Why so expensive

2

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  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,829 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #32

    Unlike the National Trust and the RHS, where membership gets you into their sites free of charge, here you have pay the site fees and pay for membership as well. I think it's just to keep the riff raff out. 

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #33

    I appreciate that's probably said tongue in cheek, et, but actually, non members of NT and RHS can get access to all their sites for around a tenner per head - £20 per couple - which makes club pitch fees for non members a bit of a bargain!!! tongue-out

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited August 2017 #34

    The price is what it is. Either live with it or go elsewhere. The CMC is doing alright financially and they are continually attracting new members, so their business model is sound.

    K

  • compass362
    compass362 Forum Participant Posts: 619
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    edited August 2017 #35

    I don't see the members of the National Trust & RHS pitching up & staying over night ......there's the differences 😜

  • compass362
    compass362 Forum Participant Posts: 619
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    edited August 2017 #36

    +1😜

  • TrackerEKS
    TrackerEKS Forum Participant Posts: 21
    edited August 2017 #37

    I think we have to pay for the privilege of using our sites, most are of a very high standard.  What i do find expensive are the affiliated sites, some only offer a £1 per night discount for club members, so how were these negotiated?  

    With regard to the members magazine i agree it has dropped in editorial content and seems full of advertisements.

    There was at the start of this year a change in the name of the club, which seemed to have been kept totally under wraps until the show in February.  The club is a membership organisation yet there was no consultation on this, and just how much did it cost and can we see a value to that change

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,857 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #38

    A lot of people seem to think the grass is greener? I am glad we have the CL network for those that like them I have only very rarely used them. I prefer to have a bit going on around me, I am not a great one for solitude. We are currently planning a month long trip in the UK which will involve a mix of Club sites and commercial sites. It's only when you start to use commercial sites that you realise how easy it is to use Club sites!!! Price wise I can see little difference in fact I seem to be paying more than Club sites for facilities which don't look as good. I am also having to commit to a fair amount of money in deposits if I were to book all the sites I need. 

    David

  • KjellNN
    KjellNN Club Member Posts: 8,665 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #39

    We use the Club for caravan insurance, Mayday, Red Pennant, ferry bookings, and the occasional CL,  so membership is worthwhile just for those, but we are finding most of the sites are getting expensive, even out of peak season.

     The only reason we are still using them is the ease of booking, lack of needing a deposit, and the ease of making changes when necessary.

    Plenty of other sites have as good facilities and are less expensive  at the times we go away.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2017 #40

    Whenever I have checked nearby commercial site of a similar standard to CC sites I see little price difference for the two of us at the times of year we tour. Sometimes they may be a couple of quid less, However by the time we have paid for wifi compared to the clubs annual offering there has been no real saving. 

     

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited August 2017 #41

    ....but at least it will work, Alan....wink

    we're currently at Crealy Meadows (high season, holiday destination, park pretty full), not our normal 'thing' but have one year old GD with us to check out the amimal enclosures and tiny tots amusements, while mum gads about on a week long hen do 'en Espagne'.

    the free wifi is as fast as any I've used on a campsite, even makes this crummy old website (just about) usable...so theres a lot of bunkum typed on this forum about not being able to deliver decent wifi to a large site.....this facility id also all over the amusement park and its fast there too.

    ps, nap time for GD.....ahwink

    pps, OH bought the £25 annual pass but has been disappointing and has ended up tethering to my phone more often than not....

  • Randomcamper
    Randomcamper Club Member Posts: 1,062 ✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #42

    I must have missed something while away getting some sunshine.

    You have Corners......

    A  massive thread on Arrival Times........

    But I doubt there's much there you haven't seen before....smile

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited August 2017 #43

    OH bought the £25 annual pass but has been disappointing and has ended up tethering to my phone more often than not....
     
     We have occasionally had free wifi, but rarely. I have been pleased with CC wifi. Not found any general problems that some complain of. Mainly used to surf web, e-mails etc but on the odd occasion when I have wanted to use youtube to check who sung what etc I have had no problem. 

