Camping and Caravan Club

[haggarj2]

Just been to the C&CC site at Rosemarkie(Highlands) booked extra nights when we were there when I queried the difference in price I was told that it was cheaper the last night at it then went into Mid season.I asked why the club had high season at the start of JUne and the end off june and was inform that it was the club policy and something to do with schoolkids holidays in England.I said but this is scotland the kids havent been on holiday here for weeks the last holiday theuy had was the start of May for one day only.The warden stated that the English school were off for a week in may and everything revolves around the english system.
Which basically means that anyone in scoland who is a member of the C&CC is being discriminated aginst because of nationality I dont know if the Caravan Club are guilty of this tactic as well.
It wouldn't be rocket science to alter the season pricing depending on which country you are in to take account of scottish or english school term. So much for it advertising as the Freindly Club.

If I find out that both the clubs operate in this manner I will resign from both associations neaxt year.
.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

It's got nothing to do with discrimination. Schools in England have different periods off but it's swings and roundabouts. It can work, as it has to us recently, where we paid the normal price despite some schools being off.
The same happened last year at Longleat at Easter. We booked the week after the kids went back to school but not all kids went back like they did where I live. Some had an extra week so the site was full of kids but at the lower rate.
I suppose they have to standardise the pricing structure somehow.
You can either
(1) write to the clubs with your concern asking what their policy is.
(2) start a Scottish Caravan Club or
(3) wait until the Eck has got full independence and get him to nationalise all club sites north of the border

My belief is that there shouldn't be any price hikes during kids holidays and I don't just mean club sites. This is the reason that back in the 70s/80s we took our kids out of school time else we simply didn't get a holiday. There should be a law stopping it because kids need a holiday. It's bad enough when on holiday and they want to go into some attraction and the cost of admission is multiplied by how many kids they have.

 

[Parksy]

After a similar forum topic which asked why prices were hiked during school holidays which costs families with children more to stay on C&CC sites I emailed the club to ask about their pricing policy in this respect.
To my surprise I received a reply within a couple of days.
The club's position was that the prices charged during high season were the standard pitch prices.
The lower prices charged during mid and low season represented discounted prices.
We use mainly certified sites where the price differential isn't so much and the pitch price is per unit rather than per person.

 

[ProfJohnL]

This seems to be a common tactic with service providers where thier products see seasonal or hourly surges of use.

They're making hay whils the sun shines. Well actually i suspect most are making hay all the time but find they squeeze more readies of the poor souls who are limited to using thier suervies at limited times of eth day or year.

I sometimes wonder if they think the general public is daft, becuase they trot out this benall statment that off peak charges are discounted.

 

[Dustydog]

The Low and Mid seasons usually fall when the weather is not good and it becomes essential to have the fire full on etc, stay and watch tv or read. In essence I suspect more electricity per unit is used than in the summer peak period.
Thus to me it seems a total contradiction to actually charge less for a unit which is going to cost more to run. I realise supply and demand laws come into play but a lot of sites are still well supported outside of the peak season.

 

[Rita1]

The answer is In englands school hols go to scotland and vica versa See simples

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

The answer is In englands school hols go to scotland and vica versa See simples

Now there's a woman with logic ........

.... I think

 

[JohnGriffiths]

Just been to the C&CC site at Rosemarkie(Highlands) booked extra nights when we were there when I queried the difference in price I was told that it was cheaper the last night at it then went into Mid season.I asked why the club had high season at the start of JUne and the end off june and was inform that it was the club policy and something to do with schoolkids holidays in England.I said but this is scotland the kids havent been on holiday here for weeks the last holiday theuy had was the start of May for one day only.The warden stated that the English school were off for a week in may and everything revolves around the english system.
Which basically means that anyone in scoland who is a member of the C&CC is being discriminated aginst because of nationality I dont know if the Caravan Club are guilty of this tactic as well.
It wouldn't be rocket science to alter the season pricing depending on which country you are in to take account of scottish or english school term. So much for it advertising as the Freindly Club.

If I find out that both the clubs operate in this manner I will resign from both associations neaxt year.
.

I really cannot understand why you think the clubs are racist as the "discrimination" must work both ways. I'm sure they would simply see it as the result of supply and demand, and whether you like it or not there are many more school children in England than Scotland. The effect of creating separate pricing structures for the two countries would be all the Scottish sites packed out during English hols with English schoolkids having a cheap break, and all the north of England sites empty.

 

[haggarj2]

Hi all, I received a reply from the C&CC the same day as I e-mailed them.Stating they know this is a problem, which has been put before the committe.They have informed me, that there should be changes to their policy for 2012.

