Patience Pays
Comments
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Much the same for us over the last few years TDA, the club system works well and if the club can fill the spaces it works both ways. I've had to cancel a lot this year in particular and have had to alter plans. Many popular club sites remain relatively full so the system obviously works.
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It may work for the Club but it is frustrating for customers if they do not speculate. What the Club will not know is how many nights it is losing because someone wanted a weeks booking but couldn't get it because of the odd few days not available so they went elsewhere, Is this why the Club is having to offer discounts for mid week bookings ? Loss of bookings at whatever day of the week or year is loss of income meaning less profit so prices will have rise to balance the books. One can only compare results and observations with a similar organisation who is doing remarkably well according to the 2017 results.
peedee
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oh we do, M.....but there are a few places/sites I wanted to 'try out' which are hard to get on.....so I just did what everyone keeps saying and booked early.
i then used my free spirit of going somewhere else to spontaneously unbook them...
again, as advised
sorry, if this disappoints....I didn't realised I was being evaluated, although I should have known better
looks like, on CT, you're damned of you do .......etc
BTW, I'm just 'free spiritedly' looking out of the window and deciding whether to go for a walk or not.....any views?
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....will I lose my deposit?.
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I can put the kettle on for you, M, anytime.....just decided to sit in the conservatory and pour a viño instead.....
just got my new Spain/Portugal atlas out and checking out some of the wonderful cities I can spontaneously visit in January.
as above, don't usually plan much but am trying to make an effort to include some of the places we've noted in the past...
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I suppose the acid test is how full sites are when you actually get to them. We have been on eight CMC sites this year. Considering that we were not away from the third week of July to the second week of September, the peak season, we have found most sites pretty full, if not full for all or part of our stay. Even at the end of January the site must have been 60%+ full which ain't bad in my book. I appreciate that is only a snapshot of the sites I visited but if its replicated across just 80% of the network it seems the Club is being pretty successful in filling pitches and therefore does not need to make any substantial changes to the booking system. It would seem a fair number of people do the same as I do. There are those that like to book months/years ahead but as others have said that when you get to a certain age you often have to work round medical appointments, regular or unforeseen which tend to work against very advanced booking so you are sometimes left with the crumbs of what is left. I think all I am saying is if that doesn't phase you, success in getting what you want is usually available but you have to be prepared to spend a little time getting what you want.
David
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What did sensible people do before the internet system was introduced ,call the site maybe? and in those days the site staff had much more control over their pitch availability,,and it has very rarely been a failure then or now if a booking has been required, that needed "assistance" from on site staff
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I don't know why folks get so wound about about Club bookings to be honest. There are only a tiny number of sites that rarely have any pitches, and some alternatives are so close geographically there's usually an alternative. You either get well organised in advance if you know the dates you want, or book an alternative, be it Club, CL or whatever. We always phone Site to see what might be held back if we are short of a day or two. If weather changes, there's usually someone who doesn't fancy the tow or trip.
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Agree TTDA. We went away last month, for just under 3 weeks, in the UK, first time for a long time, due to recent house move and lots to do in said house! I only booked about a fortnight beforehand, I booked the first (CAMC) site for 2 nights, then the 2nd, C&CC, for a week, as it's where we particularly wanted to be. After that, we decided where to go a couple of days before. Had 2 nights on another CAMC site, then 4 on a commercial AO site, 2 on a small 10 pitch site and the last 2 on a CL. I did find that one C&CC site was full, that was Devizes, so we went elsewhere. Also another commercial had no space, so again I found somewhere else.
It was an interesting experience, as we'd not holidayed "over here" for some time in September, and we found it harder than "over there" where we never book in September, and just turn up wherever we want to go. Must admit I was surprised to find 2 full sites mid-week in September, perhaps that's why prices seem to be creeping up in September and there is no mid-week discount!
But, at the end of the day, there's always somewhere to go
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But why would every one need to? as the system works it seems for most scenarios, but any system will not work for the odd one or two,at least this one has real people to talk to, and without going through countless press buttons to get anywhere
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lol,not a chance
looking forward to it....P&K for Chinese last night, just recovering, lol.
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I agree, these are the club's T&C and procedures, either use them and enjoy and let the club worry about the rest? What do people want to change them? If you can't get a club site, get another?
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There is no doubt that in this day and age the Club operates a somewhat unique book up front, no deposit, short cancellation without penalty system. Even some restaurants are demanding full payment up front to counter act no shows.
However, clearly the current system works for Club bookings or they wouldn't stick to it.
Indeed TDA it might be one of the factors that makes CC so popular.
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indeed, as others might say empirical evidence would support that?
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it certainly might make the booking system popular, pick a site, no commitment, no deposit....cancel at virtually no notice.
however, this does sometimes make it tricky for those who book a bit later to book a contiguous break without resorting to the process described by DK in the OP.
yes, sometimes folk have the time and inclination and it may 'pay off'.
equally, folk may feel they can't be bothered and go elsewhere.
perhaps this has an effect, where 'gaps' in the site calendar aren't taken up as they don't, in themselves, form the full break being looked for.
as Peedee has mentioned ('empirically') he's seen sites well underused.
this particular week we have had really hot weather, now followed by very strong winds and heavy rain.....some cancellations available now, I'd have thought, for those looking to build a longer break
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it certainly might make the booking system popular, pick a site, no commitment, no deposit....cancel at virtually no notice.
Not sure that many do book that far ahead for fairly short breaks to the vast majority of sites other than school hols, bank hols perhaps or special events like Flower shows or Air shows etc.
Those booking a few days at York Rowntree Park, and similar honeypot sites, might well have booked a while ahead but as pitches are not easy to obtain may be less likely to cancel on a whim
Our bookings don't get cancelled on a whim as each is a step to the next site on a tour.
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Peedee's evidence wasn't empirical, he just looked at the late availability stats. That's theoretical. Bar the one site he wouldn't name. That might be empirical, we will never know.
We have a week at RP booked in March. It was a whim. We may or may not go. Depends if I get a better offer!
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