A letter to clubs about site prices

[wp1234]

Wow . Great customer retention department! What a joke ! 15 years !

Same here …now sitting on an independent site outside Ely Cambridgeshire with ehu, full services, free WiFi , visiting food vans , onsite pub for £22 pn on a bank holiday weekend …..go figure…

 

[lindyloot]

I’m a member of both,and being a single lady on her own, I use their sites as I feel safer staying there. I’ve not noticed the price rises too much

 

[Pausim]

The prices are higher now and it annoys me that the basic price is a unit and just one person

Why should single people pay the same as couples. They use the shower and toilet facilities less and probably use less water. I used to motor home alone and it is a lot more expensive as a single person than as a couple. If you want unit only prices there are lots of sites without facilities that operate on this basis.

 

[Molly A]

Sounds like my last employer who forced me into early retirement. They had over 100 employees and can't hold onto them (does nothing for maintaining quality) I had 7 years service and was the 5th longest serving and the longest had 18 years, by far the longest service. We were the 2 oldest employees and despite doing an extremely physically demanding job they decided to increase the working week from 40 to 48 hours, sign a new contract or there's the door!
Of course we signed the contract, after 6 weeks it was obvious we were physically struggling. I was living on painkillers just to get through the day. We went to management to ask if we could go back to 40 hours. They refused stating that the extra hours allowed them to fulfill their contracts. The thing about it was many of the younger guys had already been doing 48 hours with those extra hours being paid at time and a half! Now they were doing it for single time.
They allowed us to leave without even a thank you. Their loss, they lost 2 guys who had a first rate attendance record, who's work ethic and quality couldn't be questioned, who's vast experience of every aspect of the job lost forever! Very short sighted considering the multimillion £s contracts they had.
Best thing I ever did

That is simply appalling treatment. Cynical cost cutting with no consideration for worker's health or wellbeing. The hours they wanted you to work were the maxim possible under the European work time directive, which this government is looking to get rid of under its revision of laws, including many which protect worker's rights, adopted in the UK when part of the EU. Sounds like you got out just in time Davy, so glad you are enjoying your retirement now.

 

[lindyloot]

I’ve just checked how much I paid for two nights , at St Neots CCC site ( last Tuesday and Wednesday) with electric , £33.50

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[chatteris]

I wanted to stay 1 night on a camc site in norfolk last year, did not need hook up just a grass pitch there was loads of space, they wanted 2 nights minimum at £66 so we left and found a pub stop and had 2 meals and drinks for £42

 

[BillandHelen]

We are at the CCC site at Chertsey, right beside the Thames, site is full of families and couples enjoying the fabulous bank holiday sunshine! Cost per night, hard standing and electric, £36.75, great value.

On the way down from Edinburgh we stayed in 2 pub stops, the Fat Lamb in the Eden valley and The Folly in Towcester, both great stops but £200 for food and drink!

Choice is great.

 

[Lenny HB]

No wonder they get away with rediculous high prices if people think £36.75 is great value. That's rip off land to me.

 

[Janine]

No wonder they get away with rediculous high prices if people think £36.75 is great value. That's rip off land to me.

In my opinion, it is only a rip-off if there are no alternatives.

With club cl’s and cs’s, temporary holiday sites and weekend rallies there are lots of cheaper options.

If they are not in areas that you want to be, you pay a premium just as you would with hotels. Compare London hotel prices with Skegness and I am sure you will find a difference.

 

[BillandHelen]

No wonder they get away with rediculous high prices if people think £36.75 is great value. That's rip off land to me.

We are off to France on Wednesday for a month, so a mix of aires and municipals, it’s great that there is plenty of choice to suit us all!

It’s a bit like restaurants, we are having a Sunday sirloin roast at the Thames Court pub, £16.75, our scallop starter at the Britstop we stayed at was £14, both great value in their own way.

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[Markandclaire]

Bristol‘s Baltic Wharf has dramatically increased to the point we won’t pay, even though it’s where our son lives. Most baffling is that it’s closing down, apart from day to day costs there is no investment on the site that benefits the customer and therefore would be a justification.
Also they ask us not to use the EHU if we are self sufficient but offer no incentive.
Lastly if energy is such a big factor surely there is considerably less consumption in the summer, so how do they explain the price rises and what proportion is made up of anticipated energy consumption?

