C/C No Shows !!

[Mike_5041040]

Just wanted to vent a bit of my frustration !

We were desperate to get onto a particular C/C site last weekend, to join up with friends who had already reserved a pitch there.

The site was fully booked so I tried every day last week to see if there were any cancellations.

Unable to book a pitch, we decided to visit our friends there anyway and went just for the day.

My frustration stems from the fact that on arrival we discovered that there were 9 'no shows'...none of whom had phoned to cancel !

Maybe next time I'm told a site is full I'll bring the van anyway, just in case.

and consequently 9 empty pitches !

Thanks for listening !!

Moan Over.

 

[Angus1]

Pretty much sums up CC at the moment.

Good sites, locations, facilities, but spoilt by some of its members who think that because they`ve paid their 30-odd quid the don`t have to cancel, or consider that someone else could have enjoyed the pitch/surroundings that weekend.

Or even more likely they just don`t give a stuff about anyone else regardless of membership because they are just selfish morons full stop.

The `minority` seem to be getting larger by the day.

 

[Les_5040898]

Mike,

I share your frustration and there must be hundreds of other CC members out there likewise. The "no shows" situation has always been a bone of contention within the CC, so it was a big suprise when they decided to remove the booking fee completely, since the introduction of online booking. Personally, I would punish the guilty by demanding a min 50% deposit with all future bookings & if that does not stop it, go for 100% payment up front, after all, now we can book on line, why not pay online also ?

Les.

 

[GillandMike]

I've been just as frustrated about not being able to get to a site of my choice because it seems to be full. The number of times that we have been to a site which has had the 'site full' notice up, but there are several pitches free. My husbands work takes him to various parts of the country and we sometimes take the van and have a week or twos holiday whilst he working for a few days. However trying to get a pitch particularly over a weekend at say a months notice can be very difficult. I can never decide whether they are genuinely full with people having a weekend out in the van or have some people have just booked weekends at the begining of the season at their favourite site just in case they want to go. It should somehow be mandetory to cancel or you will be charged.

Gill

 

[WilliamTups]

I totally agree there should be some form of penalty, I had several weekends away pre-booked throughout 2007 but due to discovering a fault with the caravan during it's service, I called the club and wanted to cancel all of my bookings due to not knowing factory repair times. The club said that they would leave the bookings in place just in case the problem with the caravan was sorted quicker than expected.

However on the trips that I had to cancel I always gave a min two weeks notice. But one trip I canceled I got a call a week later after cancelling it from the site warden saying that due to flooding they would have to cancel the weekend, makes you wonder if the cancellations done via internet / bookings are passed on to the site warden.

 

[Fourtrack]

I agree with all the comments. It really is time the CC did something about it. Personally I think they should re-introduce the booking fee and that will stop a lot of it. Secondly they have the records of the booking - what about 3 no shows without prior cancellation and can't book a club site for 3 months! That might sort them out.

Finally as sites seem to be so much more booked up is it not time the clubs in general make many more sites members only. I don't know what effect this will have as of course we are not privy to who is a member and who isn't on the booking information but it might be a start. I have to say more and more nowadays I use the CL's & CS's as we cannot get on a club site. Especially when we may only decide at short notice where we are going at the weekend [as for instance now. We shall decide this evening]

 

[Mike_5041040]

An interesting statistic would be the number of 'no shows' the C/C experience over the year.

An even more interesting statistic would be, "what do these 'no shows' cost the C/C in lost revenue over a year ?".....much gold me thinks !!

Mike.

 

[JeremyClarksson]

There should be a booking fee and also an ETA time where after say 1 hour and no phone call to the site the booking becomes void and fee is lost.

That way there might be a chance that someone could still use the pitch that evening or weekend.

If nobody uses the pitch the booker should be charged for at least one nights full fee.

 

[LadyMo]

Hi folks,

I only hope that all of you as members complain to the Club about the continuing problem of no shows.It is ludicrous that so many people are being denied a pitch because of the selfishness of members.It is becoming harder & harder to get a booking these days with caravanning being so popular.

Unfortunately the Club cannot always have sites that are for members only as they sometimes have to make an agreement with the owners ( councils etc ) to welcome non-members as well.

