Why so expensive
This topic has been raise before but i have never seen a reply from the club. WE pay £49 a year membership for what,, to pat the excessive salaries of some of the staff. because i do not consider that this fee benifits the members. I am shortly of on a 5 week trip to Spain where the site fees including serviced pitches will cost me £364 for 21 days for the same period on the club site in Brighton would have cost me £597 (21 day is the maximum that you can book on a club site,) I am old enought to have enjoyed the Enroute magazine when there were items that were of interest to members, the current magazine takes me 5 minutes to read because there is nothing of interest unless you want to read the adverts?. will seriocly consider re newing my membership next year. THe only thing that i would miss would be the network of Cl.
Comments
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It all depends on whether we, as individuals, consider we get reasonable value for our membership fee. If the answer is in the negative, Farmhouse, then maybe the time has come to let it go. However, if you think the CLs are something you'd miss, then maybe they alone are worth the fee.
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I spend about 80% of nights away on CC sites. So 100 nights. Works out at 50p additional per site. However I happily use Mayday and Club Insurance. Like the simplicity of booking sites conveniently in one place and no faff regarding deposit. Like the general standard of sites and staff. For me £25 for what I consider OK internet connection during probably 70 nights a year so 36p a day. I have been on some commercials that have been far dearer. Flexibility as no minimum lengths of booking. So for me worthwhile and well worth the membership.
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Discounts on services and from suppliers, access to private sites, free help & advice, All for less than a £1 a week........
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I seriously question the need to point out that any member is considering leaving the C&MC, if the C&MC are not value for money to you personally then don't renew. There are a lot on here say the same thing every few months as if it's a profound threat-it isn't
. I see members posting who 'threatened' to leave over the name change, they're still members
. If the C&MC suit you-stay, if not-go.6 -
So, I think you're saying that means you're happy to stay a member, David.
Grass greener? I thought it was browner judging by some of the pics I've seen.
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I can't think why this conversation crops up as frequently as it does to be honest. If you don't think something is value for money, then where I come from, common sense kicks in and that particular service isn't taken up! But if it does have value, for whatever reason, be it ferries, insurance, sites, CLs, and special offers, then of course it does have value. The really canny ones amongst us (mainly Yorkshire based
) make sure they get the price of membership back by using Great Days Out offers, and discounts in shops such as Mountain Warehouse etc... We have been known to save as much as four times the joining fee if we do lots of days out and buy some new kit!No idea if GDO and branches of MW overseas, but others must save on membership even if the preference is over the water, surely?
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That is the perfect reason then AD!
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What are you actually saying? Had the Brighton site been the same price as you are paying in Spain you would have stayed at home? Sites in Spain may well average out at £17 a night but you do have the add the crossing and any insurances you have pay for and that will soon send the nightly price spiraling. At the end of the day if the club is not for you then why be a member? If you really feel there are no benefits to you don't don't renew. But carefully consider what you would be missing especially if the CL network is important to you, perhaps put aside your other reservations and stay.
David
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There is certainly nothing wrong in comparing prices, but only insofar as comparing the overall cost of the holiday. As DK says there are lots of additional costs. As we actually use CAMC sites (a lot ) my way of looking at it would be that what we are saving on site costs pays the Autoroute tolls. I would not want to relinquish my membership as we still want to use the sites in this country and accept they are more expensive than those abroad. Similarly if you value the CL network and use it a fair bit £49 is not a lot to pay.
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My beef is why club sites cost so much. I would dearly love to see more of this country but it is too expensive to stay on club sites I do use CL and perhaps the £49 is worth it for that network on its own. I do not use any of the clubs other service because they are too expensive. For Red pennant I use ADAC the German equivalent to the AA for foreign breakdown, I always book the tunnel for my crossing usually using Tesco vouchers but this year I have taken the frequent traveller with Euro tunnel Which cost me £440 for ten crossings which I can share with my son. The caravan then costs £44 for each journey. Caravan Insurance I have never found them to be cheaper. So yes I have the option to leave which I will consider I first joined the club in 1978 and apart for a few years when we stopped caravanning have always been a member
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I thought your beef was with the membership fee, FH, now it seems it's site fees that you consider expensive so I'm a bit confused.
