caravan club - all change !

[Zen]

It seems the cravan club has had a major shakeup and not for the better.

i have just used the new booking form on Caravan Club - with great difficulty as well.
Not only has it thrown away my outfit details and forgotton who i am ect. They now want a 25% deposit or all of it at the time of booking. This of course flies in the face of the gentleman club that they used to be where they trust you to turn up and treat you like grown ups. NO MORE it seems.
This has now placed them equal footing with " the friendly club " which of course isnt . Having just returned from south of france where we stayed at a 4 star site with 3 pools, a club, and a lake for 16 euros im more than pissed off to be told to pay 28.20 at Brean sands in October.
The - by comparison, fleecing folk for every penny for any reason make me sick of uk sites and the mentality of charging for people children and dogs to push up the profits - if europe can do a good site for 15 quid - why does a site in the uk think 30-40 quid is ok ?? no wonder we all bugger off abroad..

40 quid for a bit of grass

 

[TDub49]

40 quid for a bit of grass

Is that by the ounce or the gram?

 

[nev robinson]

It seems the cravan club has had a major shakeup and not for the better.

i have just used the new booking form on Caravan Club - with great difficulty as well.
Not only has it thrown away my outfit details and forgotton who i am ect. They now want a 25% deposit or all of it at the time of booking. This of course flies in the face of the gentleman club that they used to be where they trust you to turn up and treat you like grown ups. NO MORE it seems.
This has now placed them equal footing with " the friendly club " which of course isnt . Having just returned from south of france where we stayed at a 4 star site with 3 pools, a club, and a lake for 16 euros im more than pissed off to be told to pay 28.20 at Brean sands in October.
The - by comparison, fleecing folk for every penny for any reason make me sick of uk sites and the mentality of charging for people children and dogs to push up the profits - if europe can do a good site for 15 quid - why does a site in the uk think 30-40 quid is ok ?? no wonder we all bugger off abroad..

Thought exactly the same when we booked in at Southport all my details disappeared and no discount for O.A.Ps only going to catch up with our only grandchild..
but also when you look for cl sites and it states from £25 on + it makes your eyes water..

 

[Rapides]

Don’t mind paying a deposit, but to lose the entire £25 if you cancel anything less than 21 days before planned arrival date is a bit steep. Would prefer to see a sliding scale where the closer you get to the date, the greater the cancellation charge. 21 days is plenty of time for the club to get someone else to take your pitch.

 

[The Wino]

Don’t mind paying a deposit, but to lose the entire £25 if you cancel anything less than 21 days before planned arrival date is a bit steep. Would prefer to see a sliding scale where the closer you get to the date, the greater the cancellation charge. 21 days is plenty of time for the club to get someone else to take your pitch.

I think that's pretty common in the travel industry. You wouldn't expect to get a refund on an airplane seat if you cancel within a few weeks just because they can sell it to someone else. Presumably what they're taking into account is theres going to be a lot of hassle doing rebooking of cancellations at short notice.

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[DuxDeluxe]

Why is it so hard to search for sites without knowing exactly which site to search for. There is a map search but it disappears when I actually log in. It is horrible.

C&CC next as I simply gave up.

Finally found how to access the map search. As usual with corporate IT projects, the actual product is never going to be used by those who designed it. I know it has to change but a little more actual customer input during development would have helped. About 20 years ago I represented our line of business with a massive and hugely expensive Oracle based all signing all dancing order to invoice sales tracking program. The developers always know best.... What a disaster.

 

[panda]

Moving away from the argument about deposits …… I tried to do some booking on new website. First of all you seem to have to put in arrival date, but that is not kept through to the site selection stage so no point to it.
I tried to book Cheltenham race course and fair enough, on the calender, some dates marked as closed, so I started choosing random other dates all the way through to August 2023, no dates I selected even if one night, were available - but that does not show on the calendar. I’m not sure that site would be fully booked all next year anyway.
So then I tried another site - Cirencester. Managed to get a night selected and moved on to completing the booking. Had to put in each person’s name AND date of birth, already stated as an adult, I don’t see why they need DOB. Anyway decided to proceed so attemped to add husband’s DOB. Unfortunately you are not allowed to get the keyboard and type it in, you have to use the displayed calendar which shows current month, October 2022 and goes backwards one month at a time ! After skipping back a few months, I gave up and left his date of birth as somewhere in 2020 . Tried to proceed but it wouldn’t as age of person did not meet requirements of being an adult
How am I supposed to skip back to 1946 without getting RSI??
Have given up!

