Change to Payment Page on Site Booking

SteveL
SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭✭✭
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edited November 2023 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

I made a booking a few days ago and another today and in that time the site payment page has been updated. Personally I think they have made it more confusing, but you can judge for yourself.

You are presented with two boxes the top one ticked (photo 1)

If you untick this the bottom box disappears and they definitely don’t take the residual before arrival (photo 2)

However, even if you don’t untick it, unless you tick box 2, it is difficult to see how they can as that box gives permission to retain your details. Perhaps it won’t let you proceed if you do that.

If you tick box 2 to give permission as I did, both boxes stay and they will take the residual before arrival. (Photo 3)

 

I realised after making the booking the credit card runs out before arrival. It will be replaced with an identically numbered one but of course expiry and 3 digit code will be different. As there is no mechanism for updating it will be interesting to see if they can take the money.

Comments

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,425 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2023 #2

    Wasn't there a week or so ago, but yes better in some ways yet more initial reading needed to understand it.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited November 2023 #3

    It seems to me just another way to confuse the occasional site user, and ensure that the club has one 's cash for longer than necessary.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited November 2023 #4

    Agree, Nellie.

    many a fuel pump now gives the option to pay at the pump or in the kiosk, our local Sainsbury has just updated theirs...

    however, it's crystal clear....select 'pay at pump' or 'pay at kiosk'....a big button...

    there's no (for example) automatically selected option (pump or kiosk) that you have to untick to change the option....one most customers will miss for a few uses...

    why not make things easy?....and why not add 'pay by voucher' at the same time??

    how long has the club been messing with this (and look what the customers get, confusion) while the 'server error' issue rumbles on for more and more months...

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,856 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2023 #5

    Having reread Steve's post it seems to be fairly clear what you have to do. If you just untick the first box you pay the balance on arrival. If you leave it ticked you pay prior to arrival but additionally have to agree for your payment details to be retained. I wonder if these changes are a response to feedback from members (including me) about the system not being very clear and also concerns about retaining payment details without permission? The Club's default position is they want to take payment prior to arrival as it speeds everything up. However they do allow members to opt out of this should they wish but they don't encourage it?

    David

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2023 #6

    Personally I think it would be clearer if payment the night before was compulsory and a statement in bold stating that was put alongside the payment button, as well as the information that by clicking proceed you are giving permission for your card details to be retained for that purpose.

    It would be nice if you could upload vouchers to your account and use them for payment, as you can with Amazon. However, I suspect the use of a third party to handle payment prevents this. Although it’s no big deal as we have been told they can be credited to your credit card when you arrive on site.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,425 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2023 #7

    The server issues for getting onto CT (while frustrating for users of CT) does not appear to affect in any way the booking side of the website which as far as I can tell has never been an issue so linking the server errors and booking appears spurious at best to me. I've alway been able to book sites while the internal error message has appeared.

    CT users are a very small subset of total club site bookers and users. Most will book without using CT.

    And really comparing a petrol pump and a leisure company booking system is very very tenuous, comparing the club's booking to other similar companies would be far better where these selected tick boxes do happen a lot. But having said that pay at kiosk is always selected up here on a few different petrol stations not only Sainburys. 

    There was some previous posts about the club keeping card details (actually it wasn't the club but a third party) without consent but now the club has addressed that issue so isn't that good?,

    Regular user of club sites may need a re-read of the new wording but hardly confusion? New users will just take it as it is.  

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited November 2023 #8

    "The server issues for getting onto CT (while frustrating for users of CT) does not appear to affect in any way the booking side of the website which as far as I can tell has never been an issue so linking the server errors and booking appears spurious at best to me. I've alway been able to book sites while the internal error message has appeared."

    You missed the point....I certainly wasn't linking these things 'technically' merely highlighting (again) how hit and miss getting things resolved by IT is...

    the CT server error (and associated issues) has been around for years, many folk have highlighted it, Ro has 'passed the message on' several times but the status quo stubbornly remains....

    also, I agree, petrol pumps don't have anything to do with booking a site (again, I didn't say they did) but the example was to show how some businesses manage to make things clear and others don't...

    as other on the thread have said, it could have been done in a simpler, clearer way...

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,425 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2023 #9

    No I didn't miss any points at all BB. You posted about server errors and booking payments confusion in one post so it follows logically that you linked them. 

    I just cannot see any connection between petrol pumps design and booking system design, and as  by giving an example you again posted to indicate they were in my view, petrol pumps do not store your bank details and there is no time gap between payment or even a deposit hence two different designs but now you have clarified things so all good.

    I think asking for permission to store your details is a good thing (?) and perhaps needed stating in a more direct way, again a good thing in my view 

    On reflection I don't see the confusion as you suggest as indeed others have said as well.  but just as I said some extra reading. I certainly have seen far more complex booking designs.

    But I'm sure to those using, or booking club sites regularly will get usd to it very quickly indeed. 

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,856 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2023 #10

    I appreciate that the new booking system is shared between UK site and Overseas sites but is there really a need to mention the different action required for booking an Overseas site? Given that the dialogue box that appears is just a "form" why not have UK sites and Overseas sites linked to their respective forms. I imagine the number of UK site bookings out number Overseas site by quite a margin so some might find it odd that when booking Ferry Meadows they have to read about a different method for a site on the Continent?

    David

  • Broxmeister
    Broxmeister Forum Participant Posts: 12
    edited November 2023 #11

    I never pay the full amount up front but chose to pay deposit then pay balance on arrival. On a recent visit to Blackpool club site (September) on arrival I was told I was fully paid. I decided to check my bank account and found that the balance wasn't taken until two days after our arrival. I meant to take this up with the club on our return home as I never gave them permission to take money from my account, but due to circumstances on returning home I forgot to contact them. If this happens again I will most certainly take this up with the club.