Weekend one-nighters
Comments
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We were members 10 years ago and left because of this ridiculous booking system that allows people to book the year and then cancel and not go. When my holiday is finally allocated from work we can't get on the sites we want. We joined this year because a site warden told us they were tackling this by limiting those that cancel more than twice in a year. If this is not correct I think I will be asking for a membership refund and go elsewhere again!!!!
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well how do you know for certain that people book and then do not go? The club says it's data says otherwise?
And again the club has given details of those who do cancel after the 72 hours and how they were dealt in a past magazine I believe. However this number was very low.
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That's possibly because there are a few posters who do thoroughly understand the booking system, and despite being thought of as less than helpful, are in fact trying to clear up mistakes and help others get the best out of the system! And still get criticised for debunking the same mythological beliefs around serial bookings and multiple cancellations that are pedalled each year!
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Agree ET! there is indeed a common denominator! And one or two trolls in there for the fun! Not always posting but certainly "liking" on the sly!
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You do not have to be online at 8:00 unless you want a particular popular site such as BW, RP, Chatsworth etc. Plenty of availability at all sites for all of the year despite the myths of block bookers, serial cancellers etc.
As ET says above its only the people trying to book the above sites that are complaining, everyone else seems to accept the situation.
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I think that, generally, only the discontented few will bother to post and moan because the system doesn’t suit them. They will regurgitate the same old hearsay about block bookings and cancellations.
The majority of us will accept that life does not always give us what we want and we move on.
I think we can take it for granted that the odd few who lurk and like are rather disenfranchised by their own actions and are akin to someone outside in the cold peering in through the window at the fun taking place within.
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I certainly wasn't up at 8am, just couldn't be bothered. 10 am, took me 90 seconds.
At least it has given the forum a bit of life all this speculating, I do agree on that!
But that's it for me this year, back to nice phone calls to CL owners for rest of our bookings!
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I wanted a mid week start for a week at York, for an anniversary trip we make every year to different sites, and had to book the first dates under the old booking list then wait for 6th to book the remaining days. Thankfully I was lucky enough to get the rest of the dates on booking day and I see today that every weekend for Rowntree Park is booked for the whole of 2018. Not surprising given the local ammenaties available.
I generally would leave home on a Sunday if we were touring so often can get the sunday night available as I notice on sites that many travel Saturday to Saturday and stay the week.
Often I stop for just the one night too if travelling too far for a single days drive and I generally dont book well in advance, except for this one week in March each year because the anniversary is fixed, prefering to keeping options and dates open as I no longer work.
Whilst I appreciate this may be difficult for some I like the current system even if it means you cannot get where you want on occasions, which has happened to me too.
As said earlier we are a touring club, even if many members, or perhaps the vast majority, do not actually tour. Much easier, and cheaper, on the continent generally but even this last year we encountered full sites and had to find others to stay at
Regards, Roy2 -
+1
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Seems a lot of content as been removed, shame
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I knew his brother, Leo...
He was a bit of a one man band as well from memory...
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Mainly the anti-social attacks on fellow posters I think👍🏻😊
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No Nav, there are at least 3 others of us out there.
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I feel I have let the side down booking on Frenzy Day!
Needs must though!0 -
Well someone had to do it!!
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I do believe a maximum already exists, 21 nights if my memory serves me right. Thankfully, and more importantly, there is no minimum, you can book one or twenty one nights as required, subject to availability, That's a significantly positive attribute in the current system which is valued by many. I believe this also means that most, if not all, available 'odd' nights can be filled on those few busy sites on the network. These sites incidentally, always seem to be full all the time and you can't get any 'fuller' than full. Afterall, much of the membership only get one or two consecutive nights away and available to them outside of what is their main holiday period in order to enjoy our pastime. As for deposits, I'm a firm believer that these would have little effect on the cancellation issue for the many reasons folk have already eluded to. The 'hard' application of non-returnable deposits would impact seriously on many members and would be detrimental to attracting new and younger members I reckon. A 'soft' implementation would allow folk to employ 'get out' clauses to amend/escape from their bookings. This would only serve to maintain a situation very much like what currently exists today. Why should the minority and insignificant few who abuse the system dictate what the rest of us fellow members enjoy!
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An honest member, I too got what I wanted but they were not bookings on popular sites. Someone has already pointed out, getting members to say they dislike the system is like asking turkeys to vote for Christmas. If I am honest I am a bit of a turkey but deep down I don't feel as though the current system is the right way for the Club to do business. A review of the current system is alleged to be currently taking place, something must have sparked that review but what, isn’t in the public domain. Nothing further has been seen or heard about it either. Is it still ongoing I wonder?
peedee
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Yes exactly what I would say, HP sites will be just as popular with deposits as they are now.
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Peedee, according to the Marketing Director, interviewed in MMM this month, there will be a new system for next year.
i copied his comment into another thread somewhere.
the club acknowledged that FD was a painful experience for many. despite posts on CT, i guess.
..the 'strong suggestion' was that CC (which had checked out other providers in the same market (C&CC?)) would be moving to a rolling release of dates.
regarding my own FD experience...i ended up with far more than i thought i would go for....
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Have to hold my hands up for a one night booking......in mitigation, (a) am from 'up north' and embarking an early morning ferry from Poole to Cherbourg...so booked Hunters Moon for one night rather than a 'fiver' for a lane berth on the quayside and (b) as ttda says, 'its touring organisation`'...
Aside, didn't have any problem booking my chosen dates for 2018..even with three 'honeypot' sites...perhaps it was because I was sat in A&E at 07:45hrs with a 4 hour wait in front of me..
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"regarding my own FD experience...i ended up with far more than i thought i would go for...."
Absolutely nothing wrong with that of course, BB, as long as you intend to honour them and not cancel, particularly if they're for popular sites at peak times (like, say, Hillhead at New Year!)
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thanks for checking up on me M....i guessed youd be off the mark pretty sharpish...
just to keep you upto date, wont be going the Hillhead for New Year, have cancelled that....easy, just a click....going somewhere else now.
re FD, yes booked all the HPs, some for many weeks in a row (as Micky said) you can have 21 nights, so why settle for a weekend, or indeed a one nighter?
i can now choose my actual dates (or none) at my leisure, anyway any cancellations i put back into the system close to the time will help all the 'unfortunates' that missed out, giving them a second chance.
of course, if i had to fork out for decent deposits or (worse) pay in total up front, i would probably not bothered.
however, i think ive fitted in all the 'advantages' of the system in the above post, havent i?
, just following all the advice of those who keep telling me how good it is...and i agree......i think its great, if you cant beat them.....
and, as i knew the system was changing for next year, this was my last chance to try it out....
works well for those (like me) that can play the system, shame they're changing it
oooops.....then like Bobby Ewing i woke up and had missed them all
..just a dream......phew!
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