The NCC Reviews 

What is the point of this organisation.
Don't reply to emails.
Cannot connect via telephone.
Waste of space.
Should be disbanded.

ouch i think the review on this site says it all. i contacted this company now twice asking for training information to become a caravan technician when i did get a reply it was the second time i contacted them i got a very vague answer telling me to go online which i had but wanted more specific information. i returned the email asking for more information and still had no reply. Looks like i will be giving my money to someone else

The National Caravan Council (NCC) is registered at Companies House as a ‘private company limited by guarantee …’ and in its own words is the ‘UK Trade body for the tourer, motorhome, holiday and park home industries.’ It also has some worthy aims as set out by its Director General, John Lally, in the Foreword to the NCC’s Code of Practice:-

‘Our vision is for a self-regulated … industry that treats consumers fairly, delivers high levels of customer satisfaction and provides full protection and access to redress should this be needed.

‘To help us achieve this, the NCC has developed this Code of Practice … It is primarily for the benefit and protection of Holiday Home Owners setting out the principles of good practice and minimum standards that must be followed by scheme members when selling new and pre-owned Holiday Homes … In addition, it acts as a benchmark of best practice against which scheme members’ performance towards meeting the code can be assessed…

‘A key feature of the scheme is the “NCC Approved Holiday Park – Holiday Home Ownership” logo which scheme members can use … only when they have been independently assessed and have achieved approved status … and meet this Code of Practice. We recommend you always look for the logo when considering any purchase …’

All very reassuring … but …

In an email to Mr Lally dated 26th February 2020 I wrote:-

‘Further to my email to you dated 16th January 2020 (below) to which, so far, I have received no response, please find the attached article that further explains the situation my wife and I find ourselves in as a direct result of the NCC … failing to ensure fair play … Meanwhile please advise me as to the NCC's position regarding the issues I raised in my earlier email.’

In the earlier email I had written:-

‘ … On Bourne Leisure Limited's Haven website appears the following:-

“The key benefits of choosing to buy from an NCC Approved park are that we will:

“ ..... Provide a greater level of consumer protection than required by law” and

“Deal in an open, honest and fair manner .....”’

The email continues:-

‘As it happened none of the above occurred with us in June/July 2013 as there was nothing “open, honest and fair” with the way we were conned by Bourne Leisure and Black Horse when the cash price of a VAT zero-rated caravan included current site fees, water and business rates, insurance and £692. 65 VAT… Then there is the big question as to whether it is legal for so-called “non-domestic business rates” to be off-loaded on to owners, particularly if they are not letting or … running a business from their caravan… In view of the above I hope you will give these matters your urgent attention and let me know what the NCC's position is in relation to my observations.’

Mr Lally did not reply to this but, in all fairness, he had sent a long email late 2019 explaining that the NCC could not deal with our concerns as they had previously been in a court of law. (The court saga and related issues are covered in my other reviews).

Right from the beginning of our contact with the NCC we were not satisfied with its approach to the issues we had raised as a letter dated 10th January 2015 to its ‘Membership Co-Ordinator’ makes clear:-

‘… you seem to have misunderstood the nature and intent of our previous letter which was not written as a complaint but had been sent … for your information. The content of paragraph 9 made it clear we were seeking an investigation by the NCC into the joint modus operandi of Bourne Leisure and Black Horse as we have reasons to believe it has a seriously flawed structure… In the event of the NCC investigating these matters we would be willing to provide it with a full digest of our concerns for consideration.’

In a letter dated 1st August 2015 to Mr Lally I wrote:-

‘Further to my letter of 4th March 2015 please find enclosed copy of my recent letter to …. As you will observe there are very serious issues involved which require immediate and comprehensive remedial action by the NCC and other regulatory agencies responsible for rooting out corporate corruption… please let me know what action you will take to remedy the serious breaches of procedures and trust … we have suffered at the hands of one of your members …’

Sadly, although we provided ample evidence that Bourne Leisure / Haven had not dealt with us “in an open, honest and fair manner” the NCC, as a private limited company and ‘trade body’ failed to assess whether its Code of Practice had been breached. This being so, who, I wonder, ‘independently’ assesses the NCC?

I bought a brand new static caravan off Butlin’s Skegness but I was under the impression that having the
NCC accreditation with their codes I would have someone to contact if I was having problems with
Butlin’s Skegness if they did not abide by the NCC codes and they would put things right?

How wrong was I! The NCC has NO power over Bourne leisure Ltd at all, nor any other caravan
company if they choose not to listen to or follow their codes?
I parted with my money more easily because of the NCC accreditation thinking if Butlin’s Skegness
Bourne leisure Ltd did not deliver what they promised I would have help?

I contacted the NCC a few times and was told if it was a consumer issue then they don’t deal with it!
Omg the whole caravan industry basically is a consumer issue?
I could not believe what I was reading in the email plus they did not open a case regarding Butlins not conforming to their codes?
The NCC is not going to upset Bourne leisure Ltd because it probably half of the NCC members?
I call for the caravan industry to be proper regulated and not regulate them self’s!

Customer service was that bad from the NCC member I paid £6.500 to escape to another site with
my caravan and tried to take Bourne leisure to court but had to end it due to massive court costs?

Some of the NCC codes are: By being NCC Approved and complying with the Code, a member demonstrates to customers that it makes a conscious and tangible commitment to treat consumers fairly, provide greater consumer protection and rights than required by law and deliver high levels of customer satisfaction.

NCC accreditation to me means nothing because they did nothing and let’s not forget they also charge you
£60 to log a complaint with them if I remember correctly?

In my opinion the NCC accreditation will only worry and mean something to small family run caravan
Parks.
I would like to know who funded and set up the NCC in the first place. Was the money from a large
Holiday park by any chance?