Worried for the club (price rises}
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You can’t raise questions from the floor. All questions submitted beforehand and they just take a couple that they wish to answer. Rest are answered in writing afterwards and put on the web site. I assume the AGM will be available via zoom as it was last year.
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Yes, the Club requests that any questions are raised prior to the meeting. However, at the end of the reports, etc…. floor is asked if there is any other business. There hasn’t been a peep out of anyone in the last two AGM’s.
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I don't know the answer to the question about Zoom but given that it's probably not really worth travelling hundreds, or even less, to attend an AGM it should now be standard, after all we have the technology
The pandemic has changed many things in our lives and not all for the bad. I think opening the AGM up to members questions via the web has been a major win. Although as you say only a few questions are actually answered at the meeting they do provide answers retrospectively which is very useful and I guess we have had a better insight into management thinking as a result. Obviously the old adage of garbage in garbage out applies, so if you want a proper answer you need to ask a proper question rather than just making a statement?David
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I can only recall one actual question being raised at an AGM in the last two year DK, and that was Ted Hughes’s asking about metering on pitches. At the time I seem to recall the answer was the Club weren’t considering it two AGM’s ago, but much as Ted had realised, it certainly was a hot topic and one that the Club has had to consider.
That certainly wasn’t garbage in, it was a good degree of foresight and being in touch with Members on the ground, and to a certain extent a bit of a kick start to get the Club to try and give the Membership more choice in what services they wanted and were willing to pay for. It’s probably 20+ years now since pitch price included hook up, and was well overdue another re think as energy costs fluctuate. Touring itself, outfit provision, and onboard capabilities have changed much in those two decades, not least the greater take up of MH’s and campers, where quite a few Members have taken to hopping from sites to site. Ted might well have submitted his question beforehand, but it was interesting seeing the response on the day.0 -
TDA
I was really responding to the submission of questions via the internet not actually at the meeting. Historically the number, and depth of questions asked directly at those AGM meetings have been few and far between and usually just a small footnote at the end of the published AGM minutes. The introduction of questions via the internet has turned that on its head in my view. I don't know if Ted was attending the meeting in person because he was representing the CL community or just as an interested party? The term "garbage in, garbage out" has been around since the late fifties early sixties and I think it was apt for the point I was making in that if you want a proper answer you have to ask a proper question which is thought through, ideally that which can't be brushed aside conveniently by those taking the questions. I was just trying to encourage the right sort of questions.
David
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How many can now afford to stay on club site I have just returned for 7 nights in the Paignton area Stayed at Whitehills site using Acsi Total £!33 If i had stayed at Ramslade 1 mile down the road the cost would have been £199 To join the club £56 to join ACsi £18. Two sites in the same location then why such a jump to visit the club site when there are less facilities. Please don't tell me that i don't have to go to club sites. I know that is my choice buy can somebody tell me why the bid different in costs
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Just been planning a few breaks away and need to be in Brighton next month and for a week next August.
Two adults on a pitch without awning per night:
October = £33.90 August = £55.30
This is beyond ridiculous.
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Agree re prices.
Brighton has always felt 'pricey' but some will cite its city location as 'justification' like Baltic Wharf.a quick search nr Brighton threw up two or three CLs which might do the job. Good luck.
we got a CAMC voucher for a present and we thought we'd have a couple of days in a nearby city this week as the weather is very iffy with Bristol being the obvious choice.
just did a 'dummy booking' for today, Sunday and Monday nights.....£92.20!!...for, essentially a chippings car park...as you say, beyond ridiculous. We won't be going.
im sure our daughter thought she'd be giving us 'a week away' with a £100 voucher....not.
For comparison, Bath Marina is £64 for a std pitch for two nights. Even that is 'jarring' for mid September.
Fortunately, we will be getting properly 'away' shortly at more 'reasonable' prices👍
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Both Brighton and Bristol are quite expensive, however the OP asks if the club has got it pricing wrong and from our experience of both sites this year they haven’t. Brighton in May, away from peaks was very busy as was Baltic Wharf in March. Given that older motorhomes would now have to pay the LEZ charge if they wanted to visit BW, I was somewhat surprised at this, as on all recent visits motorhomes have been in the majority and still were in March. Brighton is somewhere we had never visited before and although we enjoyed it are unlikely to repeat. Baltic Wharf on the other hand will get our custom periodically as long as it stays open. Indeed we are booked in when we return from over here in October. At £128.80 for three nights we still regard it as VFM as it’s where we want / need to be. This also seems to be the case for many others.
