The hosts were the experience.
It was never my intention to leave a negative review had Mike and Lorry simply refunded a stay we never used. Unfortunately, their handling of my concerns, including personal and condescending remarks, is why I am sharing this experience. (The full unedited exchange with screenshots is on Google.)
When my son and I arrived, the tent was dirty inside and out. The grounds were overgrown, cluttered and unfinished. The property differed significantly from the listing and photos. The instructions were self check-in. With no host present, the condition and isolated setting made me uncomfortable staying there alone with my son, so we left.
I thanked them for previously accommodating my accidental date-booking error, explained why we left and requested a refund for the unused stay.
They became defensive, saying I “misinterpreted their pictures for a well manicured city park” and “obviously someone used to having their surroundings regularly scrubbed for them should not rent a bare necessity tent.”
I knew exactly what the tent included. We had full camping gear and had already spent 9 days camping across the country.
I contacted Hipcamp Support with our full correspondence. Hipcamp refunded its service fees and submitted a formal refund request under “Inaccurate listing and expectation aren’t met.” Only then did Mike and Lorry provide the refund.