Hi, we stayed at Baltic Wharf in April mid week (not kids holidays) for 2 x nights and paid around £46 per night including EHU. I thought it was expensive but my 94 year old mum lives 15mins away, walking, and it is a great location for Bristol so happy to pay. It is a shame Bristol Council are going to develop the site.

 

[seasideBill]

Hi, we stayed at Baltic Wharf in April mid week (not kids holidays) for 2 x nights and paid around £46 per night including EHU. I thought it was expensive but my 94 year old mum lives 15mins away, walking, and it is a great location for Bristol so happy to pay. It is a shame Bristol Council are going to develop the site.

CAMC acquire land just up the road at the old Police Dog Training Centre, but I’m not sure they’ve made much progress with planning? Problems with flood risks I think. Parsonage Farm CL at nearby Long Ashton is £20 and a good alternative given high cost and emission zone issues with Baltic Wharf.

 

[Pausim]

Some of the town/city sites are on rented land and I suspect the rents are reflected in the prices. If the Chertsey site with its river frontage was redeveloped as flats it would be worth many many £millions. I generally don’t like the big club sites because I am paying for facilities I don’t want and other people wasting electricity. Also their layouts are a bit too regimented for my liking. With a few exceptions that makes life easy, I go somewhere else. However there seem to be plenty of users happy to pay the prices so why would the clubs (businesses) reduce them. No point in complaining about the prices if you are still paying them. It is all a matter of personal choice.

 

[BillandHelen]

Some of the town/city sites are on rented land and I suspect the rents are reflected in the prices. If the Chertsey site with its river frontage was redeveloped as flats it would be worth many many £millions. I generally don’t like the big club sites because I am paying for facilities I don’t want and other people wasting electricity. Also their layouts are a bit too regimented for my liking. With a few exceptions that makes life easy, I go somewhere else. However there seem to be plenty of users happy to pay the prices so why would the clubs (businesses) reduce them. No point in complaining about the prices if you are still paying them. It is all a matter of personal choice.

Agreed, it’s why I don’t complain, if I don’t like it I’ll go elsewhere.

 

[hja]

Agreed, it’s why I don’t complain, if I don’t like it I’ll go elsewhere.

Yes, that’s fine. However I would have thought that the Club would want to know, maybe they do, what proportion of their members use club sites, and if not, why not. Hence when ever I get one of their surveys I fill it in with my thoughts abot the sites, and other things.

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[royandsharont]

I haven’t read all the past threads since I posted before, so this may be mentioned somewhere, but today I had occasion to phone a CAMC site to ask if something special was happening as I saw a small increase in the price for a Friday & Saturday. I was informed it was the new ‘Dynamic Pricing’ system so if it’s getting full the price goes up re supply & demand. I didn’t know that had been one of their recent changes.

 

[seasideBill]

I haven’t read all the past threads since I posted before, so this may be mentioned somewhere, but today I had occasion to phone a CAMC site to ask if something special was happening as I saw a small increase in the price for a Friday & Saturday. I was informed it was the new ‘Dynamic Pricing’ system so if it’s getting full the price goes up re supply & demand. I didn’t know that had been one of their recent changes.

Yep, just more pain for members and an act of prejudice against tourers who don’t plan & book weeks in advance e.g motorhomers. Dynamic pricing has absolutely no place in a membership organisation. It’s not easyjet or premier inns for chrissakes, it’s the bloody caravan club!!

 

[busby]

We are off here for the Bank Holiday weekend so can’t grumble at CMC prices .

Motor Home Park

Stay in one of our 23 pitches in the village

portmeirion.wales

I always predicted a financial reckoning would have to be paid for the pandemic and we have it in all its glory everywhere .

It's not happening abroad..BUSBY.

 

[busby]

We stayed at Crowborough C&CC site last week, £24.70 a night with old folks discount which I thought was reasonable. I also avoid the overpriced sites.

Just had 29 nights on a 5 star site 500 mtrs from the beach in Spain,,two pools bar restaurant,laundry gym., hairdresser and medical centre,,library,,Fantastic showers and toilets,,whole site immaculate, 24 euros a night.BUSBY.

 

[faraway]

I always get annoyed at being told that the cost includes 2 people etc. I’m mostly on my own, but don’t seem able to get a single discount.

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[enark]

I haven’t read all the past threads since I posted before, so this may be mentioned somewhere, but today I had occasion to phone a CAMC site to ask if something special was happening as I saw a small increase in the price for a Friday & Saturday. I was informed it was the new ‘Dynamic Pricing’ system so if it’s getting full the price goes up re supply & demand. I didn’t know that had been one of their recent changes.

