What’s the point of the Club if sites are full?
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On the thread about "Leaving the Club" I posted this suggestion:
"A good compromise might be to charge deposits for all bookings made say more than a month in advance??????? Would that not give those that for what ever reason cannot make positive commitments way in advance a better chance of obtaining bookings.???? It would obviously depend on how much of a damper a deposit system puts on advanced bookings."
Seems to me that would suit both camps after all if you intend to take up a booking those that book way in advance won't mind paying a deposit.?
peedee
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Hang on a minute........has someone just mentioned that you have to book coastal campsites sometimes overseas🤔 So that’s sort of like Cornish Sites, and East Coast Sites then here in Summer..........😉😁
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Hi TDA, My experience is that in the UK you likely need to get a pitch whereas, over there you may need to book to get a particular pitch.
Only ever booked twice, in France, as we wanted a riverside pitch at one site and a particular pitch on another as we were meeting up with family.
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"On the other hand its very useful to such as us who see the 10 day forecast and think do I really want to pay £30 a night to sit in the van while it rains and then take the obvious penalty free decision to cancel."
hi David, just posted a response to a guy who was lamenting the fact that France is not on the green list but who consoled himself as "Cornwall looking good for next week".
I let him know that 5 days with rain, out of 7, was not my idea of good!
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Those who promote the idea of not needing to book pitches except maybe at peak times ,on non UK sites unless on some sites a specific pitch, has it changed that much over the years since we did "over there" and many sites were in the 200 and more pitches, ,which as I have noticed in the UK is the same in most of the very big sites even coastal ,
Ps I have this morning booked the start of a tour of the South coast for next near as far as can be booked with this club,,just waiting for text month to complete it before the schools (and Scotland)defend in early July
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Yup, touring is very, very popular, for much more of the year over here. We and a lot of our touring friends have always been all season tourers, even with a caravan, and even when we were young and both working.
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Interesting point made earlier that perhaps booking is a cultural thing in the UK. What would happen if no booking was allowed on any Club site? The Club certainly make it say to cancel which doesn’t help.
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What would happen if no booking was allowed on any Club site?
An interesting thought, hg. Would members turn up in droves at the most popular sites with the hope that they could get a pitch, and having no alternative in mind should they not, or would they not bother going and instead book at those commercial sites in the area they want to visit to ensure that they get a pitch.
Can't see it happening though.
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I would think it came when membership really took of in the1970/80snd membership outstripped as now ,the capacity of the sites network if we all descended on sites
When deposits were taken even then, seasonal sites would get a printout from HO in the post, of all the bookings taken from the previous December until site staff arriving on their site ,with pages for each month with space to add bookings taken after each site started taking them,but even now on many sites it is still possible(maybe not so since last year)To tour but now with a call when on route to sites
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Choosing sites is not facilitated by the absence of pricing. Given the comment further up the thread about advice on whether to book ahead being in the Site Guide in days of yore, it seems that we are steadily being deprived of yet more information.
If anyone is anticipating a promised "Price List", forget it. I had a phone call yesterday after numerous E Mails on this subject. They aren't providing one but didn't bother to advise me. If you haven't got a smart phone when you are touring, hard luck and even if you have, there may not be a signal.
I've sent a further E Mail on this deterioration of service to Nick Lomas. Watch this space!!
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I really do not understand the problem. Times have changed as caravanning has become more popular and to expect this year of all years, to have pitches available in summer is being a touch naive. In mid June we are going to 3 club sites on a 2.5 week holiday, Tewkesbury, IOW, and in Kent (cannot recall name). In September we go to a private site in Cornwall. All booked last November when we realised our previous booked trip with caravan to Kleinwlsaertal in Austria wasn’t going to happen. Next weekend we go to the Club site at Scarborough, booked 2 days ago. Where does it say anywhere in the ‘rules’ the club is for touring only?
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Yes the membership decline did stop but lets be honest it has nothing to do with the organization or its level of service.
How many new members are informed by the club that the sites are virtually block booked and as a new member they will have virtually no choice with availability, particularly in this year?
The booking system is a shambles, availability is shown as very restricted if you try to book through the website platform when we all know this just not the case, a proportion will be no shows.
