Perennial Membership Fee Increase

Challenger52
Challenger52 Forum Participant Posts: 5
edited January 2016 in Club Membership #1

Having just received the Jan 2016 Club Mag, we are informed that the Membership Fee is increased yet again from £46 to £48 from 15/12/2015. This is an increase of 4.3%, yet UK inflation for 2015 is forecast to be 0.1%. Over the last 3 years, the Membersip
Fee has increased from £43 to £48, an increase of 11.6%, yet UK inflation was 4.1%. I fail to understand what justification can be made for these excessive and apparently ceaseless increases

«1345

Comments

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited January 2016 #2

    They can get away with it because people will pay it, its as simple as that I'm afraid.

  • Vicmallows
    Vicmallows Forum Participant Posts: 580
    500 Comments
    edited January 2016 #3

    It's called 'what the market will bear'  .... or more colloguially 'untill the pips squeak'.   If pushed too far the pips DO squeak and overall revenue falls.

    Can be a foolish move for purely commercial outfits. Presumably in a 'members club' the members can influence such decisions?

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2016 #4

    There is also the fact that inflation is so low due to large reductions in the cost of vehicle fuel and food costs brought about by supermarket competition. Other cost more applicable to running caravan sites such as labour are on the increase, certainly
    more than 0.1%.

  • kellysdad
    kellysdad Forum Participant Posts: 73
    edited January 2016 #5

    Inflation may be at an all time low but the club is spending a lot of money updating toilet blocks, installing hardstandings, WiFi and MH waste points to keep members happy so the money for all these expensive works has to come from somewhere. Kellysmum

  • rogher
    rogher Forum Participant Posts: 609
    500 Comments
    edited January 2016 #6

    and, I think, membership is falling. So, to maintain income, the fees must go up.

  • Challenger52
    Challenger52 Forum Participant Posts: 5
    edited January 2016 #7

    Understand what you mean SteveL, but we have also seen large increases in pitch fees which will surely cover wage increases. I note that at the Club AGM 2015, the Club had a net worth of £123m with £34m cash reserves, so is surely in a sound financial position.
    What happened to the ethos of the Club being for the benefit of it's members? 

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2016 #8

    If I added the subscription to the cost of the number of nights I spent on Club sites this year it makes them more expensive than the commercial sites I used. In pure financial terms it is getting dammed close to is it worth it!

    peedee

  • rogher
    rogher Forum Participant Posts: 609
    500 Comments
    edited January 2016 #9

    Don't forget to factor in the value of your monthly magazine, peedee! Wink

  • fur ball
    fur ball Forum Participant Posts: 155
    100 Comments
    edited January 2016 #10

    Its still less than a pound a week, just because it says a club I think we have to remember that its still a business. As stevel says labour costs must be a huge increase for the club. As someone who also runs a business its better to have small increase
    to your services each year than a big one every four or five years. If the club didn't increase to absorb costs for a period of time then said it was putting its prices up in one movement by ten pounds very few would say that's ok its been the same price for
    x amount of years, look at how there bleating about two pounds!

  • briantimber
    briantimber Forum Participant Posts: 1,653
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2016 #11

    Don't know the facts on membership figures, but, to look at the increase realisticaly, it's still less than £1 per week for a whole network of CLs, well worth the money for that alone. If you use the members discounts that are available, you will more than
    offset the cost of membership. I have done this for  the past three years. I'm not saying that I welcome the increase, just that there are ways around it......Cool

  • Challenger52
    Challenger52 Forum Participant Posts: 5
    edited January 2016 #12

    Know what you mean Peedee. Personally, we don't hardly use Club Sites, too expensive and regimented. We prefer CL's in the UK, but mainly keep our membership to access ferry crossings. We go to France twice a year, health permitting, and pay an average of
    £12/night for excellent sites in top locations.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2016 #13

    The NLW which is to increase year on year is expected ,if i read the AGM report correctly? to put £800,000 on the wage bill across the club this year alone,plus as already mentioned the latest investments to cater for the ever increasing requirements of the modern membership,

    Which is not just effecting the cc but right across the leisure industry,gone are the days of do things for ourselves,it now seems that its not for me, its i want ,i want as long as someone else does it for meUndecided

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2016 #14

    Even if you forget about the magazine and the other advantages such as access to CC Green Flag recovery, or the CL network, it depends on how many nights you spend on CC sites. In our case it works out at just 44p extra per night.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2016 #15

    I don't suppose anyone will cheer the increase. But there are significant costs to be borne, labour for one and continuing improvements to sites. If you make frequent use of CC sites and CLs it's not bad - less than half a pint of Doom Bar a week. If you
    don't make use of these ( or other benefits) the answer is simple - walk away!

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2016 #16

    I don't suppose anyone will cheer the increase. But there are significant costs to be borne, labour for one and continuing improvements to sites. If you make frequent use of CC sites and CLs it's not bad - less than half a pint of Doom Bar a week. If you
    don't make use of these ( or other benefits) the answer is simple - walk away!

    Write your comments here...M ,did you know that Doom Bar is no longer brewed in Cornwall? and no longer with UK ingredientsSurprised

  • rogher
    rogher Forum Participant Posts: 609
    500 Comments
    edited January 2016 #17

    I’d like to think that site costs were funded from site fees, and that membership fees pay for the central admin. I’d also like to think that fringe activities, such as insurance, are self-funding.

