Non members using CL sites
The Missing Sock CL site at Stow-Cum-Quy are giving priority to Wedding Party geusts (Non Members) and often exceeding the 5 unit limit. I wonder how common this practice is around the country.
Comments
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The club could assist CL owners to address this issue by allowing CL Owners to sell non-members who turn up unexpectedly a Membership Package.
This is common practice both on the Club Sites and for rival clubs, but the CC has yet to adopt a policy.
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Read all the reviews for the site and only 2 mentioned more than 5 vans. I take it, JJ that you stayed but didn't write a review or report the site to the CC?
Have seen first hand members turned away because the site was full of members and non-members.
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The club could assist CL owners to address this issue by allowing CL Owners to sell non-members who turn up unexpectedly a Membership Packag.
This is common practice both on the Club Sites and for rival clubs, but the CC has yet to adopt a policy.
I didn't realise this was the case. As you say you can certainly join at any C&CC CS (assuming they even ask if you are a member
).My ONLY reason for joining CC would be if I wanted to stay on a CL. I would simply have booked/turned up
assuming I could join on the spot. So thanks for the warning!0 -
The club could assist CL owners to address this issue by allowing CL Owners to sell non-members who turn up unexpectedly a Membership Package.
This is common practice both on the Club Sites and for rival clubs, but the CC has yet to adopt a policy.
...Have cl owners contacted the club about having joining packs? caravan dealers seem to have them? How would it be procesed on a cl?
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Not sure how an individual camper knows if someone is a member or not without asking them. Asking fellow campers if they are a member isn't something that would enter my head to be honest.
More than 5 vans on site is a different matter, they tend to be big white things that you can easily see. Depending on circumstances, they need to be reported to the club before someone reports them to the local planning dept.
Not everyone in planning departments are keen on caravans (for some reason) and it would make their day to have an opportunity to close a site down.
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Problem could be solved if every CL owner asked to see the membership card (which is very rare) and caravanners without were charged a, say, £5 per night surcharge. Some may then drive off but I suspect the majority couldn't be bothered and would pay up.
Wouldn't take many nights to make up the joining fee.0 -
Never been asked for my membership card.Overcrowdng is becoming more prevelant and no chance of the local auth having any issue with it. In fact the owners use the overcrowding issue to support a planning application for going commercial.
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Depends where you live.
Where I live (very close to a national park) the local planning dept is constantly knocking back camp site applications. It's reported in the local newspaper almost weekly.They don't even allow extra pitches or longer seasons to sites with existing planning permission.
It wouldn't take more than a photo of someone breaking the exemption certificate conditions to bring about an attempt to close the site. Of that, in my area at least, I am almost certain.
That's why I would say pass it to the CC to deal with first.but unless reported, then the CC cannot act.
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ive certainly been asked for my card details over the phone when booking a CL....however, once ive arrived and said who i was, i dont remember having to produce the card....
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ive certainly been asked for my card details over the phone when booking a CL....however, once ive arrived and said who i was, i dont remember having to produce the card....
...Or any 8 digit no over the phone if cl not bothered to follow up
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We have stayed at several sites this summer where there have been 7 pitches in constant use. Personally I find it unacceptable. It usually means the sites are overcrowded and cramped. Does anyone know how you report it to the CC?
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ive certainly been asked for my card details over the phone when booking a CL....however, once ive arrived and said who i was, i dont remember having to produce the card....
...Or any 8 digit no over the phone if cl not bothered to follow up
Write your comments here...With all due respect just what does the membership card tell you, a name, number and years of membership, no way does it confirm the person presenting it is the one who's name is on it.
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We have stayed at several sites this summer where there have been 7 pitches in constant use. Personally I find it unacceptable. It usually means the sites are overcrowded and cramped. Does anyone know how you report it to the CC?
Frances, on the CC's opening webpage, once signed on, the top line below your name has a "contact & FAQ's" box. Opening this there's a section at the bottom of the page "Contact the Club by E-Mail" which has a link to CL enquires which opens e-mail message page. You can also use this link, if it works :- CLResponse@caravanclub.co.uk
Hope this helps & that you get a response, eventually, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
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ive certainly been asked for my card details over the phone when booking a CL....however, once ive arrived and said who i was, i dont remember having to produce the card....
...Or any 8 digit no over the phone if cl not bothered to follow up
Write your comments here...With all due respect just what does the membership card tell you, a name, number and years of membership, no way does it confirm the person presenting it is the one who's name is on it.
Can you think of a better way to ensure that the owners of the van that's booked are members? What do you do if you find out that the owners of a van on your site are not members?
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Some times there is a genuine reason for 6 vans on a CL due to Illness, Car/Caravan/MH Breakdown or other problems .
Perhaps a Caravan/MH Sticker sent out to every Member when sending their Membership Card each year with the Year on it would be an idea like the National Trust do.
DianneT
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ive certainly been asked for my card details over the phone when booking a CL....however, once ive arrived and said who i was, i dont remember having to produce the card....
...Or any 8 digit no over the phone if cl not bothered to follow up
Write your comments here...With all due respect just what does the membership card tell you, a name, number and years of membership, no way does it confirm the person presenting it is the one who's name is on it.
