Shop around
I was looking to book an 11 night stay in Northumberland for 2 adults on a hardstanding pitch with EHU in early July. The cost at River Breamish was £457 (phew!). A similar pitch at the Camping & Caravanning Club site at Dunstan Hill was £303. It pays to shop around!
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That’s only because like us you clearly qualify for age related discount. Anyone younger would be paying £377. Still admittedly less, as the C&CC have less peaks. However, they are totally different sites, one coastal one well inland. We have stayed at both and liked both very much, but if you want to be at River Breamish, Dunstan Hill isn’t really a substitute, however the CL at Brandon ford may be. Looked very nice when we walked past it on a trek from RB.
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It always pays to shop around but is it like for like?
The club site has just been redeveloped with all HS and some SP if that the same as DH? If they are like for like and the actual location doesn't bother you as Steve says, then go for the cheapest.
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We recently stayed just outside of York at a none club site. The club site is directly next door. We paid £78 for 3 nights (2 adults and 1 child) and the club site wanted to charge us just over £150 for the same 3 nights - nearly double the cost.
My advise to anyone is shop around and don’t think the CAMC are the best/cheapest as there’s many other sites cheaper and IMHO better.
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that's why we only use c.l.s
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Just booked to stay at West Runton (C&C club) which adjoins Incleborough Fields.
September stay is £26.10 per night with EHU on C&C site; but £32.30 on C&MH site.
Have stayed at both previously and regard them as being of equal quality.
Now that C&MH club takes a deposit it has no advantage over C&C club in this aspect.
Interesting that C&MH club now offers free internet, C&C club has done this for some time now.
I joined C&C club to use a specific site (Dingwall) but am staying with them for sure.
C&MH club well we will have to see.................
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It wouldn’t be the same for somebody younger. In that case the C&CC site works out a few pence more expensive. I suppose the CAMC could adopt a similar discount but somewhere it would have to be paid for. Whilst I’m not going to decline the C&CC’s offer of a discount, I have to ask why does the fact we are of a certain age justify us getting a discount, as against a younger family.
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I suppose the risk is that if the C&CC becomes more successful at poaching traditional CMC members it will start to have an impact on their finances which eventually might lead to them reviewing either the discount or the age at which you qualify? The qualifying age used to be 55 but that went up to 60 a few years ago. What is to say they will put the age up to 65 if it becomes too popular. I wonder if the reason the C&CC originally introduced the age discount was that traditionally its members were younger and perhaps it was done to widen the age range of the membership. We stayed at the C&CC site in Cambridge about a month ago and it was quite a bit cheaper than Cherry Hinton. Next month we will be calling in at Moreton in Dorset. We could have stayed at Crossways which is almost next door but for the three nights it was £10 more expensive than with the discount at the C&CC site. Despite the difference in price I think I would prefer to go to Seacroft than either of the two West Runton sites as we find it just that much more convenient albeit more expensive. Swings and roundabouts I suspect?
David
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Perhaps they offer age related discounts as if people are retired, they are far more likley to tour far more than people who are not, so will be spending a lot more money on site fees throughout the year and also, it may act as an incentive for some members to take up mid week pitches at quieter times of year, when many sites would not be very busy!
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That could well be the case. As W2G mentions there are other offers that apply to all, but I think these generally require a minimum number of days. If you just stop for a couple, as we often do, they don’t apply, although the ARD does. However, the same applies to the CAMC, minus the age related discount of course.
Whatever the reasons, this club now has a clear disadvantage for a large section of the membership for much of the year. Whilst it had its USP this was not the case. In loosing that they gave up a huge selling point.2 -
Thats ok Cornersteady if your looking to compare site for site, But i'd say, if both sites have what you are looking for, eg, I might prefer a grass pitch to hardstanding (I do when I take the awning) and I'm not interested in Service pitches then for me it would be a fair comparison, for you or other it might not.
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I'm a little lost as it was a while ago but I think my original post from January still stands as it was a reply about comparing two sites one of which had been refurbished.
But as I said then, and have always said go for what one prefers.
