Just recieved the latest Caravan and Motorhome Club magazine (1 Viewer)

[roadwarrior]

Just recieved the latest Caravan and Motorhome Club magazine, and its getting thinner and thinner, its more like a pamphlet now - maybe thin times ahead ? now only 5 quid deposit to book, Im not against the deposit idea, but in todays lifestyle is 21 days good enough for a refund, im sure many of us look at the weather forcast and say - ok next weekend, but 21 days notice is pointless isnt it ? My thought is most campsites are owner operated or franchised and i regard a 5 quid deposit as fair enough - if it goes wet and you dont go, im happy to donate 5 quid as compensation.
It also had to happen that the new and shiny motorhomers who all went to uk sites and filled them and then discovered europe, are turning their backs on uk sites based on cost and weather and going abroad OR have sold the motorhomes back to the dealers - and are now to be seen back in big queues at airports with kiss me quick hats on. which will also accelerate the motorhome glut and bubble bust.
I also think like many the bubbles has now burst and the Motorhome sales places are now refusing to buy motorhomes as they are awash with unsold motorhomes.
Of course the government (also new and shiny ) is busy inventing taxes so i wonder how long it will be before a new and exciting way of hitting us in the wallet before they drag us kicking and screaming out of the cabs ?

 

[donkey]

I have also just received my monthly mag. On the first page it states "Welcome to a very special August issue" Could not see anything special, but glad of the fewer pages. Only took about two minutes before ir went into the bin.

Geoff

 

[Spriddler]

It's just chewing gum for the eyes; adverts, advertorial product tests and staff-written Letters to promote the business.
I took their website option to opt out of receiving it years ago.

 

[vzac]

Git mibe to. Its thin because they are giving headlines and telling you to go the app for an in depth viewing. Its a poly ti fet more people on there crap app. So i made the executive decision to ditch them. Had there app bern as simple as say camping car, p4n or s4s, then i might have stayed. Cancelled subscription due november, also as others have said far to expensive on thete club sites and looking at the cl many of them have put there prices up. Its cheaper to get the ferry and go to northern frane than camp in england for a week.

 

[Gellyneck]

My thought is most campsites are owner operated or franchised and i regard a 5 quid deposit as fair enough - if it goes wet and you dont go, im happy to donate 5 quid as compensation.

But C&MC introduced deposits to try and minimise no shows that us motorhomers were moaning about!

As you've noted above £5 is not a sufficient deterrent and goes very little way to compensate for a £30-40 pitch loss no show.

We were, and still are, against the deposit scheme as we, unlike others, did not abuse the system. So, the £5 deposit appears, taking onboard your comment of "if it goes wet and you dont go, im happy to donate 5 quid as compensation" just impacts those that previously followed the rules.

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[roadwarrior]

i agree gelly, i never did either, you might remember me saying it was a sad day when deposits were taken, not because i resent it, but because it marked the end of the gentleman " we trust you " concept but as always rules are made because of the few not the many. as you say its no compensation, but you look at the worst case scenario, that nobody replaces your empty pitch, i dont recall anybody every phoning up and saying its ok - someone is now on your pitch. You dont go into business with both eyes closed as a rule and all this is taken as part of the risk of a campsite. Farmers have been drowned out this year i doubt if supermarkets will compensate and pay more for the low yeald this year - but they will CHARGE more you can be sure. Whatever the situation uk sites are over priced and that we all resent, like the trains and buses, if they were cheaper they would be used. France trains are cheap and reliable - spanish transport is cheap and excellent - what is wrong with this country ??

 

[Gellyneck]

i agree gelly, i never did either, you might remember me saying it was a sad day when deposits were taken, not because i resent it, but because it marked the end of the gentleman " we trust you " concept but as always rules are made because of the few not the many. as you say its no compensation, but you look at the worst case scenario, that nobody replaces your empty pitch, i dont recall anybody every phoning up and saying its ok - someone is now on your pitch. You dont go into business with both eyes closed as a rule and all this is taken as part of the risk of a campsite. Farmers have been drowned out this year i doubt if supermarkets will compensate and pay more for the low yeald this year - but they will CHARGE more you can be sure. Whatever the situation uk sites are over priced and that we all resent, like the trains and buses, if they were cheaper they would be used. France trains are cheap and reliable - spanish transport is cheap and excellent - what is wrong with this country ??

I was only commenting on the site deposit scenario and have no specific views on trains,planes and automobiles!

Whilst there is a risk on all businesses they all try and take mitigating actions to reduce these however ever the reduction to £5 clearly is an insufficient charge as demonstrated by your above comment.

On that basis they'd be better returning to no deposit so members who comply are not impacted or return to a level that is a deterrent.

 

[Gina M]

I never bother reading them anymore I have got a pile on the coffee table, Mr Gina M reads them though.

 

[TDub49]

i agree gelly, i never did either, you might remember me saying it was a sad day when deposits were taken, not because i resent it, but because it marked the end of the gentleman " we trust you " concept but as always rules are made because of the few not the many. as you say its no compensation, but you look at the worst case scenario, that nobody replaces your empty pitch, i dont recall anybody every phoning up and saying its ok - someone is now on your pitch. You dont go into business with both eyes closed as a rule and all this is taken as part of the risk of a campsite. Farmers have been drowned out this year i doubt if supermarkets will compensate and pay more for the low yeald this year - but they will CHARGE more you can be sure. Whatever the situation uk sites are over priced and that we all resent, like the trains and buses, if they were cheaper they would be used. France trains are cheap and reliable - spanish transport is cheap and excellent - what is wrong with this country ??

