Pay as you book

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  • Manchester Mike
    Manchester Mike Forum Participant Posts: 5
    edited July 2016 #32

    Yep I want to retain the option to cancell without penalty. That's why I'm a member. Such a great system for people who have work commitments. I'm a foster carer and often can't predict when I will have a placement. I need to book in advance to enjoy a welcomed
    break. If I am called upon at short notice to take in a child, I often need to cancell. the system works for me. 

  • JayEss
    JayEss Forum Participant Posts: 1,663
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    edited July 2016 #33

    I don't mind too much about deposits in principle but my recent experience with the C&CC made me glad the CC system is what it is. I booked and paid my deposit then needed to add a couple of nights. Firstly you can't amend a booking online so it took a phone
    call. Secondly they couldn't add an additional payment to the deposit - it had to be refunded then taken again. Enormous amount of unnecessary faffing and time wasting. 

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #34

    Yep I want to retain the option to cancell without penalty. That's why I'm a member. Such a great system for people who have work commitments. I'm a foster carer and often can't predict when I will have a placement. I need to book in advance to enjoy a welcomed break. If I am called upon at short notice to take in a child, I often need to cancell. the system works for me. 

    Respect Mike, never thought of such, there are even legitimate cancellations in certain circumstances! As I said before, why let the very few bad apples dictate how 'our' club operates!Happy

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #35

    If we are talking about deposits, that may well stop block booking, if it even exist to any great degree, which I think unlikely. However, it would not stop cancelations for legitimate reasons, or even bad weather. Those with legitimate reasons, such as illness or car/van problems, would have to cancel whatever the deposit. Those who would cancel for bad weather, would still cancel unless the deposit was large. For instance, if you were of a mind to cancel for a wet weekend, £10 / £20 probably would not put you off, if going would cost you £60 / £70.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited July 2016 #36

    If we are talking about deposits, that may well stop block booking, if it even exist to any great degree, which I think unlikely. However, it would not stop cancelations for legitimate reasons, or even bad weather. Those with legitimate reasons, such as
    illness or car/van problems, would have to cancel whatever the deposit. Those who would cancel for bad weather, would still cancel unless the deposit was large. For instance, if you were of a mind to cancel for a wet weekend, £10 / £20 probably would not put
    you off, if going would cost you £60 / £70.

    Agree Steve

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
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    edited August 2016 #37

    If we are talking about deposits, that may well stop block booking, if it even exist to any great degree, which I think unlikely. However, it would not stop cancelations for legitimate reasons, or even bad weather. Those with legitimate reasons, such as illness or car/van problems, would have to cancel whatever the deposit. Those who would cancel for bad weather, would still cancel unless the deposit was large. For instance, if you were of a mind to cancel for a wet weekend, £10 / £20 probably would not put you off, if going would cost you £60 / £70.

    I think the point is that people who have a tendency to cancel if the weather's bad etc. wouldn't book in the first place if they had to pay a deposit.

     

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2016 #38

    If we are talking about deposits, that may well stop block booking, if it even exist to any great degree, which I think unlikely. However, it would not stop cancelations for legitimate reasons, or even bad weather. Those with legitimate reasons, such as
    illness or car/van problems, would have to cancel whatever the deposit. Those who would cancel for bad weather, would still cancel unless the deposit was large. For instance, if you were of a mind to cancel for a wet weekend, £10 / £20 probably would not put
    you off, if going would cost you £60 / £70.

    I think the point is that people who have a tendency to cancel if the weather's bad etc. wouldn't book in the first place if they had to pay a deposit.

     

    I can't follow any logic in this Ian. 

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2016 #39

    Me neither! If block booking exists ( and I'm not convinced it's as big a problem as some say, despite the "admissions" by others on here), unless the deposit is made prohibitively large it's unlikely to be a deterrent. So, either the club sticks with what
    they say works or they go down the commercial road of a sizeable, non- returnable deposit and possibly full payment in advance. Would that be a better method? Not in my opinion.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2016 #40

    A few years ago I was initially thinking that deposits were a good idea. And then I thought again. I think that folk book a pitch with the intention of using it. As I go away for weeks rather than days and follow a tour route I am unlikely to cancel due
    to rain. If I were weekending and it was forecast torrential rain nd I decided to cancel the loss of a £10 deposit would not trouble me at all as I would have probably saved £25 in fuel and £40 in fees by not going. £20 would be the same choice for me.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited August 2016 #41

    it would be very easy for the club to produce a report (for internal use of course...) of the amount of cancellation by date.

    another would be the cancellations by member per year...

    repeated cancellations, yet within the 'allowed' period might spark a check as to any other bookings made at other sites for the same dates...similarly, for those made at the same site but for multiple dates.....

    either might reveal 'unconventional' booking habits, where a member is looking to 'cover multiple bases'...

    possibly, the club already have these stats and, for all we know, some of us might have already been spoken to.....Wink

    ...but, as for Ian's (legitimate) request for these sort of stats.... no chance, it would be dynamite!