So you say just phone the warden they have a list and may fit you in, in 2021 with basic booking software available that can show real time availability of every pitch, and allocate dates, pitch and payment (nobody uses cash, its dead, accept it) then the current offering is a disgrace.
Glad to see it is being reviewed by the club.
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Again this preconception is rubbish. Next Fri & Sat there are only 20 out of all the 100+ club sites that are full for both of those days. Even YRP has the Friday night available. There are also 89 sites where a full week can be booked from next Friday, or so the Late Availability Table shows.
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Can’t be all bad, they still get your £54 per year..........😉😋
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Yes the membership decline did stop but lets be honest it has nothing to do with the organization or its level of service.
Firstly, what decline? was there one and when was it? As far and I'm aware membership has been growing and so has re-joining each year. And that of course is the big question to you, why if the sites are so booked up (which is nonsense) and new members find that after a year why are so many re-joining in spades?
Nothing to do with the organisation and level of service? That is just an amazing statement! So what do you suggest the increase is due to? People just pick the club on a whim - why?
So you say just phone... have I ever said that, are you confusing me with someone else?
...show real time availability of every pitch, and allocate dates, pitch and payment (nobody uses cash, its dead, accept it) then the current offering is a disgrace.
apart from every pitch I would think the club does all that doesn't it? What bit does it not do? What is a disgrace about the current bookings system? I asked you before but could you perhaps give another site where there are very marked differences to the club's?
Btw do you actually use club sites? I only ask as payment is done on arrival not before, actually in fact pre payment is done now as well in these times, and why should I accept cash is dead? Have I mentioned cash? In any event I've seen people pay cash when booking in?
is the booking system itself being reviewed? I must have missed that, perhaps you could post further details
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Nothing to do with the organisation and level of service? That is just an amazing statement! So what do you suggest the increase is due to? People just pick the club on a whim - why?
When we bought our first caravan some 16 years ago. The sales person, a caravaner and member, told us it was a good organisation to belong to, plus FIL was a member. We had no idea at that time if it would suit us. So perhaps not quite a whim but hardly firmly grounded.
As to the booking system, it has certainly been stated on CT that it is being looked at. Finding it is another matter.😂
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For me the problem with the booking system is it is too open to abuse and is abused. The evidence is there. If you had looked at those sites 6 weeks ago Nellie then I bet there was less availability perhaps even none.
Corners you need to read the AGM minutes to get your facts straight.
peedee
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Explain, please, how the system is abused, PD. Abuse is to use improperly or misuse which is quite different to using the system within its designed purpose.
If the club decides it got things wrong by designing such a user friendly flexible system and consequently changes the booking rules, so be it, but at present it is used within the parameters of the rules. That is not abuse.
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I would think the slogan "no1touring club" cannot in marketing speak be far wrong as this club has sites in most areas
, If working out a tour as we do , then the booking system is ideal for that purpose
, With the situation we are in last and this year, those who complain must very nieve or head in the sand , to not realise the problems that at times recently with lack of pitches on some very popular sites,
, The much advertised in most areas of the media telling of the massive increase in Staycations, it must have a big impact on pitch availability, on organisations that were already very popular with members
The idea by some that the system is abused, is just by conversations I have had with site staff , just bad feelings by those who are a bit miffed because the system is not personally for them, although it suits the vast majority
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How is a system that is the same to all members and is used the same by all members open to abuse and is abused, could you explain?
And again you keep saying the evidence is there but you never give that evidence. just some anecdotal ideas.
Again you often use this read the AGM quote, which AGM and perhaps please post some quotes?
What is puzzling PD is that you post that you are not bothered about using club sites and that it is no concern to me (your own words there from this past week) yet you read the AGM minutes, look at booking patterns, want deposits - which you reposted twice in two different threads. And of course your first choice of a site is a club site and you use them quite a bit. Your choices of course but it puzzles me.
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Explain, please, how the system is abused, PD. Abuse is to use improperly or misuse which is quite different to using the system within its designed purpose.
I agree where you are coming from TW but as far as I am concerned failing to honour a commitment is abuse even if it is easy to cancel. The Club admits its costing them money and and iit looks like things will change in 2022.
peedee
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