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I have just booked five nights in October at West Runton in Norfolk .
As many will probably know, the Incleborough Fields site is immediately adjacent to the CCC West Runton site .
The CMC wanted £ 149 - the CCC £112 for exactly the same dates. Yes, we get the Seniors discount from the CCC.
Guess where we shall be staying
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We haven't been to Incleboro Fields for some years mainly because of the lack of hardstanding, which I think is soon going to be remedied and I was never sure about the access to the C&CC site? We now tend to use Seacroft as we find it more convenient with the motorhome. The problem for the CMC is they really don't have an answer to the C&CC senior discount? As I mentioned up thread we have used one C&CC site this year with another booked where we have gained, like you, from the senior discount. I think the discount comes into greater focus because there are several locations where CMC and C&CC sites are in close proximity with each other, West Runton being one of them.
David
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I have to agree with the Club ethos that all members are equal and therefore discounts for seniors (which would apply to me) are not given. If seniors were discounted then the younger members would have to subsidise this via higher pitch fees and I don't think that is right in the current climate. For those calling for the discount have they estimated the annual financial impact to the club or are they just thinking of themselves.
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I doubt that people look at it in that depth? For many just see the savings and wonder why they can't be applied to the CMC sites in the same way and despite the inevitable repercussions to prices for younger members they just look at it narrowly. In the past CMC members have been able to offset the C&&C offer against the likes of no deposits, midweek discounts and transparent pricing. All those CMC advantages have now gone so I suppose people start to think they are comparing like with like and to some the CMC now falls short. Whilst I would accept that the new system has improved availability, which was a major aim, it now seems to favour those who are able to book a year ahead. If you can do that you get the best prices but the downside is that the deposit is paid much further in advance so is that fair to younger members with families? The Club have always maintained that they want to be fair to all members. Providing extra discounts to older members would, as you say, turn that policy on its head but for many it does seem to make the CMC uncompetitive.
David
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The club doesn't offer senior discounts, the CCC does. It's that simple surely. If anyone wants a discount go to the CCC, if one is happy with the price use the club.
Any senior discount is not offered to help older members in some way but to get them to go to CCC sites. Perhaps numbers are such this isn't needed with this club? But again the choice is there.
But I agree in everyone paying the same, use other providers if one thinks otherwise?
And if any discount or offers were provided I would rather it was for families. The kids for a pound deal was very good when we used them and certainly made club sites far more competative.
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+1.
I've said similar every time the old folks discount subject has raised its head. 👍🏻
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We have been members of the C &CC over the years, on and off. We join sometimes as we like a couple of their sites, but don't make enough use of them to justify the membership fee really. And I would qualify for the age discount. But discounting a flawed product doesn't really make it an attractive product.
For us the minimum of two, three or even 5 nights minimum stay is too restrictive. I far prefer the CAMC policy of no minimum night stay. Then there is the extremely poor C &CC website where I can never find a simple availability chart so you have to keep putting slightly different dates in time after time to see if you find availability. We also dislike being shown to a pitch and the "encouragement" to accept the pitch they choose for you. And finally we have found some pitches to be too small for an awning.
I appreciate that others will feel completely differently and might have had different experiences with C &CC but for us it is not at all the Shangri La sometimes portrayed on here. But if it is for you, great stuff, enjoy your stay there....!!
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A lot of what you say, I would agree with, especially their IT. However I think, with what for some, are major changes I imagine previously stalwart CMC members have been widening there choice, some of them by joining the C&CC. There are quite a few C&CC sites I would not use if the were a similar price to CMC sites simply because, personal view, they don't match the quality of CMC sites. But if price is important and you find you get a decent discount because you are over 60 that just adds to the disparity between the two Clubs as far as price is concerned and it will influence where some people decide to go.
