Eurotunnel - stopped at terminal travelling with Ocean on high car ticket.

[stephen watson]

I am aware that many members will think this serves me right and I hold up my hands and offer no excuses. However as some do the same as me thought it would be useful to post what might happen if your luck runs out.
I booked by phone my eurotunnel tickets and was asked if it was a camper van ( it says so on the V5). After a discussion about the van I was asked if it had windows all round. I replied yes and was allowed to book as a high car. I did this last year and so have made 3 trips without any problems.
However coming back yesterday, after going through check in and customs OK I was asked at the last pré boarding booth if I had gas on board. (I have been asked this before and as long as I said it was switched off it has been OK). I replied yes this time and the gentleman replied that it was a camper van and I couldn't travel on this ticket. Despite explaining the phonecall booking I was escorted back around to the booking office to change my ticket. The operator at the ticket office was very helpful and said personally he would have let me through but he would now have to issue a new ticket. I had always assumed if something like this happened I would just have to pay the extra. However he said as it was the cheapest ticket it was non refundable and I would need to buy a whole new ticket for a campervan and as it would be for immediate travel it would be very expensive.
He asked me if I had "an lpg tank" on board and I said no but a small camping gaz cylinder. He had access to my booking on the computer system and could see that it had been made on the phone. As I had travelled outwards on the same ticket and they had accepted the booking on the phone he eventually after quite a delay found a way of letting me travel on the original ticket. He also said to stop it happening again I should probably book either as campervan OR a van. So interestingly he seemed to agree it was sensible to call it a high car...
So if you get challenged it might end up expensive. Has anyone else been stopped and if so what was the outcome?

 

[Velma's Dad]

The whole question of whether a Cali is a "car" or a "campervan" has been debated on various threads depending on whether people are in dispute with a ferry company, tax authorities, car park operators, etc etc etc.

To me, in the context of Eurotunnel an SE/Ocean is obviously going to be regarded as a campervan and I've always booked ours that way to avoid any hassles when checking in.

Still, you have my sympathy Stephen. If Eurotunnel is going to set ambiguous policies, presumably in order to maximise its revenue from different market segments, they've only got themselves to blame when they wee wee people off over that. They could quite easily just base all pricing/booking on a simple length and height scale, which would be fair to everyone.

[EDIT: Just love this forum - my original "p1$$ people off" got auto-edited to "wee wee people off" ]

 

[GrannyJen]

Agree with the above.

I had always had a frequent tunneller ticket with ET so the "camper van" penalty has only been £11, not worth the hassle trying to get round it.

However Eurotunnel seem at times to employ incredibly pedantic people who will argue the toss over the most ambiguous wording.

 

[Victor]

It's a campervan so I always book as a campervan.

 

[rpevans99]

When I booked the ferry earlier this year there was a dro down window asking for make and model of vehicle. VW California was one of the options - no doubt possible. Booked using Aferry.com

 

[MattBW]

I only booked my Beach as a high car because I had it in writing from them that it qualified.

 

[Moakesy]

Just did a quite check on their website, and it seems camper van vs high car is around £40 to £50 more expensive (each way). So you save around £90'ish to book as a high car. You did that three times you say, so saved approx £270, or £320 if you include the £50 saving on the trip out this time.

If you'd had to pay full fare to get back, what were you looking at? Presumably something less than that, but still pretty close?

I think if you're saving £90 a trip each time and doing it three times on the trot, then I can fully understand doing it again.

For me, the possible hassle of getting stopped and missing the ferry, along with the considerable grief I would get from my other half if we did get stopped, is enough of an incentive to just keep it simple and pay as a camper van. What will you do next time do your reckon, try it again, or pay full whack?

 

[Amarillo]

An Ocean/SE fits ET’s definition of a campervan; a Beach does not: no built in storage or kitchen.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[Loz]

I use DFDS Dover to Dunkerque, relax in the first class lounge arrive refreshed and have never paid more than £45 for the crossing pls £6 on the door for the lounge, won't give ET my money for their rip-off policy.

 

[iamchucky]

We use our Tesco Clubcard Vouchers for Euro tunnel and it automatically gets classified as a campervan when we phone through.

 

[MattBW]

At least you saved the money for the other crossings.

 

[sidepod]

I think the main thing to take from this is that they’re on to us and will probably be instructed to look out for discrepancies, especially if they can extract a new ticket from you.

 

[Velma's Dad]

I think the main thing to take from this is that they’re on to us and will probably be instructed to look out for discrepancies, especially if they can extract a new ticket from you.

Yes but it would be interesting to know why they feel it's justifiable to charge substantially more for a campervan than for a similar vehicle of exactly the same size/weight (eg a loaded T6 Transporter, or a Beach for that matter).

It's obviously simply because they believe campervanners are less price-sensitive, but I bet they'd come up with some spurious bollox, eg "Campervans may need extra security checks at the terminal as they carry gas bottles and our pricing reflects those extra costs"... or some similar garbage.

Shall we ask them? (collectively, as the VWCOC?)

 

[MattBW]

I genuinely suspect its just a case of the think they can as campervanners have more disposable income. Im sure they will put it down to weight or gas but most commercial vans will probably weigh more if loaded...

 

[Velma's Dad]

I've just written to them asking for an explanation of their policy. I'll share the answer as/when.

 

[Legin]

Was this on the french side. I assume so as I have been ripped by the French before in my case because i arrived early to a higher tarriff. I think they look for any opportunity on ferry or ET especially if your on a discount ticket.

 

[sidepod]

It’s almost as if Eurotunnel are involved in some sort of cynical profit making scheme

 

[MattBW]

I've just written to them asking for an explanation of their policy. I'll share the answer as/when.

They'll probably just raise van rates to match the campervan ones

I have a copy of the email from the helpdesk confirming I could book as a high car, so Ill have that on me for confirmation if I get challenged. I also of course have only seats inside my cabin which will be easily demonstrated.

 

[sidepod]

If they stuck to a policy on gas then fair enough but sometimes we get the full rubber glove treatment, other times waved through without any stop!

 

[MattBW]

I think Ill just take a ferry next time

 

[MattBW]

I notice that the website has now changed the wording to this (which from my understanding means they can add more requirements):

Campervan
Any vehicle which includes living accommodation (including (without limitation) seats, table, sleeping, cooking and storage facilities)

 

[Mr T]

"Campervan
Any vehicle which includes living accommodation (including (without limitation) seats, table, sleeping, cooking and storage facilities)"

Including seats! so any vehicle could be classed as a campervan?!

 

[MattBW]

I always took it to include all of those things, and it suggested that previousl ybut its not clear now they've changed the text I will admit.

 

[Loz]

Isn't this sort of practice worth raising with Trading Standards?

 

[Velma's Dad]

If they stuck to a policy on gas then fair enough but sometimes we get the full rubber glove treatment, other times waved through without any stop!

I often get that from Mrs VD. Although usually it just means I end up washing the dishes.