Pricing Structure

susiepops
susiepops Forum Participant Posts: 28
First Comment
edited December 2016 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

On checking through various sites it seems the pricing of weekends is now different from weekdays.  Some prices are double for the Friday and Saturday. I have not checked every site but all the ones I have checked the prices are higher for the weekends.  Rather sneaky .Has anyone had any explanation for this alteration as previously the pricing structure was in larger groups.

«1

Comments

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #2

    Can you give some example site please.  I just checked a couple and the only time I see rates being higher are on Bank Holiday week's/weekend's which is the norm isn't it?

  • HelenandTrevor
    HelenandTrevor Forum Participant Posts: 3,221
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #3

    We're they sites with a mid week discount, I noticed the pitch fees were half of weekend rates on weekday dates on sites with the discount.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #4

    Probably H&T

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited December 2016 #5

    Just checked the pricing structure at Chester Fairoaks. Whilst there a multitude of different prices they don't differentiate between Thursday and Saturday on a non bank holiday type weekend. They seem to be in tranches of about 2 weeks each, so I think that rather than the prices being increased for weekends you've probably come across a site that offers a discount for midweek as Helen and EasyT suggest.

  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
    500 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited December 2016 #6

    Yes, that's right.  I checked the prices for Meathop Fell, which has MWD.  When I first looked at the prices, I couldn't believe how long the list was!!  Link: https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/england/cumbria/cumbria/meathop-fell-caravan-club-site/

    When I looked more carefully, I realised that the prices are split into Fri-Sun, and again from Mon-Thurs with the pitch price showing 50% off, throughout the whole year.  Is that really necessary?  Up to now surely people have been able to work out the cost of a pitch with 50% off?  

    So susiepops, yes, pitch prices for some weekends ARE double that of midweek, but only during those weeks when MWD applies.  But the reality is that that was always the case with MWD, except it was never shown in the price structure before now.

  • susiepops
    susiepops Forum Participant Posts: 28
    First Comment
    edited December 2016 #7

    Thanks for that,  I have checked Hillhead, Looe, Godrevy, Cirencester and Marazion,they all have endless lists.  Our computer is at a snails pace today so unwilling to check more tonight,  the MWD seems to be the answer but it looked rather strange on the chart.  Maybe some explanation may be hidden somewhere.

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #8

    I wish they would extend the mid-week discount to all sites......

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #9

     Midweek discounts over the network is the best way to utilise otherwise unused pitches. The CC seem to be reluctant to accept this. An increase in charges at weekends and high season will help even out the demand for pitches over the complete season. 

    Another way to grade pricing is to charge less at all times, for sites which are in scenic rural locations and charge more for those which are in or around built up areas,-- with an further increase in rates for sites which are located within City boundaries.

     

    Cheers..................K.  

  • harryb
    harryb Forum Participant Posts: 1,536
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #10

    The price structure for club sites is laughable. So many bands for sites with very little difference in cost between them.

    Example. I'm looking to  go to London at the end of January. So I check both Abbery Wood and Crystal Palace. Both work out at £20.80 per night but the price per adult and pitch is different by only .10p & .20p repectively..

    AW adult £6.70 pitch £7.40

    CP adult £6.60 pitch £7.60

    The two sites are only a few miles apart.

    This topic has been talked about many times before but price bands for the current year seems to have mad.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #11

    looks like a case of charging a tad more just because they can....

    why a differential of 10p is ridiculous....

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #12

    Got to make it complicated to justify the tea drinkers high salaries. Anyone with a bit of sense would simplify it all and achieve the same result. Don't think that way at HO, just keep tinkering making it worse. A bit like the tax regime successive gvernments play with.

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,585
    1000 Comments 250 Likes Photogenic
    edited December 2016 #13

    It does not seem a lot, but when you multiply that 10p by the hundreds of pitch nights it will add up. To be honest it makes no difference to me how many bands there are. I just check the cost for the sites I want and that of any comparable C&CC site and once I have these decide if they are acceptable. If another site is only a few pence difference it is not something I worry about as I never look at these things. Every site could have a different price for me, I only care about what I am paying on the sites I want to use..

  • IanH
    IanH Forum Participant Posts: 4,708
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #14

    I agree with Fisherman........I would 'like' his post, but then I'd get taken to some far, distant corner of the web site.......

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,657 ✭✭✭
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited December 2016 #15

    Maybe it would be good for some-one at HO giving us an explanation of why these small changes if price are applied. In fact giving reasons for the whole price structure would be even better. But it will never happen!!

