Excessive site charges
Comments
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Fact is, the CC need to see reality and charge far more in school holidays (when there is competition for pitches) and less in off peak times, to try to fill those empty pitches (80% empty, as reported by some, is just nor viable).
I would start by charging full price for children. They use the facilities just as much as an adult......more people should cost more money.
So that would make, say Longleat £47.40 a family with two primary school kids. £56.50 (£395.50) for the week) if there were three. I am not sure you would get a lot of takers at those prices.
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Does not seem to be any immagination shown by the CC in attracting off peak users like us.Our nearest site Lady Margaret does not even have Mid week discounts (Last Jan only 8 vans on site but with 80 odd Hard standings) Seems the club just churns out the
same old structure year in year out with increases and extended peak times. We are looking for a break next week and were considering Hawes.Plenty of availability and again no effort to attract mid weekers.Now looking on Internet for alternatives in the area
to compare prices. What do the expensive "directors" do to earn their high salaries?With 375,000 members, I would say that the majority of members are working folk. I would also estimate that potentially 60 thousand are retired. Therefore, if everyone of the 60,000 were to go on site at the same time there would still be lots of pitches
available because there are not enough members to fill up all of the sites..Midweek discount does work obviously but let us be somewhat more realistic in terms of occupancy......Write your comments here...Obviously we all have different ideas of the proportion of retired members to those who are still employed using CC campsites.
What real statistics do you have to back up your estimate. ???
IMO from what is seen on CC sites there is a much higher proportion of the Aged members to Younger members than you are claiming.
K
Agree with you K, and we were talking to a site warden who stated that there are fewer & fewer families caravanning, compared to retirees. His thought was that numbers were going down on all sites because the "youngsters" are used to having their holidays
abroad while the oldies, who have caravanned for years, as slowly dying off and so decreasing in number that way.0 -
Mid week discounts mean nothing much to me. Aren't they just Tues Wed, Thur? So if I am awy for a number of weeks it might mean (at best) that I may recieve a discount on 3 nights per week eqivelant to half the pitch fee. At the times that I tour may be
as much as £10 a week discount. Hardly makes any real difference in usage. If the discount was removal of all pitch fees during 3 days of the week I would not tor more - just pay less!ET, the midweek discout applies from Monday to Thursday, so 4 nights, and on some sites the saving could be as much as £16 for the 4 nights. The difference is enough to lower the site price to below that of some CLs with the same or even less facilities
in the same area. We will use these sort of discounts during the low season as most of the time a club site is nearly empty, so great choise of pitch!!
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Have just visited 2 club sites, one with 160ish pitches, and the other with 68 pitches. Both had/have about 20 vans on each, and the latter one has some seasonal vans on at the moment too. Wonder if MWD would make a different on the numbers at these sites?
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Have just visited 2 club sites, one with 160ish pitches, and the other with 68 pitches. Both had/have about 20 vans on each, and the latter one has some seasonal vans on at the moment too. Wonder if MWD would make a different on the numbers at these sites?
Maybe Nellie, but I doubt it. It would only encourage we old farts out of main season. However I doubt that the uptake would be that great. I am of course biased as I do not consider site costs, Maybe I am fortunate.
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I'm sure you would......because that's what they would have to pay at sites with a more realistic pricing policy.
In general Ian for those sort of prices, other providers provide more for families than the CC. All that would happen is you would get less family groups and they would be replaced by couples. So in effect the CC would get less income, as at present they get at least a pound per child.
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It really is a wonder that all, and I mean all, leisure and travel industries charge far lower prices for children even when they use a full adult product. There must be a valid business reason.
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So in effect the CC would get less income, as at present they get at least a pound per child.
Sorry Nellie but the talk of at least £1 made me laugh. I do agree though. I do agree in general though. It is over 20 years ago when my late wife, my youngest (13 year old) daughter and I went on holiday for 7 weeks. WE used mainly club sites. My daughter was happy and we had a great time. We did use a few sites with heated pools etc and they were nigh on double the price. No idea nowadays
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So in effect the CC would get less income, as at present they get at least a pound per child.
Sorry Nellie but the talk of at least £1 made me laugh. I do agree though. I do agree in general though. It is over 20 years ago when my late wife, my youngest (13 year old) daughter and I went on holiday for 7 weeks. WE used mainly club
sites. My daughter was happy and we had a great time. We did use a few sites with heated pools etc and they were nigh on double the price. No idea nowadays'Twas not I that made any mention of Kids for £1. It's been so long since we caravanned with our children that I don't even look at what it cost to take a child on a site these days. We used to rally with them as well as using CLs, even than.
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Basically the club sites are not as attractive to many families as those with swimming pools bars and the rest. Because of this the sites will not attract many families who want more facilities. I cannot see the club producing the sites they want so very
little will change.0 -
We caravaned with our boys from the ages of 2 to 17 years, they loved it. As men with their own families they would still like to caravan but neither of their wives are interested. Dad's and kids go tenting at times in the good weather, Mum's don't. Families
now a days want to be entertained, Mum's work hard during the week and many just don't want to spend the weekend camping or have their main holiday on a campsite, they want guarenteed sun, beaches, kids club, meals out etc. Times are changing, many haven't
got the license or the money to buy a big car and caravan. Storing it is also another problem, new housing estates don't in many cases allow them to be kept outside the house. All in all it is an expensive hobby that many families don't want. Making kids for
£1 isn't a big enough incentive.0 -
If you look at some of the many caravanning Facebook groups you'll see that plenty of young people with families are buying caravans, using them as often as they can and loving it
What they aren't doing is using CC sites which is why the warden may not see the reality
Neither club is attracting the latest batch of caravanners and it's nothing to do with pools or clubs as many sites are in use which have neither. There's clearly something that doesn't appeal and it's about time the club got a grip of understanding why
or they'll be dead in the water in a decade0 -
I was driving through my Mum's estate a few days ago, and commented on just how many homes had caravans on the drive. Primarily families. Asked her neighbours, both van ownears with children if they used Club Sites. Resounding no on both counts. Comments
about not enough to do, too regimented and staid, not enough special offers, couldn't get full weeks as weekends booked up, etc.....0 -
It's a sign of the times ,when "families" complain about prices but still have to have all the latest gizmos ,and if some comments are to be believed, do not use club sites? then also complain that they are always full, or want holiday camps where they
can "relax" without responsibility of the children at prices that far exceed either of the clubs prices0 -
We never needed any gizmos or to find somewhere where we could relax and ignore the children. Our children preferred club sites when they were younger.
