Dynamic pricing to be introduced
Apparently dynamic pricing is to be rolled out to all UK campsites during 2023.
Which means that those that book up to a year ahead will be able to take advantage of the lowest prices.
Those who for whatever reason cannot commit to booking so far in advance will be penalised if they wish to book closer to the time of travel because apparently the higher the popularity of a campsite and the closer to the time of arrival the booking is made, the higher the price may be.
As with all the changes that have happened during the last 6 months, where were any or more importantly ALL the members consulted and balloted regarding these changes?
Many older members (like ourselves) cannot commit to long term bookings due to medical considerations, appointments that may arise because of these etc; we have previously just set off when able on a ‘tour’ and then by way of the (what was) late availability checker booked ‘on the fly.’
We have already been penalised with the 21 day non-returnable deposit system which really could have been much fairer reduced to 7 days.
I used to fiercely defend the CAMC as a great organisation to be a member of but this latest move has been the nail in the coffin for us personally.
Comments
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This is copied from a post on a group (not official CAMC) on Facebook.
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Just letting people know as I'm sure most will be unaware. The 'club' is introducing tiered prices so as the pitches sell the price goes up for the few remaining (just like hotels). I think that is completely unjust for a members organisation. Below is correspondence from the 'club' when I queried this: Hi Mat, like many other campsite and leisure organisations, the Club offers different prices during different times of the year depending on popularity.
The Club is improving its current annual pricing process by introducing a more flexible approach to pricing, depending on popularity and time of booking.
The new approach will be gradually rolled out to all campsites during 2023. Members are now able to book a year ahead and take advantage of ‘early bird’ lower prices. As time progresses, the higher the popularity of a campsite and the closer to the time of arrival the booking is made, the higher the price may be.
Campsite prices will only increase by small amounts and may change a few times in the period between going on sale and the actual travel date itself. Once a guest has made a confirmed booking by paying a deposit or the full amount the price of their reservation will not change.
Like many other campsite and leisure organisations the earlier a member books, the cheaper it is likely to be. Flexible pricing allows the Club to respond to changing circumstances - such as the recent severe increases in fuel and the cost of operating the campsite network. Any revenue surplus is reinvested back into improving the campsite network or purchasing new campsites - all for the benefit of the members. In future years the Club's ambition is to set lower annual price increases.
I hope this clarifies the pricing for you. Please do come back to us if you have any further queries ~ Rachel4 -
Bad news for those who can't book months in advance.
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Timberlands, Don’t worry about it. They have got Dynamic Pricing but you have got a dynamic, go somewhere else, motorhome .
There are motorhome pitches at every price point - ranging from free of charge on the old airfield over the hill from here, up to £150 a night at Concierge Camping in Sussex. Some choose one, some choose the other. I am sure you can choose somewhere within your own price range too - even at the last minute.Good wishes.
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Can’t say that dynamic is a word that springs to mind when thinking about the club. I fully understand that if I leave it late I may have less choice, but to introduce this, and pass off as suggested, is very disappointing.
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+1, rejoining has taken a step forward. Excellent news, welcome to the 21st century👍🏻
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The Timberland Duo
There is an opportunity to use this feedback survey which was sent out with the latest Club email newsletter https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90526041/Feb-2023-Quick-Chat?Segment=Adults
It seems the Club have not been as open and honest about the new booking system when it was in the process of being introduced. Whilst we all naively thought it was just about deposits to improve availability there seem to be more clandestine elements that we knew nothing about? That includes difficulties in making amendments where some end up paying more because the "latest" price is used and also losing part of a deposit if you change the number of days. I suppose the latter could have been predicted once the deposit system was in place.
Clearly with a deposit system members are not going to book so far ahead if there is the slightest probability that the booking won't be honoured for all sorts of reasons within the 21 days. Does this suggest that bookings are well down on previous years? So in order to improve the advance bookings they have started to penalise those who are unwilling/unable to book so far ahead? Fortuitous of course that with the increased interest rates the Club will also be making more money on all those deposits made by early bookers!
Not sure the Club is covering itself with glory at the moment?
David
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Welcome to the 21st century. It's what most of the industry does.
Prices won't necessarily go up nearer the time. They may come down if pitches aren't selling.
