Caravan cartel?

[JohnMc]

Hi folks.

A friend of mine and many other people who have caravans in various caravan parks in West Clare seem to be put under pressure by the park owner to buy new caravans. Unfortunately my friend and many others have no choice to shop around for the best deal as they are required to buy the caravan from the park owner.
So I guess the are two issues:
1 people are being pressured into upgrading their caravans at significant cost.
2 people cannot shop around and have to buy from the park owner.

Do you know if this is illegal? it sounds like a cartel, price fixing scenario. Almost like an aggressive monopoly who are taking advantage of their market position. Has anyone else experienced this or has this behaviour been challenged legally or in the courts?

Thanks
Johnmc

 

[PebbleBeach2020]

Fairly common practice with caravan folk in fairness.

 

[NoRegretsCoyote]

t sounds like a cartel, price fixing scenario.

There is no collusion between suppliers to fix prices. It is not a cartel.

I've heard of this practice in other caravan parks and presume it's legal.

 

[DeeKie]

Seems anticompetitive behaviour. Contact the CCPC. See what they say

 

[Leper]

Caravan/Mobile-Home Parks! - Don't get me going. One of our worst life experiences was in a mobile home park where we bought a mobile home from the son of the park owner. He had just completed a house on the site and the van was going for a song and because it was a new park we were offered our first 3 years there at a fixed rate and less than our future neighbours and we had choice of the best plinths.

During our 4th year in the park the first of many round robin signed cards were pushed under the door while we were out. Our neighbours wanted us to upgrade as we were "lowering the tone." The park owner was on our side and he didn't wish his renters to know that we had bought the van through him. He came under pressure from the clitterati of Cork and mainly Limerick but largely ignored it.

We were shunned (no problem for me) but their kids shunned our kids too. The park became popular and we were made an offer we couldn't refuse from a Limerick professional and we sold at a profit and gladly. He replaced our van with a span new model. I was glad to get away from that shower of clitterati social climbers.

The above is the sanitised and short version of the whole experience. I hope it never stops raining in Limerick.

 

[Purple]

I hope it never stops raining in Limerick.

Now you know how everyone else feels about Cork

 

[RetirementPlan]

I was glad to get away from that shower of clitterati social climbers.

Is this a Cork thing or a swinger-party thing?

 

[Leper]

Is this a Cork thing or a swinger-party thing?

No, it was mainly a lock, stock and barrel Limerick thing. I hope they never win another All Ireland final either.