Camping Key. Poor experience
So, as part of making a booking through club for ferry and Red Pennant insurance, the club 'thoughtfully' have sent me a Camping Key card.
My understanding is that I can use this for id purposes at sites that accept it, and possible discounts on fees as well.
Having looked at the Camping Key page on this site, it contains a link to the Camping Key Europe website. Unfortunately this is all in Dutch as it redirects to the ANWB website . There is no obvious, and I have searched, English translation available.
Having contacted club via online chat to question this, I was redirected to another site, which does have English, but this is the swedish website and only covers Sweden. Not much use for France. I pointed this out to the advisor on the chat. Having checked all of this I was told I would have to wait for the card to arrive and use details to register using the 'app's on phone. Not ideal, but I would now have to wait.
Now the card has arrived, and eagerly accessing the app to register my details I am told "my organisation currently does not use the digital app" and suggest I contact "my organisation"
So yet again, like issues experienced with esso card promotion, the club has not checked all the details of a promotion before pushing this to members.
I now have a 'benefit' I don't know where to use or what it will give me.
I know I got it free, and don't look a gift horse comes to mind, but this is very poor service from the club.
Comments
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I don't use a PC. I use an Android tablet. I also use this when travelling, which is also when I would want to see site details etc.
I shouldnt have to go looking for solutions to something that should have been tested by the club for compatibility beforehand.
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Some people just won't accept any assistance ET.
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I wonder why the club left the FICC?
Just as an aside I experienced a dreadful, and I mean dreadful, experience of utter incompetence from both the club and the printers of the card a couple of years ago. I can sympathise with the OP about trying to get any sense out of the club on this matter.
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I seem to recall that the CCI (Camping Caret) card wasn't accepted in Scandinavia but the Key Card was and also the rest of Europe. This could be another reason why the Club decided to change?
https://www.campingkeyeurope.se/en
David
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I think there was more to it than just cost saving AD? DK you are correct,Scandinavia did not accept the CCI card. When I travelled from Calais to Norway I had to buy a Scandinavian Card (no now longer available) to stay on Swedish camp sites. The Key card, backed by the >Camping Card Alliance< replaces the Scandinavian Card and is supposed to be accpted Europe wide although this does not seem to be supported by everyone. Like AD I get the CCI card from the C&CC. It does seem to be more acceptable to sites.
peedee
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I show campsites my passport if they ask - and sometimes they take a photo copy. I show them my driving licence if they want my address - and sometimes they take a photo copy of that . But in France I find that many sites don't ask for either these days. ACSI is ever useful, but I don't think I have ever needed a Camping Key card - and as I don't buy Red Pennant I don't get one and bravely go without. Reckless !
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Possibley reckless EuroT, just depends on your attitude to risk. The only reason I like to carry a CCI card is for the third party insurance it offers when on a campsite. I have never had any discounts with it if they take it as ID then so much the better. I think I have paid for it only on one occasion that I remember, mostly it comes as part of a package. The £5 cost is peanuts compared to all the other costs incurred when on the Continent. In my experince what a campsite will accept when booking in depends on which countries you are in and what the local law demands. Increasingly passports are demanded and should this be a requirement I carry copies.
peedee
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I think years ago discounts used to be more common with the CCI card but since the growth of ACSI many of the sites that may have offered a discount for CCI are now in ACSI scheme so I expect the opportunity for discounts with any card are fairly limited. Unless it's changed in the last couple of years I don't recall any issues with needing to provide ID on French campsites beyond them holding on the the ACSI card if using one of their sites. We always carried a Camping Card but it was rarely used. Very similar situation in Germany, Netherlands and Austria. Italy was always the place where you seemed to be asked for your passport but even then I don't recall a site that wanted to keep it beyond the booking in process.
David
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I think the increase incidence of passports (IDs) being requested is tied in with combating terrorism etc.although in some countries it has been the local law for some time. I would be very surprised if the details were not fed into a database for European police/border authorities to use.
peedee
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In France the custom is to pay a campsite bill when you decide to leave, but I wonder whether campsites like that one have had a problem with motorhomers going out for the day, not paying and not coming back?
Is that why with leaving a caravan on site when I go out means I am not asked to leave a passport ?
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We always carry a CCI card with us for the reasons PD stated.
So far on this trip we have not been asked for proof of ID at any campsite and only one has retained the Acsi discount card.
I always offer both cards at time of registration so details taken then from the CCI card.
When staying just the 1 night its common to pay up front, although some sites will even ask for 2 nights to start with if you are not sure how long you will stay.
I've only even been asked for a passport in Spain where the site took copies of both of them.
As we no longer take out RP, we've never had a camping key card.
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Only site that retained passport was Bella Italia in Peschiera Del Garda.
They ask for passport and then let you onto the site. The next day you go to reception give the details of your proposed stay and your passport is returned with payment due the day before you leave.
I presume that this is to prevent long queues at reception which is not far of a very busy road and possibly people leaving before paying.
Have never had an issue with this on what is a very organised site and suspect there is no choice anyway.
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Hi everyone,
We are aware that the “My Camping Key” app is no longer working for any customers living outside of Sweden. The physical card will continue to be accepted across Europe.
As others have previously mentioned we changed from the Camping Card International around five years ago due to no longer being affiliated with the FICC. Due to our affiliation with the FIA we still have access to the Camping Key Europe for our members, which we have been offering with Red Pennant Motoring cover for the last five years.
Sweden are in the process of improving the app which will be tested in Sweden and won’t be available for any other organisation during 2019. Following that testing, resellers of the CKE card (like ourselves) may be able to have access to the app.
We are aware that their website still mentions the app with instructions for downloading it so we have asked them to update their website. The official website for searching for sites that accept the Camping Key Europe is now https://www.anwbcamping.nl/thema/thema/cke This is in Dutch so I’d recommend accessing it in a browser such as Chrome (which is able to automatically translate both on desktop and mobile/tablet - more info here).
I hope this helps with planning your trip
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