I was the same,but it turned out that it was only on my phone,and when I went on my laptop I got the access to put the year in! We live and learn don't we?

 

[Rapides]

I think that's pretty common in the travel industry. You wouldn't expect to get a refund on an airplane seat if you cancel within a few weeks just because they can sell it to someone else. Presumably what they're taking into account is theres going to be a lot of hassle doing rebooking of cancellations at short notice.

Neither am I getting much joy with a refund from BA for two flights that they pulled from underneath me recently!

 

[Revolvor]

Finally found how to access the map search. ............

Please can you enlighten the rest of us?

 

[gus-lopez]

You wouldn't expect to get a refund on an airplane seat if you cancel within a few weeks just because they can sell it to someone else.

& why anyone with any sense doesn't bother telling them , especially if it is ryanair, so that they cannot earn twice out of the same seat.

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[martin2603]

Looked at two nights mid week at Chatsworth early December. £44.50 per night!!
Last year paid £24.00
So I’ll pass this rear.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Please can you enlighten the rest of us?

Only on computer so far. Don’t bother trying a search - just hit the “book” button and voilà.

edit They appeared to have tweaked it as now on iPad the map comes up straight away

 

[hja]

Thought exactly the same when we booked in at Southport all my details disappeared and no discount for O.A.Ps only going to catch up with our only grandchild..
but also when you look for cl sites and it states from £25 on + it makes your eyes water..

Plenty of CLs below £25 still at present.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Plenty of CLs below £25 still at present.

Just booked one for £17 EHU and hard standing. A favourite even if only 9.8 miles from home

 

[stewartwebr]

Well after the shocking reception at the last CMC site I mentioned on this thread. Today, we turned up at another CMC to receive a very similar reception only this time I was told to my face I was a liar when I, for the third time gave the exact length of my Motorhome. It was eventually measured with a roll out tape measure. No apology just muttering that rules need to be upheld.
Had a walk around the site to find 9 vehicles not parked as per the rules and 3 who are longer than us. Starting to feel a little victimised to be honest.
We move to another CMC site at the end of the week so shall see how this goes.
Fortunately, the engine was still running so the Wardens behaviour and accusations of me lying are all recorded.

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[bigtwin]

Well after the shocking reception at the last CMC site I mentioned on this thread. Today, we turned up at another CMC to receive a very similar reception only this time I was told to my face I was a liar when I, for the third time gave the exact length of my Motorhome. It was eventually measured with a roll out tape measure. No apology just muttering that rules need to be upheld.
Had a walk around the site to find 9 vehicles not parked as per the rules and 3 who are longer than us. Starting to feel a little victimised to be honest.
We move to another CMC site at the end of the week so shall see how this goes.
Fortunately, the engine was still running so the Wardens behaviour and accusations of me lying are all recorded.

Green eyed monsters?

Ian

 

[roadwarrior]

Looks like its gone up from £5 per day for a MH to park on beach nowadays, just found recent review below, it may make more sense to stay on a campsite if that's the new charge.
LES
Google Review:

a month ago

Used to be amazing to drive onto and run the dogs in safety. Now charges for my vehicle ( sprinter with camper and kennels ) is £16/day. Life guard station is new and sadly for us has added to the amount of people on the beach which has reduced the appeal for us. Obviously a lot safer and better for families to enjoy. Hopefully the prices will alter for winter

i had a word with the person who man's the little hut, and they said it depends if they like the look of you how much they charge - the other thing is i dont think you can stay on the beach overnight, mine is a bit too big to push past so i dont know but i doubt anybody would want to stay over night.

