Has the club made the right move?
I'm just wondering if anyone else feels the same as me. I understand that before deposits were introduced some people block booked popular sites and didn't arrive for those they didn't want which kept others from using them. I for one got annoyed at this. But my recent experience has left me with a bad taste in my mouth. On Thursday 18th August I made a booking for Clumber Park for 5 night from Sunday 20th August, thinking I could correct it if through my busy life I needed to amend it. I was surprised to learn I now needed to leave a deposit but oh well i did it anyway. When my wife came home from work she made me realise I needed to reduce the nights in favour of staying somewhere else prior so making our journey broken up. When trying to amend, it seemed I was being charged £16. We decided to call the club to see what we could do, only to be told we had to stand to the charge or lose the £20 deposit. They did waiver the charge after long discussions but after rethinking we have decided to not turn up and lose the deposit as it now doesn't fit with our travel plans. I am now thinking of cancelling my membership as I can't get along with this system as last minute bookings suit us and sometimes we need to change because of our busy lifestyles. I didn't sign up to the travel industry but a club which now seems to be into just making money. I also don't agree with being charged for visitors that also seems wrong to me. This along with the increase in prices leaves me thinking that I'm getting a hotel rather than a piece of turf (forgive the exaggeration). I think the club need to rethink what they are doing, there are other ways of stopping block booking like limiting how many bookings can be made or asking for deposits if making many bookings but for general bookings this new system is completely out of order and insensitive to customers who need to change plans, amend bookings and cancel sometimes. Does anyone else feel the same as we do?
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I think the Club got it right and that members need to get it right before they book. Sorry.
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You booked very last minute but I don't understand the 'being charged £16'? What what this for? As far as I know there is no amendment charge, one simply loses the deposit? .
Also I hope you notified the club that you won't be turning up?
...which kept others from using them. I for one got annoyed at this...
I am now thinking of cancelling my membership as I can't get along with this system as last minute bookings suit us and sometimes we need to change because of our busy lifestyles
Sorry but those two sentences do not match up? You got annoyed (when someone didn't arrive) yet are going to do that now and so you want to do the same to someone else?
I also don't agree with being charged for visitors that also seems wrong to me
Again this is just something I've not heard about and does not happen?
But to answer your question, no I don't feel the same way as you.
But if I did I wouldn't re-join, plenty of other campsites out there so find one that suits your touring style.
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Frying Pan and Fire spring to mind.
On a 7 site tour at present. 5 CLS and 2 Independent Sites. Both Indy sites wanted deposit and then full payment at least 21 days before arrival. Same with 1 CL and another will ring me the week before we are due to arrive and take full payment if we still want it. The other 3 CLs didn't want a deposit. Pay when we arrive or even leave.
Fairly typical cross section of T&Cs for payment.
So where are you going to look for your no deposit, change mind at last minute sites?
Don't get me wrong. I think the "Club" used a sledgehammer to crack a nut but it is what it is. We mostly avoid club sites but most accommodation leisure industries will need deposits and sometimes full payment.
BTW - Will you let the club know you've decided to not turn up and cancel your booking? Hope so.
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I think the club has got it right too. The terms and conditions are there for all to see, and have been much discussed and debated on CT. Some are happy to accept them, and others have decided that they don't suit the way they like to make bookings and that their future touring plans lie elsewhere. How you make your future plans is entirely within your own hands, but if it includes CAMC sites then you will need to be prepared to lose your deposit.
Don't forget to ring up and cancel if you decide not to go. It might be the last pitch
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Thanks for replies. About the £16, this is definitely a charge to amend which is all I wanted to do because the dates where wrong. I didn't want a refund on my deposit. I appreciate the T&C's and the deposit but I dont agree with charges for amendments. It's simply not fair. I suppose we all entitled to see things differently and i guess I am used to the old way so think its a bit harsh. Thanks again
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From the Terms and Conditions.
