Booking ahead is unfair at some sites
Comments
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Any major change of system needs to bed down and it could be a couple of years before any benefits are realised. Deposits will still benefit those that are willing to book a long way in advance. Someone like me who tends to keep an eye on late cancellations could miss out under the new system. Obviously there will still be late cancellations as emergencies and other problems crop up but I doubt they will be so numerous. That might of course be a measure of how well the new system is working!!!!
David
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I would tend to agree. Although we do occasionally stop for one night on a Friday or Saturday and did more often when we were working, having pulled the van out of storage at the start of our week / two week holiday. That would certainly muck up weekend breaks as well as a full week. It would very much depend on how many one night stands there are on a Friday or Saturday.
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That works, Steve. Gets you, and others, off The Caravan Club sites at weekends Plenty of room for those who moan sites are always full at weekend, and a nice earner for the Club.
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Thank goodness there are other options...
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But when you actually get to Chatsworth, where we go often (yes I book speculatively and admit it) it is never full.
As I said in a previous comment, on two consecutive nights during half term week last month, there were 6 pitches free of which 3 were super pitches. For all of the 9 nights we stayed there were always pitches free. These would either be cancellations within 72 hours that no one else had picked up on or they were no shows. We wouldn't be able to go at 72 hours notice as we're both still working but someone would have been able to have had a week away on a standard pitch.
But how would they know - they wouldn't. However, if the cancellation period was extended they might be able to. Likewise, if a deposit had been paid, the Club would get something rather than nothing and deposts would stop speculative bookings (including from me) if they were large enough.
My advice on Chatsworth is always keep trying. If you're able to pack up and go at short notice you will probably get in particularly between Monday to Friday.
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There are all sorts of different ideas to benefit the Membership, but some might not fulfill the Club’s (possible, probable🤷♀️) desire to have every pitch occupied every night. It could designate a couple of one night stay only pitches at known stop over Sites to catch the in transit trade, which would be a trade off? Exeter springs to mind, Richmond Hargill another, both on main travel routes. Open to all types of outfits of course.
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Oh I agree on the keep trying.
However, if a working family is wanting to book its fortnight Summer holiday, having negotiated and agreed with possibly two employers that yes, that is the time you can have, I am not that sure that they would be willing to chance hanging on, and hanging on, and hanging on to get that traditional Saturday to Saturday fortnight they will need. I think that they are more likely to go elsewhere and have the holiday reserved with no further worries.
It’s not as easy now as back in my working days to get a firm holiday commitment from employers, certainly not a good few months in advance. So booking as soon as pitches become available isn’t always an option.
It has to be acknowledged that it’s probably only a few popular Sites, at certain times of the year, where it’s very very difficult to put together anything that requires at least one weekend, more likely two. So it begs the question, should all bookings, at all Sites require a deposit? A possible fudge might be to bring into play one other marketing principal, that of “Place”, either limited booking of weekends per Member at a certain Site during busy times, or totally non refundable up front payments. I would go for the former. Extending cancellation periods during busy Summer months still wouldn’t work. Most folks in work, looking for a family holiday will commit to something months in advance if they can. Only speculative fools like OH and me set off with nothing booked nowadays😁
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A rationing system - great idea!
Maybe with a lottery element.
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Fear not. I have just been looking at the latest vacancies and job descriptions for the six latest new posts created to work out of HQ. We are going to be analysed dependent upon outfit and over a lifetimes Membership.
Rocket science tells me that as a Member, we personally aren’t really what the Club wants🤣
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Or make stays of up to two or three nights payable in full at the time of booking without a refund if cancelled within 30 days.
An eminently sensible suggestion.
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But people who are at work today can’t do that.
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Neither can people who have no Internet, are ill, are asleep etc etc.
Are you suggesting the club should do something about people's personal circumstances?
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Why can't they? You're assuming that they can't get days off when they need them? Yes some jobs are like that but other's aren't and it all depends on the T&C, one of my daughters could get time off at very short notice like tomorrow, another within a few days or a week, and another has her work days set for years ahead.
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Quite simply, we aren’t willing to spend enough. We seldom use Club Sites, and usually only at cheaper times. We prefer sites that are basic (the Club is losing these annually) and we aren’t willing to just buy or take out other products such as insurance, merely because it says “CAMC” on it.
We stay Members because of the CL network. Always make sure we get our £54 back in the special offers. The Club wants high spending folks who aren’t that bothered what a holiday costs them, and luckily for the Club, there are plenty happy to oblige. Folks are different, make their own choices.
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TDDA, I thought the 'please explain' might have referred to this...?
"I have just been looking at the latest vacancies and job descriptions for the six latest new posts created to work out of HQ. We are going to be analysed dependent upon outfit and over a lifetimes Membership."
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Like PD, if I cant get a site i look elsewhere and, whilst you should never say never, cant see that changing.
We, up to now, have remained members as we wish to use CLs and attend rallies but don't currently buy any other services..
A very beneficial addition was the large savings to be made on BF crossings with the 'van goes free' offers, sadly no more currently, but the original reason we joined back in 1990 was to make use of Red Penant for our first independent trip abroad.
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Do not worry we go to Chatsworh a couple of times a year ,never book just keep an eye on the booking system , Loads come up
Probably more then half of the bookings at this time of year ,are simply speculative, hopeful ,just in case they can make it next year bookings0 -
And thats what we do ,
as if we do not get a tour together when pitches are not booked this early it as we found this year it gets almost impossible to do so when other decide they should try to find a pitchLoads come up at Chatsworth? only at times? but very rarely when required
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Yet we have no problem
It is not the booking system that is a fault ,it is members taking advantage of the booking system, booking as many sites and days as they want with no penalty ,if they cancel in 72 hours syndrome, that is the problem
A easy answer to stop most who abuse the system , is make it if they cancel in less then 72 hours, they lose any other booking they have ,and even if they cancel in 72 hours more then 3 times , they lose all their other bookings.2