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I think we might have to accept that campsite prices have taken quite a hike this year. Even looking at new CL's coming on stream I see prices of £25 and even £30 advertised. Before our September plans fell apart we were considering going back to Lady's Mile at Dawlish but the price was over £40 a night compared to £32 for the same pitch last July. Cofton was better value but unfortunately we were unable to get there. Someone posted about the cost of a commercial site which was cheaper than the Club site they were considering. Looking at both sites on the internet the Club site looked so much nicer. I suppose if you are willing to overlook the fact a Club site has a nicer ambience you could find less expensive sites. However these apparently cheaper sites, I am sure, will be watching the market and I suspect we will see hikes in their prices in the future. As I have mentioned before I would like the Club to be transparent about its prices all through the year and get rid of the dynamic element which seems to work against those that can't commit to booking a year ahead.
David
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"At £128.80 for three nights we still regard it as VFM as it’s where we want / need to be."
Steve you might think that (at £43 a night in October) but at £92.20 for two nights in mid September, I certainly don't.
OH asked me this morning how much I thought BW would be...I guessed at £40+ and she nearly choked on her breakfast. When I actually found out it was £46.10 she nearly fell off her chair.
we did fancy a trip to Bristol but I'm not going to pay those prices, even with a voucher to cover the costs. IMHO the Club is taking the Michael.Others might continue to pay at this level but this is well beyond value for what is, essentially, a car park with a shower block.
we can always drive up for the day if we need to.
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"I think we might have to accept that campsite prices have taken quite a hike this year."
David, this might well be true but it doesn't mean that we have to pay them.
since Covid the whole world has been trying to recoup losses incurred in double quick time with huge rises and the glut of new touring vans seems to suggest to campsite owners that there's a captive market...the bubble will surely burst soon.
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Others might continue to pay at this level but this is well beyond value for what is, essentially, a car park with a shower block.
we can always drive up for the day if we need to.
Of course not everyone can just visit for the day, for us it’s an 340 mile 7 hour round trip. Whilst cheaper alternatives are available further out. Parking for the day at Mardyke Wharf, almost directly opposite BW will cost you £18 for the day in a normal sized car parking space. The CC have got the themselves a little gem in BW and they are sensibly going to exploit it while they can.
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You're right Steve....'exploit' is a very accurate choice of words😉
I've never paid anything approaching £50 for a pitch and we've stayed on some fabulous, full fat, top class sites, some really close to towns and cities.
I've used 'find my parking space' (or similar) recently in Bath where we had an overnight hotel stay. It cost me £9 for 24 hrs, just opposite the hotel.
different folk live near different 'attractions' and some can drive to, say, Chatsworth for the day, we can't and would likely be using the club site.
we even have complementary reciprocal access to the gardens but its very unlikely we would pay the (identical to BW) £46.10 to stay there on 22nd.
As long as customers keep paying, the prices will continue to rise. The club doesn't seem to add any more 'value' to its offering, it just lets the 'price increase formula' do its thing and spit out the next round of rises.
we've already passed the £60 mark for at least one site....
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I have my eye on a lovely tiny little cottage in December. It’s compact, but cosy, ensuite bathroom, garden, all heating, wifi, hot water included, it’s on the Vallum of Hadrian’s Wall, with a very nice pub 100 metres down road, The Sill Visitor Centre and Vindolanda half a mile away. Parking for at least two cars, fabulous views, Hexham, Corbridge and Carlisle not far away to visit. It’s currently £34.14 per night for both of us and our dog (welcome pack for dog, fresh baked loaf, cake, milk and eggs included. Five star rating on Trip Advisor. I don’t think we will be humming and hawing about using our MH on a site at that price. We could even use it instead of taking Jeep, but we are hoping for some snow as a further bonus!
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different folk live near different 'attractions' and some can drive to, say, Chatsworth for the day, we can't and would likely be using the club site.
