New Booking System
Comments
-
But this is of no use if you are looking for a site near county borders. Also you may well need to look under several towns. Using a map of sites that easily identifies possible sites and then allows you to access full details is the way this should operate. Until it does the site is not fit for purpose. Whilst we may need to use work arounds for our own benefit we must not let the club think these are solutions.
5 -
Having an excuse to make more and more pitches hard is exactly what the "Club" is looking for. And now having so many members who have a motor caravan is a further excuse. Not at all to my liking as I wish to pitch my caraven at one site for a number of days, so the surroundings and view are of sizeable importance, more important than the pitch surface as I am equiped to cope with most.
I have stayed on "hard" surface pitches that were flooded, so picking a pitch type in advance is no guarantee of anything.
5 -
Trying to book a long weekend in mid November. Location anywhere in England witihn (say) two hours of home.
On the old system I could just put the dates in then scroll through an A-Z list of sites with space.
New system seems only to list approx 20 sites with names starting with A or B. I cannot see how to page forward for the next set of results.
It also keeps showing me Blackshaw Moor which would be ideal except it's closed on the dates I'd selected.
2 -
The easiest way, unless they bring back the old version of late availability, is probably using the map. Put in your dates then move / zoom the map to your area of interest. Any sites without all the dates available on some sort of pitch will show as full, those with space on all dates will show a price. Unfortunately you can’t filter by pitch type, so would have to go into each individual site to see what types are available.
0 -
As I had a few issues with trying the new system I ended up with contacting the contact centre and within ten minutes sites booked for next September and the person who did the bookings said they were having a few issues and that is at Head Office, also I needed to book a CL so looked through the area I wanted and found an ideal one also it had an email listed so emailed them and all booked within an hour and had no issues with checking the CL section and found it quite easy but did not bother with the booking system.
As I have said before OH retired IT had a quick look and not impressed at all and said it is very clunky plus a few words not repeatable.
2 -
Long before we talked about booking deposits there was a continued demand from members to be able to book a hardstanding pitch if that was what was required. Being able to book pitch surface was fairly standard across the whole camping business, except in the CMC. Having more hardstandings allows the club to extend its season on many sites, most sites with grass pitches usually close at the end of October and don't reopen until March thus restricting member choice. I have been on hardstanding pitches that hold surface water, not sure I would call it flooding, But even with surface water the pitch is still solid under both foot and wheel so unlikely to cause the issues a flooded grass pitch would.
David
3 -
Any sites without all the dates available on some sort of pitch will show as full.
I had another go last might at looking for sites on the map. Not to book, but just to see how things were going. Input dates for January, and a number of sites showed as FULL.
In actual fact, none of these sites which were showing as FULL, were full, they were empty! They are all closed during January
Perhaps not a major point, but why show sites which are closed, as FULL? Wishful thinking maybe 
Using Samsung tablet on Android, the map is still clunky and taking a long time to settle when searching for sites and zooming in/out.
I see that today, 6 weeks after launch, 8 "issues" have been fixed and 3 more are in the pipeline. I can't understand how the system was found to be fit for launch in the first place.
3 -
I have seen, very occasionally, the odd hard standing that has been flooded but almost always this has been coned off - never, to my recollection in use. Such occasions are usually during the times when sites are less busy and closing one or two hard standings has not presented problems.
In any case, as DK rightly suggests, a flooded hard standing is a totally different kettle of fish to a flooded grass pitch.
I don't quite follow the implication that grass pitches should present better surroundings or views. If by surroundings you are referring only to the surface beneath and around you and you regard grass as preferable, then, in this specific respect, I get that, but otherwise? And better views?
We are all different. I detest being on grass. Apart from the obvious risks with a motorhome, I hate the mess that inevitably works its way into the van when pitched on grass. I've had mud from worm casts or bare patches, grass cuttings and the other detritus that comes with vegetation. Ugh!
Fortunately, I have never had to pitch on grass (except on my very rare visits to all grass sites), but the ability to be certain of having a hard standing is one of the huge advantages of the new system. I have always been in favour of deposits as well and I like being able to pay the whole cost in full before arrival.
I imagine the club's quest (if that is what it is) to increase the number of hard standings is a reaction to demand rather than some kind of personalised agenda against grass. They certainly don't need an excuse.
3 -
Hja, I entirely agree, hence my use of the word “Partial”. I was just trying to assist someone a bit further. Each of us is getting by in terms of finding CLs the best way we can, ours (mainly because I accidentally threw away the HB) is to use SearchforSites, but the information layout for the CLs isn’t the same.
Agree with your latter sentences as well. It’s not fit for purpose, and not a solution. Only keeping pressure up in a variety of ways, will make sure HQ gets the message. I would love to cancel our Membership, but rather liking the CL network, won’t be going down that road……yet.
Regarding HS pitches, we were astounded at the state of the HS pitches at FM back in March, as JV hints. These were in use pitches as well, small lakes, joined up by the roads. You needed high wellies to step out of your outfit. Mind, the clue is in the name……..😉
0 -
Which site do you want to book?
0 -
What a load of utter rubbish. Those at NO are definitely not listening to what the majority think. Just another bit of PR gobbledgoop.
2 -
Why should members have to keep coming up with solution for searches when all this was readily available on the old system? It is bad enough for club sites, regardless of what some say, but it is a utter failure as CLs are concerned, without using methods as described by tda and others. Not what one should be getting from a multi million pound company.
7 -
I quite agree nellie, it’s a very poor state of affairs and things should work better. However, currently they don’t and work arounds do exist. We have the option to use them or not. Personally I want to carry on using the sites, even if at a lower rate than previously. Therefore until, or if, they sort things out they are the best option.
1 -
+1
I've stated my views clearly on the new system and the way it was introduced many, many, pages ago, but I do want to use club sites and therefore have to use the system as it is now and hope it will improve.
I've noticed that certain errors on my bookings have been resolved but I have booked fewer sites compared to previous times and only have only booked the 'must haves' and will leave others till they either become must have or the system improves.
1 -
DK mentioned the ability for sites to remain open for a longer season when Hard Standings are installed. Morn Hill was, IIRC, previously all grass and in the past I have had bookings cancelled due to stress of weather. Having spent considerable sums on the refurb of that site this year, including the installation of hard standings, I find that it s still closing at the end of this month. No chance, therefore, of any return on CAMC's investment in such facilities. It just shows the total lack of joined up thinking in anything CAMC touches. I shall be availing myself of the facilities offered by "the other lot" which will doubtless be cheaper than CAMC would have been as well.
3 -
Morn Hill shows as open all year on the booking website and displays prices for pitches beyond the 7th of November if you select hardstanding. The default setting on entry into the site seems to be grass, which perhaps isn’t the best as hardstandings are more popular.
Of course the booking site might be in error, it has been known.😂
2 -
I so agree' , the more that members find ways of making this totally unacceptable system work for the it competent of the membership the less chance of a system that is user friendly for the many
There are now Seven video workrounds from this club it is now well beyond a joke
2 -
Sorry Nellie but do you really think that the views put forward on CT represent the majority of the club. Yes I agree that the rollout of the new system has been flawed but the club has been listening otherwise the fixes wouldn't have happened.
0 -
I’ve no idea what extra is only available on a desktop. So far I’ve only used it on an iPad, mainly when out and about. After the first few very fraught days, I have had no major problems searching for sites, booking, amending, finding how to leave a review, accessing directions to site and finding late availability. The manner of release was diabolical and the site is far from perfect, but they do seem to be trying to sort it. Given it’s the CAMC, I think we all realise this will be a long drawn out affair.
1