Are UK sites over priced? Without a doubt there is the occasional one (we stayed down near Bradford-on-Avon in a field with a single composting toilet and no other facilities and paid what we would normally have paid for an all singing all dancing site - that was a rip-off) but generally they are what they are. Pricing, it seems, reflects demand in most instances and who would blame site owners for making money while they can - just one bad summer could be the difference between them being there or not.

 

[MichaelT]

But C&MC introduced deposits to try and minimise no shows that us motorhomers were moaning about!

As you've noted above £5 is not a sufficient deterrent and goes very little way to compensate for a £30-40 pitch loss no show.

We were, and still are, against the deposit scheme as we, unlike others, did not abuse the system. So, the £5 deposit appears, taking onboard your comment of "if it goes wet and you dont go, im happy to donate 5 quid as compensation" just impacts those that previously followed the rules.

I said once they have deposit I'm off and did, now only use C&CC sites and rallies. Currently on a THS at Wells next the sea £14 a night after running the one at Heacham at £15.

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[Baggydave]

We rejoined this year to get a discount on our insurance. Have since only used the out & about app to find ths etc. max we will pay is £15 which I think is reasonable.

Last place we visited was rye rugby club ths. Good location for disabled buggy rider & cyclist as you can be on a cycle way to camber or almost winchelsea the other way along the coastal path from the nature reserve. Rye also has a good swimming pool.

 

[MichaelT]

We rejoined this year to get a discount on our insurance. Have since only used the out & about app to find ths etc. max we will pay is £15 which I think is reasonable.

Last place we visited was rye rugby club ths. Good location for disabled buggy rider & cyclist as you can be on a cycle way to camber or almost winchelsea the other way along the coastal path from the nature reserve. Rye also has a good swimming pool.

You mean C&CC not C&MC

 

[Baggydave]

You mean C&CC not C&MC

Yes. Cc&c.

 

[roadwarrior]

i do feel sorry for the clubs in a way, but i think pricing and mentality is stuck in the good old days of no competition and having a brother in law who drove himself mental and suffered both heart attacks and a stroke trying to run a C&CC with his hands tied behind his back of a 1/2 million investment its no joke i know.

 

[Beltie]

I said once they have deposit I'm off and did, now only use C&CC sites and rallies. Currently on a THS at Wells next the sea £14 a night after running the one at Heacham at £15.

Surely C&CC charge deposits as well, and have done for years.

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[Spriddler]

what is wrong with this country ??

Granted that sometimes there's no other option but it seems that a sufficient number of people do pay the increasing prices.

 

[cyberyacht]

CAMC had the simple solution of keeping member's credit card details and, in the event of a no show would debit one/two nights fee. Instead they added the complexity of deposits and, as has been mentioned £5 is an insufficient deterrent to speculative bookings. Not that it really affects me, having used one CAMC in the past four years. Some CL's are starting to ask silly money now as well.

 

[MichaelT]

Surely C&CC charge deposits as well, and have done for years.

Yes but by not having them we were mire likely to book with the C&MC as it was their USP.

 

[roadwarrior]

bottom line is - if they reduced the price to 15 quid in line with europe instead of 40 they would be beating us off with a stick instead of almost begging us.

 

[LostInSpace]

On the first page it states "Welcome to a very special August issue"

I am still looking for the article which explained why it was special.

Without an explantion the comment was just silly.

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[acewoodturner]

Maybe it’s ‘special’ as it’s their last edition!

 

[roadwarrior]

Maybe it’s ‘special’ as it’s their last edition!

ouch !

 

[68c]

I thought it was a 'special' extra edition showing ideas of where to go this summer. I suppose I expect to see the regular magazine to drop through my door soon. Who knows.

 

[TDub49]

bottom line is - if they reduced the price to 15 quid in line with europe instead of 40 they would be beating us off with a stick instead of almost begging us.

. . . and collecting tax credits along the way to feed themselves and their families.

 

[lou020]

Not read mine for years, goes from the mail box straight in the green bin. not used one of their sites for years, too overpriced. Insurance isn't cheaper anymore, once i've haggled with present insurer. even ferries/train isn't cheaper anymore. forgot to cancel my direct debit for this year, but this has just reminded me to do it.

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[DT]

bottom line is - if they reduced the price to 15 quid in line with europe instead of 40 they would be beating us off with a stick instead of almost begging us.

Many sites are full Friday Saturday that is the problem. If you want to spend seven days on a site you have to book very early. They should set a maximum per night charge of £40. £50 is just ridiculous.

 

[Tude]

CAMC had the simple solution of keeping member's credit card details and, in the event of a no show would debit one/two nights fee. Instead they added the complexity of deposits and, as has been mentioned £5 is an insufficient deterrent to speculative bookings. Not that it really affects me, having used one CAMC in the past four years. Some CL's are starting to ask silly money now as well.

That’s because cl have gone busy British mentality busy put yer prices up . I’ve stopped using cl because of this don’t support them !

 

[roseheath]

I said once they have deposit I'm off and did, now only use C&CC sites and rallies. Currently on a THS at Wells next the sea £14 a night after running the one at Heacham at £15.

Why would a deposit bother you? surely it would only be a problem to habitual no show's?

 

[Steve N Tracy]

We were talking to a warden on a C&MC site in Somerset without facilities last weekend and they had nothing good to say about how the club was run, apparently lots of long serving wardens have left, the chap in charge of running the club came from running a hotel chain and has no camping experience and will not listen to anything the wardens have to say, the club has just bought a expensive parcel of land near Bridgewater to use as a site with camping and storage with intention of closing and selling off the site we were on, only for them to find the new Bridgewater land is on a flood zone so not suitable, perhaps the high prices are to try to reclaim money lost from unwise investments.

 

[MichaelT]

Why would a deposit bother you? surely it would only be a problem to habitual no show's?

See my post 18

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