We can and do YT, but we are also taking our MH for a few days later this year, simply because we like it. You might not be prepared to pay what is being asked but plenty are. November is just about sold out on all pitch types. Only time will tell if the club have got their pricing right but with the exception of the ridiculously long peaks and perhaps the return of the old mid week discount, I believe they have.3 -
Plenty. Think value for money, as in, do I want to pay £40+ per night for a patch of gravel, a cold walk to the showers/loos (for those who don’t use their own facilities), and extra for probably dodgy wifi. Or do I want to pay less for a nice cosy cottage, in a location that offers a great deal, and in comfort and space.
I was using it as a value for money comparison in terms of what the Club expects it’s Members to pay to holiday in their own expensive outfits, versus an alternative of just packing a suitcase and rolling into a warm, all facilities provided option.
We used to use Club Sites a lot in the colder months, but the Club is shortening the season now for so many, and the prices even in off peak simply aren’t attractive enough.6 -
Spot on,👏👏
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TDA
Surely its the same as talking about the price of overseas sites when comparing the price of Club sites? It's not relevant. It's a bit like saying its cheaper to stay in a hotel? Now you might like staying in holiday cottages but personally Its not something that appeals to me. Most people caravan/motorhome because they like their own space and a space they know. Probably the reason most of us do it is that we know exactly what we have with no nasty surprises. There must be tens of thousands , if not more, of Club members where campsites in the UK are their only holiday destination. For those members price of Club sites is obviously a concern because they don't feel that have an alternative choice. Maybe the change to the booking system and and increased prices are forcing they to consider alternatives but by and large they would prefer to stick with what they know.
David
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We haven't renewed our membership mainly because of the new pricing that the Caravan club decided to force on us. Their prices are extortionate and it really isn't fair to charge people more for pitches the closer to the date you book. It is blatant discrimination towards disabled and ill members in my opinion. Pretty disgusting really. My Wife has brain cancer, we don't know if she will be here in a month's time let alone a year away so we couldn't book anything until a few weeks before, and that's when I found out about the Club's tiered pricing, which meant we couldn't go to see family, which could be the last time she would have seen them. This has meant them all coming to our house.
And then the deposit scheme. Not everyone has that sort of money when their main holiday is two or three weeks long on a club site where the prices have also risen so steeply. One member on here said take your business elsewhere if you don't like it. Well, we have thanks, and if that is the attitude of members I am glad we are shot of it.
I'm guessing the Caravan Club only wants rich motorhome owners these days, and that's fine, because with the advent of electric cars and diesel engines being killed off, unless you have a fortune to spend on a new car, you won't be caravanning for much longer because new cars cannot tow caravans unless the caravan is very light. I wonder what range a battery motorhome will have? Not very far I would guess.
We have loved our years with the caravan club, but it is time to draw a close to this chapter of our lives and our caravan is now up for sale. This club has gone the same way as many others, they believe we work for them instead of them for us.
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Probably the reason most of us do it is that we know exactly what we have with no nasty surprises.
Couldn't agree more. In our case, nasty accommodation surprises can be a disaster, we require our customised living space with us. It leaves us with no concerns about where we then spend the night. That doesn't mean we don't seek out value for money sites.
I see the Club has extended its 10 percent deposit offer until Christmas!
peedee
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Now you might like staying in holiday cottages but personally Its not something that appeals to me. Most people caravan/motorhome because they like their own space and a space they know. Probably the reason most of us do it is that we know exactly what we have with not nasty surprises.
Agee 100%. Although we did use cottages when we only had tents and winter camping didn’t appeal. However, we didn’t purchase a caravan and then a Motorhome to only use it in the good weather.
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Hi everyone,
Thank you for your feedback on pricing which I will forward to the relevant teams.
Just a polite reminder to keep discussions on topic and friendly. Many thanks.
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Wasn't the reason you couldn't book a full week or weekend because people could book without having to pay a deposit and then cancel 3 days prior or no-show.
Deposits have had the intended effect of reducing speculative booking.
(To be clear I am not a fan of deposits, I think other ways could have been found to resolve the issue).
Price increases have also had an effect and in these economically challenging times people are no doubt making decisions about how often to camp and where.
Whilst I do book ahead for "must do" sites and times for shorter breaks I now book 24 hours ahead because, as the OP says, availability on most sites doesn't seem to be an issue.
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Post removed by me as no longer needed.
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Went to Tewsksbury last week , site was practicaly full every day
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