What are you all up to
Comments
-
That's what worries me too, Swifty2018. What if the whole season is a wet one? It can happen! We have had wet summers before in the past. Would that mean my seasonal pitch gets cancelled for the whole season?
1 -
When we arrived on site, cariadon, at first the warden told us that we weren't on the list of having a seasonal pitch. Then she said we were supposed to phone on Wednesday to confirm but because I didn't phone they assumed that I wasn't going to take up my seasonal pitch. However, the information I received from the club said that I should phone IF I wanted to pre-book a particular pitch but not to worry because there would always be 4 pitches available should all the other pitches be pre-booked.
Last year when I phoned to pre-book as per instructions, the warden's phone was constantly engaged so it was impossible to get through. By the time the phone line was clear, all the pitches had been pre-booked so only 4 pitches were available. So this time I decided it was useless to pre-book. Better just to arrive and take whatever is left available. However, the warden kept insisting that I should have phoned as it wasn't her responsibilty to contact me to let me know what was happening. Surely, if there was a change, they could have phoned or emailed me about it instead of waiting until I arrived and delivering such a shock to me on arrival?
This has never happened to me before which is why I was taken by surprise! I couldn't believe my ears when I was told on arrival that I wasn't on her list of seasonal pitch holders. After all, I had paid for the whole season in advance and never suggested cancellation.
0 -
The email I received from the club told me that my pitch would be available from 10 a.m. on 16th March NOT 12 noon. Nevertheless, it was well after 12 noon when we actually arrived.
0 -
My wife spoke to one of the other seasonals here and was told that they had paid the extra for two weeks.
0 -
It hasn't been refunded yet, brue. I was only told it will be refunded but no idea when. I need the pitch, not the money back! I said to the warden that I have never cancelled a seasonal pitch. So she said, I'm new here so I don't know you! I explained to her that I can't park the caravan at my home address because the driveway is not long enough to fit such a large caravan on it, so I need a pitch regardless of the weather.
Also, brue, when yours was delayed or cancelled were you told in advance about it or did that happen on arrival?
0 -
That's what my wife thinks. It's their land and their decision and we just have to accept it and be grateful that at least we have been offered an alternative on the same site, albeit at an increased cost to us. It would have been nice, if they had offered us the alternative, at no additional cost, seeing that we had already paid the club £1300 for the pitch but unfortunately, they are not willing to do that! Maybe, with so many cancellations due to the weather, it would cause a shortfall in their finances. So perhaps they need the extra money. I'll just have to work the necessary extra hours to cover the extra cost!
0 -
Yes but there is a difference, Tammygirl. The CL didn't offer us any alternative and only gave us one day's notice. With only one day to make alternative arrangements we tried booking Gatwick online but couldn't get a 21 night pitch because it coincided with a weekend when they were fully booked for one of the nights. So we ended up at Redhill at a higher cost and longer distance to commute.
On the other hand, the CMC has offered us the alternative of another pitch, a better pitch in these weather conditions because it is hardstanding, albeit at an increased price. The Smart car doesn't have four wheel drive and the warden said conditions are so bad, they can't even get the tractor on to the grass. At least, with the hardstanding, I can reliably get the car on and off the pitch, enabling me to get to work, without getting stuck in mud with wheels spinning and no grip!
0 -
According to the warden(they had seasonals on the site they were on last year) on the site we have been on there is a train of thought at EGH to severely reduce the number of seasonal pitches and increase the prices of those still available because of the costs of repairs needed when the pitches are vacated at the end of the season,
0 -
It's not just a question of cost, JVB66. We're now coming into the Easter holiday period of peak season when normal pitches get fully booked. I checked online and all the club sites, including this one, are fully booked for at least one of the days during the next three week period. It means we can't get 21 consecutive nights anywhere, should the seasonal pitch continue to remain unavailable. So where can we go? A layby? Would we be allowed to park overnight in a layby on the A27?
The only availability I could find was Littlehampton CMC site and only for 7 nights. That at least secures us a pitch for another 7 nights. I think I'll need to talk to the warden again today to see if its possible to extend our stay on this hardstanding pitch for 21 nights and if so cancel the Littlehampton booking. It's a complete nightmare!
By the way, I read the T&Cs and whilst it is a breach by the club, the remedy for the breach is to cancel the seasonal pitch and refund the fee. This remedy would be no good to us because we need the seasonal pitch. This remedy is also covered by the paragraph re: site closures or emergency closures. Clearly, the warden has been instructed by the head office to act in this way and has told us so. This has come from the top!
