No News Yet on the New Booking System
Comments
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Well if it’s being monitored😁........obviously personal based preferences, but all feedback valuable👍
On the fence regarding deposits, as it won’t affect us very much.
Happy to go along with pitch type booking, but expect a cheaper price for grass.
Can ehu be optional on all pitches, cheaper of course if not using.
Would not be happy if minimum night stays came in.
Consider eventually basic overnight pitches on some Sites close to main travel routes.
Fully support remote payments.
If remote payments go ahead, and pitch booking, consider extending last arrival time in Summer months to 9pm to make most of long daylight hours.
😁
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What worries me about the proposed new booking system is the idea that as part of would be the introduction of deposits, to me this would be a retrograde step and would not solve the supposed booking problems.
There many aspects
The deposit, would it be a fixed amount, say £50, or would it be a percentage of the booking fee. If it’s a fixed amount then it could be more than the cost of a one night stay which would mean the wardens giving a refund when you arrive on site. If it’s a percentage, what would it be 20%, 50% or what.
The other fact is that deposits would favour the richer members who can afford to pay whatever is needed without thinking about it, whilst penalising those who have less money available, families on limited income and poorer pensioners and there are many around
Of course at a stroke it would reduce one of the main reason for being a member of the club for some undetermined benefit and introduce an additional level of administration.
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£34 pn....That's a great deal....We are at Cayton at a similar time and wanted to book a pod for our grandson and partner for 2 nights..web site says from £59pn* but when you put in 2nights, 2 guests, final price is £178...not going to happen. B&B just down the road is half the price and they get a full english !!!
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I've liked having no deposits, not for the actual paying out early (though that was nice too especially many years ago) but for ease of booking, if they come in then it won't affect me that much nor change my booking patterns. I do agree it might affect other's people booking with the club, only time will tell but will it be enough people to make the perceived booked sites threads go away? I don't think so personally.
I like CY's idea of taking the deposits out of your account only if you don't turn up. This happens on a number of other leisure organisations and hotels I've used
'dynamic' payments was mooted and if that mean cheaper prices the further away you book then yes please but I accept it may be unfair to those that can't?
I've supported booking type of pitch but again that won't affect me too much a we use SP most of the time nowadays.
One thing I would not want is any minimum number of nights, I use single nights to and from some sites.
Remote payments, yes please.
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Thanks Rowena for passing the comments in this thread on to the decision makers.
I somehow doubt the Club will go down the punitive route of high deposits, I would fully expect them to be either around £25 or the cost of one nights site fees. The problem with the latter is that in high season, as previously discussed elsewhere that could be £40/50! That is why I would guess it would be nearer £25, at least initially. Having said that if it was based on one nights site fees it would at least be the same as the money you loose if you leave a site early so there would be a degree of fairness. Whether intentionally or not deposits, especially if based on one nights site fees will impact more on those that book many sites far in advance. If that is the case it would be interesting to see if that has any impact on availability if many bulked at paying deposits so far in advance. Perhaps something else to consider is what T&C's will be put in place regarding refunds of deposits and how close to the arrival date these will be given? Perhaps there should be some latitude built in to allow last minute changes to itineraries.
To be able to book a particular pitch surface will be the major advantage to me as it removes any uncertainty. Some have mentioned whether there should be a price differential between, for example, grass and hardstandings. Whilst I would be happy to pay a pound extra for a hardstanding I would question whether it was fair. Sure a grass pitch has higher maintenance costs than hardstanding? If depends if they take initial cost into account. Whether electricity should be option I imagine would be more difficult to administer. Without costly upgrades to the system it would be difficult to isolate multi socket electric points? Without it would be open to abuse?
David
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Dynamic pricing invariably means paying more the nearer to the date you book. Look at the so called 'cheap' airlines for an example of how it works. A flight costing £29 booked a few months in advance can cost over £200 a few days before. I know because I had to return early once from a holiday and was shocked at the price hike.
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... The other fact is that deposits would favour the richer members who can afford to pay whatever is needed without thinking about it, whilst penalising those who have less money available, families on limited income and poorer pensioners and there are many around
I can never get my head around that. You pay the same in total for the holiday whether it's all when you turn up like now or a percentage before hand & the remainder when you turn up.
