Remembrance Day will soon be here and most of us will be standing in silence, head bowed, commemorating those who sacrificed everything for the freedoms we enjoy today, including the Freedom of Speech.

 

The CMA has the remit for challenging Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts and Unfair Trading Practices. Yet being shielded from the real world by Swarovski crystal glass windows and Italian Marble walls, in multi million pound, publicly funded, Canary Wharf, offices, they are blissfully unaware that The Holiday Park Industry has now removed the right, for many of you, to a Freedom of Speech. 

Before you even ask, that is if you are allowed to do so, we are referring to the inclusion of Social Media terms in your agreements. 

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It is an absolutely breach of everything this country stands for and the sacrifices made by generations before, for some poxy, snotty nosed, overweight, self righteous, arrogant, pr..k of a Director to deem they have the power to end the Freedom of Speech for consumers who enter agreements with them. (That’s just an imaginative characterisation of such a person for the purposes of dramatic effect. We accept some of them, maybe skinny pr..ks too.) 

How dare these people include terms in your agreements that appear to be designed solely for the purpose of preventing or deterring you from speaking freely about the shit that goes on across their parks. 

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For example, terms like:

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All persons, including holiday homes owners, their guests and tradesman must not deliberately and/or persistently use social media of any kind in a way that is calculated to be harmful or prejudicial to the company, its business or its employees.

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You may not post any negative comments towards the park or…. (the company)online.

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You may not create any social media pages or groups relating to the park or …(the company)

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Not to:  Use any social media platform to make any statement about the company or member of the team that is either defamatory or misleading.

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Who decides what comments or words are harmful or prejudicial?

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Why may you not post negative comments?

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Who decides what is defamatory or misleading?

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What happens if they decide they do not like your comments, even if they are accurate?

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There are already legal remedies available to companies if they feel someone has made a public statement that is untrue, not factual and causes them some form of detriment or damage to their reputation. In our opinion the inclusion of these terms is a complete abuse of their position with regard to the relationship between trader and consumer and is designed to stop a true picture of how they operate being made available to other consumers.

 

We believe the effect is no different than if they paid for fake good reviews, as it distorts the information available to consumers and unfairly interferes with an open, fair and competitive market.

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Which brings us back to Unfair Terms, Unfair Trading Practices and the CMA. They appear to be living in La La Land, heads buried in the sand, ignoring your demand, for them to make a stand.

 

Rather than bowing their heads in respect, as we all commemorate Remembrance Day, they should hang their heads in shame as a result of their failure to uphold the freedoms, hard won by the generations who have gone before us. Freedom of Speech is right, it is your right and it is a right that many fellow citizens have sacrificed everything for.

 

Don’t give it up without a fight. 

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Enough is Enough. 

 

No more pussy footing around with the niceties, you are all on this group to sort this shit storm of an Industry out. It starts now, it starts here, it starts with you.

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Read your licence agreements. Copy the Social Media terms then include them in a formal complaint to CMA using the below link. It is anonymous as far as your park is concerned. It is a 5 minute job. 

 

Put the Title as    

 

"Formal Complaint Re Unfair Terms - Social Media Terms - Preventing Freedom of Speech" 

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Put the Name and Address of the Park and the Company. 

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Outline why you feel the term prevents you from making an honest comment on Social Media about the level or standard of service you have received from the company.

 

You may feel intimidated, given how the company operates; you may have been bullied before or threatened with the termination of your agreement. You may have been told to remove previous comments or else. 

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Then include the Social Media terms, word for word, from your agreements.

 

Then ask the question: how are consumers who are interested in buying a holiday caravan expected to see a true picture of a company if that company prevents consumers', contracted to it, from making comments on social media platforms? 

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https://www.coronavirus-business-complaint.service.gov.uk/ 

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Winston Churchill quote from Churchill, Into Battle (London: Cassell, 1941), pages 83-91.

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