Booking Fairness... Time for a Rethink??
Comments
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I think there should be a deposit when booking sites plus it’s wrong that people can book a year In advance. It should be around six weeks then all have a chance .
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Ina, you should know by now that things are 'wrong' and 'should' be changed when the current system doesn’t suit a particular individual who hasn't been able to book the site he/she wants.😉
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With any booking system there will be those champing at the bit, waiting for the system to open up the particular dates that they want. Equally there will be those who are asleep and miss that opening up - these will be the ones who moan that the system is unfair to them.
The ability to book up to 12 months in advance is surely the best way to go as a short, say 6 week period, would have too many folk trying to book at the same time. I seem to remember that this site used to crash because of this - it couldn't take the load of those trying to book.
Keep the system as it is now.
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Just think how much business they are likely to loose through such a move. OK they might benifit to some extent on short duration bookings. However, how many are going to wait until 6 weeks before to book their week / two week summer holiday, Christmas / New Year, or an annual meet up with family. Plus of course concerts / events where other, often expensive, tickets are involved. Particularly if they start charging a deposit. There are a lot of alternatives that will let you book a year ahead.
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I agree with all the above to all the above regarding it being 'wrong' about the year ahead booking.
Deposits will mean that more pitches are left empty by more no shows making the situation worse.
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Maybe a halfway house. No deposits required for booking well ahead. A substantial deposit about six weeks before the due date with the remainder paid in full 14 days in advance. All done by credit card if the total amount is £100 or more or by debit card if the total is less than £100.
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The club booking system is what it is, it can't cater for every situation & every members personal requirements 100% of the time.
I've never really had any problems booking a holiday away, because like many others we are members of both clubs.
When I can't get availability with one or the other clubs I look elsewhere in a number of cases I've used independent sites.
We were due to go on a Norfolk Cl this Sunday 13 September for 10 nights, but unfortunately the site owner informed me this Monday a mistake had been made with my booking & he was full.
No deposit was taken, I was going to pay in full on arrival, we have stayed there many times before & will continue to use his cl in future.
His wife had apparently made our booking for the same dates in October a mistake that probably happens occasionally but he didn't want to risk having over his 5 van limit & I agreed with him. 100%
However after many phone calls to other cls /Cs we know of in the area nothing was available..... It seemed.
One last call Monday morning to an independent site near fakenham with the result of a available hardstanding service pitch for all 10 nights £202.
Holiday saved.
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I imagine the aim of the Club is to achieve high site occupancy and I imagine that any move that puts that in danger they would try and avoid. Under the current system I doubt the Club is bothered whether a pitch is booked a year ahead or six weeks ahead providing it achieves the aim of high occupancy? Only allowing bookings six weeks from arrival would put that at risk as many would just make alternative arrangements on sites that do allow you to book well in advance. Deposits may well be a way forward however many would be reluctant to commit so far in advance which could lead to lower occupancy on sites. For those of us who have been around a few years we have seen the site running costs flip from surplus to negative quite often over the years. The cost model the Club runs by does not seem to allow much leeway hence the reason for needing high occupancy. There are only so many ways a cake can be cut!
David
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Could, yes, but why would turkeys vote for Christmas?
The present system is a big advantage for members of this club and it's filling pitches.
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Apparently this year, because of everything that's occurred, availability is hard to find all over the country.
It seems a record number of caravans/ motorhomes new & old have been purchased to holiday here in the UK.
I can confirm that point, in our extremely large Derbyshire storage site there's a separate compound for a local Hobby caravan dealership, where up to June had 30 + new units in it.
Last week I went down to check the solar panel & caravan battery voltage before our holiday this coming weekend & there's only a couple left in there.
The dealers are having a good end to a terrible touring season...it appears.
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We have used one CL and three private sites this holiday. None wanted deposit or payment upfront. Last one asked if we could pay be card over phone on day of arrival to avoid going into reception.
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Apparently this year, because of everything that's occurred, availability is hard to find all over the country.
Compass, I think you exaggerate the position. I agree that in certain areas availability is limited but there are still plenty of places where one can find a pitch. We were able to book a tour of 10 sites without much problem in places we wanted to visit well over a month ago, and have added to both the start and end since.
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That reminds me........Dorset Knobs are on my foodie bucket list. We are long overdue a re visit to Dorset at some point.😁
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There is a number of issues to be resolved here, and their will be no perfect answer
Probably the best overall compromise to be fair to all age groups ,would be to limit the amount of forward bookings a member could make, say to 3.0 -
No I disagree with any number. It would not work for all. Some like to plan a tour with more than three bookings, I am told that this is what MH like to do ?
Other may plan a number of holidays over a year.
I really think the only solution that is fair to all is first come first served, and probably to book early as possible.
As others have aluded to before, is it really that stressful to not get a club site? And it is not CAMC or bust is it, plenty of other sites out there?
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As i posted there is no perfect solution
First come ,first served, with no limit is unquestionably biased in favor of those not in work,or retired etc, and biased against those in work and younger couples with families
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In respect of your comment
As others have alluded to before, is it really that stressful to not get a club site? And it is not CAMC or bust is it, plenty of other sites out there?That is the whole point of being a club member, access to their sites
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Maybe it’s simply a problem with the ratio of members to pitches? At what point do you stop recruiting members unless you’re simultaneously expanding sites? I’ve seen mention of a big increase in members this year. Don’t know if that’s right or CT myth, but it’s not sustainable. You can’t go on selling tickets if all the seats have gone!
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No it is not, they can book like anyone else, as early as anyone else. Totally fair.
In fact your idea is biased for those retired who can pick their time away whenever. While families have to book a number of holidays well in advance to shadow school holidays across the year and that is more than three, as I did.
You keep posting about you not getting pitches, the system should not change just because of that?
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I have not posted about not getting pitches
My Idea is based on the fact the some have the freedom to book when they want , and some have not ,because how our society works
If the club takes their money then the club should come up with a booking system that is fair and compensates for both sides of the equation
As someone posted part of the problem is the number of members the club has taken on.
Maybe another solution would be to find a ratio of members to availability of pitches, and if it exceeds that ratio , temporally stop taking on new members
Though personally i do think that would be difficult works0 -
I’m struggling to see how the present system of giving each and every member equal chance of booking can be deemed as unfair.
If it was said only female members could book certain weeks and males other weeks, that would be both unfair and discriminatory but no way is equality for all an unfair method.
It's people's personal circumstances that sometimes get in the way of them booking and we all have different lives which neither the club, nor any other organisation, can possibly be expected to accommodate.
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Except that nowhere does it say that joining the club entitles you to a pitch on nay site, all it does is allow you to book. also many have stated they join the club for other reasons than using sites
The new normal is to book early. I have never failed to get the site I want but then I book early.
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Yes you have. Many times, often with the idea that weekenders are stopping you getting a pitch, sorry but that is what you have posted and asking for changes so that longer stayers like yourself can get full weeks in
(at the expense of those using weekends which is also unfair)
The thing is that one joins the club with it's current set of procedures, no one forces anyone to join or use a club site but once in either follow them or find a campsite where one's wishes can be accommodated.
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