CLs reluctant (understandably) to forward book
Hi all,
Call me boringly organised, but I have been booking for next year to get the CLs we'd like at the times we need them (still working, can't be 100% flexible). All good with most but I have just been ranted at by one CL owner who has been let down so much by people simply not turning up he isn't forward booking any more (certainly not for 2022, not sure when he starts to risk it). When I say ranted, I mean really ranted at for 5 mins or so. It's unsettled me and I'm not easily rattled. I'm very happy to pay a deposit, by the way. I think this is entirely reasonable. To book this site now I will have to pay the whole fee upfront.
Don't get me wrong - we would NEVER let someone down unless it was a real medical emergency, and I completely understand that the chap is frustrated at people not-showing, or multi-booking for the same week. I asked if he has leverage via the club with persistent no-shows and apparently he hasn't. (Another CL owner told me that he had to ask someone to leave the site due to anti-social behaviour and they became quite aggressive - and again he couldn't report them to the club).
Has anyone else met with this response when trying to book a CL for next year? And would it be possible for the club to help CL owners have some clout, even if it's just a stiff letter to a member? Or am I being unrealistic in days of trying to capture members, not lose them?
Not sure if I want to go to this CL now although it looks lovely. Perhaps he was just having a bad day but ....
Comments
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Liz
I am not sure I would want to go there either after that experience!!! The Club always remind us that CL's are independent businesses and providing they abide by the rules of the Certification they have little jurisdiction over them in terms of what they charge and how they organise themselves. I can understand the frustration of CL owners if they are constantly being let down by people. A deposit is probably not a sufficient deterrent, especially on the lower priced CL's.
David
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No shows have become a big problem for many businesses this year especially in the leisure industry and I have a lot of sympathy with those unfortunate owners who have been let down. I do hope and think that this year has been skewed somewhat with lockdowns and covid preying on peoples minds never mind those that have been laid low by it.
I have heard of block booking at various CLs, as some sites are very popular, then deciding nearer the time which one to go to.
Restaurants have had a torrid time with cancellations.
This poor behaviour is just going to lead to deposits being requested by more and more owners and the same with table bookings.
I do hope and think that this year has been skewed somewhat with lockdowns and covid preying on peoples minds never mind those that have been laid low by it.
If you really want to go to the CL then maybe offer to pay part of your stay as a deposit and make sure he knows it is non refundable. That is what I would do but I don't know your financial circumstances and understand if you don't want to go down that route.
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I was completely on board with his frustration and it’s a shame that members seem to do this with no come-back. I think it’s reasonable to charge a deposit - my hairdresser does now (no shows have disappeared …) The CL owner said he’d book us in if we paid the whole lot now (a year ahead).
I think what really got to me was not the message but the manner of expressing it to someone who wasn’t phoning to let him down or anything. I was trying to be a customer! ‘We’d never do that!’ I said sympathetically. ‘They all say that,’ was his reply.
Anyway, I’m feeling a bit more settled now after a cup of tea and have decided not to go there despite the nice reviews.
As you say, perhaps it will calm down next year and people will behave mot decently.
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If we want to book a particular CL we just fit in with the way the owner runs it. We've paid the whole pitch fees twice in advance this year, plus two or three deposits. It doesn't cause us any problems. If I was running a CL I might consider doing the same, fees or at least a deposit in advance.
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I definitely would charge a deposit if running a CL. We paid three this year I think. I don’t mind paying the whole amount either but I did mind being shouted at for others’ sins.
Perhaps deposits should become common practice if owners can manage the records.
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As we only tend to book a month or so ahead it wouldn't bother me paying a deposit or probably the full amount as that is what you often have to do with commercial sites. Not sure I would be keen on sending cheques off in the post, much prefer to pay by BAC's which is a no cost option for the CL owner.
David
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I agree, but maybe they paid for the five minute argument?
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lol
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We paid by BACS on several CLs this year, some owners have an envelope payment system. I haven't come across anything disorganised even on the most basic set ups.
If anyone was rude to me I wouldn't continue the conversation but then, why would they be rude if I agreed to their payment policy? I've no idea about the conversation involved as mentioned by the OP so can't offer any further comments. So that's it from me.
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As with other members, I am happy to pay full cost up front and if unable to get there shrug my shoulders and say so what.
If i am lucky perhaps I will get a partial or full refund.
CL owners do have to generate an income and no shows could well be hurting that.
However that is no excuse for a rant!
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I wonder why the Club do not standardise the booking conditions in the contract they have CL's.
Something really easy along the lines of 20% deposit with booking along with remaining 80% a month beforehand. I think most of us would agree this is fair and if a member is going to back out then a month would allow the site time to refill the booking.
Colin
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Another poster complained that the club had too much control already on CLs. They are fully independent business from the club and should set their own rules and procedures, otherwise they'll just become another club site?
I'm not sure what is in the contract apart from the 5 van limit?
