Corruption in the Booking System - Yes or No

[Marula]

Ei
First of all, I come in peace.
Why don't we save ourselves the trouble and high blood pressure and make bookings through these Tour companies?? It seems that they have better access into the system and you pay the same?
I once made an online booking and did not even realise at the time it was through a tour company, after confirming the booking, I was invited to their Witrivier office for a cup of coffee and a free Map Book on Kruger. I'm still using the book today.
Since then I have made use of them many times and had no hassles. Its just a thought.
It seems that the point here is that Sanparks are not admitting to giving tour operators first choice/access into the system.

[Lisbeth]

It seems that the point here is that Sanparks are not admitting to giving tour operators first choice/access into the system.

Exactly!!

In any case your advice is excellent for those who want a special kind of unit especially during school holidays ....and certainly you get a better service than through Sanparks :D

[Sprocky]

Marula, can you please post the name of that company. I am sure that a lot of us would like to make use of them in future.

[Marula]

Hi Sprocky,

Siyabona Africa.
regards

[Sprocky]

Thanks Marula!

[Mel]

Marula, when you book, are you able to book more than 11 months ahead?
Or do you send your enquiry on the day the booking opens (in relation to your planned dates)?

[Bushcraft]

Some interesting things happening here

Siyabona Africa Thanks Marula

Firstly the reason I titled this thread as “corrupt” is because of:

Do tour operators have booking privileges and if so, which companies.

Official SANParks answer:

Unfortunately for this question, there are policies that are in place and they cannot be discussed with the public.

And then another official answer?????

Dear All;

All divisions of Sanparks open at the same time which is 11 months in advance for Year in advance bookings. The only exception is made for conferences who take up the whole camp and this is authorised by our ME for Tourism. No tour operator has preferential treatment, and as their peak season does not coincide with ours, it would be fruitless and would not make good business sense for SANParks.

Please remember that when we open for bookings there are 300 consultants making bookings at once ,and this does not only slow the system down but also blocks all incoming call as it chokes our switchboard.

Warmest wishes,
Sly

The facts dispute the official SANParks media release, so isn’t there something fishy happening?

Below are screen prints that I took on Friday the 1st of June for May 2013 at 7am. Official bookings haven’t opened yet.
Notice the 1st to the 4th below: No FU4V’s or BD3U’s and only 7 BD2U’s, etc. All of which suddenly appear on the 5th?






The same applies to other camps in the screen prints that I took on Friday before official bookings opened, so now what? Something is corrupt IMO.

Imagine that poor person that has spent 1 year planning their trip for specific units who gets to head office at 5am to be first in the queue to book these units, but doesn’t know that they are already “booked”

I pose a hypothetical question:

Who decides if a unit is to undergo maintenance on particular dates (which seem to conveniently coincide with the first few days of the new month or school holidays). Surely it’s not head office.

Hypothetically if I had a contact in any camp that “decided” to not release certain units on particular dates for public booking, but to rather “release” them to me for resale, wouldn’t I score?

I will continue to take screen prints on the 1st of every month before bookings open and mail this proof to SANParks until someone tells the truth.

[Marula]

Marula, when you book, are you able to book more than 11 months ahead?
Or do you send your enquiry on the day the booking opens (in relation to your planned dates)?

Hello Mel,
I am never able to plan that far ahead (11months) So its usually a couple of weeks maximum (sometimes even only days!) when we know when we will be able to visit Kruger.
Best regards

[Dzombo]

Ei
First of all, I come in peace.
Why don't we save ourselves the trouble and high blood pressure and make bookings through these Tour companies?? It seems that they have better access into the system and you pay the same?
I once made an online booking and did not even realise at the time it was through a tour company, after confirming the booking, I was invited to their Witrivier office for a cup of coffee and a free Map Book on Kruger. I'm still using the book today.
Since then I have made use of them many times and had no hassles. Its just a thought.
It seems that the point here is that Sanparks are not admitting to giving tour operators first choice/access into the system.

I booked my Kruger trip in December through one of the Tour companies. They came highly recommended by a well known member on "the other side".
When I didn't get the exact camps that I wanted, I queried this with the lady I was dealing with. I said to her that I thought the Tour companies get priority bookings.
She told me that this is a misconception, and they have to go into the queue just like everyone else.
Whether she was telling me the truth, I do not know?
m=

[Bushcraft]

Sunday was the 1st of July, so bookings opened for June 2013, but as it’s a Sunday the official policy is 7:30am on Monday morning. I have screen dumps from Sunday for June 2013 which indicate only 1x 6 sleeper unit available at Satara for example, hence I ask again:

Is the booking process is fair?

Please PM me your email address if you would like to see the screen dumps or better yet, check yourself next month before 7:30am on the 1st of the month and see for yourself.