    If the accounts were presented with greater clarity, there might be more understanding and sympathy.

  • volvoman9
    volvoman9 Forum Participant Posts: 1,053
    500 Comments
    edited January 2016 #18

    The membership fee still represents good value IMO but if i,m paying someones wages i,de be interested too know what salary they paying themselves.

    peter.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2016 #19

    I don't suppose anyone will cheer the increase. But there are significant costs to be borne, labour for one and continuing improvements to sites. If you make frequent use of CC sites and CLs it's not bad - less than half a pint of Doom Bar a week. If you don't make use of these ( or other benefits) the answer is simple - walk away!

    Write your comments here...M ,did you know that Doom Bar is no longer brewed in Cornwall? and no longer with UK ingredientsSurprised

    Write your comments here...Ps should read" some" Doom BarEmbarassed

  • Westiegirl1
    Westiegirl1 Forum Participant Posts: 108
    edited January 2016 #20

    The membership fee still represents good value IMO but if i,m paying someones wages i,de be interested too know what salary they paying themselves.

    peter.

    Very good point 

    As a general question, what do people think of companies that only pay many of their staff the National Minimum Wage?

  • volvoman9
    volvoman9 Forum Participant Posts: 1,053
    500 Comments
    edited January 2016 #21

    Speaking for myself it would depend on the business or company involved but what i do think is that anyone who cant or wont pay the minimum wage should not be allowed too employ anyone.

    peter.

  • IamtheGaitor
    IamtheGaitor Forum Participant Posts: 529
    edited January 2016 #22

    Don't forget to factor in the value of your monthly magazine, peedee! Wink

    I saw that they say the magazines value is £40 so I would like to be taken off the mailing list for the mag and have my membership for £8 please...

     

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2016 #23

    Yes please membership at £8. Dont really want the crappy mag.which should be self financing as most of it is adverts.

  • blue
    blue Forum Participant Posts: 15
    edited January 2016 #24

    Quite agree, I would gladly forsake the rubbish magazine that takes about 5 mins to read from cover to cover for a reduced membership fee. I think both site fees and membership fee are getting to the upper end of reasonable.

  • Spriddler
    Spriddler Forum Participant Posts: 646
    500 Comments
    edited January 2016 #25

    Speaking for myself it would depend on the business or company involved but what i do think is that anyone who cant or wont pay the minimum wage should not be allowed too employ anyone.

    peter.

    It's o.k. Peter, we taxpayers top up low wages through in-work benefits on behalf of companies so that their fat cats and shareholders can get fatter rather than pay decent wages.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2016 #26

    The NLW which is to increase year on year is expected ,if i read the AGM report correctly? to put £800,000 on the wage bill across the club this year alone,plus as already mentioned the latest investments to cater for the ever increasing requirements of
    the modern membership,

    Which is not just effecting the cc but right across the leisure industry,gone are the days of do things for ourselves,it now seems that its not for me, its i want ,i want as long as someone else does it for meUndecided

    Where are all these employees that will cost £800k more?

    at the sharp end (sites) we only get two (sometimes four) lowly paid, staff per site.....

    the big numbers must be at HQ running the 'soft' money making side of the business......insurance, ferries etc.....easily able to fund any increses from the profits quoted earlier in this thread....

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2016 #27

    I don't suppose anyone will cheer the increase. But there are significant costs to be borne, labour for one and continuing improvements to sites. If you make frequent use of CC sites and CLs it's not bad - less than half a pint of Doom Bar a week. If you
    don't make use of these ( or other benefits) the answer is simple - walk away!

    Write your comments here...M ,did you know that Doom Bar is no longer brewed in Cornwall? and no longer with UK ingredientsSurprised

    Think that's just the bottled stuff isn't it, brewed at Burton on Trent now? But the draught stuff is still brewed down in Rock, Cornwall. Happy

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
    1,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited January 2016 #28

    Caravan Club always come in cheaper for 'tunnel' price than going direct, so a good saving there. CL network worth the remainder so I'm happy with the real cost of membershp being only a few quid.

    The forum must be worth something Undecided

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2016 #29

    Yes please membership at £8. Dont really want the crappy mag.which should be self financing as most of it is adverts.

    I think you have your answer in what you have written. If the mag is truely self financing the CC cannot afford to reduce your membership by £40, as they would then have to find that £40 from somewhere else.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2016 #30

    Yes please membership at £8. Dont really want the crappy mag.which should be self financing as most of it is adverts.

    I think you have your answer in what you have written. If the mag is truely self financing the CC cannot afford to reduce your membership by £40, as they would then have to find that £40 from somewhere else.

    the answer is that the club wants the advertising revenue AND our subscriptions....AND way above inflation pitch price rises..Sad

  • rogher
    rogher Forum Participant Posts: 609
    500 Comments
    edited January 2016 #31

    Yes please membership at £8. Dont really want the crappy mag.which should be self financing as most of it is adverts.

    I think you have your answer in what you have written. If the mag is truely self financing the CC cannot afford to reduce your membership by £40, as they would then have to find that £40 from somewhere else.

    My thoughts exactly. But, if the magazine could be read from a PC, the Club might save some money by not requiring it in print.