 

[DT]

The deposit idea is in my opinion fair and sensible. Needs time to see how the webpage and system matures but so far has worked ok for us.

 

[68c]

Perhaps the wardens have a secret code, as you had history with an earlier site you may have been marked for 'special' treatment. At least I am never alone with my paranoia, there is always someone out to get me.

 

[Coolcats]

Finally found how to access the map search. As usual with corporate IT projects, the actual product is never going to be used by those who designed it. I know it has to change but a little more actual customer input during development would have helped. About 20 years ago I represented our line of business with a massive and hugely expensive Oracle based all signing all dancing order to invoice sales tracking program. The developers always know best.... What a disaster.

There are variations of this but often this is how projects land up if not tested and checked with users at every stage (even conceptual ideas) one of the big problems is often a software individual knows 'better' than a customer and sales people who have short term targets and need to get the sale in quickly.

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[DuxDeluxe]

There are variations of this but often this is how projects land up if not tested and checked with users at every stage (even conceptual ideas) one of the big problems is often a software individual knows 'better' than a customer and sales people who have short term targets and need to get the sale in quickly.


View attachment 682370

Spot on there

 

[cyberyacht]

The deposit idea is in my opinion fair and sensible. Needs time to see how the webpage and system matures but so far has worked ok for us.

The whole thing was purportedly to solve the "no shows/ late cancellations" because many were fed up with the perceived 'block booking of week-ends' that were later cancelled just prior to the 72 hour cut-off. All that was actually needed was to extend the cut-off period to 14 or 21 days with a penalty charge of £x if breached. 'x' could be easily amended to ensure compliance. No deposits needed or any complex new IT system, which doesn't work properly, costing mega-bucks.

 

[mikeg40]

only use sites for service stops and am only a CAMC member this year because my fee was paid by a couple of the discounts on offer and probably won't renew. I'm finding that even some of the listed sites do not require membership and I don't need EHU so have only used 5 or 6 CAMC sites this year. now with the deposit system I'm even less likely to renew - the whole point of the van for me is the freedom it offers - I don't want to spend my time planning a trip down to the last detail

 

[seasideBill]

only use sites for service stops and am only a CAMC member this year because my fee was paid by a couple of the discounts on offer and probably won't renew. I'm finding that even some of the listed sites do not require membership and I don't need EHU so have only used 5 or 6 CAMC sites this year. now with the deposit system I'm even less likely to renew - the whole point of the van for me is the freedom it offers - I don't want to spend my time planning a trip down to the last detail

Not sure how the information exchange between CLs and CAMC works but I’m often not required to verify membership on a CL. - ditto C&CC certified sites. Makes you wonder whether to bother with membership for CL use only? For me, there’s no value beyond that.

 

[hja]

Not sure how the information exchange between CLs and CAMC works but I’m often not required to verify membership on a CL. - ditto C&CC certified sites. Makes you wonder whether to bother with membership for CL use only? For me, there’s no value beyond that.

I often am asked for CAMC memb number when booking, especially if it is an automated booking system. If I am emailing I give the memb number in the email. If I phone to book I always offer the number, although it is not always required.
At the risk of starting hares running, given the certification is, I understand, conditional on following the rules of the certifying organisation i.e. the camc to regularly allow non members to use the site would probably be foolish of the owner.

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[seasideBill]

I often am asked for CAMC memb number when booking, especially if it is an automated booking system. If I am emailing I give the memb number in the email. If I phone to book I always offer the number, although it is not always required.
At the risk of starting hares running, given the certification is, I understand, conditional on following the rules of the certifying organisation i.e. the camc to regularly allow non members to use the site would probably be foolish of the owner.

The CAMC have delegated responsibility to issue exemption certificates. It’s therefore their responsibility to enforce compliance which they clearly are not doing in all cases. Given CAMC have questionable management competence, maybe they’re not best placed to operate arrangements and it’s time for fresh arrangements that don’t line CAMC pockets as gatekeepers for no good reason? Personally I’d like CAMpRA to have a role in such arrangements instead of a staid organisation like CAMC with it’s bias towards tuggers, full service pitches and glamping.