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I don’t think you understand how the CL network operates Colin. The Club only grants a license. It’s up to each individual CL to decide what terms and conditions they set. Visitors either accept those terms and conditions or they don’t, and choose somewhere else.
There’s nothing wrong with CLs setting deposits, or asking for full payment up front if it helps them. What is out of order is for a CL owner to be less than welcoming to a prospective customer, such as the OP. Who has now walked away, deposit, full payment or not.
If a CL is experiencing lots of no shows, then it’s quite understandable to take either a deposit or the full payment, neither refundable.
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I found an interesting pdf stating the requirements for becoming a CL. I’ve not seen it before but it explains quite a lot.
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/globalassets/pdfs/content/about-us/setting-up-a-cl-guide.pdf
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Hi all,
These replies are really interesting (and gave me a laugh - perhaps I should have charged for 5 mins of counselling!) Interesting .pdf of the set up rules as well, thank you.
I tried to acknowledge his frustration, empathise with all the disgraceful behaviour he'd been subjected to and agree to a deposit at the very least, but he just kept on ranting and I couldn't get much of a chance to break in. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have spoken to my husband like that, either.
We've had many, many brilliant experiences of CLs, so apart from feeling a bit battered yesterday, I can put it down to one bloke's bad temper and bad manners. But I've been thinking how I would have felt if this was my first ever attempt to book a CL, either as a new caravanner or someone venturing off the big sites. It wouldn't give a great impression of CLs.
One CL owner told us he was part of a CL owner's Whats App group - I'm sure he said there were 600 owners on it, so perhaps as suggested above it would make a good subject discussion, and perhaps more would decide to pay deposits.
We've paid for our CLs by BACs, cheque and cash this year - envelopes and in person. I don't mind as long as I can dredge the cheque book out of the depths of my office.
thanks for all your responses everyone, Liz
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Just as a slight aside, it is interesting that the majority of posters on this thread, (not many admittedly) say they are happy to pay a deposit or even the full amount at the time of booking (I'm also one of them). Conversely, over the years there have been many posts saying that they are glad that the CaMC don't request a deposit. Are CL users of a different mindset?
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Hope you find something that suits, there are lots of very nice CLs to choose from. It’s a very rare experience to get the response you did, someone has obviously seriously upset this particular owner, and you sadly bore the brunt.
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This is a condition of your Certificate, breach of
which could also put your cover at risk should a
claim arise under your public liability insurance.
All members carry a membership card so
please ask to see this as evidence of current
membership. Check the expiry date and note
the member’s name, address, telephone number
and membership number in your booking-in
diary, just in case any queries arise. Quite a lot of
members complain to us that owners do not ask
to see their cards. They like to know that CLs are
for their exclusive useNever been asked for my address
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We have always been happy to pay a bit to secure one of only five pitches that might be available on a CL we love up to a year or more in advance. In fact I used to pay the full amount off by the time we arrived at our favourite Cornish CL. We did have to cancel one time (Dad taken very ill) CL owner relet what she could and reimbursed us this very kindly. We didn’t expect more.
Mixed feelings about deposits on Club Sites. It won’t affect us that much, only time we advance book these is for a particular event. Otherwise I book as we head off, going elsewhere if a Site is full. It wil ease off gradually as overseas gets back on line for a lot more, and others decide touring isn’t for them and take to the skies again.
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CLs vary so much. Some clearly are trying to run it as a business, others more as a hobby with the potential for some pin money. With a maximum of five, any cancellation is a significant impact on income if unable to resell the pitch. Perhaps that is why some overbook, like airlines, to account for no shows and "wing it" if everyone turns up.
Reasons for cancellation can vary from the trivial (rain in the forecast, going elsewhere) to the serious (sickness, breakdowns, recently for me - insufficient fuel, covid restrictions etc). Also it could be argued that the owner has only really lost income if fully booked and had turned customers away.
What is the equitable approach to this issue, one night's fee as per CAMC?
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What is this one night' fee? That only applies to leaving early?
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Are CL users of a different mindset?
A far superior one John, a far superior one.🤣🤣
In all honesty and joking aside I do think that there is generally less speculative booking with a C.L. than a Club site. Plus most users of C.L.s do recognise that you are taking up 20% of the site's booking capacity in one go so there is more of an obligation to show willing.
I have had to cancel C.L.s due to various reasons but can't ever remember doing so simply due to not being bothered and I have no objection to any C.L. owner keeping my deposit if I do have to cancel. I have sometimes left earlier than planned but again never bothered asking for a refund.
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Last year when I rang up to book a CL, the owner did tell me that he had read on Facebook of people booking at a number of sites at the same time and simply not bothering to cancel the ones they are not going to use, so perhaps it is quite common, although he didn't mention if he had a lot of no shows himself.
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Talking to the site owner, when I went to pay yesterday, and she said that she'd had a no show the previous night without any call to say they were not coming, and it was usually around this time of year that she got no shows, so perhaps the weather a factor. She also said that she keeps a record of those that don't turn up so as to refuse them a pitch should they try and book one at another date.
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