FULLY refundable deposit - up to 21 days before your arrival date
FREE amendments/cancellations - up to 21 full days before your arrival date
Switch Club campsites without loss of deposit - anytime before arrival date (original dates must be maintained)4 -
There is no mention of an amendment charge anywhere in the T&CS? Nor has anyone mentioned one before?
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Yes there is Corners. Paragraph 8;
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/booking-terms-and-conditions/
For example, if you cancel one night or more of your stay (i.e. make an amendment) within 21 days of arrival, you’ll lose the deposit value for those nights cancelled from your original booking (this is prorated using the value that each cancelled night represents of the total price of that stay - e.g. if you cancel the first night of a two night stay and the first night represents 40% of the total price of the stay, then you will lose 40% of the deposit paid).
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That makes sense. It’s forfeiting part of the deposit for cancelling part of the stay but not, as the OP believes, a fee for purely amending a booking.
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I read that before posting Tim. I don't read or see that as an amendment charge but as a loss for that cancellation prorated as said. That it's cheaper to cancel than not turn up? An incentive to cancel rather than not turn up.
If a day was being added there wouldn't be an amendment charge? Just an extra deposit.
But however still better than most other providers.
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As Wherenext pointed out the CMC T&C's are still far more generous than most so if you intend to leave the Club but not give up the hobby I don't see how you will be any better off. When you make a booking you enter into a contract which you are duty bound to fulfil? I suspect the new booking system is, to some extent, work in progress and I would agree that the Club could be a bit more generous in how they approach amendments, especially if the number of nights stayed within the Club remain the same, but perhaps we are not there yet?
David
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As the OP was surprised to find a deposit system in place when he booked, I suspect it follows that he was maybe unaware of many of the terms. 🤷🏻♂️
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We tend not to book until the last minute. So booked yesterday for arrival Sunday. It is a CL which doesnt require a deposit - pay on arrival, cash or bacs. So I paid today by bacs. Prefer that to cash and I dont like trying to use bacs while away.
Seems to me that you may be better of using CLs - more and more do need deposits, but not usually a penalty for CHANGING your booking, just if you dont go. And of course the increase in deposits is because they have had too many "no shows". As a CL owner said to me the other week, those that most moan about deposits are those most likely not to turn up.
Seems to me maybe a bit of miscommunication between you & your partner? I have to make sure my partner is really listening to me before making site decision - he is apt to agree with me without having heard me!!!!
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I'd just like to pick up your point regarding being charged for visitors. I presume when you say visitors that means someone coming to visit you for the day on your pitch? The club doesn't charge for day visitors to sites only if those visitors stay with you overnight. That's been the case for at least the last 13 years of my employment.
The new booking system with deposits has been in place for 11 months now and social media has been pretty busy discussing it in all that time, interesting you're surprised by the need for a deposit.
Deciding not to turn up? A 30 second phone call to the sites answerphone or a 2 minute click on my bookings to cancel?
JK
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The Op mentions cancelling his membership Hja, that would mean no CL's for him.
JK
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Firstly, I am totally in favour of deposits. It is about time the Club moved forward from the archaic practices of old in not requiring a deposit. If you place an order for something then it is sound and fair business practice as you are entering into a contract.
I'm am however confused by this post. Over the last few months I'd booked at two independent sites and paid the required deposit. Due to the sale of our previous caravan and late collection of the replacement I could not make the bookings.
I duly called both sites who agreed to hold the deposits for a later date.
I have subsequently made two new bookings and my deposits have been honoured towards these new bookings.
Is this not the norm?
Are members saying the Club does not operate such a business model?
Colin
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There’s actually no need to book and pay in advance for Clumber, unless you are desperate for one of the Premium pitches, every single day has availability😁 And not even showing “low”. Just roll in and pay on the day. No booking experience to negotiate, no deposit to pay.
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No the club does not:
If I cancel, can I transfer the deposit to another stay at another time?