David
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There’srecently been a large amount of emails hitting my inbox from the club offering discounts. Some look quite attractive but as I like planning ahead, I’ve already booked non club sites. If the CAMC prices were a bit more attractive to start with, it could have been a different story. We’ve been members for many years and have stayed on over 60 sites in the past, many on several occasions. Afraid at the moment, the attraction is no longer there. 😢
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Alan, prices are set a year ahead (for each batch released) at a percentage higher than the corresponding period in the preceding year. These prices also got 'adjusted' by an 'electricity loading' which pushed them on even further.
if you book early, as you do, you'll probably get the 'benefit' of CAMC prices before the 'dynamic pricing' effect....these are adjustments which are made (upwards) as we get closer to the departure dates.
however, as you say, with those early prices being already too high for you, you've gone to other providers where, presumably, you get better VFM or you've gone to a CL etc?
this means you're not in the game for one time offer from the club...their loss? Your loss? both? How many early bookers will feel the same way, they've lost a potential saving?
OTOH, those who wait far longer than you and book much closer to the time (for many reasons) have the extra cost of DP pushing up the price...however, they can then take advantage of 'offers', provided that they are happy with the (sometimes constraining) T/Cs.
how much saving you get with an 'offer' pitch over one whose price might have been pushed up by DP and then lowered by the 'offer' is a moot point.
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Alan
What is unexplained by this deluge of Club emails is the reasoning for the need. I assume that site occupation rates are not what the Club expected, hence all the offers. What ever the reasoning be that the new booking system, sites being expensive or just a general down turn in people actually going away this year I don't know. Currently on a four site trip, two commercial sites, one CMC site and one C&CC site. Guess which one is the most expensive!!!
David
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I don't think it has anything to do with the new booking system or it shouldn't be, after all the terms are better than any commercial site I have stayed on. I suppose some may have turned to CLs who don't take deposits but I cannot imagine it will be that many. A general downturn in people going away and prices are in my view are interlinked with the price being the key. If it is too expensive, then either people with stay at home or look for a cheaper alternative. The latter is increasingly easier to find because of the price the Club is charging which added to it the membership fee, makes them look expensive for what in the majority of cases is just a basic site.
peedee
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The terms may be better than commercial sites. However the Club having lost its USP of no deposits, easily cancelled, together with a really difficult and chaotic start to the new booking system resulted in a lot of disgruntled members. A proportion of those will have the started to look for alternatives. Maybe just for some of their trips away. Doesn’t take that many to reduce bookings below what the club anticipated. But of course the cost of living crisis will also have had an effect. I can well imagine that people might go away on fewer occasions, for example.
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Nor would I read to much into disgruntled members leaving being a reason for any perceived downturn in bookings, as these are being replaced by new members who have no knowledge of the previous booking system and will see the current prices being reasonable, otherwise they will not have joined. I think the Club, as is most of the leisure industry, seeing a downturn due to the pressure on most peoples finances.
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Also don't forget these offers apply to what, maybe 15 to 20% of all club sites so if there is a need due to booking being less than anticipated then it may only perhaps applies to those sites? So are the other 80+% doing well?
I perhaps thinks that with deposits the club has a much clearer view of booking, what did it say the cancellation rate was down by - 70%? So it now has a pretty good idea of what certain sites projected occupancy is really like and which sites to target and to apply offers to.
The club did have MWD in the past but this is perhaps also much fairer and maybe more effective in my view as the offers can be used at the weekend.
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However the Club having lost its USP of no deposits, easily cancelled,
So where else would they expect to find the same terms? If they left because of this, its out of the frying pan into the fire for them. The introduction of the new system was not well done at all but I don't see it as being a bad move or one the Club is liable to do a U turn on. Poor IT systems will lose them money but I don't see it as a reason to leave the Club, such things can be remedied over time given the money is available to make the corrections.
peedee
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I don’t think it is about leaving the club, it is about less use of club sites and a contributory reason for apparently lower occupancy. Because people were disgruntled with what was happening with the club it shook up their booking preferences. They just looked to see what else was available. That could have been CLs with t and c better than club sites, it could have been considering commercial sites that they had never considered before. T and c not much worse than club sites, maybe price cheaper. So “let’s give it a go”. Remember people are not always rational, don’t always read the small print.
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