Maureen

 

[Fourtrack]

Good point Maureen. I had forgotten that and I have heard it mentioned before

 

[Rita1]

I think they should charge a % of the nights required to stay The C&CC do And has eliminated the problem

Thats why we use CL'S only now But they are getting the same problem But give them there due if they have your Tele No and they get a cancellation they ring to see if you have got fixed up

 

[ProfJohnL]

This topic has been debated at some length previously.

For my own part I think 100% fee up front, Booking only confirmed on receipt of fee, with no rebate for late arrivals or 'no shows' without doctors note.

 

[Mike_5040866]

I understand cancelled emails are picked up on site. however at our last site a member cancelled by em at 11.15pm on the day they should have arrived. Thoughtless member??

I believe the CC are introducing a scheme to try and reduce no shows. I was told info will be in next magazine

 

[George2]

I think they should charge a % of the nights required to stay The C&CC do And has eliminated the problem

Thats why we use CL'S only now But they are getting the same problem But give them there due if they have your Tele No and they get a cancellation they ring to see if you have got fixed up

But the CCC has gone too far... now you can't even get your money back if you cancel.

 

[GillandMike]

I shall await CC mag with baited breath. I wouldn't mind having to pay up front, perhaps a 15% deposit, but it should be returnable as it does happen that there is a genuine reason to cancel. Also if you do like to book lots of holidays in advance and decide not to take them for what ever reason, that you should be able to cancel without prejudice, so long as the cancellation is within a reasonable time, such as five days before. Surely then the camp site would know about the cancelled bookings and be able to show free pitch/es on the website.

Gill

 

[Jane_374240756]

Sometimes you have to make a last minute cancellation. Last year we were booked for a weekend on a cc site. We were leaving in the afternoon, but in the morning my son fell and broke his arm. My husband cancelled as soon as he found out. We could do no more than that. I think as long as you phone as soon as you know it should be okay.

Jane

 

[Royston]

Hi Mike,

I appreciate your frustration trying to book a pitch only to find the site full,You did not mention whether you actualy rang the site direct, as if people ring the site direct to cancel, then it will still appear on the computer as a booking untill the wardens clear the booking.

Royston

 

[RogerP]

I have to agree with the booking fee and that if you cancel this is lost.

We had a weekend away booked during the flooding and whilst the site we were going to wasn't affected we couldn't get there because of the disruption and had to cancel. We had paid a deposit and they put it in our 'account' which later was used against our next outing.

Whilst this , from my point of view was good , how many others take advantage of this?

finally I thnk the reason you find vacant pitches , even though they say theu are full , it to ensure they can cater for people who decide to extend their stay. i.e you may book somewhere new for 2 or 3 days being not sure of whether you will like the site. Then when you get there decided you love it and want to stay longer. (Motorhomers tend to do this more).

 

[Surfer]

Full refund if more than 7 days notice

50% refund if less than 7 days but more than 3 days

No refund if less than 3 days

All refunds should be held for a minimum period of a year and only at that point should a refund be sent out. This will prevent people booking and then cancelling at the last moment and continously rolling over their deposit.

If you book a hotel room and then fail to arrive you probably would lose all your deposit and they can still bill you for the rest of the stay whetehr or not it was genuine or not.

 

[GillC1]

Mike,

I had two carvan club bookings for October, i went on the website to cancel one of them but both of them disappeared. Being an IT technician i consider myself quite computer literate so i know i didn't cancel both. I then rang head office to explain this and they then told me they were fully booked on the dates i wanted and there was nothing they could do. In a mad panic i phoned the site who managed to get me back in - thank goodness.

I cerainly won't cancel on the web again.

 

[coljac]

Mike ,I hope you have written to the caravan club ? informing them of your complaint and sugesting that a

 

[Val & Frank]

We did that for a booking at Gowerton, I did it on line not cancelling, but we needed to change from 8 days to 4. followed the procedure to the letter. Only to find the warden was miffed when I explained we only needed to stay 4 days.

Val & Frank

 

[Wayne_5133334]

I've been banging on at the CC about this for months and they tell me members like the ease of booking (and not showing). They do say they now monitor and threaten No Shows with having their membership cancelled (big deal). All of this does not stop the No Shows. I have asked why they can not insigate the deposit scheme which the CCC have and which appears to stop some of the No Shows. Guess thats all a bit lowley for the snobby part of the CC. Yes I belong to both but hate to see the abuse