How to book a CL on the revised website
If you were wondering how to book a CL on the recently revised club website, there is now a YouTube video guide.
Comments
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Ted
Thanks for posting. Can I ask if CL owners were given advance notice of the change to the booking system? I ask as it seems to have impacted quite a lot on CL's and whilst you can view reviews there seems no link to write a review except by going back to the old system and, of course, we have no idea how long the previous information will stay live on the website.
David
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It that an official CAMC video on YouTube, or an amateur trying to be helpful? It is a step in the right direction, but by telling guests to book CLs by phone, it omits the fact that many CLs can be booked via email or online.
Our CL is run alongside our other business activities and we prefer that members book online as it means fewer interruptions to our working day (and mealtimes). Members can see on our website when pitches are available and they can book any time, day or night.As well as lots of local information on our website. Our online booking system sends email confirmation of bookings plus pre-arrival information with ideas of great places to eat, shop and visit whilst enjoying a holiday in Shropshire's lake-lands.
I appreciate that CLs cannot be booked via the CAMC central online booking system, but there are many CLs like ours that have email addresses or operate their own websites. In most cases their web links are shown on the CAMC website - telephone is not the only way to book a CL and it is disappointing that this video omits the other options.
Ian Kelly
01691 622951
Holiday@BirchHill.co.uk
www.BirchHill.co.uk
Birch Hill Farm - an award-winning hideaway in the beautiful lake-lands of Shropshire for members of the Caravan and Motorhome Club
If non-caravanning friends wish to join you, please see our new Glamping Pods - www.ArchersMeadow.co.uk0 -
David
As you may have guessed, no CLs (to my knowledge) were consulted in any way about the new system. Had they been we might not be where we are now. I think that's all I can say in a public forum, but you are welcome to contact me privately.
Ted
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As far as I can see the new system doesn't give CL prices, there is no facility to filter for specifics such as "no dogs" or non-ehu, and there is no directions, without going back to the old system's listings.
The video also only refers to desktop computers. Many of us are away for extended times and don't have one with us, and use small kindles and phones and the system isn't suitable for a small screen.
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Exactly Nellie. It’s a nightmare on small devices, and we no longer carry our laptop, let alone a full desk top system. We are using the search for sites website mainly.
Ted, and other probably very frustrated CL owners, those of us who use the lovely CL Sites you provide for us are less than happy with what the Club have done. It’s a disservice to us, and a frustrating nightmare no doubt for most of you. I for one will be asking hard questions at the AGM, and hope others will be too. It’s smacks of contempt to be honest to not consult with CL owners, who contribute so much to the Club as a whole.
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Nellie
Whilst I now do a lot on my phone through apps which I previously did on a laptop there are some things that are just better on a laptop. Last year I treated myself to a nice HP laptop with a 14 inch screen which suits me as I do a lot of word processing whilst I am away. I do have tablet, which I have started to use as a sat nav but other than looking at Social Media I find it very slow when it comes to typing anything. I have always taken a laptop away with me and my current one is quite compact. At home I always use my desktop with a large screen.
David
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When I used the app map and asked it for sites in Cornwall it gave me a list which included Pembrey countrypark in South Wales. Close!
So I decided to ignore the app map and just ask Google for CL sites in Cornwall. That gave me a much more accurate list - arranged by nearest local town. And if you are logged on as a Club member you get all the contact details that Birch Hill Farm’s post (above) was asking for -and reviews - but no map.
I guess it works for other for other counties too.
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We tried Club system (as in video above yesterday). Gave up as it did nothing but buffer between clicks, takes ages to load and the map function gears in and out all the time. Useless if you are on the move.
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Absolutely. And as a regular user of CLs I much prefer to book by email. If I do need to phone I am never sure when to phone, I am always reluctant to phone in the evening or at meal times. If the site only has phone contact then i have to rationalise it to myself that they can’t mind when they get calls! I think that most CLs these days have an email contact, it just seems obvious to me.
I know some have complained about no reply to emails but that is rare in my experience. And is still easier than trying to phone, not getting an answer or having to leave a message. On one occasion recently I didn’t get reply to an email and because the location etc of the site was what we wanted I did ring up to find my email had gone into her junk mail for some reason. She was very apologetic and the booking was sorted.
The other big advantage of email to me is that I have a paper trail. We have been to CLs where I absolutely know I booked by phone but owner surprised to see me. All resolved with no problem, but if there had been a problem an email trail might have been useful.
The availability calendar is a nice extra and the extra info on the email is always useful.
Whilst obviously the CL is a bigger part of the business for some owners than others and every CL is different, very few are part of an organisation large enough to have a dedicated booking officer. So the nature of the booking, time to answer etc will all vary. But precisely because of all that then surely email gives the owners the flexibility they need. I think that some members expect a degree of uniformity with CLs that just runs counter to what they are.
And I think that CLs have been shafted by the Club with the new web site. I do hope they have been able to make their feelings known.
