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

[Velma's Dad]

Flexiplus?

They didn't used to take campervans on Flexiplus but on checking it looks like they now do.

 

[Trev]

Coming back at easter the flexiplus queue was slower. And that isn’t the first time. They blamed it on border force and speaking to them subsequently they said they have fixed the problem. Not value for money based on our experience.

 

[Trev]

They didn't used to take campervans on Flexiplus but on checking it looks like they now do.

The change is that you can now access the lounge. Previously it was height restricted.

 

[bigmac77]

Coming back at easter the flexiplus queue was slower. And that isn’t the first time. They blamed it on border force and speaking to them subsequently they said they have fixed the problem. Not value for money based on our experience.

Yes but once you’ve had your passports checked you can just go straight to the next train.

 

[larrylamb]

My summer booking was £168 return as a high car, ticked off at final kiosk for not booking as a campervan. Not sure I'll risk it again.
Re flexiplus, the quote was over £500. I can't stretch to that, I will just wait until my booked time. I did end up on my return being put on an earlier train, saved about 45 mins.

 

[Geoff York]

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" ]

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?

Always booked as a car on tunnel and P.O. ferry
Never had a problem

 

[Geoff York]

Always booked as a car on tunnel and ferry never had a problem

 

[Trev]

Yes but once you’ve had your passports checked you can just go straight to the next train.

Indeed but that was the problem. Back of the passport queue. Will save the money for wine in future!

 

[Loz]

STOP using abbreviations ... it's not clear for everybody who DFDS or ET is...

DFDS is not an abbreviation.. and I thought that anyone reading the thread in its entirety might guess ET was short for EuroTunnel..

TTFN.. (Tat Ta for now) that means bye

 

[Dave650]

Having been on a DFDS ferry being used as troop transport to Norway we decided DFDS (folowing the boarding disipline brief) was an abbreviation for Don’t F... Danish Stewardesses..

 

[Amarillo]

DFDS is not an abbreviation.. and I thought that anyone reading the thread in its entirety might guess ET was short for EuroTunnel..

Ooo... and there was me thinking we were discussing some sort of extra terrestrial organisation.




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[stephen watson]

After having read this thread it seems that whether you have a Beach or Ocean it is classified as a camper van on the V5. If you try and book on ET using your reg it recognises that you are a camper and I don't think you are permitted to book as a high car. (Is this correct Amarillo?)
Some folk have said they book as a high car without entering a reg and when they get to the terminal they enter their reg at check in, without any problems. Surely their system will then recognise your vehicle as a camper and not a high car? Yet I've read on the forum that this works - how come? (I realise you could still be pulled up at check in by a visual check).

 

[stephen watson]

Interesting read, we booked as a campervan last year, when the lady scanned us whilst we were on the eurotunnel she said, you’re not a campervan., you paid too much! So I emailed when I got back to the UK and I have an email to say next time ring with the booking to get the high car rate and they gave me a £50 voucher discount code to use next time. Just a bit of consistency would be good.

That's crazy! Lucky you - just goes to show it's all a bit of a farce.

 

[GrannyJen]

So it shows Eurotunnnel is a bit of a lottery as to what you book as.

Big deal.

Is it so important to save a few quid so you could come on a forum in some form of masturbatory raindance pumping chest to say "look at me and how clever I have been"?

Ok, I'm tired, I'm old, I've travelled all over the world doing deals....

the one thing I don't want ever more in this life is hassle. I just want to turn up, float across or tunnel across, pay my dues, accept what I am, don't want to chisel to save a few quid, just please, no hassle.

What on hell drives people to risk being held up at the last moment, risk holidays spoiled, miss travel bookings, miss evenings spent in peace, just to say "look how clever I am. My vehicle is a camper but I've shaved a few quid off proving it's just a high car".

Seriously, is the stress worth it?

 

[Freeley]

So it shows Eurotunnnel is a bit of a lottery as to what you book as.

Big deal.

Is it so important to save a few quid so you could come on a forum in some form of masturbatory raindance pumping chest to say "look at me and how clever I have been"?

Ok, I'm tired, I'm old, I've travelled all over the world doing deals....

the one thing I don't want ever more in this life is hassle. I just want to turn up, float across or tunnel across, pay my dues, accept what I am, don't want to chisel to save a few quid, just please, no hassle.

What on hell drives people to risk being held up at the last moment, risk holidays spoiled, miss travel bookings, miss evenings spent in peace, just to say "look how clever I am. My vehicle is a camper but I've shaved a few quid off proving it's just a high car".

Seriously, is the stress worth it?

