Deposits yes / no
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not major UK sites though, just fields
Funny that the CCC, haven.... all ask for payment on arrival
I think that paying a deposit far in advance (months even? Why are people so keen to give money away like this, they must be well heeled as you would say BB?) and actually paying for something when you buy it is pretty different all round. And I do think that once you arrive you buy your time there. You pay for it then.
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Every organisation has its system. Have just book two 3 for 2 sites with Morris Leisure starting Suday. Paid £30 each deposits but that had no bearing on my decision to go. It was the price and the location that was the decider. As I do not book long in advance but make use of last minute decisions, deposits are irrelevant. Happy with the present club system Those that moan about it get used to it or book elsewhere.
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"Most on here" would do no such thing from what I've read BB. Many may prefer the no deposit system which seems to work very well for the CAMC, why wouldn't they? But most, like you and meappear to be happy to pay a deposit if that was required by a different provider.
Yes, THS and CLs may be more flexible (many CLs aren't though) but commercial providers such as, dare I mention them, Haven, Morris, Crealy all require deposits/ advance payment as do C&CC. That hasn't stopped you or me or many others on here from using them as alternatives has it?
I still don't understand the point that paying at the end of a stay is better - seems to be exactly the opposite of making a commitment to me!
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'most on here' couldnt see past using a CC site...
.and it depends whether the stay has been 'booked' or not....
if a booking has been made then the 'stock' (pitch nights) has been allocated to that customer and a commitment has been made...to cancel close to the arrival date is not ( in my book, despite what the rules say) 'good form'..
a CC booking is a committment...one that deprives others of selecting that stock.
OTOH, a no-commitment comment on arrival at site regarding the proposed length of stay ....'perhaps a week, perhaps a bit longer..' isnt the same thing.
as ive said, im happy to pay deposits when applicable (and if CC went that way, no problem...) but as some like to book a whole years breaks in one hit, they delight in spelling out the cost of these (despite them being only a small percentage of the overall committment theyve just made.
perhaps a system of rolling dates would remove the 'bulk booking' syndrome and also reduce the cost of any deposits due in one go...
it will be interesting to see what 'revisions/enhancements' the club is considering...
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how does it go.....?
oh yes.....'+1'
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Sorry David, apologies you are correct. I seem to remember you admitted on here to paying a deposit for one site this year over there to 'secure a pitch' No idea which one though.
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"if a booking has been made then the 'stock' (pitch nights) has been allocated to that customer and a commitment has been made...to cancel close to the arrival date is not ( in my book, despite what the rules say) 'good form'..
a CC booking is a commitment...one that deprives others of selecting that stock."
Agree with that 100% BB
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No from me, for all the reasons doubtless given above.
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Doesn’t bother me whether we paid a deposit or not. I imagine quite a lot of members are also members of the other club so are used to paying a deposit. Although “apparently” there is no evidence of speculative booking I do think deposits would weed out any that there are.
This is the leisure industry and you wouldn’t think twice about paying a deposit for a hotel or any other sort of holiday so why should campsites be any different? I do think deposits should be looked at in connection with the thread on weekends being blocked. We regularly use a “honeypot” site, the Club website showing all weekends full. In reality, whenever we’ve been there over a weekend (and that’s very frequently) it has never been full with upwards of half a dozen pitches free. If members are just not turning up (having booked speculatively) and the only sanction is a letter that is no deterrent. If members had to pay a deposit forfeited if they didn’t cancel at least (say) two weeks prior to arrival I think it would free up more pitches for last minutes bookings, particularly at weekends on popular sites.
Clearly there would be concessions for illness, death etc on production of the relevant evidence but i’m Sure something like this system would appeal to a lot of members.
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Actually I can't remember the last time I paid a deposit for a hotel. Maybe 7 years ago.
No deposit, penalty free cancellation up to midday on the day of arrival is what I tend to find.
So if I was new to booking campsites I may well be surprised to have to pay a deposit at all.
I'm neutral about deposits and I can see past using CC sites just to be clear
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Clearly there would be concessions for illness, death etc on production of the relevant evidence but i’m Sure something like this system would appeal to a lot of members.
I don't imagine that I would be bothered to produce paperwork if there was a death or illness. I would just take the 'hit' and worry about the matter to hand.
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Obviously it depends on the reason for cancelling. Apart from one occasion when a relative was hospitalised I have cancelled part of or all of a CC site stay on a few occasions. No doubt that some involved a weekend. When I have done so it has been to use an alternative site or to go earlier to next site or later to next site.
I have also been happy that there have been last minute cancellations such as when waiting on a fully booked site for a car part for a couple of extra days over a weekend or when a few years ago I was at The Firs CC site at Belper. We had booked for a longer stay than normal at 6 days. We decided that although it was our last stop before home we were not quite ready to return. Space became available at Chirk site and so we cancelled last two days at Belper and moved on to Chirk for 5 nights. Hospital appointment following day. We would not have bothered for 3 nights but 5 made it worthwhile.
I see no problem with such changes personally.
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Purely out of interest, Grant, can you tell us what happens when you make a booking as a non-member? You must do it by phone but I’m wondering if the club take any form of payment in advance. You’re obviously well familiar with the club so should be able to provide the answer. It could be enlightening.
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Your phrase might be appropriate for someone who has booked multiple weekends and then cancels 50%. That is clearly an abuse of the system. However, the CC told us on another thread that they monitored and dealt with flagrant abuse.
Beyond that the rules are currently designed to allow flexibility, so altering sites and length of stay, and even canceling, to cope with changes in circumstances / weather / health etc. Is in my opinion what the CC intended them to be used for.
We have never booked without the intention of taking up the booking, but have cancelled / changed sites and duration, mainly for health reasons.
It does work both ways, the CC recently cancelled our week away at Bridlington, with an I am sorry for the inconvenience, but we are closing the site, email. They did give more than 72 hours notice though.😉
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JayEss
I have booked many hotels, and every one has asked for card details before making the booking.
I assume this card would be charged an appropriate amount as per their booking terms if you did not honour that booking.
If you were running a business on the basis of public reliability, then a deposit system of some type would be needed.
I would be most surprised if no deposit was required by a Hotel, unless you are a regular known to them.
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Correct. You provide card details but no money is taken and you can cancel without charge up to noon of the day of arrival generally. If you fail to cancel then they charge a night to your card.
It's not a deposit though is it?
As most of my hotels are booked for business use the terms generally seem to be as I've described. No deposit but penalty for no show outside booking terms.
I've not paid a deposit to a hotel for many years. I'm not lying
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steve, in order to 'monitor' this process (considering the number of members and bookings and remember these cancellations are 'within the rules') the responsible department would need either a sophisticated IT report (that might even be a spreadsheet of some description) or a lot of time and resource to do it manually...
given the CC 'expertise' in the former area and their determination to reduce costs to the bone, i dont actually see either happening...in the real world....
customers just get on with it....
hands up anyone whose ever been contacted by CC as a result of their careful monitoring process?
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They say they do monitor cancellations and fiddles, perhaps they do but we never hear of or see the results. Rowena did pass the results of the last discussion on this subject to the Sites Operations and Product Development teams for their reference. Perhaps that has prompted the review mentioned on FB?
No doubt this discussion is also being monitored?
peedee
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