Haven discount
Can someone explain why the Csravan Club promotes a discount for members to use the Haven sites. Is this not direct competition with their own sites and the CL network? The offer is here on the web under "mebers offers" and has been featured in the Mag.We
have used the offer this winter and found some excellent Haven touring stes. The one at Hafan y Mor beats the Chirk CC hands down. Next week we can get a grass pitch & EHU in Tenby at £8per night,Compareswith St Davids at £17-50. and that site is half empty.They
even have Super Hard standings at £9 per night.The loss of income to the CC is substantial.All the users we spoke to at Hafan y Mor last week were CC members. Would Tesco offer me a discount to go to Sainsburys?
Comments
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Perhaps The CC is about to be taken over by Haven . . . ?
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2 sites, one completed 2012 at £2.5M the other tired, poor facilities and broken down rough access road. Guess which us the CC. Both sites are near to us and we used the latter often but now changed to Haven as its superior, half the price of the other.
Not really what the initial question asked though.0 -
Can't answer the OP's question but er! No thanks. I'll stick to the tired one with poor facilities. If I wanted to go to a Butlins Holiday Camp I'd book one.
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Its this snobbery that allows the club to continue giving poor value. The touring site is separate, superb pitches and a facility block. If I could download a picture I could show you the site pitches. Never mind the original questionmof why the club promotes
a rival is still not answered but there you go we will all chose our own options.0 -
Nope.....cannot explain that one.
Write your comments here...Just shows how much the caravan club overcharges! Haven are a commercial company and can still offer more for less money.Caravan club run by members for members (who pay a subscription) something wrong here.
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At the risk of repeating what's been said so often on so many threads, why continue to compare two completely different offerings? Haven/Morris/SB run a small number of sites in hugely popular tourist areas. The CC, for all its faults, runs a huge network
of sites, many in remote and beautiful areas, sites which probably don't pay their way. Would people really want the CC to close down all its sites except those at the seaside or near tourist hotspots? I think not!
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Couldn't edit so have to mention costs separately.
The club is certainly more expensive out of peak season and doesn't offer the sorts of deals that Haven/Morris/SB do. But then neither do they whack up their prices sky high in school holidays to catch families out. IMHO, for all its faults, the CC pricing
structure is fairer.(And to pre-empt claims of rose tinted glasses/club can do nothing wrong, I'll just point out that we've used all sorts of sites, except commercial ones, so far this year. In fact we've only spent 8 nights in total on CC sites so far this year.)
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At the risk of repeating what's been said so often on so many threads, why continue to compare two completely different offerings? Haven/Morris/SB run a small number of sites in hugely popular tourist areas. The CC, for all its faults, runs a huge network
of sites, many in remote and beautiful areas, sites which probably don't pay their way. Would people really want the CC to close down all its sites except those at the seaside or near tourist hotspots? I think not!I find it difficult to believe the CC would have sites that don't pay their way and if they do then surely that's more reason to adjust pitch prices to attract more members.
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Hard to give a figure without access to all the details, M.......but imagine one booking office to cover hundreds of sites (instead of one (admitedly smaller) booking office for one site, accounts people dealing with hundreds of sites instead of one, central advertising, central payroll staff.....the list goes on.
In addition, the CC have the massive advantage of bulk buying of supplies.....everything from bog rolls to biros.
They should also be able negotiate term contracts for repairs and maintenance work, rather than paying for 'one off' jobs.
I am, of course, making the bold assumption that the CC actually take advantage of all these cost saving measures and don't simply allow each site (or area) to do their 'own thing'.
As I said, difficult to give a figure, but I'd be amazed if the CC aren't able to show at least 20% saving in running costs.
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I agree with Mousley and do use the remoter CC sites, ie Brora, Clachan etc. What I still cant get my head round is why the CC promotes the use of their rival Haven when their own sites are half empty. Likewise if we "Off peakers" go elsewhere the club will
be forced to increase their"peak" period prices to make up the shortfall.Loss /Loss to all members.0 -
Once again the sensible industry standard method is ignored by the CC.
Making off peak prices competitive will help obtain an income from otherwise empty pitches. That makes economic business sense.
By all means charge the full price at peak times and even weekends The sites are trading well and demand is high.
K
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But the interesting thing about the "industry standard method" is that overseas holiday companies often get accused (correctly IMHO) of ripping off families by bumping up prices in school holiday times.
Ignoring the rights and wrongs of parents taking children out of school during term time, isn't that exactly what the likes of Haven and Sandy Balls do?
Certainly their offers are great for those who can take advantage of them, no disputing that, but in return they whack up the prices in peak periods. Why is that OK for them, but not for Thomsons, Thomas Cook etc?