That was exactly the point I was trying to make GJ but as is fairly normal these days I was ignored

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[GrannyJen]

That was exactly the point I was trying to make GJ but as is fairly normal these days I was ignored

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

You could never be ignored,

 

[Amarillo]

After having read this thread it seems that whether you have a Beach or Ocean it is classified as a camper van on the V5. If you try and book on ET using your reg it recognises that you are a camper and I don't think you are permitted to book as a high car. (Is this correct Amarillo?)
Some folk have said they book as a high car without entering a reg and when they get to the terminal they enter their reg at check in, without any problems. Surely their system will then recognise your vehicle as a camper and not a high car? Yet I've read on the forum that this works - how come? (I realise you could still be pulled up at check in by a visual check).

Spot on. Beach owners can book as a high car without a registration number, and give their registration number on arrival. Take a print out of ET’s definition of a campervan if you have any concern about being charged extra.


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[Amarillo]

Is it so important to save a few quid so you could come on a forum in some form of masturbatory raindance pumping chest to say "look at me and how clever I have been"?

I’m not sure if you are referring to Beach owners, Ocean/SE owners or both.

ET set their own definition of a campervan which, quite clearly, doesn’t include the Beach. They then try to charge Beach owners as a campervan because their computers use a different definition, that of the DVLA for motorcaravans.

Their is no “masturbatory raindance” over finding a way to travel with ET paying the correct charge.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[MarkVw2017]

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" ]

I have loads of scottish family, made me giggle that! Thought you meant 'small, small people!' haha

 

[Loz]

Some folk have said they book as a high car without entering a reg and when they get to the terminal they enter their reg at check in, without any problems. Surely their system will then recognise your vehicle as a camper and not a high car? Yet I've read on the forum that this works - how come? (I realise you could still be pulled up at check in by a visual check).

I would guess (with some experience in web software development) that when you book that check is made and a link with dvla is made to classify your vehicle and cgarge you the correct amount.
Once you are on the system and checking in, the system is only looking to match you up and collect any final details missing from the booking to get you scheduled in, therefore the loophole exists excpt as you say a yellow jacket picking you up later..
They could, fix this by forcing all bookings to enter a reg and let you change it later before you travel.

The best that could be achieved IMHO (oops another ETLA (Extended Three Letter Abreviation) would be a social groundswell with a mass requst for the management of ET to reclassify the campervan out of the Motorhome banding.

Or a discount with our club to mitigate the additional.

 

[WelshGas]

I would guess (with some experience in web software development) that when you book that check is made and a link with dvla is made to classify your vehicle and cgarge you the correct amount.
Once you are on the system and checking in, the system is only looking to match you up and collect any final details missing from the booking to get you scheduled in, therefore the loophole exists excpt as you say a yellow jacket picking you up later..
They could, fix this by forcing all bookings to enter a reg and let you change it later before you travel.

The best that could be achieved IMHO (oops another ETLA (Extended Three Letter Abreviation) would be a social groundswell with a mass requst for the management of ET to reclassify the campervan out of the Motorhome banding.

Or a discount with our club to mitigate the additional.

Or better still DVLA to alter the Body Type of the Beach to match their definition of a Campervan/Motorcaravan which they force converters to adhere to .

 

[GrannyJen]

I’m not sure if you are referring to Beach owners, Ocean/SE owners or both.

ET set their own definition of a campervan which, quite clearly, doesn’t include the Beach. They then try to charge Beach owners as a campervan because their computers use a different definition, that of the DVLA for motorcaravans.

Their is no “masturbatory raindance” over finding a way to travel with ET paying the correct charge.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

Tom,

The OP is about an Ocean.

@MattBW has a letter from ET establishing that as far as ET is concerned beach is a high car.

Why you should think my post about taking a gamble travelling as a high car rather than a camper refers to you or to specifically anyone else is beyond me.

My point is, imo, attempting to travel as a non-camper when the clearly on display kitchen, cooking facilities and gas plumbing screams "I'm campervan" is simply not worth the gamble just to shave a few quid off the price and have the ego trip of saying "Got them!".

Frankly if I wanted to take a gamble then I would go into William Hill's and put money down on Arsene Wenger managing Manchester United by the end of the season. At least that way my holiday would not be screwed up and my vehicle stranded at an ET terminal if I lost.

 

[sidepod]

ETLA (Extended Three Letter Abreviation)

Is that like FLA ? (Four letter abbreviation)

Good thread this, we’ve had Masturbation in the rain and now ETLA

Every days a school day

 

[sidepod]

It’s not often I listen to anyone’s opinion or change my mind (I always know best) but I think it’s right. Just pay up and minimise risk.

The resultant lecture from the current Miss Pod if a Hi Viz sent us to the back of the queue just wouldn’t be worth it.

I can just hear it now.....”you massive tw@t.....WTF did you do that for “.

 

[jts46]

When i had my California in 2006 the original log book didn't state it was a M/caravan, it was a transporter hence when i use Brittany ferries, DFDS or P&O it is classed as a MPV high vehicle