Excessive site charges
Comments
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Which sites are those? Fair enough, Ian, you've got a good deal for yourself, but how do the prices at those sites compare with CC in August? And have you got a special 7 night deal for those prices?
As you know, I'm definitely not in the "all things CC are perfect"camp. The point I've been making throughout this thread is that the CC prices, for all its faults, does not offer special deals off peak at the expense of sky high prices in July and August.
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" One thing I have noticed on club sites that it is the retired folk that have the most expensive and newer towcars and high end spec caravans while the young families are the one with the middle range cars and outfits."
Oh dear. From that description, I would appear to have mislaid some children.
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" One thing I have noticed on club sites that it is the retired folk that have the most expensive and newer towcars and high end spec caravans while the young families are the one with the middle range cars and outfits."
Oh dear. From that description, I would appear to have mislaid some children.
Same here.......never had our 10 year old mid range Swift caravan described as "high end spec" before.....
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On further thought this arguement about those poor retired folk on a 'fraction of a wage' compared to those with families on two wages is rather disingenuous and rather misleading.
In a few months time I will on be a 'fraction' on my former wage but my 'income' will be still be higher than most young teachers in their mid twenties to thirties with a young family. It is not the fraction
that matters, it is the wage that matters. Added to the fact that most retired folk have paid off their mortage it is they who have more disposable income than those with families to bring up.0 -
" One thing I have noticed on club sites that it is the retired folk that have the most expensive and newer towcars and high end spec caravans while the young families are the one with the middle range cars and outfits."
Oh dear. From that description, I would appear to have mislaid some children.
children perhaps, but not your boat (yatch/water thing)?
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Well, Moulesy.......we recently booked a week in Devon followed by a week in the New Forest in May
We will pay £95 and £150 to commercial sites. That includes an extra large pitch, fully serviced amd a choice of the actual pitch.
At CC sites, for the same weeks it would have been £140 and £180.......with no serviced pitch (they weren't available as the weekends were booked up, but would have added about £30/week if they were) and taking our chances on whether we got grass or hardstanding.
The commercial sites also include pools etc......not something I'm bothered about, but you would expect it to cost extra.
No contest, really.
While ever people continue to say that they can find no fault whatsoever with the CC and everything they do is perfect, they will never change.
It is true that there are bargains out there that the club cannot match but the clubs fees are near enough average. The club has to pay staff and meet legal requirements for their employment and cover head office costs in its charges. Family run sites can
avoid many of the costs and work longer hours and therefore undercut the club. Some larger commercial sites keep fees down with the knowledge that most people will spend plenty on other things particularly the bars.You have to look at the big picture to understand the economics of the sites but if you can get a good site for less think yourself lucky.
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And of course, non Club sites don't have to pay wages and meet legal costs.....? They can work longer hours than the CC staff in order to save their client's money? Really??
I would agree though that CC head office costs will be massive........because they will have grown and grown in order to justify a 'membership' fee......for what, exactly?
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And of course, non Club sites don't have to pay wages and meet legal costs.....? They can work longer hours than the CC staff in order to save their client's money? Really??
I would agree though that CC head office costs will be massive........because they will have grown and grown in order to justify a 'membership' fee......for what, exactly?
Hey Ian - Happy Birthday! Now about that question I asked you above? Nicely swerved so far!
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Which question was that, Moulesy? Was it the one about how much those commercial sites cost in August?
If so, the answer is......I don't know, because I don't plan to go there in August. And, as some people say about the CC prices - if it's too expensive, go elsewhere.
That is my point.......compete or fail.......the CC appear to be heading for the latter option.......
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Ah, so your special rate at SB will be subsidised by the £50+ rates for families in August then?!!
But of course, they don't have to go there.......just as I'm not going to a CC site in May.......what was your point again?
And as I said before (and ignoring some people's bragging about their 'high' salary) young families often have a far higher income than retired people.......
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Ian, my point, once again, is that sites like Haven and SB can offer these special deals because they whack up their prices in July and August to catch families with school age children who thus subsidise those deals. The CC also increase their prices but to nothing like the same extent. Good luck to those who can take advantage of them but let's not lose site of the main issue.
The OP was about "excessive club prices" - compare CC prices in August with SB!
Let's leave it there - enjoy your special day!
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Ah, so your special rate at SB will be subsidised by the £50+ rates for families in August then?!!
Write your comments here...No subsidy, you pay more in July and August supply and demand, know your market CC does not.
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Ian, my point, once again, is that sites like Haven and SB can offer these special deals because they whack up their prices in July and August to catch families with school age children who thus subsidise those deals.
That is one interpretation but being commercial organisations most likely not the right one. Another could be, by pricing to get clients there when they otherwise would not go then some part of the annual running overheads are recovered, thus allowing them to keep the main season prices just that bit lower than they might be?