    I often wonder whether it is sometimes the users equipment. The reason for this is that I have read a couple of complaints about wifi at Southport CC. Whenever I have stayed over the last few years on different parts of the site I have had good reception and no speed problem. Not been in August peak however.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited August 2017 #44

    NT members Pay CC members prices on any site that is leased from the NT, ie Clumber park

  • Randomcamper
    Randomcamper Club Member Posts: 1,062 ✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #45

    Or it could be like Costco or Go Outdoors, where you have to pay for a membership card but still have to pay for the stuff in the shop.......wink

  • Unknown
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    edited August 2017 #46
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  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited August 2017 #47

    thanks for the reply, When I've got a spare hour I've give it a readsmile

  • juliec
    juliec Forum Participant Posts: 16
    edited November 2017 #48

    We like many others only stay members to use the CLs although many of those are becoming pricey. Caravan club sites are far too expensive and we find that we can book on better private sites who have special offers on and you do not get the Caravan Club feeling of keeping up with the Jones'

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #49

    Personally, I couldn't care less what Jones does and I’ve never come across that attitude.

    How do you know what happens on Club sites if you don’t use them, Juliec? undecided

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2017 #50

    Private sites usually have offers when I don't want them. Or offers such as pay for 5 nights and stay 7. I don't want to stay 7 nights smile

     

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2017 #51
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  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
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    edited November 2017 #52

    Morris Leisure is  3 for 2. until 16/12.  Much better value than the worn out site at Lady Margaret in the same period.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #53

    Not necessarily so,F!

    I just did a mock booking - 3 nights at Morris Leisure for the 2 of us, 2 dogs and porch awning came out at £88.80. Lady Margaret's Park came out at £52.80. Even assuming the Morris quote was without the 3 for 2 offer the reduction would make it £59.20 for us.

    These offers look very attractive until you dig down to see what they involve.

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited November 2017 #54

    One cannot judge an organisation by price alone. While the price is significant, Value for money is more important.--  eg---Does the organisation provide sites closest to the areas you want to tour ?; is the site a pleasant place to park your van, or is it a supermarket car park clone.? Are the site rules to ensure the comfort of all campers enforced throughout the particular network ?.etc---It's up to each individual to choose what is important and to choose whichever campsites fit the criteria. 

    K

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #55

    Absolutely right, K. Little point having the best special offers in places you don't intend to visit! smile

  • Fisherman
    Fisherman Forum Participant Posts: 2,367
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    edited November 2017 #56

    We ACTUALLY use them and they are better value than Lady Margaret. when you take into consideration the difference in facilities. Its 2 OAP only in our case. Cant talk about dogs.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #57

    That's exactly my point, F. Good value and a better deal for you but not necessarily for everyone. It's up to folk to do a bit of research and find out what works best for them. It may be a good offer, but as K implies above, price isn't everything. smile

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2017 #58
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  • groovy cleaner
    groovy cleaner Forum Participant Posts: 208
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    edited November 2017 #59

    I see there are a lot of discussions about the prices for 2018 ,I had already decided not to rejoin so the price increase made me think no thanks I am suffering from depression due to my circumstances so have decided I need to go on new adventures ,the places I visit frequently are not near a pub when It's nice weather I can stay in a pub car park if I want and seaside towns in my county the club sites are no where near the sea so going to private sites that are ....

    as been said it all depends on what you want from the club and from a site as well so it's good bye from me in March !!!

  • MichaelT
    MichaelT Forum Participant Posts: 1,874
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    edited November 2017 #60

    Since getting the MH we have started to use non facility sites (don't ask why we never did it in the caravan) and for £14 a night for a HS pitch with generally 16a EHU we find them good value and cheaper then many CL's.  Only one that's not is Thetford where at weekends they put the price up to £20 which is expensive but its in a place we want to be but in summer next year we will go to CL's instead.