Family pitch rules not encouraging future members.
Hi everyone,
thanks for the welcome, only joined the club last summer but have already been disappointed with some of the club rules and profiteering.
My dad has bought a new van at start of 2017 as he plans to retire this year and take his four grandkids, my daughter and sisters three kids away for some quality time. He gave up caravaning a few years ago after his last van got stolen, so after some persuading from all the family, bought one and took out a seasonal pitch at a site in Scotland and went away with the kids, we went to visit for the day some weekends and spoke about possibly even buying our own van! We joined the club to get the member advantages and decided to try a week on our own to see how we got on and if it was something we would like to do ourselves.
This is where I became disillusioned with the whole family fun caravan club image! Having paid over £1k for his season pitch remember, we were told as family visitors we would be charged £30 per night as he was not present and we don't live at the same address (I'm 42!!) this was £12 for the pitch which angered me most, £8 per adult and £ 3.50 per child. I didn't expect or want free use of the van and I didn't mind paying £8.20 per head for services used, however, £80 for the pitch for the week after his seasonal charge.. come on, £220 plus food and fuel for a cheap week family caravan holiday.. no such thing anymore!
I understand there will be people who rent out vans to make money but surely a family registration/ID system isn't hard to implement. Caravan club members who overheard the discussion in the wardens office were in total agreement with me that it was a disgrace having to pay pitch fees again.
So to sum up, if I would like to get into caravaning, and be the future of the caravan club, I need to buy a caravan, get insurance, tow bar on my car, join caravan club and tour about sites to decide if I like it or not!! You really know how to encourage your self preservation caravan club uk..
We will go back and use the van again, but will I renew my membership and become a future caravaner? I doubt it unless these rules are looked at!
I hope this is highlighted as I won't be the only person in this scenario, most future members will be second generation family caravan people, who need to experience and try it out with their own family once they have one like me. Like I say, it's not a cheap family holiday anymore and the other options out there are no more expensive but guaranteed sunshine!! So come on CC, get something done to encourage the future before its to late!!
Mark & Pam
Comments
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these are the term and conditions for seasonal pitches:
4.4 The Seasonal or Base Pitch fee
allows use of the Outfit only
by the Member under whose
membership the booking was
made, any children up to the
age of 17 inclusive, and electric
hook-up where included in the fee.
Friends and relatives are welcome
to stay with the Member. If there
are more than 2 adults staying in
the outfit, the Member must pay
the relevant adult fee per night
for each additional adult. See also
paragraph 4.6, which explains how
the Outfit may be used when the
Member is not staying on site.
4.6 If the Member in whose name the
booking was made is not present,
the Outfit may only be used by
friends and relatives as if it were
booked onto a touring pitch. The
friends or relatives must report to
the Site Staff on arrival and pay
the relevant pitch and per head
fees to the Site Staff, plus the nonmember
supplement if applicable.
If the Outfit is at a members-only
site, any friends or relatives must
also be Members of the Club.Sorry but it is there in black and white, I assume your dad read them before signing?
9 -
I do have some sympathy with your situation but I suppose the club does have to protect itself from the few who would take advantage for profit. I take it the grandchildren can stay for free with their grandpa so that’s the original requirement satisfied.
3 -
yep, the OP came to wrong place for a bit of tea and sympathy....
they'll soon learn
as Alex Harvey so eloquently put it......"NEXT!"
4 -
Sorry, MnP, but whether any of us like it or not, the T&Cs are quite clear and should have been read in advance.
I don’t think anyone ever claimed that caravanning is cheap but it can be a cost effective way of holidaying if you pick and choose.
This was an unfortunate start for you but another time you’ll do it differently.
3 -
Terms & conditions....... strange how many people don't read them . 😬
7 -
Whether I'd read the 'rulez' or not .... and who does actually read the terms & conditions before we tick the box? .... after spending £1000 on my seasonal pitch, I'd not expect my family to have to pay the pitch fee again when they use my caravan. I dare say that many a membership card is 'shared' with others ...... and who would know?
