Would It Work ? – Open for sensible debate.
Comments
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I really wished I could put my fingers on the statistics now, but there are a relatively small number of site nights booked on 'booking day'. However, the most popular sites do tend to get booked up quickly. I have no strong feeling about having a 'booking day' or a 'rolling booking system'.
DSB
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I think from memory it was in the order of 10% to 15% of all site nights for the whole year , that was booked on ' Booking Day '
I'm sure someone will be along with the actual figures .👍
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That is my point David, there is little evidence in the public domain one way or the other which is why I said it was perceived. Posts like this, and others of a similar type can only feed the perception that there are problems even if it is only from observing posts made by those who have encountered them. Maybe it is only a small minority who have them and complain but it can be infectious and cannot be good for the Club. There have been improvements during the life of the forum but the problems evidently have not gone away.
peedee
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Yep, and it works. <guilty> not that I would have been bothered by getting a letter and a black mark in February of this year, when I had no choice but to cancel the day before I was due at Broadway (car fault) as I wouldn't make a habit of it and I've hardly used Club sites this year, so a ticking off wouldn't have affected me. However, I did test the wardens' theory, and it worked. No letter, no word from the Club
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Yup, beans.... spilled
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Are you sure that works? I was always under the impression that the amendment had to at least overlap the original booking. If not, it's certainly a loophole which needs closing, though since it's never been mentioned on here before I'm guessing it's extremely rare.
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Very sure, the day before I was due at Broadway, I checked availability for the same site and picked a weekend that was available a couple of weeks later. Amended the dates of the booking I couldn't fulfill, to the new dates. Waited for the confirmation email, then cancelled that new booking. The warden (I won't say where from) was correct.
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Like I said, I'd have taken a letter and a black mark on the chin, nothing I could do, the fault appeared on the car the day before the planned weekend break and I couldn't get it repaired in time due to an overloaded dealer. It was an opportunity though to test what the warden had told me. It's a loophole that would no doubt be closed by the Club if they see it happening a lot, but it does exist, for now.
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it's not a secret, doesn't everyone know this? It was talked about in the club magazine and again it's allowed within the rules. And it could be seen as a perk of club membership. I can't travel tomorrow as (insert reason here) but I'll go away next week or whenever.
Of course if it was a secret everyone knows now!
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thanks!
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and thanks again
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Well, everyone that reads this thread on this forum, which in the grand scheme of things, is a somewhat small portion of the membership. So the 'secret' is unlikely to become an epidemic.
I didn't know about the 'loophole' until said warden mentioned it, but I didn't for one moment think it was a completely unknown phenomena.
It does make a mockery of the 72 hr rule though, which is hardly a threat for those in the know. Wink Wink
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Most of those complaining about the present system say that they cannot book those sites that they want due to the sites being fully booked at weekend at certain times of the year. No matter which system booking honey pot sites at weekend will remain a lottery.
If booking is not permitted until a few months before the dates to be booked it might ease the process as for weekenders but not for folk, like me who insist on 'all the ducks in a row' site wise before going off for 6 weekss or so. It would mean my booking a tour of 8 or more sites piecemeal rather than all done and dusted in one session. Not something I would wish for and particularly doing so whilst away in the caravan as well.
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The deposit system is not a problem for me.
The CCC require a 25% deposit on booking with the balance on arrival whilst some private sites are are up to 100% with booking.
I'll go with the flow.
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Weekdays at the times of year I travel are rarely a problem. I have been surprised however that some sites are full at weekend outside main school hols.
We are away 120 nights and I suspect that 100 are on CC sites. If we say that is £24 a night for a couple then a 25% deposit would be £600. Not a problem I suppose but something l would prefer not to do. I do pay deposirs on commercial sites.
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There is a way around the problem as I have found.
Dont book with the CMC, join and book with the C&CC giving the option to book a lot further in advance if one wishes which better guarantees the chance of getting the sites in the areas you want to visit for the duration you want to book.
The two clubs operate different booking systems so there is the option available to all who prefer one against the other. I'm not one complaining about the way CMC do things, it just doesn't suit me, so my money will go to the other club.
As for the differing standards of the sites between CMC and the C&CC, in the past the two were chalk and cheese but in recent times, the C&CC have been investing wisely and have lifted their sites up to a much better standard. The brand new Derwentwater site is particularly lovely, have booked 4 weeks their at different times in 2018, including Christmas and New Year.
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ET has posited a scenario of 120 nights away entailing a deposit of £600 against an overall cost of getting on for three grand. Are we to suppose that anyone contemplating that amount of investment in site fees is unable to have sufficient wherewithal to fund deposits for such bookings. You are going to have to find it all in one go later in any case.
As I have posted before on numerous occasions, the retention of credit card details by the Club is all that is required to enable a penalty to be exacted from abusers of any system where deposits are not taken.
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I think that ET and others like him are not the 'average' member who books club sites. yes there are many like him (lucky chaps and chappettes) but the club did publish the average number of nights book and number of bookings per year and they were much much lower?
Also that represents a booking deposit of 20%, is that what people want to pay for a deposit. My holiday abroad next week cost a lot more than £3000 but all they wanted was £100 deposit, yes I had to off the balance before a certain date but even so.
And yes while the whole amount has to be paid off, why should ET give up £600 to the club six months early or whatever rather than keep it in his own bank account (I know you’re an ex banker CY but still), when it has been shown that deposits lead to more no shows.
Maybe it's just me but I don't like the idea of giving the club, or anyone my card details to be kept open like this. I even don't like it in hotels and pubs where they swipe your card and keep it open till you leave/finished your meal.
Also can an organisation take money out of your account like this? Ok imagine I leave before paying at the hotel/pub, can they then really take money out without my final pin? I suppose they have my details and can get to me through them but to actually take money out?
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Also can an organisation take money out of your account like this? Ok imagine I leave before paying at the hotel/pub, can they then really take money out without my final pin? I suppose they have my details and can get to me through them but to actually take money out?
I think normally they can. You will have agreed to it when accepting their T&C's when you booked or signed on arrival. I don't even think they need that 3 digit number on the back. Certainly when paying over the phone, I have been told, oh we don't need that. Then when the artical arrives there is a CC receipt with it headed, client not present. It was the reason in the good old days of manual machines for CC's you were advised to get hold of the carbons, particularly when abroad.
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There is a way around the problem as I have found.
Dont book with the CMC, join and book with the C&CC giving the option to book a lot further in advance if one wishes which better guarantees the chance of getting the sites in the areas you want to visit for the duration you want to book.
At present the CC system presents no problems for me to get around. In response to CY therre is not one lump aum to pay out. My holidays arein 4 parts. 3 tours and one long stay through the year.
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If the present system works for you that's great, I don't think they should change it because it will never suit everyone all of the time. Thats the thing about choice, it works for some and it doesn't work for others.
It doesn't suit me as much as it suits you, that's fine and it means the likes of me are better off with the alternatives available.
if the CC booking system changed to be more like the C&CC, then the choice would disappear leaving some happy, others disappointed. By having different systems offered by the two big clubs, customers can make an informed decision who they place their bookings with. Each have their advantages and disadvantages which members take into account when making their holiday plans.
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Now, doesn't that comment completely sum up the situation?
David
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yes
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