptly and at no cost to the Jeffs.
Now, the couple faces selling the caravan at a substantial loss. Though purchased for nearly £15,000, their best offer has been just £3,000—with a 15% commission payable to Haven Holidays on sale.
European Consumer Claims (ECC) has stepped in to represent Mr. Jeff’s case. Greg Wilson, ECC’s CEO, described the scale of consumer issues at holiday parks as “shocking,” while expressing hope for significant financial redress for affected owners.
Haven Holidays operates multiple parks across the UK, including several in the South West of England such as Watchet, Burnham-on-Sea, and Weymouth. A spokesperson for Haven said the company strives for transparency about fees and terms, noting that decking was installed at Mr. Jeff’s request and the other items were purchased independently, outside of their control.
This unfortunate experience highlights the hidden costs and challenges caravan owners may face, urging potential buyers to investigate thoroughly before committing to a holiday park purchase.