So for a commercial operation the special deals could just as easily be in place to subsidise the main season prices.
Still not enough to get my 'van through SB's entrance, I only cycle there for my wifes paper.
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A week at Sandy Balls for our family starting on 1st August costs £465 for a serviced grass pitch. Hardstanding has sold out already. That's a whopping £66.43 per night.
How much would it be if the tenner a night deals weren't 'subsidising' the summer holidays do you think?
Don't forget they make plenty out of the captive audience on the charged for activities too. The Easter Egg hunt is £4.50 pp as an example
It's the way it is and has always been. There are very few sites that don't hike the prices for the summer and it makes good business sense but I won't be going to SB any time soon
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May I offer a solution? I, like many on here, realised that once I reached retirement, I would not be able to caravan with 'gay abandon' due to cost. Yes, I would have been able to afford the £13 - £16 a night charged by CLs with hook up but not at the same intensity that I wanted to so I looked for alternatives. With modern technology ie Solar Panels, LED lighting and the nothing short of fabulous Safefill cylinder,I have found a way to carry on and be perfectly comfortable. this is all recorded in the section 'how to make caravanning and camping cheaper' but as some may not be interested in looking in there I thought I would come to you.
My solution was to fit a 135w Solar Panel. I fitted a second 110ah battery (no point in producing electricity if you have nowhere to store it) and a 2000w Pure Sine Wave inverter. I now caravan at £5-£6 a night, I am able to use my toaster, my microwave, my 240v vacuum. I am able to have gas at approx 25% of what I was paying for exchange cylinders - its the gas I'm after, not the cylinder! so I converted to Safefill which has been a revelation. I have lashings of hot water, heating when needed and also drive the fridge on gas. It can be done but it's not for everyone I accept but to those who are interested, it does work. I have done it for three years now , the last holiday being in Dorset for 15 days near to the sea, and a great and comfortable holiday it was too. Safefill use was about £6 and site fees £60. (£4 a night and a lovely site too!) £66 all in because I now make my own electricity. Food for thought!!
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Where are these £4 a night lovely sites
I am also fully self sufficient, and would love to know of sub £6 CL's (actual charged price ..... not out of date prices quoted in book/website). If you can convince me there really are lots
all over the country I might actually join CC!Sadly, as a non-member at present, I cannot even look at the CL details to find out.
. I DO know (as a C&CC member) that £8 is the lowest
CS I can find in Hampshire/Sussex ....and that was last year so probably gone up another £ by now.0 -
Where are these £4 a night lovely sites
I am also fully self sufficient, and would love to know of sub £6 CL's (actual charged price ..... not out of date prices quoted in book/website). If you can convince me there really are lots all over the country I might actually join CC!
Sadly, as a non-member at present, I cannot even look at the CL details to find out.
. I DO know (as a C&CC member) that £8 is the lowest CS I can find in Hampshire/Sussex ....and that was last year so probably gone up another £ by now.Write your comments here...Hi Vic, well, they are about. I am, at the moment, trying to get the club to sort out the app to show, when you click on the 'No Facilities' button, that it actually shows NO FACILITY' sites but at the moment it's bringing up EHU sites as well!! There are many non EHU sites at £5 or less. Saw one this morning at £3!! (and I'm pretty sure that there is one in there at £2.50 but you probably have to cut the grass LOL.) whilst going through the book and marking all the non EHU sites throughout the country in hilighter pen. I have also done it on the map so I can see at a glance whether there are any 'no facility' sites in the area I wish to visit.Takes a bit of time but the book and map are so much easier to use now. I have asked the club if it is possible to produce the map showing non EHU sites in a different colour to the red lozenge as they use at the moment for all sites. That would cut out much searching I think for both EHU and nonEHU users. The one I refer to is site 534. I shouldn't be doing this - I won't be able to get on!!
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Here's a couple, still showing from £5 a night on website: Bingfield Combe, Corbridge, Northumberland. It's on Hadrians Wall! Second is Whickham Grange Farm, County Durham. OH has stayed on both, thoroughly enjoyed them. Peace and quiet, views, lovely! Summer
time stays, just solar panel and a gas bottle.0 -
Would be very handy if search engine allowed sites to be chosen based upon basic cost per night. That way for us any excessive high fees would be filtered out, for others who prefer more facilities, cheaper sites could be filtered out. Apply to both Club
Sites and CLs.I appreciate that add ons such as awnings, children, dogs, etc.... Might bump up overall cost, but base line charge would be good starting point!
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Most sales websites have the capacity to filter based on price, and that after all is a basic function of this site, to sell pitches. It might prompt some CL owners to ensure that their prices are updated a bit more regular as well! Some forget, and it
comes as a bit of a shock to visitors to find the site wants more than the odd 50p or £1 more than price quoted!0
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