Cancelling a CL booking at short notice.
Comments
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It's not an official poll Onep just a bunch of folk chewing the fat. It's merely opinions
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Hi Rocky
The August CL Owners Group survey was the post and survey I was referring to. I appreciate it was only 90 people, but the way it was written suggested it was a bit more than just a 'bunch of folk chewing the fat', and I guess it was quite relevant to them.
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Still only chewing the fat Onep, nothing set in stone, we have no rights in what the CL owners do(nor would I expect it) we are all just adding to the discussion(chewing the fat) literally talking on a forum. We are a tiny amount of folk on CT who publish input-what we say means nothing in the big scheme of things.
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Agree Rocky, sample on here is not a true representation of either CL owners, or indeed the vast percentage of the membership. But an interesting and enlightening thread and discussion none the less.
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I have just had a look at the online CL homepage. It has some useful guidance for those considering a stay on a CL, but most of it is very basic. Even if the Club HQ cannot commit to very much in terms of assisting CL owners regarding no shows, late cancellations, etc..., maybe a bit more information on the homepage would help. Making sure that Members understand the 72 hour cancellation policy for Club Sites does not apply to CLs would be a step forward, and some wording around checking the booking/payment/cancellations at the time of booking your stay. Some CLs obviously do this as a matter of course.
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Hi Nicola,
If you click the following link you will be able to see the Clubs policies regarding cancellations.........Cancellation Policy.
I hope this helps.
Tracy
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Thank you Tracy but the Club's cancellation policy has no bearing whatsoever on cancelling a CL at short notice, as has been discussed at great length in this thread.
A CL owner is free to apply any cancellation policy they wish or indeed no cancellation policy at all if that's how they want to operate their site.Nicola
www.skybarnfarm.co.uk
Telephone: 01522 681218
Email: enquiries@skybarnfarm.co.uk
Site 365, page 402 of the 2017/2018 Sites Directory
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Tracy
Unfortunately, you, and possibly a number of your colleagues at HQ, are misinformed.
The Club Policy you have provided a link to relates only to Club Sites and has no bearing on CL's.
The Policy (as currently written) is rather ambiguous. It does not state that it refers to Club Sites and the reader (Member) may, therefore, assume that the Policy refers to both Club Sites, Affiliated Sites and CL's.
I have recently written to Nick Lomas (Director General) on this topic. One of our recommendations was that the Policy is amended to make it less ambiguous.
As Nicola states, each and every CL will currently have their own policy, sometimes enshrined in formal Terms and Conditions, other times at their discretion.
However, there is possibly a case for the club to consult with both members and CL owners to draft some guidelines around Deposits, Cancellations and Early departures that CL's could choose to adopt if they wish. This may then bring a little more consistency to this issue and help both members and owners.
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Hi Nicola
As you asked
''Is there any established Club policy surrounding last minute cancellations? If not, do you think there should be one developed by the Club?''
and it didn't specify CL's in the question, I presume Tracy123 is just answering it for you. I presume you were asking specifically in relation to CL's.
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If you look at the home page, under UK HOLIDAYS, UK SITES, CERTIFIED LOCATIONS, and scroll down to TOP QUESTIONS you will find this
Do CL's charge booking fees ?
CL owners may request a deposit or booking fee. This could be non-refundable so we recommend that you confirm any booking / payment conditions with the owner directly.
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I thought so, but she did answer the question asked
.I must admit when I first read the initial post, I presumed you didn't know the CAMC policy, solely based on that question. I, possibly like many others CAMC users, tend to think of CL and the CAMC as one and the same in many ways, albeit CL's are privately owned.
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That's one of the big issues onepjg, as you say, a lot of folks think Club Sites and CLs have similar operating policies. Couldn't be further from the truth, and long may they stay almost independent! Club do a reasonable job of assisting with set up, an annual inspection, bit of marketing, but vast percentage of work required is done by CL owners themselves.
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Hi Nicola,
As you state, the Club policy has no bearing on a CL site policy but you asked, "Is there any established Club policy surrounding last minute cancellations? " and this what I was referring to.
CL sites each have their own policies.
I am sorry my response was not what you were looking for.
Kind Regards
Tracy
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Perhaps CL owners should have a blacklist. If a previously misbehaving member phones up decline the booking unless payment in full up front. The blacklist could run for say 12 months since previous no-show.
The other alternative is a "name and shame" thread with membership number and name posted on here.
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I have a different point of view on this. What about when you turn up at a CL which you have booked by telephone a few weeks previously to discover that the owner denies all knowledge of the booking. He hadn't taken any details when I booked (reg no phone) and there were already 5 outfits on the site! We had to pitch up right in front of the chemical disposal point. The owner wasn't unpleasant, but seemed dubious that I had booked. He said it would probably be OK to have 6 outfits - there were no marked out pitches, just a grassy site. I had booked two nights but we left after one - paid for one night . We were a bit upset and disappointed as we had visited this site a few years previously and loved it.
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In that instance you should contact the club and explain the unprofessional behaviour of the CL owner which resulted in a breach of the exemption regs.
Had a deposit been taken, you would have had proof of your booking. Your experience makes a good case for having a formal procedure in place.
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It is a two way process, agreed. Some CL owners have a very relaxed booking procedure, no doubt, but we always make sure they have our dates, telephone number, and know details of our party, e.g. Two adults and two dogs. Owners do have a CMC book issued to log bookings, so you were very unlucky levenlounger. Something to mention in a review of site perhaps?
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The concept of naming fellow members on a black list published here is a bit vindictive in my view. I hope it was a joke.
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Hi I run a CL in Cornwall and have a very relaxed booking procedure in that I do not ask for upfront deposits etc. Cancellations have never been a major issue for us but this year we have had quite a few late cancellations and with every one there has been a "reasonable reason" but I have to say with some of them I am not sure how genuine it was.
The bigger picture is during peak times we are turning people away but on the other hand we often do re-let the pitches but not always. During quieter periods I would rather have a maybe booking than none at all as some members will not want to pay upfront!
The other problem with online booking systems and payment gateways is that it all adds extra costs which would increase pitch costs for members!!!
www.caravan-club-cornwall.co.uk
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I haven't read all of the replies on this but my thought is that if a CL was able to take a deposit by cheque or card details and if there was a no show or late cancellation you should take the money owed. There are fare too many people booking weeks and months in advance which stops other people booking and then forgetting or no going because its raining etc. We have just been to a cl who operate like this and I did think it was a good idea.
I must add not everyone doesn't turn up because its raining as I'm sure someone will take offence.
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Very rarely book in advance. Very mobile and look to just turn up ( You can say that's my problem)> I suggest a reasonable answer would be if you cancel within 7 days for whatever reason you pay up unless pitch rebooked. After all the site fee is minute in the scale of things but is a pain for the CL owner. Would you get away with not paying say by Ryanair for any reason?
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