Silly site prices. Off season and peak season
I have looked at the latest handbook to book a site. Prices are not clear ... There is no guidance, as there was in the past, as to off season / peak season pricing. Is all pricing now charged at peak season rates? Go online .. No mention of differential prices as you book.
So the only way I can find how much a site will cost is to go through the booking process, then I will get a price, then I can decide if I can afford it or not.
for Example
I looked at the Bladon Chains site ... Page 149. A bargain at "from £7.90 a night, for one adult and pitch. It's open from 01 March. I decided to book from 01 March ... Surely this is must be low season, my experience tells me that this is the case. But I wanted too book two adults, so I wonder how much this will cost?? Perhaps, at the very most, my wildest guess, at the most 2 X £7.90. Perhaps £16 a night. No it can't be that much ... The site has only just opened, so it must be off season. Proceed to book it £179.20 for 8 nights. £22.40 a night for 2 people!! There is no breakdown of the pricing on the email confirmation.
In the wildest imagination of consumer rip offs, "I could not believe it"! How can you get from £7.90 to £22.40 by adding one person. How do I find when I can go by myself for £7.90?
This seems to me the most opaque pricing structure you could possibly get. I thought transparency was the new watch-word in consumer relations!
I booked, but will be chasing this up to find out WHY., The silly price declaration. (Would it have been cheaper to book 2 pitches with one person on each?). I don't expect I will get a sensible answer over the phone tomorrow.... But I have given the 'powers that be' a chance to formulate a response, in advance.
Watch this space!
Comments
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The site prices are fully explained on the web site, but as some have said before far less so in the handbook. On each sites web-page, scroll down below the pictures of the site and the breakdown is there. The total price per night varies throughout the year, and depends on the number of adults, number of children, plus a pitch fee of £7.60 per night (in early March). Add these together and you get your £22.40. If anyone were to choose a non electric pitch, I see that's a massive £6.10 per night less at £1.50 than a standard with EHU at £7.60.... Hmmm.
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So that's one adult on a non awning non EHU pitch in low season. Whilst the website is clear enough, the handbook headline price can only be described as devious.
The CAMC appear to have deliberately pursued an obscurantist policy when it comes to pricing. That coupled with the elastic interpretation of high season' is indicative that the whole thing is driven by the bean counters.
I feel sure many more will be voting, as will I, with their wheels.
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I have no problem with the way the CC presents prices on the booking website itself. I have never had any interest in 'Prices From' in any form of advertising - not just the club. I want to know the prices for the times that I wish to use a site and for the number of occupants etc.
It is unfortunate that the hard copy prices leaflet is not yet available perhaps but, as I would be unlikely to refer to it, no inconvenience to me personally
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So that's one adult on a non awning non EHU pitch in low season. Whilst the website is clear enough, the handbook headline price can only be described as devious.
Totally agree CY, whilst the headline price is factually correct, it does absolutely nothing to add to people's understanding of what a particular site may cost, in fact quite the opposite as per the OP's post.
Personally I have always ignored the headline price and gone straight to the detail.
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Strangely enough the web site quotes from £8 at Bladon Chains but the actual basic price is £8.90 (one adult non ehu.) So which is right the book or the web site? Looks like they are both wrong!
Prices "from" are ok as long as they are correct.
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Some points to mention...
I've noticed that ACSI campsites in France this year have mostly gone up by around 12%...and the EHU for non-ACSI by about 20%
But.....I wonder what the average number of nights CC members actually use CC sites per year, as the yearly membership cost have to be factored in.
Personally, I would rather see a reduced membership fee for people who don't want the monthly magazine, which in my opinion doesn't justify the effort of producing.
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Personally, I would rather see a reduced membership fee for people who don't want the monthly magazine, which in my opinion doesn't justify the effort of producing.
If the club are charging up to £6 per night for EHU I would like to see metered leccy as I am very confident we don't use that much per day, even in winter, and absolutely no chance of using that much in summer. How much is Calor again ?
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Personally, I would rather see a reduced membership fee for people who don't want the monthly magazine, which in my opinion doesn't justify the effort of producing.
Although I have not opened a mag in years except to look at an article mentioned on forum I suspect that its advertising revenue justifies its cost and circulation rather than being funded from membership fees.
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Due initially to the different clientele history I suppose. There was a time when tent campers had no 'need' for EHU. It was caravanners that saw them as a must have in general and on CC sites tents are usually small ridge tents.
The non EHU pitches on CC seem, mainly, to be on out of the way pitches that were probably not as economical to supply service to.
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I never look at the prices from bit because it is irrelevant to me. I would simply put in the details of the booking I want and see what comes up. If it is acceptable I then book although sometimes I might compare it with other sites in the area to see what if anything I can save.
The figures are misleading rather than a rip off and frankly should not be there. They do look like the travel brochure headline prices you often see advertised and are available only for a day or two when nobody would want to go just to attract people in.
Prices should at least be for a couple with a hook up as that is the norm.
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I feel sure many more will be voting, as will I, with their wheels.
I wish I had a pound for how many times I've read that on CT down the years, probably have enough for a few nights away, perhaps even a week.
Yet the truth of the matter is that sites are still being booked, people are still complaining about weekends being booked up?
But it is as simple as you suggest, too expensive don't pay (but many do)
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+1
Some (non club) sites will be more expensive, some cheaper, then it is down to quality, or rather your (one's) perception of it.
For me club sites are still good value for money offering good quality. Others have to make their own mind up
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another good post
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What is the percentage of bookings that the club gets for a one person one night stay without EHU, compared to 2 people stays with EHU?
Most other directories base there guidline prices including Pitch, 2 adults, EHU, and showers. This being the average booking.
I don't think that the club really need to employ devious marketing practices to encourage members to book pitches
This is the Caravan and Motorhome Club. Not the AA or RAC which nowadays are just insurance companies. Or is that where we are heading?
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i have always found the whole idea of high season and low season pricing for holidays camping caravaning ect a complete and total rip off and why does there have to be a diff in price what is the theory behind the diff in pricing the water and electric and waste do not go up in price just because the months change
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Don’t shoot the messenger here but the club says that peak season charges are the true rates and others are discounted to attract business at less busy times. 😯
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Do you know of a significant leisure accommodation provider that does not vary price according to demand? In some areas we have been in hotels that charge almost half the rate at weekends due to many business users in the week and at other locations geared to the holiday trade the other way around.
Hotel prices in Chester increase when the Liverpool Derby Day races are on as many stay afterwards in Chester
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I'll just look that up
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I see, thanks, a bit like polygon is a dead parrot?
(or is it just resting?)
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