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I agree. 😱
In fact, to pay part by way of a deposit could be described as paying for the holiday on easy terms as there is then less to pay later so making it easier on the wallet.
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The problem with grass is the stronge possibilty through the year that it will
- be waterlogged
- be muddy
- be difficult to get on or off
- any combination of these
So as with the C&CC there is a sensible price differential ranging from grass non ehu through to fully serviced.
At present a CAMC booked pitch can mean anything from a good quality hardstanding to a muddy patch, all for the same price. (Leaving aside service pitches.)
Going to Tewkesbury recently it was great to book a multi-surfaced pitch at no extra cost but was that fair to some who found themselves, late in the season, on worn out dank grass pitches etc.
I think a price differential makes the risk of booking a grass pitch a bit more viable.
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I can sort of understand it, especially if you were booking a tour and the deposit was a fixed amount, or one nights fee, per booking, as David was suggesting.
Yes, it has to be paid eventually, but if you were using several different sites and booking them at the same time, it would soon mount up, and those on low incomes may budget so much per month to set aside over the year for holidays, and not be able to find that large an amount well ahead.
CCC take either 25%, or £25 if the total is under £100, or the full fee if that is under £25. This is refundable if cancelling more than 31 days ahead, and possibly moveable to another booking if you have a good reason for needing to cancel. Payment of the remainder is on the day of arrival.
If CAMC were to have more punitive conditions, that would be bad.
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If people put aside so much per month towards holidays, they’ll not have to pay an amount equal to the deposits in the months they’re away. They can use that saving to fund future deposits and therefore be able to afford them.
Whichever way you look at it, it balances out.
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Dynamic pricing works both ways. If you have a commodity for sale, let’s say a pitch, and it’s still vacant on the day of sale, then discounting it might encourage someone to take it up. That pitch can never be sold again, for that date, so by discounting it, encouraging someone to take it up at a much reduced price, then the Club would get something for the pitch, rather than nothing.
Never use airlines, so cannot comment. But I do use very nice pubs for stop overs, and have walked into a few at 5pm to see if they have a room available, and if so, at what price. If the answer isn’t good enough, I walk away, then go back at 7pm and ask again. Never failed yet to get a good discount, and a room. We usually agree to eat in the pub as well, so it’s a win win. The pub gets something, we get something, both are happy. Best deal so far was at a very very nice pub in Fowey. They wanted £150 a night, I suggested £75 and eat in. I even persuaded them to do the same deal if we stayed another night. You need lots of bottle, a polite negotiating style, and a plan B. I had a work colleague who negotiated on cottages, only done that if it was a big cottage but we only wanted one bedroom.
If Club offered heavily discounted on the day pitches, we might use a Club Site for the odd night. But they don’t, so we use CLs. It’s a marketing ploy they are missing out on.🤷♀️ Won’t work at busy times,,or on busy Sites of course, but at certain times......better any fee for a pitch than lose a fee.
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Although you might TDA I can’t see very many folk, towing a caravan, ringing up / going online at 5pm then 7pm to try and get a slightly better deal. Perhaps the odd one with a MH. However, not for us and most others I suspect. I’m not sure even making it earlier in the day would make much difference. Perhaps they could offer them to those already onsite, temp them to an extra day.
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In theory that may be the case but I defy you to find examples of prices going down near departure time..... I do have some experience on that score. For customers it was far preferable with the old system before dynamic pricing where prices went down to fill seats at the last minute. The airlines (and ferry companies) seem to think now if you book last minute you will pay whatever they ask to make sure you get transport.....
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Sorry OG&S, you are asking wrong person here. Last time I was on a plane was 1983😂 As for a ferry, other than CalMac ones, only ferry I have ever been on was a Greek one! I think it sank a few years later😱
I know what you mean, but that is dynamic pricing for transportation, works cheaper early, dearer on the day. Accommodation often works the other way, or has a different set of T&Cs, such as cheap price is fixed date, whereas pay more and you can alter/amend. Transport will go usually, no matter how many on board. Accommodation has to be taken up or the opportunity is lost forever. It’s why last minute cottages, hotels etc....do late availability deals cheaper. Every year (pre Covid) we would hoover up last minute cottage stays very late, as we are luckily in the position of being able to go at very short notice when they are often heavily discounted. For a cottage owner, the very worst scenario is an empty cottage.