Can you think of a better way to ensure that the owners of the van that's booked are members? What do you do if you find out that the owners of a van on your site are not members?
i could easily lend my card to friends who arent members...
if we are going to make proper use of the cards, then they need photo id and a vehicle reg no, either of which needs updating when appropriate....
perhaps a driving license presented, too...
its all a bit wishy washy and doesnt nean very much at the moment....
i most definitely agree that Cls shpuld be members only, and that id should be checked, but just glancing at a 'borrowed' card doesnt prove anything....
perhaps each cl could have an app on their computer which can check the membership number and come back with a vegicle reg no, if not printed in the card.....?
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Some times there is a genuine reason for 6 vans on a CL due to Illness, Car/Caravan/MH Breakdown or other problems .
Perhaps a Caravan/MH Sticker sent out to every Member when sending their Membership Card each year with the Year on it would be an idea like the National Trust do.
DianneT
....but even NT cards are lent and borrowed.....
we have two vehicles so, each year, i just ask at the first place we visit for a 2nd car park sticker......not difficult.
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Read all the reviews for the site and only 2 mentioned more than 5 vans. I take it, JJ that you stayed but didn't write a review or report the site to the CC?
Have seen first hand members turned away because the site was full of members and non-members.
Were you staying on the site, if so, did you report the matter to the CC. Sorry I can't see you have much to complain about if you didn't report it to the club and they didn't/wouldn't take any action
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It's the law of the land so yes most certainly.
No it isn't, legislation does not stop non members from using CLs or CSs, it is down to a decision between the owner and the authorising organisation. I assume the Club won't issue a certificate unless this is agreed to?
peedee
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Come on Cl owners, what do you do when you find out that a supposed member, who's staying on your site, is in fact not a member of the CC? Do you chuck them off or not?
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Come on Cl owners, what do you do when you find out that a supposed member, who's staying on your site, is in fact not a member of the CC? Do you chuck them off or not?
Hi Nellie,
as you are aware from your visits, our CL is probably large enough for 20 - 30 vans, but we stick rigorously to the law regarding: only 5 vans and all must be Club members.
As Club members and caravanners ourselves, this is what we expect from other CLs. If we break the law, the Club may lose its ability to issue operating certificates to sites like ours. I'm not going to risk that for the sake of a few pounds.
The other significant reason we stay as a CL is that we LIKE our clientele:
- The sort of folk who join a club tend to be nice, sociable people.
- My family feels safe with the sort of guest we have.
- Club members understand that we run our CL in our limited spare time alongside other jobs and family life - guests can be forgiving of our foibles and appreciative of our efforts.
We take Membership numbers at time of booking. In our experience, guests LIKE to be asked to show their membership cards on arrival. If they cannot produce a membership card, the Club has an automated text service for CL Owners to verify that membership is in-date.
If a non-member asks to book, we tell them to join the Club before we accept their booking.
Occasionally we have had non-members turn-up at the door asking to stay the night. If the CC membership desk is open, they can join the Club by telephone. Unfortunately, they cannot join by phone outside CC office hours, so we have had to turn people away in the past.
I would welcome the idea of potential members being able to join the Club at our CL - I believe that the C&CC allows the this, and it seems a straightforward way to increase membership outside CC office hours.Ian Kelly
01691 622951
Caravan@BirchHill.co.uk
www.BirchHill.co.ukBirch Hill Farm – a multi-award winning caravan site in the beautiful lake-lands of Shropshire - exclusively for members of the Caravan Club
Read the reviews - look at the photos.
Number 1398 in the 2015/16 Sites Directory
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Come on Cl owners, what do you do when you find out that a supposed member, who's staying on your site, is in fact not a member of the CC? Do you chuck them off or not?
Hi Nellie,
as you are aware from your visits, our CL is probably large enough for 20 - 30 vans, but we stick rigorously to the law regarding: only 5 vans and all must be Club members.
As Club members and caravanners ourselves, this is what we expect from other CLs. If we break the law, the Club may lose its ability to issue operating certificates to sites like ours. I'm not going to risk that for the sake of a few pounds.
The other significant reason we stay as a CL is that we LIKE our clientele:
- The sort of folk who join a club tend to be nice, sociable people.
- My family feels safe with the sort of guest we have.
- Club members understand that we run our CL in our limited spare time alongside other jobs and family life - guests can be forgiving of our foibles and
appreciative of our efforts.
We take Membership numbers at time of booking. In our experience, guests LIKE to be asked to show their membership cards on arrival. If they cannot produce a membership card, the Club has an automated text service for CL Owners to verify that membership
is in-date.
If a non-member asks to book, we tell them to join the Club before we accept their booking.
Occasionally we have had non-members turn-up at the door asking to stay the night. If the CC membership desk is open, they can join the Club by telephone. Unfortunately, they cannot join by phone outside CC office hours, so we have had to turn people away
in the past.
I would welcome the idea of potential members being able to join the Club at our CL - I believe that the C&CC allows the this, and it seems a straightforward way to increase membership outside CC office hours.Ian Kelly
01691 622951
Caravan@BirchHill.co.uk
www.BirchHill.co.ukBirch Hill Farm – a multi-award winning caravan site in the beautiful lake-lands of Shropshire - exclusively for members of the Caravan Club
Read the reviews - look at the photos.
Number 1398 in the 2015/16 Sites Directory
What a superb post. Excellent.
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I'll second that Fysherman. Thanks for the response Ian
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And me, says it all, thank you.
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