Booking Fees for the Honeypots
Comments
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Truly my view Corner. If we paid a deposit on booking it would need to be substantial enough to make it a factor. Should it be per booking? If so book 14 days for say £20 for a long stay or, if moving around may be as much as £100 to cover the same period. Maybe there should be a £10 a night booking fee to be fair to all members?
In my view the present system is not broken. Change the system and the honeypot sites will be just as difficult to book.
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Again, EasyT, that's not what I was suggesting!
I am well aware of how your tour from previous posts and the club is your best friend for that, but not the friend of families like ours. And I can fully see why you would not want anything to change, it all works to your advantage, you get your cake and are able to eat it!
The thing I find unfair is paying the same membership fees and then having to book commercial sites, because there are no pitches available in the areas we want to go to on CC sites. I get no cake and have to pick up the crumbs off the floor
Next year, I am simply going to have to book multiple weekends and certain sites, with no intent of using the pitches except for 1 or 2 weekends, just to make sure I take advantage of the membership fee. I will then cancel the bookings when I know which ones I wont use.
I guess that sounds fair.
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If that is the only way that it works for you I suppose OK CJ.
Most of my bookings have little affect on members with families family. Usually there is spare capacity on any sites that I go onto. It is just occasionally that I would luck out due to events in an area or not realising the popularity of a site. If we had a deposit system I would simply book the required Fridays and Saturdays for example. The present honeypot sites hold no attraction for me.
When I was working I would have no problem getting the holidays that I wanted. I was fortunate in that I always planned my own workload programme and had done so from age 40 I guess. If I needed to hit a target date to provide a scheme for a developer for example I would, when necessary, work 70 hours a week and was able to recover my time. Because I was productive I was fortunate to be one of the few given a relatively free hand in that regard. My pass for the office gave me access from 7 am up to 10pm 7 days a week rather than 7.30am to 7.30pm as most had for weekdays only. I made full use of it. It also enabled me to effectively take 12 weeks a year leave.
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The thing I find unfair is paying the same membership fees and then having to book commercial sites, because there are no pitches available in the areas we want to go to on CC sites. I get no cake and have to pick up the crumbs off the floor
That is simply due to your work system and your particular situation. If booking was rolling and able to book three months ahead would you then be any better off. That is would you know three months ahead when you were free at weekends.
Many of those working have to book most of the main holiday periods many months ahead to reserve the required dates for weeks away. My OH did.
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Being a working family with kids, we are unable to book sites on the bun fight day, as we cannot plan that far ahead for weekends, with school activities, overtime etc
Next year, I am simply going to have to book multiple weekends and certain sites, with no intent of using the pitches except for 1 or 2 weekends, just to make sure I take advantage of the membership fee. I will then cancel the bookings when I know which ones I wont use
I guess that sounds fair.
In the past I too was in that position. I just accepted it, I certainly didn't try and twist the system to suit my own situation though. It is however totally within the rules and therefore fair and your choice CJ, so if you can live with it then do it.
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Next year, I am simply going to have to book multiple weekends and certain sites, with no intent of using the pitches except for 1 or 2 weekends, just to make sure I take advantage of the membership fee. I will then cancel the bookings when I know which ones I wont use.
I guess that sounds fair.
Doesn't sound very fair to me CJ.
When I was working I just accepted I could not book when I wanted and put up with it. Now I am retired and there are other constraints, which is why incidentally I like the CC's booking cancellation policy. However, I would never book something without the intention of using it.
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sorry meant to have fair in quotes, as in 'fair' as it applies to all
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I agree the current frenzy day is unfair to working families. I have 3 suggestions;
1 A limit to the number of nights you can have booked at any one time (say) 21 nights, or
2 A rolling booking period as already suggested
3 A transferable deposit when you book of (say) 25% of the total cost and extend the cancellation period to (say) one month when you have to pay the balance in full. Failure to pay the balance would leave the booking being cancelled but you retain the deposit as a credit for the next booking you make.If you cancel after you've paid the balance you get your balance as a credit but forfeit the deposit.
None of these are rocket science and wouldn't be a problem as far as IT is concerned.
Just some thoughts.
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Let me first say , I'm completely in favour of no deposits what's so ever , but your post does actually show just how in a common sense approch booking with deposits could work.
It would certainly put an end to the wild , no facts speculation regarding members making numerous booking & then just cancelling on a wimp .
Certainly it would free up pitches that wouldn't have been available until later & that's got to be good for everyone..........👍
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1. Not a lot of use to me personally. My first tour last year was 7 weeks
2. Rolling period. Doubt that would help those who because of work or family are unable to plan ahead.
3. More faff having to pay the balance a month ahead. Might give opportunity for CC to add a cancellation insurance to their provisions however and generate income
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I can completely understand your concerns , like I said I'm in favour of no deposits what so ever , but do realise that the current system doesn't suit everyone.
That's just the way it is I'm afraid & all this totally unfounded speculation regarding members booking & cancelling will continue , because some people will always think they know better 😉 won't they.
Indeed we need to make the current system work for us , until someone comes along with something different...........😇
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"..wouldn't be a problem as far as IT is concerned" Yeah, right.
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I don't know if earlier Cornersteady was referring to the current magazine but for those that have not seen the latest magazine there is a very long reply from the Club on this very subject. Don't know if the OP of this thread also wrote the letter but they are similar. The reply covers most of the issues raised here so might be worth a read.
Just a shame the Club don't reply so comprehensively on this forum as they do in the magazine, in fact I wonder if they take any notice of what is said here without someone from forum admin requesting such information?
David
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It's on page 62 in response to a letter and yes things are not to change.
An interesting point is that they actually looked at those members who booked multiple dates and then cancelled.
Last year we took a look at those members who booked many dates and then subsequently cancelled - there were only about 500 of them
Then it said ( I think) that the majority of these 500 continued to make as many bookings if not more, by altering their stay or site.
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There we are, then. There's no point in continuing the debate.
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That's good so they take notice of most members then
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It's a Catch 22 situation in that some members think it's a problem and other members don't. Frenzy day is a problem and I'm afraid I've taken the attitude of "if you can't beat them join them". I booked quite a few weekends at a "honeypot" site to ensure I got them. I suspect we will use them all but..................
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It's a Catch 22 situation in that some members think it's a problem and other members don't. Frenzy day is a problem and I'm afraid I've taken the attitude of "if you can't beat them join them". I booked quite a few weekends at a "honeypot" site to ensure I got them. I suspect we will use them all but..................
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