Covid of course has skewed things badly. The desperate will pay almost anything, hence all the thousand pound prices to get somewhere in Cornwall last Summer.0 -
Ive certainly seen variations for Club ferry prices...for different periods (supply and demand) but also if hesitant and time moves on...leaving ferry booking late is likely to see a price rise...but, as said, this is transport not accommodation.
I do see pitch type selection coming (hopefully without the ensuing 'member confusion') along with any price differential but not sure about dynamic pricing, a step too far...
similarly with deposits, there's a whole raft of system elements that need to be thought through and this is not CC's forte....
we wait....as ever.
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I may have missed something in this long thread, but reference is made to "going elsewhere if deposits are brought in". What seems not to be mentioned is that on "most" commercial sites, a deposit has to be paid on booking, followed by the full cost of the booking often a month in advance. I have no problem with deposits, and accept that I may lose it if I have to cancel - but the possibility losing the full amount of a booking for say 14 nights is a major factor in deciding on making a commercial site booking. This also is often the case on CL's - certainly the ones I have used.
If the C&MC bring in a non returnable deposit of circa £50 then that is fine with me, as long as the the full price payable on arrival is retained. With all the uncertainties surrounding Covid, paying the full price in advance is a big gamble. OK, UK travel insurance is available but for the "more mature" members it is very expensive to obtain cancellation cover for covid related issues.
After all, the C&MC is a commercial business run for the benefit of its shareholders not its members. Late cancellation may deny the business the expected income from that pitch, and the deposit at least then covers the admin costs.
Pitch selection would help - maybe if more non serviced standard hard standings were available that would leave the full service pitches for those that actually use the water and grey waste connections.
Paul
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Rowena. Thank you for keeping us informed that HO is aware of what is discussed on CT. Interesting to know.
I realise CAMC has to run a viable operation but sometimes it may at times be prudent if it could find another way to consult the whole membership occasionally and not rely on the forum, social media, AGM’s, focus groups etc.
Just my thoughts
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If the C&MC bring in a non returnable deposit of circa £50 then that is fine with me, as long as the the full price payable on arrival is retained. With all the uncertainties surrounding Covid, paying the full price in advance is a big gamble. OK, UK travel insurance is available but for the "more mature" members it is very expensive to obtain cancellation cover for covid related issues.
Paying the full price some time in advance wouldn’t be a risk if it was flexible. Tiered prices would allow this. A reduced price for, you take the risk non refundable. Then a more expensive option which allows cancellation and reuse of the deposit or full sum against a later booking. In affect you would be paying a sort insurance policy against unforeseen problems. So perhaps £30 a night non refundable, £35 flexible.
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Thus far any mention by the Club on the subject of the new booking system has only mentioned deposits, no mention as yet of advanced payment. Moving back to deposits on site bookings would be a big move and my guess would be that is where it will stop. I would agree that expecting full payment in advance would be a step too far and it would remove any advantage of using Club Sites over Commercial Sites but I am pretty sure they won't go down that route.
Bit puzzled by your comment about shareholders? As I understand it any excess profit on operations are ploughed back into sites and facilities on behalf of members not paid in dividends.
David
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I tend to agree about significantly in advance. However, I do hope they go down the route of automatic payment on the day of arrival. All checking in could then be done without you exiting the vehicle and greatly speed things up, particularly at sites like Chatsworth, where checking in on a Sunday can take an age, blocking access to the site for anyone else.
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Nuts, following on from the comments of others, the club is not a plc with shareholders requiring payment by dividend but is a Limited liability company as are most club's, charities and so on.
Whilst members are technically owners/shareholders of the Caravan Club Ltd, we each have a liability of only £1 if the company becomes insolvent but we receive no remuneration and profits are ploughed back into the club's operation.
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All checking in could then be done without you exiting the vehicle and greatly speed things up, particularly at sites like Chatsworth,
All very well SteveL....but that would upset the drivers partner who has rushed onto site with a chair/hook up cable etc...to reserve their preferred pitch..
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I stand corrected.
Caravan & Motorhome Club Ltd:
Companies House, company ref 03940920, status Active. Only files Dormant Accounts.
Has 2 Directors and a Company Secretary.
Persons with significant control:
The Caravan Club Ltd. Ref 00646027
15 Directors / Officers
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