Taking Deposits - OK for CLs?
Comments
-
“When we book any site, we do genuinely intend to take up the booking, but life happens. We like to sort our bookings well ahead, but at our age (75+) there can be no guarantees that we will actually be alive in a few months time!”
your paragraph above KJ, you don’t like paying up front in case you die before you can get your money’s worth, is that serious or just your Nordic humour?🤔🤔
0 -
yes but its pretty final and can't be put right.
0 -
This is true, but then I would no longer be able to worry about it !
What I worry about, or actually it is more often OH who is doing the worrying, she worries about everything, are the unexpected things, like this house move DD is making this summer. Now that was totally unexpected!
0 -
Pack up your awning in your old kit-bag,
And smile, smile, smile,
While you've a awning heater to warm your air,
Smile, boys, that's the style.
What's the use of worrying?
It never was worth while, so
Pack up your aquaroll in your old wet locker,
And smile, smile, smile0 -
No doubt!
My pension certainly would not stretch to going back to live in Norway now, after having lived and worked mainly in UK for over 50 years. I would not want to anyway as our children and grandchildren are all here.
Wages in Norway are high, but so are prices, so really you are no better off there than here, and quite a few things are disproportionately expensive, especially alcohol.
0 -
Hi All,
As the Club provides a booking system for members, we have a process in place to address any members who continually do not honour bookings and make last minute cancellations.
As CLs are independent businesses, we can only advise and encourage CL owners to consider collecting a deposit and introducing a cancellation policy. This is to help minimise the number of ‘no shows’ and loss of income as the Club is unable to intervene in any financial transactions between a member and a CL owner as a third party to the booking / contract.
As with any booking, cancellations can happen for unforeseen circumstances at the last minute and if CL owners are able to re-let pitches at short notice, they may be able to offer a gesture of goodwill. However, losing just one booking through a ‘no show’ leads to the CL owner losing 20% of their income for that period of time.
Any deposit criteria and cancellation policy is solely down to the CL owner to decide and enforce.
The entire process of becoming a CL site and the ongoing administration of that site is free for the applicant as is all the advertising via our website, magazine and handbook and the only commitment we ask from our owners is to become a member of the Club. We are after all a Club and it seems valid that those providing the services of a CL are also included in the ethos of the Club (as members of the Club these CL owners do get additional advertising on our website and handbook, so it there are benefits to being a members as well as becoming part of the whole). We do not take any percentage of the income the CL Owner makes.At present the Club does not have any plans to provide an online booking system for the CL sites as they are individual businesses.
We do have a Late Availability Discussion in the Certificated Location section of Club Together for CL Owners to advertise any spaces they have.
Thanks
Maddie
0 -
Thanks for that explanation Maddie. Do you know if the club has ever considered a reporting system where individual CL owners can notify you of late cancellations/no shows so that similar action could be taken to those who do this on main club sites?
0 -
Can I ask why CL pricing is so hopelessly inaccurate. I just been looking at one in Wales where they show 2016 prices.
Sorry but this is just USELESS INFORMATION.
Why can't prices be more accurate ?
All CL sites can easily be asked to proved correct tariff for the year in question
0 -
Hi Mikeyval
It is the responsibility of the CL owner to inform us of any price changes. This can be updated whilst they are still on the phone with us.
As the directory is only printed every 2 years it quickly becomes out of date with regards to prices and we do remind CL owners to check the website and ensure their details are correct.
It is always best to also double check the pricing with the CL owner when booking the site as well.
Unfortunately with a small CL team here at Head Office we can remind CL owners to check their prices but do not have the resources to contact each individual site.
Thanks
Maddie
0 -
As a Cl owner of Resthaven Farm Cl Site So far this year we have had people book late leaving no time to take a deposit and not show up or cancel.
As our fee is only £10 a night asking for a deposit wouldn't be a lot of money and maybe it's not business like but asking people to pay a small deposit sometimes seems rude. All we really want people to do is to turn up...surely that's not to much to ask?
1 -
Quite right, RatR. Fortunately, I’ve not yet had to let a CL owner down but, if I couldn’t honour the booking, I’d certainly get in touch and let them know.
Incidentally, I’ve no objection to paying a deposit but need to know the terms, as I said earlier.
1 -
On the other side of the coin I would like to report the opposite. A cl owner has just returned my deposit.
I booked for 9 nights in May and sent £20 deposit as requested. On the cl website it states no refunds and fees not transferable. That's their choice and I accept that.
I was due to go this Friday. Unfortunately a sudden health problem has resulted in me needing an operation and on Monday 3rd Sept I have been booked in for a pre-op assessment. I informed the cl I had to cancel and why. They sent me and email offering me a return of my deposit.
Today I received a cheque and a lovely letter wishing me well.
Great service.
0 -
I had a similar experience, Harry. I booked a CL and paid one night's fee as a non-refundable deposit. I subsequently had to cancel due to illness and emailed the site owner explaining. I asked him to let me know if he couldn’t relet the pitch as I’d then pay him the other night's fee he'd be losing. I felt bad having to cancel in peak season and it was the first time I’ve ever cancelled.
A couple of weeks later I rebooked at short notice and was told no deposit was necessary that time. When we paid on arrival, the site owner deducted the original deposit from the total. We haggled and ended up splitting the difference. There are some good people out there.
All the best with the op.
0 -
I totally agree, in fact I'd suggest that the vast majority of us are good people, it's the very few who let 'us' down.
I can totally appreciate the small CL owners operating a deposit system as their payment and booking systems are outside that operated by the club.
However, the club is a different 'beast'! It has in place a national computerised booking system covering the whole network. This includes a method of dealing will no shows, and for that matter cancellations which I guess works effectively enough for the majority of us and helps stop offenders spoiling things for the rest of us. If it really isn't a significant problem to the club and its members why should we allow the very few offenders to dictate how the club operates.
0 -
Like Oneputt, we don't mind paying a reasonable deposit, in fact this year we have paid 2 I think, if I remember correctly. Both were for about the equivalent of a couple of nights stay. I think the terms for the CL in the OP are a bit harsh, I'am not sure I would consider paying the whole amount in advance. Mind you I can't recall having to cancel a CL yet, but there may be a time in the future
0 -
That’s what I thought, H&T, and then found myself having to cancel. The deposit was non-refundable and I was amazed to be offered it back. I’d inconvenienced the site owner and may have cost him a booking so was quite prepared to forfeit the deposit. Hence the final agreement on splitting the difference.
0