The purpose of deposits is to reduce down the volume of speculative bookings which then went on to be cancelled (prior to deposits over one million nights per year were cancelled by members). If deposits were to be transferrable, speculative bookings would not reduce.Taken from the FAQs.
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Indeed.
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Hi JK
Regarding cancellations by phone to the site.
If your site is full and someone is booking in and asks if there are any cancellations for the next night (if someone phones to say that they are cancelling), do you take their number and phone them, or do you just tell them to look on the App or keep checking online to see if a cancellation turns up?
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For years, I have argued and compaigned for members to be able to book specific pitch surface types (i.e. grass or hardstandings) and I am pleased that this is now possible.
I think it should also be possible for members to change surface type on arrival at the site, should the surface type be available (i.e. not already booked) without charge. I'm not sure if this is possible - I have heard folk say different things, and have not seen anything written to clarify... (there may well be, but it might just be me that hasn't spotted it).
I've always been ambivalent about deposits. I get that the Club wants to cut down 'speculative bookings'. However, I have two main issues.
- Firstly, if folk realise they are going to lose there deposit by just not turning up, they may very well not take the trouble to cancel (they are losing the deposit anyway), which means that, to all intents and purposes, the pitch appears still to be booked, therefore the Club cannot offer the pitch to others.
- The idea about deposits to cut down on 'speculative bookings' is one thing, but what about if there are other 'non-speculative' reasons for having to cancel? There perhaps needs to be some flexibility here. What happens in case of serious illness or vehicle mechanical failure? I get that these things are difficult to quatify/qualify, but perhaps there ought to be some understanding.
With regards to point 2, perhaps I am about to find out!! Some of you may know that we are, at present, in the Outer Hebrides (not with the caravan) visiting our daughter (who lives on Lewis). Sadly, our car has started to lose power and has gone into 'restricted performance' mode. The local garage reckon it is a cracked manifold (- it's plastic on the Disco 4). No-one on the Island can repair so on Thursday (our planned date to return home) we will be recovered home. The plan was to pick up the caravan next weekend and take the Caravan up to Anglesey to Penrhos CAMC site, which I booked months ago. My garage at home cannot repair the car for 4 weeks, which means, for tbe first time ever, I will need to cancel a booking... Penrhos CAMC site. I will let you know how I get on, but I suspect I will lose my deposit. The booking was certainly not speculative - we had every intention of going....
David
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I'm still puzzled by this £16 'charge'. And the £20 deposit the OP talks about losing.
As I understand it the OP is saying they were booked in for five nights, which is about £200. The deposit on that would then be about £20 or £4 per night?
Further if I've read it correctly they wanted to cancel one night, the first one. According to the T&Cs this means a loss on that night's deposit:
For example, if you cancel one night or more of your stay (i.e. make an amendment) within 21 days of arrival, you’ll lose the deposit value for those nights cancelled from your original booking (this is prorated using the value that each cancelled night represents of the total price of that stay - e.g. if you cancel the first night of a two night stay and the first night represents 40% of the total price of the stay, then you will lose 40% of the deposit paid)
So if the OP wanted to cancel the first night then the lost deposit would be just £4, where does £16 come from?
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The problem for the Club is that it has been and outlier compared to the rest of the camping industry for getting on for the past 15/20 years. Many members liked the simplistically of the system which meant very little in the way of commitment beyond the annual membership sub. Whilst many members enjoyed the flexibility and probably honoured the majority of their bookings there would have been a not small cohort who played the system, albeit within the rules. This obviously concerned the Club enough to change the system to one of deposits. This has resulted in better availability which was one of the aims. What we don't know is whether reported less busy sites is down to the new system or just a general downturn in people being able to afford to go camping. Perhaps more are heading towards CL's because of their generally lower prices. People will get used to the new system, if they haven't already and probably by next year it will be second nature. I have already lost one deposit this year but that was down to me changing my mind on a length of a trip, fortunately it was only just over £20. Had that been a commercial site I would have lost the fee for the whole stay as I would have invariably paid for the whole stay in advance!
David
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