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The tutorials that the club is putting out to members is an insult and an effort to placate the problems they have caused - the system is still broken
I wanted to find CL’s On ANGLESEY - I type in Anglesey and get many options with the word Anglesey but not Anglesey UK - that doesn’t come up as an option. If I type in Anglesey UK system keeps telling me to put a location in - on your website Anglesey UK doesn’t seem to exist????
Can anyone please tell me how I can find THE PRICE IF A CL AND MOST IMPORTANTLY DIRECTIONS TO SELECTED CL. Do I have to ring every CL that I’m interested in to find these details????????
Using filters I want to search out CLs only, but I cant I cannot deselect Club sites I am forced to search for those as well.
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You're right it doesn't like Anglesey does it! I typed in Wales after that, with trepidation as we have an English hamlet called Wales near us. The location selection bar is not fit for purpose, sadly.
Wales threw up all sorts of answers. It is expecting you to search by map but some just want place names and a simple search.
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The CL search doesn't like county searches either. I tried Warwickshire Uk, which it recognised but only came up with two sites the main CAMC Warwick Race Course site and the CL at Hatton Locks.
reported via Booking Experience feedback.
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Love it🤣 it was our original plan to go to Anglesey, but we opted to go East instead. I must remember this next time we need to search.
It’s because the search engine is Worldwide, as used on Overseas that there are so many problems. CL names are often very unusual, and a lot start with “The …..” so it doesn’t work as well on the “type in first three letters”☹️
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My impression is just that - the Club appears to regard CLs in a very low light. They don't bringthe money trough the tills like Club Sites.
We have used two club sites in the last two years - for one night each. Comparing CL prices with Club prices, why wouldn't we?
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I've just tried a CL search again. This time I typed in Somerset UK as a location. Apart from CAMC main sites being included the list only extended to 20 sites listed alphabetically then I could go no further, just one page.
I'm looking for lists as the map search on a smart phone is too wobbly.
I'm not using the CAMC app is it any better on there?
This is very disappointing.
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Yep. Yet another part of the “member experience” not working properly. Given that the Club are saying (see Rowena’s post on New Booking System thread) that they are endeavouring to resolve KNOWN technical issues I think it is important to report such issues to the Club via the report feature in My New Booking Experience on the web site. Even if you don’t get a reply!
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Yes, this is affecting many CLs very badly. As we begin with 'S' our CL does not appear in the first 20 and, as you say, there is then no option to view the next 20 and so on.
We are located in Lincolnshire and appear under Lincoln in the sites directory. Sadly, a search for CLs in and around Lincoln returns (as above) the first 20 CLs which are located in Nottinghamshire, Rutland, South Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk as well as other areas of Lincolnshire but not Lincoln. Only one CL out of 11 CLs in total listed as Lincoln actually appears in the first 20 and that is because it begins with 'B'.
There is an option to sort the results to show price - high to low or low to high. For the same Lincoln search changing the sort option to show CLs priced high to low returns Club sites including Sandringham in Norfolk! It's a pretty useless sort option when CL prices are not even quoted on the new system.I have written to CAMC about these and other issues negatively impacting CLs on the new 'Booking Experience'.
Thankfully we are also listed on another CAMC CL search website which does work and which, not surprisingly, has recently received a flurry of new CLs wanting to join.
Skybarn Farm CL1 -
Nicola - I am certainly not a fan of this new website and booking arrangement - and that's an understatement - but having read your post, I gave it a try and you will be relieved to know that I found you quite easily:
Find a UK Campsite/CLs/England/Lincolnshire/Lincoln/Skybarn Farm
I don't know whether the difficulties are operating system related but I am using an iMac, running Monterey 12.6, using Chrome as a browser.
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richardandros
Yes, you can find us that way but I'm referring to the new search facility for anyone who doesn't know the area or local CL sites and wants to search for CLs in/around Lincoln that way.
In the screenshot I've added below for a search for Lincoln UK, the first CL site of the 20 returned is in Doncaster, quite a way from Lincoln. The next ones are located in Newark, Stamford, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Mablethorpe and so on.
This is the link for the search I did: https://bookings.caravanclub.co.uk/sites?types=1&types=4&types=3&ne_lat=53.7064086425588&ne_lng=0.9881189218749853&sw_lat=52.54791091266421&sw_lng=-1.4508459218749947&eventType=2&location=Lincoln%2C%20UK&showResults=true&zoomLevel=9
To actually then get Lincoln you need to zoom in on the map (okay on a laptop but not at all easy on a mobile). It should actually return CLs listed under Lincoln by default not by having to then technically amend the search. When I've searched other towns around the country it does just return CLs near that town, not all over the place.
Hope you're both well and Meg too of course.1 -
Yes it’s the search facility that does not work properly. You can do a search via country, then County then town. But that replicates the handbook and needs you to know which county you want a site in what is not always straightforward near county boundaries, and then you need to know your geography well enough to know which town sites may be attached to. Again not straightforward as some sites are associated with sites 12 miles away. The good old paper map helps with the handbook because of course you have the site numbers.
