Parksy
You are correct in saying that you don't get the same sort of comments about the CC&C except that most people seem to say they don't have a problem booking the sites. However I have read a number of posts where people think that the deposit on CC&C sites is too high. Even I would recognise that having a lower deposit would not have any deterrent value, in that it could make matters worse as people won't even bother to let the site know they are not coming. It is also interesting in these debates that you get a lot of non CC members saying there should be deposits and in truth it is nothing really to do with anyone outside the CC! The complaints arise because people have difficulty getting onto the sites they would like. Because this annoys them they start looking for other things to blame. As a CC member you are perfectly entitled to book a site for every weekend, there is no restriction. You can book for one night which I understand you can't do with the CC&C. The Caravan Club has been very successful in selling itself, too much so, some would say. It has also encourage newcomers to caravanning so therefore demand for any pitches is, at times and on some sites, extremely high. I suppose the crunch question is, would the introduction of deposits on CC sites really free up sufficient pitches to make a real difference. I suspect not and I think that is how the CC themselves look at it. The CC know from previous experience of taking deposits, about 5/6 yeas ago that they did not decrease the number of no shows, in fact they maintain the number is lower since they stopped taking deposits. They also have a system in place to deal with persistent no showers which could result in membership being suspended. Perhaps a bigger problem is that of late cancellations. Having booked a site for this week some months ago how many people would be travelling today? If buses can't get round London its hardly sensible to suggest someone tows a van to a site just to avoid a cancellation. I suspect that many late cancellations are for very genuine reasons illness being one of them. Is it right that people are penalised in such circumstances. I know many of the people on groups such as this don't agree with me but I am yet to be convinced that a) deposits and needed and b) that they would change anything enough to make a difference.
As an aside do you get the same sort of debate in Letters to the Editor in Practical Caravanning? Perhaps it might make and interesting article to challenge one of the big bods of the CC to put forward the case for what they do now.
David
I would disagree with David, the reason I have complained and do complain about CC is that we can never ever get on to a site when we want! In 4 years, no go!
They are all booked at weekends months ahead at weekends as far as I can find!
Quite often there are week days available and mid week we've found sites part full, I would book full weeks and weekends, but the club misses out as the weekenders have booked months ahead.
Phone on a Friday or Saturday, wowy surprise, we and mates find a pitch or 2 or 3 or 4 or more.
ps. Retiree so I have a broad window as to when I can book as well.
We pay the same CC fee as others but only rarely get a pitch and never for the length of time we really want or when we want and we're not the only ones in that boat.
To give all CC members a chance of using club site, members should pay up when they book or at least pay a very large deposit.
Stood in one CC reception, two couples discussing which of two sites they would weekend at next. Both sites were booked fully. My wife asked how they managed to be able to choose and they and the Warden just brushed over it and made her feel very uncomfortable.
My veiw is that there is a club within a club no matter what rules the CC says they have in place.
I enjoy Monthly Mag, services and travel assistance are good feature. But not being able to get a pitch. We joined for the club sites and to my mind they are not as good as they make out.
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