 

[Joann]

We live in the East Riding of Yorkshire and our school holidays are sometimes different to our relatives in Surrey.
Our (two caravanning families with one child each) children attend an Independant school and their hols are sometimes different to State schools in the area, neighbouring West Yorkshire are sometimes different again.
I think despite the price rise for high season caravanning represents good value for money, and now we are paying school fees we do not have the spare money for expensive foreign holidays. We are doing two weeks full service pitch at a forest holidays site in Wales for £320, and I think that is excellent, you would not get a long weekend in a cottage for that in August.
I think the clubs should make allowances for larger families as charging per extra person can soon add up.

 

[Heethers]

l feel sorry for young families in these hard times that have to pay the higher cost just because they have to have school holidays, why the clubs can't average the cost out over the year and have one price l don’t know discrimination comes to mind. l will probably get slated now from my generation that are retired and can go outside peak time's but surely it would be a fairer system if we had one price all the year round for everyone, l will wait now for barrage of abuse for daring to alter what’s been the norm since Adam was a lad.
NigelH

 

[JohnGriffiths]

No abuse, just reason. Historically these times aren't particularly hard. There's more disposable income now than when I bought children up in the 80's. But I had it easier than my parents in the 50's who had it easier then theirs in the 30's.
But the real reasons why you can't have flat rates is that it goes against the market forces of supply and demand. By increasing spring, autumn and especially winter prices, people would stay away during those times. Sites would close over winter, who would want to pay summer prices then? Sites were fully booked the last bank holiday despite the high prices, people were asking on forums where there were any pitches available. Think how much more they would be oversubscibed with us grey hairs fighting for places during the same weeks. You can't buck the market.

 

[haggarj2]

I would agree with you that there is no good reason why there cannot be a flat rate all year,I personally don@t have a problem with pricing like that then everyone knows where they stand.I do not believe it would cause peaks and troughs at site with people staying away in winter as they were paying the same rate as they do in summer,they get the same facilities you cannot charge for the type of weather you get.
As somone comented you can't buck the system. Well thats wrong you can, if no one bucks the system now and again then nothing ever changes!

 

[Joann]

We tend to do early and late season for different reasons than summer, In spring and Autumn we do weekends to go to a specific place - usually a Zoo, or Childrens Theme Park or Museum or a particular event, these are usually expensive and a hike in the 'off season' price for a site would make the total cost of the weekend too dear for us. In Summer we usually do free/cheap outdoor activities, walks and cycling, beach etc. Making the ends of the season more expensive would put us off going.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

l feel sorry for young families in these hard times that have to pay the higher cost just because they have to have school holidays, why the clubs can't average the cost out over the year and have one price l don’t know discrimination comes to mind. l will probably get slated now from my generation that are retired and can go outside peak time's but surely it would be a fairer system if we had one price all the year round for everyone, l will wait now for barrage of abuse for daring to alter what’s been the norm since Adam was a lad.
NigelH

Nigel we had it just as bad when our kids were young and this is why I took them off school. We had no choice if we wanted to give the kids a holiday. Regarding your latter comment I was thinking the same myself a couple of days ago about averaging out the cost which would be fairer. No doubt those who price the holidays would use it as an excuse to add a few more quid on top of the extra cost for us baby boomers though.
BTW I was thinking along the lines of government legislation and not just the clubs averaging out prices.

 

[Surfer]

I agree with flat rate picing with the only exceptions being perhaps Bank holiday weekends.

 

[JonnyG]

Flat rate pricing sounds great. until realisation sets in. Prices would be nearer to the high season prices than the lower season ones.All those that now take advantage of the lower rates in low season would join the masses and go for the high season,well in time most would human nature. why not, better weather, sunnier days and nights, less supposedly rain.
But then we would be reading about sites closures,less sites more competition for places, and campers would still never be able to get on their preferred site,for their main holiday, because they would already be fully booked up for All of July and August. Just like we hear on here about how difficult it can be these days to get on the popular sites at B/holidays and weekends.....Because with flat rates there would be nothing to deter certain sectors of our communities from joining in the mad dash for the old "high season"
The knock on effect would be far less people doing the old "low season" and invaluable service that properly helps keep the high season prices down a fraction in the first place, or at least keep camp sites ticking over in the quieter season.
Nice Idea but totally in practical on a business level,no business level, no proper camp sites....Although farmers fields would become more popular, but then they dont hyke there prices up much anyway, so there is always that option even now.