0 -
You seem to have been very shoddily treated M and I would certainly be putting a complaint in writing to HO. At the very least they should have contacted you about the changes. Does your contract specify grass, mine just says seasonal electric. The T&C's just state that some seasonal pitches may be on grass. At the site we have booked the grass pitches are usually open for the first month, so I suppose we could be given one for that period. I would be very annoyed if after driving 140 miles (in our case) they told me that because the grass was wet, it had been closed early and I would have to pay for a hardstanding for a month. My contract is for a seasonal pitch from a specified date. If they have not closed the site, as far as I can see they should be providing that. After all we have paid up front, in our case 7 months before the start date. Ask them to point out the T&C's section that covers what they have done.
There is certainly nothing on my confirmation about phoning beforehand. However, given your experience, I certainly will be a week before, just to check they know about us.
1 -
What cash boost, Yertiz? That is the worst that could happen because without the seasonal pitch, I would have to pay 3 times that cost for a regular pitch at full price. The bill could well exceed £4000 when you take into account peak season prices!
Yes, the club is supposed to make every effort to find an alternative but if they can't, they have the right to cancel and refund the money already paid and leave us with nowhere to stay!
0 -
You can complain to the Club Malcolm but reading the t&c what they are doing is correct,, with hindsight I suppose you should have checked with the site. Did you tell them that this was to be your home for the season and that you have no where else to go.
I suppose the pitfall of caravanning all year round is wet and soggy pitches, and the club will want to accommodate full paying Caravanners / Mhomers.
1 -
I'll need to talk to the warden, cariadon. Even if they allow me to pitch in the late night arrivals for the nights that they are fully booked at full price, it would be better than nothing. Yes, I did explain to the warden that I cannot park the caravan at the house address, even for one night, because the driveway is not long enough for a caravan of this size and the neighbours would complain of the caravan blocking their view. They complained about me parking the Shogun there, so there's no way they'll agree to the caravan. Also there are restrictive covenants preventing the use of driveways for parking caravans in that area. I just have to hope that the club will be sympathetic enough to come to some arrangement.
0 -
Malcolm or indeed anyone:
Is my understanding of CAMC rules and ways correct
1) Hardstandings or indeed any pitch cannot be prebooked.
2) If the site is full for Easter then some of these will be on grass and if still unusable, then some bookings will need to be cancelled.
3) As MM has a seasonal pitch reservation then, even if only one grass pitch is available, surely he has as much right to this pitch as anyone else - Possession is 9/10ths of the Law etc
4) I can't see that the CAMC would at this early stage want to cancel the seasonal pitches and give a refund as this situation of wet pitches may never occur again.
5) As Seasonal pitches are prepaid for the season what would stop anyone from first using theirs in say June. Why would the Wardens assume that anyone not phoning/ appearing on Day1 think otherwise?
0 -
As per' my post 'weather' !!!! It's here in Herne Bay !!!! Gale force winds ,minus temperatures,snow and rain ,,",YUK",,,No B/yd for me today .Catch-up time indoors in the warm 
.Take care out there you'all.
.0 -
I understood in the event of cancelation the club operated a first booked, last cancelled policy. As we and M booked the seasonal in November, nobody other than seasonal bookings can have booked before us. Our booking just specifies a seasonal electric pitch. No surface type. Short of closing the whole site, I would expect the CAMC to honour that booking. Or at the very least contact me to explain why they were not.
To put the thread back on track. Sat in van looking out a very grey day, howling wind and hail like snow flurries. Need to do the water but require a bit of a gap in the showers. We will probably visit NT Packwood House later. At least it will be out of the weather.
Seems to have eased a bit, so I'm off.😀
0 -
They were previously at Littlehampton. They remembered us from having stayed there.
0 -
We've just been over to the wardens office. We're now booked and paid up for the hardstanding until 29th March so 13 nights guaranteed now. The next night is fully booked so no pitches available. However, the warden said that all they need is 3 consecutive dry days so that the warden can get the tractor on to cut the grass, then we can be given our seasonal pitch. They both think this might be possible by next week. if so we'll be able to move on to it and will be refunded any full fee nights that are unused.
If the weather continues bad over Easter then we won't get a pitch on any club site because all fully booked. We asked about using late night arrivals and the answer was no to that as well. So it will be laybys or motorway services for Easter! Fingers crossed it doesn't come to that!
1 -
I would think that if the weather is bad over Easter there will be cancellations anyway so you'll be able to use one of those, just need to keep your finger on the pulse,
All it takes is a phone call to other sites in the area, if the one you're on doesn't have any cancellations.
0
Anyone out and about take care