WTF…….sorry, but this is getting beyond a joke…..utter rip off….

think I will stay in my field….

 

[wp1234]

We are at the CCC site at Chertsey, right beside the Thames, site is full of families and couples enjoying the fabulous bank holiday sunshine! Cost per night, hard standing and electric, £36.75, great value.

On the way down from Edinburgh we stayed in 2 pub stops, the Fat Lamb in the Eden valley and The Folly in Towcester, both great stops but £200 for food and drink!

Choice is great.

Great value ..really not my idea off great value at all but to each their own .

 

[wp1234]

Hi, we stayed at Baltic Wharf in April mid week (not kids holidays) for 2 x nights and paid around £46 per night including EHU. I thought it was expensive but my 94 year old mum lives 15mins away, walking, and it is a great location for Bristol so happy to pay. It is a shame Bristol Council are going to develop the site.

Wow £46 per night ,at least Dock Turpin had the decency to wear a mask!

 

[BillandHelen]

Great value ..really not my idea off great value at all but to each their own .

I get that. But right on the river, mainline station walkable, 2 fantastic pubs nearby, bank holiday weekend, good luck finding a similar site much cheaper.

 

[Outdoors Dad]

They’ll come a point at which they’ll need to care, they just haven’t reached it yet. It will be a lightbulb moment of the kind that politicians have after by-elections when they realise most folks (members) despise them.

Probably have MP's on the board hence the deception and inept working practices

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[Tony50]

We are members of both , like their sites , but, have complained to both clubs, saying they are running like big business's.

 

[Wendo55]

Was looking for somewhere to go tomorrow from here at the Swaffham Shindig.
Seacroft C&MC at Cromer: tomorrow, one person, one night, (only fully serviced pitch available)........£42.80!
Two people......£60.20!!!! FOR ONE NIGHT!!!

 

[Wendo55]

Needless to say I'm not going. Heading to a THS for £12 a night. No ehu but don't need it.

 

[Pausim]

Last week we stayed on a beautiful CL with fully serviced pitches at less than half the price of the Seacroft ones. One big difference is no toilets and showers at the CL, also it was not half term. The other difference was the electricity was metered. We were allowed £2 (5+ units/kWh) per day within the pitch fee which was credited to the meter on arrival. We managed without having to buy any extra electricity by using gas for heating and hot water. We were very happy to not be paying for other peoples electrical extravagance.

The owner did comment that it was more often caravans than motorhomes that bought extra electricity. Perhaps the difference is that many motorhomes have refillable lpg whereas caravans usually rely on smaller exchange bottles. Our lpg cost us 11p per kWh, the electricity would have been 36p per kWh. Bit of a no brainier to use gas. I think the cost advantage of gas would disappear with exchange bottles but having invested in a refillable system I do not want to be subsidising other people electricity so bring on the meters.

I noticed that many of the visitors did not use the on pitch drain provided with a fully serviced pitch. The site owner even provided lengths of drain hose for those who did not have their own. This puzzled me, fully serviced pitches cost more so why not use the services.

 

[SpeedyDux]

The Law regarding the resale of Electricity was created in 2005.

18yrs is long enough for both of them to have put in Meters from the profit/rates that they have been screwing
their customers since then.

I agree. My recollection is that CAMC Accounts showed that despite Covid the Club has about £38 million spare cash. That's extreme caution and you have to wonder why they do this. The Club are only adding a couple of new sites to their network (at most) in a year, and I think one they bought was an affiliated site already. They will lose Baltic Wharf soon and there is no chance of a suitable replacement site close to Bristol in the short term.

The Club has started trialling metered EHU. It should speed up this conversion from unmetered EHU which is unfair to low electricity users like me who don't even watch TV on site. I resent subsidising caravanners with heated awnings.

I suspect that when they were setting the 2023 pitch fees, before the next member's Handbook went to print, the Club management over-estimated the future cost of unmetered electricity included in those pitch fees, and didn't expect it to start to fall again. They should offer more discounts to reflect any drop in the cost of electricity during 2023 instead of adding to their cash pile.

I expect I won't be booking the CAMC sites nearly as much as last year (pre-deposit era) and will be crossing to France and also using more non-Club sites that look like better value this year.

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