  • PhilHeller
    PhilHeller Forum Participant Posts: 267
    100 Comments
    edited December 2016 #16

    Just looking to book our summer break and noticed that both Wirral Country Park  & Chester Fairoaks have the high season prices starting 30/06/17 compared with 14/07/17 on every other site we have looked at. Can find no reason for this as my family and friends assure me there is nothing special happening that they are aware of, anybody any idea why this may be?

  • Surfer
    Surfer Club Member Posts: 1,303
    500 Comments 100 Likes
    edited December 2016 #17

    What is the point of a mid week discount if you cannot stay for five or more days on the site because the weekend is full?  No wonder we have started using commercial sites as they are just as good with lower prices and you can book a two week holiday on most.  Admittedly you have to pay a small deposit usually for two nights, but worth it in my opinion.

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,673 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited December 2016 #18

    Start of Scottish school holidays, quite a few of the popular English sites within a day's drive of Central Scotland have had the peak season extended.

    Works the other way too......Scottish schools go back mid August, but our sites remain in peak price period till theEnglish schools return.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #19

    Yes this new increase covering both ends of the school holidays is pants, yet another way to raise prices by stealth. 

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #20

    thought I could tag onto KJ post but I see you only get the last quote now on the new system. 

    KJ has nailed it in that the English/Welsh school holidays and the Scottish/Irish ones have now been extended at both ends to catch all, most unfair in my opinion but hey the CC don't give a fig about how members feel so unfortunately we are stuck with it unless  you choose to go elsewhere.

  • PhilHeller
    PhilHeller Forum Participant Posts: 267
    100 Comments
    edited December 2016 #21

    Can you name any of these sites as I cannot see any, including the Lake District, Southport etc that have their prices raised so early?

    I will be ringing the club tomorrow (hopefully get through) to query this.

  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
    500 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited December 2016 #22

    I've just checked the sites listed in Cumbria, and 2 of them, Dockray Meadow and Englethwaite Hall have peak prices from 26 May until 30 September.  Prices on the other sites in Cumbria don't go up until 14 July.

    DM and EH are non-facility sites, so prices are relatively less than the other sites, but the fact remains, that prices go to peak level from the end of May for 4 months!

  • PhilHeller
    PhilHeller Forum Participant Posts: 267
    100 Comments
    edited December 2016 #23

    Thanks, I couldn't find any of the ones we would normally use going up so early, it appears to be totally random!!

  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
    500 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited December 2016 #24

    Yes, as Wirral and Chester's peak season start on 30 June.

    Both DM and EH work out at £20 per night in peak season (26 May-30 Sept) for 2 adults and 2 children, £17.20 for 2 adults.  So, cheaper than full facility sites, but why is the peak season 4 months long?  

  • oooooooh
    oooooooh Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited December 2016 #25

    I wish they would extend the mid-week discount to ALL WEEK ! We're finding it a very expensive hobby now. Perhaps time to call it a day!

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #26

    Maybe HO have P & L sheets for each individual site & pricing for the year ahead is worked out from the previous year’s income/expenditure/usage by members etc. which could possibly account for varied price structure/offers etc. at sites.

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,585
    1000 Comments 250 Likes Photogenic
    edited December 2016 #27

    Quite a few sites in the North of England seem to have the longer peak period charge from Berwick Seaview, down to Chester but not all. I suspect they have identified the sites that fill up with Scots but for some reason have missed Blackpool which I would have thought was one that would do well from up here.

    However you look at it it makes good business sense.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #28

    All sites have their own end of year balance sheets, i understand a copy is sent to each site

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,673 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited December 2016 #29

    Being at a loose end today I had  a look at prices.

    As well as Chester and Wirral, high season also starts at the end of June at Berwick Seaview, Bolton Abbey, Bridlington, Hawes, Old Hartley, River Breamish, Scarborough, York Beechwood and York Rowntree.

    At Cheltenham Racecourse, Dockray Meadow, Englethwaite and Moorhampton, it lasts from the May BH till the end of September.

    While at Camelford, Pandy, Slinfold, Stover and Thetford Forest, summer is less expensive than the 2 BHs in May and end of August.

    Really complicated!

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,673 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited December 2016 #30

    There are several that I would have thought would be popular that have been "missed", it does not really make much sense to me to include some but not others.

    Popular sites in the SW are lower rate till up to the 21st, do EG think that we Scots do not venture that far south?!

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2016 #31

    Maybe its to attempt more from North of the Border to come south,wink