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited August 2016 #42

    I don't mind too much about deposits in principle but my recent experience with the C&CC made me glad the CC system is what it is. I booked and paid my deposit then needed to add a couple of nights. Firstly you can't amend a booking online so it took a phone
    call. Secondly they couldn't add an additional payment to the deposit - it had to be refunded then taken again. Enormous amount of unnecessary faffing and time wasting. 

    Write your comments here...We had the same issue, have now cancelled my membership with C&CC.  No deposits for us thanks, all works perfectly well as it is now.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited August 2016 #43

    we use both the major club sites, as well as CL/CS, THS sites, commercials etc....each have their own rules for payment and deposit etc...

    we also do plenty of package type hols and cuises, again they have their own rules for payments...

    i cant get exited either way about deposits, except that (IMHO) the larger the (non refundable) deposit the more thought needs to go into the booking...

    to exclude any of these companies/holidays because 'we dont do deposits' would be cutting our nose off to spite our face...

    as we have an annual travel insurance policy, we would invoke this if we had to reclaim any reimbursment due to breaching any cancellation rules....

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,303 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2016 #44

    Even where large deposits are taken, they are not always forfeit. We had to cancel 11 nights with Morris Leisure, due to health issues, a couple of years ago. The deposit was £10 a night. As long as you cancel more than 48 hours before, the deposit is deferred
    for a year. We used it against a booking at another of their sites 9 months later.

  • Fysherman
    Fysherman Forum Participant Posts: 1,570
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    edited August 2016 #45

    That seems fair enough

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,581 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2016 #46

    This is an old chesnut. It is possible to block book weekends but you cannot cancel within 72 hours without action being taken. If you are seen to do this then your forward bookings will be cancelled.

    Personally I think deposits woulkd help this situation if they were applied if you book more than five or so pitches. This would stop block booking but should not have any great effect otherwise.

    From a commercial point of view though deposits do help with cash flow so they might benefit the club.

  • IamtheGaitor
    IamtheGaitor Forum Participant Posts: 529
    edited August 2016 #47

    but you cannot cancel within 72 hours without action being taken. If you are seen to do this then your forward bookings will be cancelled.

    Only after 3 cancellations I believe?

    Restricting the amount of bookings any one person can make would be the easiest and (IMO) fairest way to prevent people booking every summer weekend on spec then cancelling them. For those who wanted more bookings - for example to form a tour- they
    could just ring direct and the club could override the system. 

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2016 #48

    but you cannot cancel within 72 hours without action being taken. If you are seen to do this then your forward bookings will be cancelled.

    Only after 3 cancellations I believe?

    Restricting the amount of bookings any one person can make would be the easiest and (IMO) fairest way to prevent people booking every summer weekend on spec then cancelling them. For those who wanted more bookings - for example to form a tour- they could just ring direct and the club could override the system. 

    Why should we who adopt a 'touring' style be penalised by having to do this? Thankfully the present system works In my opinion. 

    I also don't think a significant number of folk actually do serial book on spec and then cancel! Why should the few, and I reckon they are very few, bad uns dictate and spoil it for the rest!

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2016 #49

    Similar thoughts here Micky. About 15 years ago (and for at least 10 yeas prior) when I was working I often got around 12 weeks leave - time owed for overtime worked claimed back at single time rather than electing to be paid at 1.5 rate. 

    At that time I would book a holiday a few weeks at a time and used a site 70 miles away at weekends were I stored the 'van and went fishing. Booking did not seem such a problem. Having caravanned 15 years or so I gave my caravan away as I had met OH and
    here work comitments meant that we had less time and she didn't fish.

    3 years later Oh had joined me and with her retiring 12 months later we started to caravan again and bought a new outfit. This would be about 12 years ago. We found that booking a 4 or 5 week tour just a month before hand and maybe using 6 or 7 sites was
    proving difficult to get them where and when required. When OH had retired 11 years ago we found that going away for 4 weeks, and booking the next holiday on our return home with 4 weeks to sort out the garden etc was a nuiscance and so we book 3 touring routes
    and a Christmas Break in the december booking 'frenzy'. We find it much easier but does mean that we need to book around 20 to 22 sites (some commercial). This year 16 of these were club sites. 

  • tigerfish
    tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited August 2016 #50

    Yet another reason to use CL's !   They are so much better now, and there is very little hassle finding somwhere to stay.

    TF

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2016 #51

    Yet another reason to use CL's !   They are so much better now, and there is very little hassle finding somwhere to stay.

    TF

    Indeed there are some nice ones Tigerfish. I stick to CC sites and AS sites however as I do not wish to have to do much research.

  • gygafo
    gygafo Forum Participant Posts: 51
    edited August 2016 #52

    but you cannot cancel within 72 hours without action being taken. If you are seen to do this then your forward bookings will be cancelled.

    Only after 3 cancellations I believe?

    Restricting the amount of bookings any one person can make would be the easiest and (IMO) fairest way to prevent people booking every summer weekend on spec then cancelling them. For those who wanted more bookings - for example to form a tour- they
    could just ring direct and the club could override the system. 

    Sounds fair to me.