Bookings
Hello All
I was a member when we first got our van but never used our membership as I found it difficult to get a pitch on the dates I wanted, despite trying to book weeks and sometimes months in advance. I learnt that this was due to what was called speculative bookings where folk would book months in advance and because there was not a deposit taken could then cancel the ones they didn't need.
I want to stay a member and get the best out of my membership but I've just tried to book a couple of nights in late December early January near Gretna/Carlisle and the majority of the club sites are full. Really?
I'm also finding the website a bit difficult to navigate around and book something, whatever's left that is.
Can someone help with advice on booking?
many thanks
Steven
Comments
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If you give the names of the sites it might help? Are you sure the sites are open?
Yes the new booking system is proving difficult to use, though not impossible, Have you looked on the training videos?
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Steven, here is a link to the videos explaining about the new booking system
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/booking-experience/
Scroll down and have a watch, or read. It works best if you have an idea of which Club Site you want to use.
Dont forget, a number of the Club’s Sites are now closed for the season.
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If you’re looking at the Englethwaite Hall clubsite near Carlisle, it closes for the winter on 7 Nov so would show as not available for the time you want.
Around Christmas and New Year those sites that are open tend to fill up quickly for the holiday period.
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I think the club has far too many members for the number of pitches it has available
People have never been able to book multiple sites and then choose which one they want closer to the date so that is a myth, also I think the number of no shows has always been low it is just an excuse the club has used to justify changing the booking system and taking deposits
The new booking system is easy to use but availability is still an issue due to over subscription
The price increases have become unrealistic most sites are now over £25.00 per night even in the low season and many are £40.00 in high season
Shame as the sites have always been nice but the club has outpriced us and we have decided not to renew this year
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Steven, Try Braids Caravan Park at Gretna instead - open all year and well regarded.
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The new booking system is easy to use but availability is still an issue due to over subscription.
Some would not agree with you that the new booking system is easy to use. Like you I have not found it difficult, different yes and it just needs a bit of effort to become familiar with it. Availability and how to find it seems to be a problem for many. I think we will have to wait and see if it still remains a problem not solved by the introduction of deposits and the cost of living crisis and whether the Club believe it is worth introducing application changes to further highlight availability.
peedee
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The amount of times members post on here and other websites as to why some sites show full when actually they are closed,
I sent an email and spoke to people. at EGH about just that subject and it "would be taken up with the department concerned?"
I pointed out that it should show as closed with maybe the dates of opening in place of showing full ,
But it has it seems been too complicated to implement
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There cannot be a myth about something that is known to be impossible. Instead, the "myth", in this case, is the belief, widely held, that people were booking sites well ahead, willy-nilly, with the intention that they might, or might not, take them up, resulting in many late cancellations (or, worse, no-shows) and the difficulty some members had in getting bookings - as the OP has suggested.
Nor is it about no-shows. I agree that these numbers will be low - though they undoubtedly exist. The problem is people who cancel late, but, usually, before the old 72-hour deadline. Possibly when you referred to no-shows, you meant late cancellations as well. Do you really think these were low also? I seriously doubt it - though, of course, that depends on how you define "low".
I don't know how extensive these kinds of issues were for the club, but common sense tells us it must go on when the booking conditions were so relaxed. I certainly do not think it can be labelled as a myth. Indeed, people annoyed at the new regime have often and openly referred to the former, relaxed conditions that enabled them to easily cancel late in the day. It might be for very good reasons, but that doesn't change the impact on the club. That is why the club has changed the booking conditions and to claim that these are excuses for change is, in my view, unfair.
I have not heard the proposition that there are too many members for the pitches available before. Possibly in the summer season it has some truth. Paradoxically, of course, if it is true, then it goes some way towards explaining why site fees are high. The club seems to have little trouble selling the pitches, so people like the product. If too many people are chasing too few pitches, prices inevitably rise. You can argue that pricing decisions are in the gift of the club, rather than merely the forces of supply and demand, but no business is going to ignore these pressures. The problem, as with any business, is that increasing supply requires big hikes in costs and that has to be recovered. Lowering prices only exacerbates the problem of finding a booking and it prevents any chance of solving the problem by increasing supply.
I fear your post provides your own answer. You cannot solve your opening problem, if problem it is, without substantial resources; in turn, that means maintaining a price level that is reacting properly to demand and supply.
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Don’t think so but it’s more your area than mine.
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Depends what you mean by close to Carlisle, there is Troutbeck Head at 30 miles and Newcastleton at 25, both have availability but TB closes early January.
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Englethwaite Hall clubsite near Carlisle was one but showed as closed on the 2nd of January so that ones out. It is a holiday though so fair enough but another reply said they don't close until the 7th january
thank you for replying though I'll keep looking
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Yes I think I looked at Troutbeck but it may have been that one that's closed on the 2nd. I'm a bit mixed up with it all. I was trying to find somewhere near to Gretna/Carlisle that's not a farm as we don't fancy rolling about in the mud at our age.
Thanks for responding
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Many thanks I'll have a look
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No I've not looked at them but I'll be sure to now
I'm not sure which sites I looked at but on the map many of the club sites are showing as full at the dates I want. Is it really that busy at new year?0 -
Many thanks for all the replies.
The fact that there are members replying gives me some hope that this club is worth staying in and it does look proactive with all the emails I've been getting promoting services.
I do find it's a lot easier to use pitch up's website though
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You could consider the Camping & Caravanning Club's site at Moffat. It’s a good one and open all year. I think they accept non-members but you’d need to book very soon.
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I checked the webpage and it said 7 Nov. One can only assume it’s correct 🤔
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There's Dockery Meadow too, but that is also closed.
The OP could look at using the Searchforsites website which lists, and shows on a map, most if not all sites in any specific area slected.
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