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In answer to the point about Haven, Sandy Balls etc increasing their prices in school holidays to take advantage of parents with children........well, if I were a parent with a large family, then I wouldn't go to Haven, SB etc. because they would be too
expensive. I would go to more basic sites that are far cheaper.Why pay for bars, floor shows etc? Surely a playground, a beach or somewhere to burn off energy is all that's required?
I don't particularly think that these holiday parks (or even Thompsons etc) are doing any wrong by utilising market forces.....but if people (parents) don't like it, then vote with your wallet and don't go there. It's as simple as that.
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Look at the so called Haven "peak" rip off. By my calculation Havens prices are for 6 occupants per pitch. Take a week August 1st.-2 adults,4 children. Haven Blue Dolphin by Scarborough- Grass pitch with EHU Weeks cost £302-40 .Take the CC promoted discount
of 7.5% and its £279-72. Nearest and close CC site is Scarborough-West Ayton.Again 2 adults & 4 children in 1st week of August Total £275-10. So little difference and blows out the "Rip off argument"> Why then do the CC rip off the "Off peakers".Next week
we can get a Euro Pitch in Tenby at £8 per night whilst CC St Davids is £17-50 and thats for a soggy Grass pitch. Something is wrong with the CC pricing. Dont get me wrong I still use CC sites but am now very selective and will search the opposition and not
blindly go with CC. Even the quality of Commercials are now better than CC> Could it be we are paying for a bloated HO.0 -
My last words on the subject (hurrah!) :
Ian, you're right folk can vote with their wallets, no-one is forced to use Haven etc just as no-one is forced to use CC sites. It's all down to personal choice and there is no justification in criticising anyone for personal choice.
BB - yes, the CC could tweak (raise) its prices at peak times. But let's be clear where that line of reasoning leads. Working families will pay more for their main (and in some cases only) holiday so that retired folk like us, many of whom can go away at
the drop of a hat for long periods, can be given better deals! Hardly seems fair does it?The CC offers an alternative - good quality, if unexciting, sites with a reasonable pricing strategy overall. If they can make special offers without raising those peak prices, great. But let's not go down the line of special offers off peak in return for
£50+ pitches for families in summer time.0 -
Even the quality of Commercials are now better than CC> Could it be we are paying for a bloated HO.
Almost certainly asnd probably over inflated chief exec salaries on the spurious "we have to compete in a global market place" argument.
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I don't think anyone has suggested that the CC raise prices in the peak season......and they are probably already on a par with many commercials at peak times anyway, based on Fysherman's figures.
What people are saying is that CC should reduce prices at off-peak times, because they are way more expensive than commercials and have pitches stood empty all week.
And yes, I'm sure that the reason for them trying to keep prices high (increasingly so each year) is to pay for an enormous HO overhead.
As I asked elsewhere......what exactly is our membership fee (that must bring in millions for the CC) actually for?
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Hard to give a figure without access to all the details, M.......but imagine one booking office to cover hundreds of sites (instead of one (admitedly smaller) booking office for one site, accounts people dealing with hundreds of sites instead of one, central
advertising, central payroll staff.....the list goes on.In addition, the CC have the massive advantage of bulk buying of supplies.....everything from bog rolls to biros.
They should also be able negotiate term contracts for repairs and maintenance work, rather than paying for 'one off' jobs.
I am, of course, making the bold assumption that the CC actually take advantage of all these cost saving measures and don't simply allow each site (or area) to do their 'own thing'.
As I said, difficult to give a figure, but I'd be amazed if the CC aren't able to show at least 20% saving in running costs.
Write your comments here...most of the services we have seen on sites have been done by local companies plumbers, electrical etc. so not much economy of scale there. Of course they can buy big rolls in bulk but I doubt if these could the be distributed to
100+ sites economically!0 -
in peak, occupancy high.....a tweak in the prices wouldnt change this, just add revenue.
So how much more than the already 40% uplift during peak times do you think should be added?If anything the discounted rate during low season should be uplifted by say 10% and the high season rate reduced by a similar amount. The club likes to pretend it's all inclusive so let start showing some of the inclusiveness to families!
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I have posted in other threads and BB said it here Haven etc. offer low off peak prices to attract people in the hope they will frequent the restaurants, bars, bingo, other paid for entertainment which of course bumps up the overall spend per night probably
in line or more than a CC site. A CC site does not offer anything to offset low pitch fees hence the difference.I really am at a loss why everyone is so het up about empty sites off peak surely for those using them it's better, more space, less people using facilities, better choice of pitches etc. and maybe a chance to stay after 12 on the last day (at the warders
discretion of course)
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