Annual discount card for those who use CL's only
There are many customers who never use an all singing all dancing CMC site but really enjoy using CL's for their holidays. They are left with a dilemma of not paying £51.00 at all and using the many fine private campsites in areas of outstanding beauty, which are available across the land. -OR- Paying the £51.00 to subsidise the CMC sites which they will never use, just to get access to privately run CL's. So they opt for not paying anything to the CMC at all.
The positive solution is to have two annual rates. ---- £ 51.00 for those customers who use CMC campsites ---OR --- a simple registration fee of £10.00 to enable access to the private CL network for those who much prefer CL's. There would be no losers as this would give customers a clear choice. ------------------ The CMC would still benefit from all those £10.00 fees and the CL's would benefit from the increased demand that this would bring.
A Win Win situation all round.
K 
Comments
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Interesting suggestion Kennine. I'll be keeping my eye on this one and see whether it might be worth taking it further.
My guess is that the first thing the Club would need to assess the overall impact of income for the Club. If it was felt that there were a substantial number of current members who only used CL's then it is conceivable that the Club may loose income and no doubt this would result in a rise in full membership fees to offset. Furthermore, the Club would need to decide if this reduced membership would give 'CL member' acess to the Clubs other facilities e.g. Mayday, Caravan Insurance (+ other insurances), Red Pennant, access to towing courses, legal department questions - just to mention the first things that come to mind.
Then I guess you have another issue: If you have members who do not use CL's, should there be a different rate of membership for them. Or what about another class of membership for those who only use rallies (or for that matter, those who don't - or different combinations thereof. I think I'm talking myself out of this as I go. It could become quite complex and all this could make it even more difficult for the Club to assess it's membership income.
Any thoughts?
David
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Agree David, if you want to use CL's which are part of the club's structure and 'quality stamped' by the club then pay up a pound a week.
So they opt for not paying anything to the CMC at all.
Really, wonder where this came from? Is it true, can it be verfied? is it part of K's imagination? Because if you take this out the whole post falls apart
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In addition to my comments above, it does cost the Club to run CL's. It had an inspection team and admin. as well as listing in the handbook and details on website. It could be really difficult to assess the value of a CL only membership. No idea if the CL owner has to pay anything to the Club.
David
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I think you hit the nail on the head earlier, David. Folk are members of the club for all sorts of reasons - some say clearly they never or very rarely use club sites or CLs but benefit from insurance or travel packages. Some only use club sites, some only CLs, some a mixture. I do think that the "fairest" way with any club/organisation is to pay a membership fee if you choose to and then select whichever offerings suit you. Life doesn't need to be complicated.
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I don’t understand why the membership costs so much. I can’t see what we get for it. Commercial rates appear to be charged for everything the club does. How many members x £51 = WOW!
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We're happy enough paying a mere £51 membership, despite being CL and small private site users in the main. We always get our membership fees back in savings that the Club has negotiated with shops, tourist attractions etc...... We like Affiliated sites as well, so often save a pound or two there as well. We make great use of our handbook as well, as we don't always go for Sites with wifi.
Doesnt mean I don't think there is a place for a CL only membership though. A card that reassures CL owners that Club has your details if there are any issues. Buy the handbook as an extra if required.
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I think the OP has got it the wrong way round! Members that use only CL's are likely to have notionally higher impact of Club costs than those that use a broad spectrum of Club sites and services. As far as I am aware CL's don't pay anything to the Club (except a membership fee which I am not sure is a requirement or optional) So the Club spends money with no return although I am sure some would argue we wouldn't have as many members if there were no CL's. It seems to me that it is six of one and half a dozen of another whichever way you look at it. A pound a week for membership is hardly a Kings ransom!!!
David
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I don't understand the need for a membership fee at all - I just pay as I go with all the hotel chains - just pay a nightly rate. Isn't CMC a travel chain too?
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As demonstrated by the club helping out a member who was facing a hefty fine in Holland, or when the club(s) acted to stop MOTs being introduced on caravans, or has a technical help department, it is a good idea IHMO to be part of a larger national organisation that will lobby or our interests than being on our own.
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Do they intervene and help you out with other hotel's?
So you don't approve of the AA or RAC? won't be joining a gym?
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Once again there is this thought that the club somehow forces you to pay up £51? You have that choice, if you feel it gives you what you want then pay, if not don't. there is no dilemma.
It looks as though people want club sites and Cls but not to pay the price?
I'll try that next time I'm shopping.
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Fear you not good people. The £10.00 registration fee would only entitle the card holder to access, book and stay on the CL network, which are all private business.--- Nothing else.
If somebody decided that they wanted to upgrade in the future to access CMC products they would be obliged to pay the extra £41.00 That is only fair and equitable.
I have discussed this with some caravanning friends and they are in agreement that this proposal has legs and would be good for the CMC and it's customers.
K
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I think another solution would be to introduce weekly and monthly memberships at a pro rata membership rate. After all.......why do I need an "annual discount card" in the winter when I make little use of my van.........
Or perhaps to save the club pampering to cherry pickers we we could just have a whip round for K and pay the other 41 quid so he can stay on a CL.....
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K. I am in full support of your idea!
The aspect that particularly annoys me is that the two big clubs will not allow a 5-van site to join both of their networks, even if the site would like to do so. Therefore, unless people are willing to join both clubs simply to gain access to both CS and CL, the potential customer base for any 5-van site is effectively halved.
I know there are other routes available to be a certificated site, but that then excludes the site from the marketing exposure and inertia that the clubs provide.
It seems clear to me that both clubs know this well, and will do all they can to maintain the situation, even jeopardizing the viability of some CS/CLs.
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I can never understand why people get so uptight about paying the membership fee!!! It is only a £1 a week.
What does £1 get you nowadays? Half a cup of coffee, a pint of milk, some chocolate, just over a litre of fuel and very little else.
Why make life so difficult for so little return.
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I think £51 a year is fine,it's the nearly £51 a night club charges in high season that are not acceptable.
thats another reason that it's worth the membership cost for CL info and use.
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Have you put this idea forward to the C&CC members too, K,or is it just another of your diatribes against all things CC?
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I wonder if a lot of CAMC members would enjoy the use of CS's, unless they had stayed on some as a CCC member. They can be a bit different, as alongside the 5 vans, they can accommodate a further 10 tents I think as well? Certainly the CS sites we use take tents.
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No one is forcing you to pay the membership fee, eurort. Should you want to visit a CC site you can always pay the additional nightly charge as a non-member. Simples.
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But which club sites cost £51 a night, John?
As a point of interest, Concierge Camping, recently mentioned glowingly on another thread is £55 a night, min 2 nights for the next available weekend and £59 a night in August. And looking at the picture on the website (I have to confess I've never visited) the layout looks remarkably similar to the racetrack style so derided by some on club sites!
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When a poster is being positive and trying to add value to a retail business, I wonder about another poster's motivation to be completely negative. 