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I look at this another way -
If due to a bad weather forecast, a site has only 40% occupancy for the following 3 days, will the prices fall to a level lower than members will have paid 12 months previously.?
It seems to me, that the deposit scheme has resulted in fewer members booking early and this change is trying to remedy that situation..
Apologies to Tinwheeler - I need to type more quickly!
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This is really bad news. I will be even more unlikely to book club sites. Even when tied to school holidays we didn’t book 12 months ahead. We would book Jan/Feb for July or August. Of course that may have only been the ferry! May half term only ever booked a few months ahead. At these times we had a caravan so spent longer in one place.
There is absolutely no way we can book a year ahead. We have a booking in March and we know where we want to go in April and May. And that is about as far as we’ve got.I get it that if you have 2 or 3 weeks family holiday in the summer that you need to get that booked as soon as you can, dependent of course on when your employer allows you to book your annual leave. But for many of us this just further penalises those of us who need or want a bit of flexibility in our lives.
As a member organisation the Club really is rubbish. “Improving its current annual pricing process” Absolute nonsense.7 -
+3
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This is terrible news.
How dare the "Club" introduce a new policy that is likely to have an impact on my touring. Quite a few members will take EuroT's advice and find alternative sites, such as CLs and Independents thus potentially crowding the market I prefer to use!!!!
Does the "Club" have no idea of the potential difficulties I might now face.? Not only those members who are leaving because of the new booking system plus those members leaving due to the deposit system but now I have to contend with members leaving due to "Dynamic Pricing".
Heavens, I might have to find a pitch on a "Club" site.
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This doesn't really bother me at all. if I want a particular site either at short or long notice then I'll pay the going rate.
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Just checked this out, in the New Booking Experience area, the updated quote now says 50% of the membership book within 21 days...so if you're one of this group your holiday is likely to cost more and you'll be further disadvantaged being within the non cancellation period.
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Maybe there isn't mention of lowering prices nearer the time but surely even camc wouldn't jack them up if bookings are down. That's what drives Dynamic Pricing - supply and demand.👍
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I for one will be doing my best to avoid the caravan club sites this year and booking C/Ls instead.
An example of this is we wanted to go to Hampshire in june this year for two weeks as we have an elderly friend who lives there who can no longer caravan i looked at the nearby club site and went though the booking system and the final price was £506 ( how much as arkwright used to say ) so i then looked and found a nearby CL for the same two weeks on a fully serviced pitch for £326 Foxhill Farm at Alderholt if anyone is interested.
We stayed for Xmas at Cayton the newly bought and refurbished site,i was informed that the cost of this purchase and refurb was around £6.000.000 and in the caravan club magazine this month i see the club says they are spending £20.000.000 this year on upgrading sites ?
We are members of over 20 years and i feel the money would be better spent giving loyal longstanding members better value for money than on vanity projects.
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Could you verify the source for thinking that this interpretation of dynamic pricing is going to be introduced please? Haven’t seen anything via any of the Club’s usual communications channels (although that’s not unusual).
I’m not doubting DP might be introduced, just the method you outline in that anyone booking months in advance will get the best price, and that that will be all. Any Marketing Dept with any credibility will also look to sell commodities (in this case pitches) with a short sell by date at a reduced rate, if it transpires that they have a significant amount left. The Club is already doing this with its Glamping Pods, whereby I and others get Special Offer emails. So why not pitches, as that would make sense. 🤔🤷♀️
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This will not really effect me as I only ever use a club site as a last resort. Two nights in 2020, three nights in 2021 and none last year. I find them expensive and like many of you have voted with my feet.
So I'm guessing the Club needs to bring in more revenue, and instead of identifying why members may be looking elsewhere and providing a carrot like incentive to use the sites, they resort to the stick.
Should the "Club" word now be removed and be replaced with "Business"?
Colin
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TDA
Look at Goldie's post under the OP's on the first page. The quote was apparently from a member of the Club's team in answer to a question asked by a member and posted on a Facebook Group. Whist I agree that is not an "official" announcement clearly the media team have been told to give that reply?
David
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A lot of folk don’t like it & will be using CL’s only. . .Dynamic pricing adopted by CL’s anyone?🤔
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