Searching on the interactive map had become quite good on the old site, with links to full details of site etc. The CL filter had improved. All of this seems to have been lost.
Given that changes to the web site were driven by the need to change the booking system for Club sites it is even more dire that now that some improvements to the site have been made since it’s launch, it is the CL section that is suffering so badly. I really do get the impression that the Club doesn’t care about CLs. I appreciate they don’t directly bring money into the club, but they do get our membership fee. And for someone like me who rarely uses club sites, it is the CL network that keeps me a member.
I hope people are submitting appropriate AGM questions.
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If you calculate the membership fees taken by CAMC for members who mainly opt for CLs say 10,000 as a basic but undoubtedly many more CAMC hasn't provided adequate representation on the new booking system for either CL owners or users. People who use CLs and know many by name and area can probably find what they need via the web site and other providers and by not using the booking area but more recent members won't benefit from any previous knowledge.
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As a CL user I have tried since the launch of the new booking system to use it to find CLs. I don't know if some systems work better than others, as you mention and I have read that laptops appear to be working well. But how many people still use laptops? I don't, and certainly wouldn't take a laptop with me when touring. I'm using a Samsung tablet, Android, using Firefox.
I clicked on your link and spent some time trying to find CLs - and gave up in the end. My thought was that perhaps the map covered too big an area and that's why we were seeing CLs outside of Lincoln(shire). But trying to zoom in on a much smaller area was like pulling teeth
The map took absolutely ages to load again, kept stopping, then starting again. I persevered a bit longer, but I'm afraid I gave up.I agree with hja and brue; if you happen to know the CL by name and area, then you stand a chance of finding it. But the way I look for CLs is by identifying an area where I want to go, then looking to see what CLs are available within that area. Hardly a big ask, is it? If I'm going to an area I haven't been to before, I won't know what the name is of the CL I want.
If the search facility is indeed dependent on what platform you use, then it's a very poor system. I am very disappointed and frustrated that I can no longer search for CLs in the way and with the ease I could on the old system, and certainly wouldn't call it progress.
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My mistake Nicola - should have read previous posts more carefully! I agree about that new search facility - first time I tried it, I gave up and reverted to the 'old' method. Had actually dismissed it in my mind and forgotten about it.
We're fine thanks - apart from age-related aches and pains! See you next year, hopefully!
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The reported absence of pricing for CLs is concerning. Does anyone buy a product that doesn't advertise its price? Is there a more sinister policy at work? Recent new CLs have, by and large, certainly shown a significant jump in prices notwithstanding inflationary issues affecting all. CAMCs pricing information for their own sites is, at best, obscurantist. Is it to make it difficult for members to seek out the real bargains whether sites or CLs?
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CLs have been informed by the club that they continue to work on a number of 'fixes' that are of concern.
With regards to Pricing we have been informed see italics:
Pricing:
It is possible to add pricing to the Booking system but there is concern that pricing for some
CLs has not been updated for some years based on the information we have. Although we
appreciate prices are ‘from’ a figure, if an owner has changed that price recently, it makes
the comparison of sites unfair. Therefore to add CL pricing, we need to engage with the
entire network to ensure today’s prices are being reflected.Personally, I feel this is rather an odd stance. The pricing for CLs is available on the 'old' pages and whilst it it is true that some CLs may have out-of-date pricing, most of the more engaged CLs will be making an effort to keep their prices up to date.
Of greater concern is that the comparisons (available with the new system) are unlikely to compare 'apples with apples' as most CLs will price per pitch and assume 2 or more occupants, whilst Club sites start their pricing at 1 adult.
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Frankly, they just need to leave the CLs alone. Trying to get all the CL owners to give up to date prices will be like trying to plait fog. It’s why we like to search for CLs, but then always confirm things via an email or a phone call. A good bit easier with CL Bookings, as you can see most of them are up to date, but we are still happy chasing up those lovely little sites we know if they haven’t updated prices. Frustrating for some users no doubts, but you either go with it, or walk away. There are still a good few “gives a bit of income” CLs out there, who aren’t that fussed at filling all five pitches, who possibly don’t use a website, and yes, don’t keep there prices up to date, but it’s a case of dig deeper, or ignore them. They will stand or fall to a certain extent by the efforts they put in, so as a user, we don’t worry. The minute the Club gets involved, they are “guided” to up date this, do that, spend on this, provide that, and it’s an extra chore they don’t want. So long as the Club inspects, issues a certificate, sticks them on a working list, that’s all we need. (Classic example last week, about as basic as you could get, had to phone, although price is in fact up to date, checked on one or two things and bingo, gorgeous little stop for £8 a night. I rang to check price as I didn't believe it, plus it’s phone bookings only)
I agree with you about the price comparison bit Ted, like apples and pears. Why compare CLs with Club Sites🤷♀️ The other thing is CLs price very individually. Last week we used one that had hook up, HS, loo, shower, all for £16. Another had no showers, wasn’t as good re HS, but was £18 per night for a loo, HS, hook up and a tap. Both very nice, but very different.
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