5 -
I think it would notice on a seasonal pitch
,that is another mistake the cc made that has not made the site staff job easy to spot "abuse"when a signature was req when booking in on sites,and it did not match the membership card signature0 -
If my grown children with children of their own used my caravan on [itch why would I expect them to be able to freeload? Mind you I have quite a few friends that would like a break away as well. Would that be OK too?
I have never had a seasonal pitch but do know that if I did it would be for my use, my partners or adult offspring living at home.
2 -
I know on some commercials you can add a couple of extra immediate family members when the contract is agreed who can then use the van during the season, some charge a notional amount to add these. Often thought the club's seasonal pitch prices were very reasonable anyway though, the last commercial we looked at was almost twice the price for no real difference in amenities provided or length of season. I too reckon it's always a good thing to read the Ts&Cs and weight them up on any contract we enter, saves possible angst, disappointment and frustration later on.
2 -
Would you spend £1000 without knowing the terms and conditions?
If a person doesn't agree with the terms and conditions s/he does not have to proceed to make the payment.
If someone ticks to say s/he agrees with the terms and conditions don't both parties have to abide by the conditions? (In this case the member and the club.)
Unfortunately in life there are occasions when some people like to try to blame someone else and not accept responsibility even if they are in the wrong or have made a poor decision.
2 -
Your kids wouldn't be 'freeloading' .... the pitch for the year has already been paid for as far as I see it .... you paid it. If you went with them, additional fees wouldn't be needed, so why should they be needed if you're not there?
Who said anything about your mates? And if your child was living at home, why should that make a difference to fees paid on a caravan site? And how would a warden know one way or the other if your child lived at home or not? My daughter lives 50/50 at ours & at her boyfriends ... would she pay half the fee?
4 -
I have to agree fully, £1000 is a lot of money to pay without checking you are getting what you actually want, and the OP's dad did enter into the agreement voluntarily I assume? The T&C aren't that long to read and straight forward in plain English.
People would be very upset if the club didn't follow it's own rules so why should the other way round be any different?
4 -
If you went with them, additional fees wouldn't be needed, so why should they be needed if you're not there?
very simple, because that's what you (one) has signed up for and agreed to.
You (one) doesn't have to buy a seasonal, but if you do then these are the T&C. Either agree and buy or not. Just because you don't like them or agree with them is irrelevant, you signed to abide with them. Would the same tactics work with your mortgage/rent/holiday/car purchase...
Not reading them is really not an excuse at all, and even more so with a £1000
4 -
Your kids wouldn't be 'freeloading' .... the pitch for the year has already been paid for as far as I see it .... you paid it. If you went with them, additional fees wouldn't be needed, so why should they be needed if you're not there?
As far as I am aware the £1000 is not a pitch fee per-see it is inclusive of the relevant members using the pitch unless I am mistaken.
1 -
I can't see anything in the T&C that stops contract workers using a seasonal providing they follow the same rules as everyone else.
0 -
Might not be discretion but interpretation of the t&c
USE OF OUTFITS ON SITE 4.1 Seasonal and Base Pitches are available for recreational purposes only and not for residential or business purposes. 4.2 The maximum time you can stay on site is 21 nights for any one visit. You must then leave the Site for at least 48 hours before a return visit (see also paragraph 8.6). If you don’t comply with this condition we may terminate the Seasonal or Base Pitch (see paragraph 7). 4.3 After each visit, please return your
0 -
If somebody books a pitch they can stay on it for 21 days followed by an absence of the members for 2 days before re-occupying. Presumably, therefore, if working away from home they can go home on Friday Evening and return to site on Sunday evening and carry on for example
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I for one am pleased that differences exist across the providers in this industry, different rules, different T&Cs, different ways of working. Choice is everything, I guess like in every purchase we make we should look around and find the 'one' which suits one's needs best. However, this does mean paying particular attention to these differences, including cost, on offer before parting with hard earned cash.
Putting aside this oversight, which I think is the root of the dismay described, if we are discussing the merits of these differences in Ts&Cs for season pitches across the industry and proposing alternatives then we have to accept there may well be a need to amend charges to reflect certain proposed changes we make.
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