In the past, vultures have been reselling the high-demand season valley campsites for many times what they paid, on Ebay. This came up a few years ago, and many of us complained about it.
In making my reservation for my autumn visit this morning, I read the confirmation email, and was really happy to see this included in the message:
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If arriving one or more days late, call (209)372-8502. Your reservation will be forfeited if we do not hear from you within 24hrs of your arrival date.
Entrance Fee to the park is $20 per private vehicle.
Resale, advertisement for sale, or auction of advance reservations made through the National Recreation Reservation Service, regardless of price, is prohibited.
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While I don't know how easy it is to report or get action on such instances, at least this makes it legitimate that it's not allowed. I did notice something new, a check button asking if I (by name) or someone else would be occupying the site, and I imagine that's the purpose (I don't know what happens if you check the 'someone else' box, perhaps you have to list names??).
Anyway, I quit looking at ebay for these sites for sale, since it was downright maddening to see profiteering from a public resource like this, especially when so many have trouble getting reservations. Now, I don't mind watching for people selling these, and I'll be more than happy to report it.
When I found out about these sales a few years ago, I emailed the seller and asked how he could justify doing this with National Park reservations, for his own profit, and he basically told me to bug off, and if I contacted him again, he'd complain to ebay. Apparently he had already gotten some flak, to be that 'on edge' about it.
"Regardless of price" means that even well-intentioned people can't, say, pass the reservations along to a neighbor for the original cost, so I guess that's a negative result in some instances, but it's no big deal and costs little to cancel and make your reservation available to someone else.
Hopefully now, there will be an easy way to report violations, and it will be enforced. Thanks to whoever the folks were that paid attention to our gripes, and actually did something about it.
Gary
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