Site fees aren't always expensive, especially if you avoid peak times or use the non-facility sites.
At the end of the day, only you can decide and nobody here can make that choice for you.
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My question was where does the £49 membership go ?. It does not in any way subsidise the cost of the club sites. The example was that if I were to stay in a club site (I chose Brighton because it was a seaside site) It would cost me over £28 per night in September, not exactly high season, It should not go to subsidise the other services offered by the club. Red Pennant, Insurance, Ferry offers should all be money making services. If I take the cost of foreign sites (£364 +£176 tunnel both) ways it is still cheaper than the club site in the UK
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I think you need to study the annual accounts, FH, as it's unreasonable to expect an answer on the forum.
As has been pointed out, it is nonsensical to compare the cost of sites overseas with those here because the whole financial structure of foreign countries (eg tax, utilities) is different as are the sites' operating costs.
You have so many concerns that it might be the right thing for you to do to just leave and have done with it.
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Our son has been Jetting around europe for his company in the last two months, and one of the things he says that he has really noticed is how much more "relaxed" they are in most countries,in respect of regulations, that are supposed to be an EU directive, that we in this country will for what ever reason will implement to the letter,and how they manage to "get round" employment laws,
He was in eastern europe this last week and was saying that he met a Doctor and Dentist couple who were amazed at his salary,as they were on 800 and 600 euro per month
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Well I did consider leaving the Caravan Club, (Will never use the other name) but agreed with several others that the annual membership is worth it just to have access to the CL network.
Have not stayed at a club site for over two years now as we find many commercial sites are cheaper, if there is no convenient CL near where we want to be.
TF
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Is £49 membership expensive 😱 when you see all the nice caravans/Motorhomes & cars on our sites , probably not for most .
I can think of other things that I would love not to pay for ......but that's another story , C&CC have just put their membership this year ...£38 any takers 😇
After all both clubs are voluntary subscription aren't they 👍
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Grenville for £49 or Julia Bradbury for £38. Hmmm.
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Reading this I have to question why we remain members.
We have not used a CL this year.
I can book ferries through another agent and get the same price (sometimes cheaper)
We don't use Red Pennant (we have yearly Euro & UK breakdown cover, free)
Don't use Mayday (see above)
Have only ever once used Days out Vouchers
Mmmm must give this some thought............. we do stay on C&MC sites (not in high season) and rather like them and the ease of the booking system, there I knew I would find a reason
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If it wasn't for CL's I wouldn't bother with membership. For the number of days we use club sites we could pay a couple of quid more if we wanted to stay. I get a better ferry deal using ferries direct, particularly on the Harwich - HOH route. Equally good insurance for van, health, breakdown etc. from elsewhere
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Just had 1 night in Suffolk on a cl, loo shower no quequeing😀£14. just got to sandringham £65 two nights, 7 am back after a nettle stung walk with the gun dog, can't get near a loo" the site smells of sewage to boot😜 £20 a night is ample. Just saying like.
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Personally I do not think the fee is too bad however I think they should introduce a discount for those who do not want the magazine delivered but use the app instead to view it like the C&CC do. Apart from the printing cost say £1 and at least 50p for postage this could reduce the fee by £10-£18 a year alone.
When you say excessive salaries are you saying that people who work for the club should work for free or in poor quality offices etc?
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Fancy that - yet another thread starting this way!
I'm not sure if it's the same as ringing your insurance company hoping they'll knock a few quid off if you stay with them?
Well, for under £1 a week for two of us we're satisfied with the membership which allows us to use CLs - just back from one last week in fact. We use club sites in low season and for two people and two dogs they usually work out cheaper, night for night, than many comparable commercial sites (although, admittedly some of them offer very good special deals at times, usually though if you're staying a set number of nights.)
At the end of the day, if you're not satisfied with what the club offers, there is only one sensible answer - and it's not coming on CT whinging (IMH)!
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I must have missed something while away getting some sunshine.
Has something changed? Are people now forced to buy membership?
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