I wasn't keen on the attitude of fellow campers to my children on a few occasions, especially one time when I followed them while they walked quietly to reception and one misery glared at them as if he thought they were a serious threat to his welfare.
The attitudes often expressed on here about families and the broad brush assumptions are probably the most off putting thing.
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And so it seems that the general consensus is that everything is fine, that there is no need to watch carefully our prices in comparison with the many new very good sites that are springing up, and that everything in the garden is lovely!
I'm not so sure, but happy to leave it there.
TF
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Have just visited 2 club sites, one with 160ish pitches, and the other with 68 pitches. Both had/have about 20 vans on each, and the latter one has some seasonal vans on at the moment too. Wonder if MWD would make a different on the numbers at these sites?
Maybe Nellie, but I doubt it. It would only encourage we old farts out of main season. However I doubt that the uptake would be that great. I am of course biased as I do not consider site costs, Maybe I am fortunate.
I don't think that the 'old farts' need to be encouraged to go out of season, because many are already going out of season........it's just that they aren't going to CC sites.
And that's because the private sites recognise the different seasons and price accordingly.
The CC are stuck in a time warp.
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I don't think that the 'old farts' need to be encouraged to go out of season, because many are already going out of season........it's just that they aren't going to CC sites.
And that's because the private sites recognise the different seasons and price accordingly.
The CC are stuck in a time warp.
Maybe that is why I like CC sites
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Last month we stayed at Northam Farm in Brean on two different occasions. The first time it was £13.50 a night grass standing and the second time on hard standing it was £14 a night and that was during the school holidays!
We thought that as a commercial site it was good value for money and there was a proper shop and takeaway on site in addition to a caravan dealership. Unfortunately we had to leave 2 days early giving them 24 hours notice and we got a full refund for the two days!
Sadly Hurn Lane were charging way over the top for us plus the site is a bit off the beaten track and you require a car if you want to go to the beach.
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Fact is, the CC need to see reality and charge far more in school holidays (when there is competition for pitches) and less in off peak times, to try to fill those empty pitches (80% empty, as reported by some, is just nor viable).
I would start by charging full price for children. They use the facilities just as much as an adult......more people should cost more money.
Ian, the site I am currently working has been more or less at full capacity from a Thursday to Sunday morning, then there is the mass exodus back to work. Therefore, this would suggest that the pricing structure is not the problem. However, the club needs
to find a means of filling sites from Sunday evening through to a Wednesday. There are some very exciting projects being discussed which will be revealed as an when applicable.... The views I express here are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my employer0 -
Not quite sure how one fills a site from Monday to Thursday off season. I'm retired and would not dream of hitching up to drive say 60 miles or more for a few days break. If I take the caravan out I generally want more time away once it is off the drive.
If it were £10 a night it would not tempt me personally.0 -
Not quite sure how one fills a site from Monday to Thursday off season. I'm retired and would not dream of hitching up to drive say 60 miles or more for a few days break. If I take the caravan out I generally want more time away once it is off the drive.
If it were £10 a night it would not tempt me personally.Very true if you are away for a week or more as you do not want to move off on the Thursday as the weekend is fully booked.
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Not quite sure how one fills a site from Monday to Thursday off season. I'm retired and would not dream of hitching up to drive say 60 miles or more for a few days break. If I take the caravan out I generally want more time away once it is off the drive.
If it were £10 a night it would not tempt me personally.Very true if you are away for a week or more as you do not want to move off on the Thursday as the weekend is fully booked.
You only have to look through the late availability to see there are numerous sites with availability for this weekend. This is generally the case at all but the most popular sites November to March. So you can wait until you see what the forecast is then
book from Sunday to Sunday. At least you make a saving on the 4 mid week days.0 -
Fact is, the CC need to see reality and charge far more in school holidays (when there is competition for pitches) and less in off peak times, to try to fill those empty pitches (80% empty, as reported by some, is just nor viable).
I would start by charging full price for children. They use the facilities just as much as an adult......more people should cost more money.
Ian, the site I am currently working has been more or less at full capacity from a Thursday to Sunday morning, then there is the mass exodus back to work.
Therefore, this would suggest that the pricing structure is not the problem. However,
the club needs to find a means of filling sites from Sunday evening through to a Wednesday. There are some very exciting projects being discussed which will be revealed as an when applicable.... The views I express here are mine alone and do
not reflect the views of my employerWell, I would suggest that the current pricing policy is definitely wrong then.
And it would seem that maybe that's even starting to dawn on the CC, if they are looking at ways to adress the situation.
It will be interesting to see what they come up with, but will this be the the usual CC time frame?
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