Joining the Club at CLs
Is this up for discussion by EG?
I have just been doing some research on www.ukcampsite.co.uk website for next year. On each and every one of the site details for a C.L. they state that "you can usually join on arrival"
As far as I am aware this still isn't the case, but should be.
Do they know something we don't?
Comments
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As a CL owner I know nothing 'official' about signing people up to CAMC and we definitely don't get a voucher for doing so. I'm happy to be corrected by another owner if they know differently. It is something we, as a group of owners, have asked the club to do but nothing has ever happened about it.
However, anyone could join online at the time and I believe they get a membership number straight away doing it that way which would enable them to stay on any CL.Nicola
www.skybarnfarm.co.uk
Telephone: 01522 681218
Email: enquiries@skybarnfarm.co.uk
Site 965, page 402 of the 2017/2018 Sites Directory
Read our many wonderful reviews!0 -
A lot, I suspect.
Ex-members do it as well. I name no names.
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Not a great one, for sure.😕
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I think in 15 years of membership I have been asked to produce my membership card at a CL maybe twice and about the same amount of times when booking. Maybe that's why non members could get away with staying on a CL. Ex members probably just quote the mebership number they had.
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Shouldn't think anybody would do that sort of thing Mitsi as It's not fair.. Everybody should pay the going rate for CL'S they are a valuable asset to caravanners.
K
ps System playing up again, previous post would not save. so I removed it..
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I have asked before, but not had an answer, whether the club has any mechanism for checking up to date membership details. The CLs we've stayed on over the past couple of years have asked for a membership number to confirm our booking but none have actually asked for a membership card on arrival.
Maybe if Nicola from Skybarn comes back to the thread she could let us know - no one fromthe club seems to want to!
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We always seem to be asked for our number, or at least we volunteer it, when making a booking, so it's good to know that reputable CL owners can at least check if the caller is a current member. Mind you there's nothing to say that they'll still be a member when arriving, so info should still be checked by owner.
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So how does a CL owner say no to a suspect Traveller/Tinker who turns up and wants to join? Next thing will be the arrival of a few of his "friends". Shift them off the CL if you can.
CL owner in Scotland was invaded and had to phone me to warn me not to turn up for my booked stay. He had some clearing up to do when they finally went and was well out of pocket.0 -
How does the club stop an undesirable person joining by phone, post or online? They can’t stop them and anyone can join irrespective of race or creed because the club does not discriminate. Only if a person disregards rules after joining can sanctions such as withdrawing membership be enforced.
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I can only speak for myself. When I take a booking either online, by phone or email I ask for their membership number and only when I have checked the validity of that number with the club's text service do I send out a confirmation email and ask for a deposit. As a consequence I don't check membership cards when people arrive unless they simply turn up at the gate on the off chance of a vacant pitch in which case I do check their card.
The obvious flaw in this is that I have no idea whether the person who books/arrives is the person it says on the membership card. It would be a small help if the text service texted back saying 'current member' plus a surname but when I asked about this I was told it's not possible because of GDPR.
If I thought someone arriving at my gate (booked or not) was a traveller and there was a possibility of them admitting other travelling none members I would refuse them. My T&Cs say I can refuse/terminate any booking if I need/want to. We are lucky as we have coded access gates...
Nicola
www.skybarnfarm.co.uk
Telephone: 01522 681218
Email: enquiries@skybarnfarm.co.uk
Site 965, page 402 of the 2017/2018 Sites Directory
Read our many wonderful reviews!2 -
Just to add....I have, as you say, had the odd ex-member make a booking online but I do check every membership number and unless they can come back to me with a valid one they get turned away.
As far as I'm concerned you are paying for the exclusivity of being on a 5 pitch site for members only.8 -
Thanks Nicola. I wonder what other owners do when non-members arrive and pitch up, on a near empty site, before calling in to see the owner?
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I agree.
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Turning customers away seems a funny way to run a business - does it happen in any other branch of the tourism/ hospitality field?
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Yes, if business owners want to keep their licence to trade. Think pubs and serving underage people or doing business after hours. It happens but at a risk.
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If anyone thinks they can turn people in that community away look up the recent story about Thwaite's brewery.
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It just seems silly for a CL owner to turn customers away - it's so easy to show them how to sign up to membership there and then on a smart phone - and welcome them in to the campsite and take their money. Isn't that what business is about?
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Yes, I think that's pretty much what folk have been saying isn't it? Of course if a CL owner chose to it should also be possible to sign up the old fashioned way if necessary. Either way, it does seem daft that if a non member turns up and is prepared to stump up the £52 it's not possible.
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Reading through this thread I was disappointed to read that Cl owners were suspected, by a couple of posters, of allowing non CMC customers to use their campsites. . This is an horrible accusation against those great CL owners who beaver hard to ensure that campers enjoy their stay. ------ Those making that allegation should be ashamed of themselves.
Privately owned CL's are the jewel in the crown of the CMC, and always have been. For so many it is the only reason to pay the annual CMC customer fee. ---- Let's face it the CMC's own campsites are nothing to write home about.
K
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