Club prices getting silly
Comments
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So... what evidence is there that the club is not attracting motor-homes, for short or long stays (I can't see the price difference btw?)
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That is not what TW was alluding to was it? As I read it the doesn't care referrer to length of stay (which doesn't have a price difference as you suggest?) or who it sells a pitch to. It provides facilities for either, such as a MHSP, and then it's up to 'us' to pay or not. A lot of MHs and caravans do seem to pay.
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I would be more concerned that the Club is not in control of its costs rather than greed RK.
My next booked trip is to a comercial site for 6 nights at £25p.n. I use it quite regularly and it is every bit as good if not better than a Club site. The nearset Club site for the same dates is £31.10p.n. and does not have as much going for it as the commercial site in that it is not close to facilities.
peedee
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I took that to equate to £14.30 pn but realised that no club site is that cheap so obviously it was a per night figure. More fool him for paying it. I would have found somewhere else.
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Can you please name the site if it is good enough to recommend?
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I like Club sites, mainly because of their situations and have plans to stay for over 60 nights at various sites this year.
Currently on a two Club site holiday in the Cotswolds. The first site is charging £38 a night for motorhome and 2 adults, next Club site will be £44 a night. Total for an 11 day holiday over £450. I planned to stay for 12 nights but because of the cost I cancelled the last day of the holiday to save £44....A lose/lose for the Club and me
Additionally my hardstanding pitch on the current site is old, tired and quite small. It was the best I could get. But others are on much larger newly laid pitches for the same price.
Funny way to run a business
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I’ve just tried to book Meathop Fell in April 23, not Easter! £42.50 per night … never! C&CC getting my bookings 90% of the time. Great sites with concessionary rates for us pensioners too. Many commercial sites cheaper than C&MC too. They really need to address their costs to stay competitive for sure.
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Having had a couple of years away from touring although keeping my membership, I have just looked to book our favourite site and had a a surprise at the rise in prices.
Haycraft was always a favourite of ours although the facilities were a little shabby and outdated, something I discussed with a Club manager at the NEC show 5 years ago. He assured me that the toilet block that constantly overflowed in the ladies shower would be refurbished over that following winter.
Sadly, it seems from the current site reviews that the facilities have still not been updated although it now costs £600 for a two week stay in July.
Compared with 2 weeks in August at Old Oaks which, I believe has been voted the best Touring site in England, a site we have visited many times and fully agree with the opinion, costs £70 cheaper and does not require a membership fee.
Granted location of Haycraft is a bonus, but the facilities and cost do not compare.
Our last 2 bookings of 2 weeks at Haycraft in 2018, the second of which we cancelled in favour of a 6 week trip to France booked through the Club, including 2 overnight ferries with a cabin from Plymouth to St Malo and back and 4 sites for less than £300 more.
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I agree the prices are going up but the steep increases are making it out of reach I’ve altered or booked other sites.The club is now getting away from the ordinary member and run as a money generating business, I know it’s got to be viable but not an exclusive club for the more well off.
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"…..an exclusive club for the more well off."
Going back to its roots, you might say 🙁
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Indeed. There are no shareholders to pay divi to and CAMC say all surplus income is ploughed back into the sites.
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Its good to see money being put back into the sites, however this usually means standard hard standings being replaced with more expensive serviced/super serviced pitches.
Dulverton service pitches for 2023 new year 1st and 2nd Jan 2024 are just over £50/night..this could explain why only a few service pitches were being used this past christmas and new year. All standards pitches were taken.
We had a long weekend in Winchester last month of which most of the 14 serviced pitches were vacant. Nearly all the standard hardstandings were in use in our 5 days there.
Im looking forward to the refurb of the Pandy site where the high prices have never reflected the outdated facilities and small pitches, however once again apart from a new facilites a large cost is being spent on installing serviced pitches and hence further costs for 'members' holidays.
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....don't forget the purchase of new sites for you members to enjoy, Watto. 👍
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We had a long weekend in Winchester last month of which most of the 14 serviced pitches were vacant. Nearly all the standard hardstandings were in use in our 5 days there.
Perhaps understandable at this time of year, unless you book close to your trip you have no idea if the conditions will be sub zero. When that’s the case they don’t really work, as both waste and fresh water freeze. In my experience on all sites in the better weather they are well subscribed and often sell out while there are still standard pitches left.
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That is different to to my experiences where SP are always full while standard pitches remain empty. I suppose it depends upon the site, a serving warden posted that at Seacroft over Christmas all SP were taken while standard one were not.
I was looking at club sites with SP yesterday to extend our stay and noticed that from March onwards SP are marked as low with many days full, in fact you would be hard pushed to get a full week in May and June, while no such problems on a standard pitch. Seacroft is low from March onwards while again plenty of standard pitches or no lows
...and hence further costs for 'members' holidays.
But only if 'members' choose to stay there of course.
It is really very simple, if something is too expensive to someone don't buy it.
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I know it’s got to be viable but not an exclusive club for the more well off
Well you forgot to add the more well off who already have enough money to have a caravan with suitable towcar, or MH, the money to keep it on the road with servining and/or tax, storage perhaps, extra insurance, and well off enough to buy the extra fuel for their tours.
What you mean is club sites prices doesn't give them value for money and do not wish to spend it on club sites.
It could be said that they are, to many in the UK today, already more well off if they have the means to take a caravan/MH holiday in the first place?
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We were looking at going to Cromer in March and looked at Seacroft, but were put off by the price £35 a night (£36 hard standing). As we use our own facilities not prepared to pay that price. Booked a CS just down the road at £15 a night and hard standing if required.
I saw a reply on Trustpilot saying the club are investing £3.8 million pounds on the network and a further £12 million pounds on refurbishing 12 campsites this year. No wonder the prices are so high.3 -
If the Club doesn't spend money on it's estate some facilities will become unusable. Also if you are going to invest money it is better spent on upgrading the facilities that the majority of people want. There are always less expensive alternatives available. We also use our own facilities so a serviced pitch is a bit of a luxury as it is easier to keep water tanks full or empty. We spent a week at Seacroft last October and it cost us an extra £35, I spent £20 of fish and chips for three people last night from the local chippy so the extra for a serviced pitch is hardly excessive. We like Seacroft because of its convenience to public transport so we spend nothing for our travelling whilsts staying there. Obviously as sites are upgraded so is the price.
David
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Giving concessionary rates to pensioners is a reason NOT to join C&CC in my view, and I say that as a pensioner.
Why should the general membership, many of whom will be struggling with their bills and will be getting below inflation wage rises, subsidise OAP's who will be getting a 10.1% increase this year? If there are benefits to be had, then they should be available to all members, and not the select few. Thats the view of CAMC, and I agree with them.
When it comes to prices, then they are going up everywhere, and we all have the option of where and how we spend our money
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