Payment at booking

stu192
stu192 Forum Participant Posts: 19
edited November 2021 in Club Membership #1

Hi

Will there be a time when the club will bring in payment at time of booking? in my opinion it will give more people  the chance to get on the popular sites, 

I understand Late availability section is available but that only covers weekends I'm checking daily for 3 days midweek at Rowntree in April which is currently full at present.

 

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Comments

  • JayEss
    JayEss Forum Participant Posts: 1,663
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    edited March 2017 #3

    I hope it never comes in. 

    In the case of Rowntree and the other popular sites someone will always miss out because someone else has booked first. Small popular sites with lots of people after them. 

     

  • stu192
    stu192 Forum Participant Posts: 19
    edited March 2017 #4

    But it doesn't always work. Last week we had booked onto pools brook sat and sunday we wanted to had the extra friday but couldn't. We eventually could book it but that was on the tuesday (72 hours springs to mind). My view and opinion is that it would stop alot of this if people were made to pay at booking 

     

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #5

    Will there be a time? Who knows but this and deposits have been debated time and time again and the club has said it has no plans to change the current system which works well for most people. 

    Tbh, I'm not surprised you can't get a pitch at Rowntree at such short notice, Stu, and I can't see that paying up front would change that.

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #6

    The problem is supply and demand , and the demand is more than the supply(pitch), and paying upfront won't solve this IMO.....

  • SUBBY
    SUBBY Forum Participant Posts: 36
    edited March 2017 #7

    I personally would if this was ever seriously being considered by the club. i also believe a large number of members would also leave. my situation demands that i book several trips all in one go each of various lengths so paying out possibly a £1000 or more is just not feasible. my opinion and my opinion only is that the current system works well for the majority of members.

    cheers Don

  • DSB
    DSB Club Member Posts: 5,666 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #8

    In the past, the Club used to take a deposit for bookings, then they changed the system to a no deposit system which appears to work much better.  

    Just one of the problems with a non-refundable deposit system is that if people cancel they feel under no obligation to ring up and inform anyone, therefore the site staff cannot allow any late bookers to use the pitch as they are not aware of the cancellation.

    I think that, by and large, the current system works well and I would not necessarily think it is a priority to change it.  I'm certainly happy with how it works at the moment.

    David 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #9

    As DSB said, if people pay up front, be it in full or a deposit, they won't bother to cancel at all if they stand to lose their money. 

    Your 72 hour theory with regard to Poolsbrook is just that, a theory, and there is no proof. We can't start a campaign for change based on speculation.

    The moral of the story is, Stu, to book earlier or be prepared to use a different site. Sorry, but that's what the rest of us do.

     

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited March 2017 #10

    So you were OK someone cancelled and you benefited.  Make them pay up front and they would not cancel just not turn up so you would lose out.  It works well so as they say if its not broke dont fix it.

  • dmiller555
    dmiller555 Forum Participant Posts: 717
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    edited March 2017 #11

    Obviously it isn't at least not for the OP.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited March 2017 #12
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • PITCHTOCLOSE
    PITCHTOCLOSE Forum Participant Posts: 658
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    edited March 2017 #13

    it would work better for most if dep where taken

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #14

    who are the "most" ?????

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited March 2017 #15

    Certainly not us.  

    Been discussed many times and it was agreed the status quo works for the majority.  OP is just upset cos it does not work for them though in this case it does/did.

  • GTP
    GTP Club Member Posts: 535
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    edited March 2017 #16

    I'm all for 'concentrating minds'...and a 25% non refundable deposit... (unless a death certificate is produced)...and i'm also in favour of minimum 2 nights booking...and a no movement rule before 7-0am...and I would really like members to abide by the 5mph rule...

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited March 2017 #17

    and i'm also in favour of minimum 2 nights booking

    And alienate those who want to tour or are just using a site as a night halt en-route to their main site.  As its now the Caravan & Motorhome Club you chance upsetting those it would hurt most Motorhomers.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited March 2017 #18
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  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited March 2017 #19

    Exactly David, for a one night stop 25% of say £20 is a fiver, would not bother us and would not even bother to call the site so someone would lose out.  

    Last year when we got the MH we had some sites booked with both the CMC & CC&C.  The MH was delayed so we had to change, the CMC was easy, the C&CC not so we just lost the deposit and did not go, so the site lost out on the fees and if it was full someone lost out on having our pitch, we no longer belong to the C&CC!!

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Forum Participant Posts: 3,880
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    edited March 2017 #20

    The IT system currenly in use is only able to do about 85% of what it is supposed to - so how would it cope with accounting for all these pre-payments?  Of course, even one year's interest even at the present insulting rates would be a tidy sum  . . !

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
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    edited March 2017 #21

    OP hasn’t said dates in April but this being  a very popular site  & school holidays that month may be why it is fully booked as could  be many other sites during school holidays including non club ones.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #22

    You've just reminded me of two reasons we rarely use C&CC sites - deposits and booking restrictions. 

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #23

    Have you asked 'most' ?

  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #24

    I am definitely not 'most'; the current system works fine for me.  No deposits and no minimum number of nights either.  I agree with those who have said that if a non-refundable deposit were charged, then there will inevitably be some members who would simply not cancel at all, and the pitch would just be wasted.  

    As for Rowntree in April: Easter falls right in the middle of that month, so there will be a lot of people who will be off work at that time, therefore it's not surprising that that site is booked during that time.

  • JayEss
    JayEss Forum Participant Posts: 1,663
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    edited March 2017 #25

    The last thing this club needs is more rules undecided

     

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #26

    Not many other leisure organisations insist on full payment  6 months before. Unless like a Eurostar booking I am about to make it is substantially discounted, £400 as against £800 just before. We tend to like to sort out our tours in December for the next year and would be handing over £2000 plus for the CAMC to hang on to for up to 9 months.

    So unless the club want to go down the Eurostar route and increase prices as the date gets closer, lets just leave a system that works for the vast majority alone.

  • Unknown
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    edited March 2017 #27
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  • GTP
    GTP Club Member Posts: 535
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    edited March 2017 #28

    I think this says why motorhomes(sorry motor caravans) should never have been allowed to be part of a caravan club. Caravans stay for x nights, motor homes generally move on a daily basis and distrupting the ethos of a caravan holiday..... And of course which is why the club name, albeit a trading name, has changed ( it still retains the Caravan Club Ltd) Otherwise motor home users would have to buy up suitable sites...

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited March 2017 #29

    The only people against a deposit system are those who want the option not to turn up, with no penalty, or to cancel at late notice without penalty.

    The story about people being more likely to cancel if they haven't paid a deposit is patently nonsense......it's an urban myth.

    Deposits would not benefit me in any way. I've never had any problem with getting the sites I want.......but it is a fact that the lack of deposits leads to speculative bookings and is the reason for so many empty pitches on sites that are showing as 'full' on the booking system.

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #30

    That comment will stir things up a bitsurprised

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2017 #31

    I don't know whether to laugh or report the post.

    Husky, go tell AD I've found another one. laughing