THE CARAVAN CLUB

[Wayne_5133334]

Well here we go once again with its annual bun fight to book sites. I have had repeated goes at the Director General as to the statergy or lack of it in this process yet they persist in all members sitting and trying to beat each other to log on at a given day each year. This has to be the most self opinionated approach known to man, yet only the Caravan Club can get away with it. It would seem the club is controled by a few oldies who only rally and hence booking sites does not impact on them.

When o'h when will the Caravan Club get real or perhaps they feel imune from peer pressure.

Wayne Seaborn

 

[Bannedtom]

Think you will find that it's EXACTLY the same for everyone who care to take part in the "bun fight". I don't have a problem with it or the CC, moral is simple, if you can't stand the heat? dont take part

 

[Wayne_5133334]

Think you will find that it's EXACTLY the same for everyone who care to take part in the "bun fight". I don't have a problem with it or the CC, moral is simple, if you can't stand the heat? dont take part

Thats an outdate attitude. I pay a full membership for a quality service and expect to be able to book, not have to run a 18th centry bun fight every year. whilst members are happy to accept a 2nd rate service it will continue. Get into the real world and demand a quality proffesional service as appossed to what we are currently offered, a old boys network

 

[Rioja]

So what is your proposal as an alternative Wayne ?

 

[Auvergne]

I think there should be a limit on how many bookings you can have at a time, say 6. Then as you attend one, book another. That would stop the usual situation where all the retired people have the opportunity to log in at 09:00 and book every single weekend through the year - whether they go or not. Those of us who have to work full time don't have a chance as by the time we get home at 6pm all the favoured sites are full. I'm pretty cheesed off about it as well....

 

[Happy-Lappy]

A simple solution to this on going problem, is to demand payment in full for peak times (any W/E with a public holiday) and to demand a deposit (10%) for all other times.

I don't have a problem with payment up front, as you have to pay eventually anyway, this will stop the block bookings and mass non-arrivals at the time the holiday comes around.

This is only my opinion and I can't see the CC changing their procedure, unless there is a mass of members leaving the club,

best regards, Martin

 

[SMS]

Hi all,

"mass non-arrivals at the time the holiday comes around."

Being a chatty person I like to chat to wardens on the sites I visit, CC and comercial. If anything the number of non-arrivals at CC sites "seems" lower than on other sites. Possibly because it is now so much easier to cancel a CC site at short notice. Yes there are always people who don't, maybe because they haven't had to pay a deposit. That will always be the case with any group of people. You always get some at the edge of the "rule system".

As for the idea of paying something up front. I'm quite happy with that. However it would just make "the bunfight" even more frustrating as people have to stay on line (or phone) a few extra minutes to pay a deposit. Prices would probably need to go up to cover the extra admin involved. And as quite a few comercial site wardens have told me in todays throw away society a lot of peole just dont worry about losing a deposit!

Maybe a simpler system would be if you don't turn up for a booking (without an excellent reason) the CC just cancel any future bookings in your name, including overseas. Some might think drastic but I think it would have at least a partial desired effect!

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Val, I'm with you on the idiots who book a string of weekends just because they haven't yet decided when to go!

I vaguely remember there being a rule where only 3 outstanding bookings per member could be made at any time. That was to stop the weekend hogs. Am I wrong or just imagining it?

I know you cannot book two sites for the same time.

I want to see a more fair booking system whereby the greedy weekenders are limited to no more than 3 outstandings at any time.

This then gives others more opportunity and also we need to address why some sites are full at weekends and empty during the week. This has happened to me nop full week available because of teh weekenders.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Rioja]

With minutes to go I'm not poised waiting to put in multiple bookings. In fact I'm not going to make any yet.

If pre booking posed a big problem of non showers the CC would do something about it.They said in the magazine recently that it did not present a significant problem.

I can't think that there are that many wealthy pensioners booking up every weekend, quite the contrary in fact. The weekenders prevent the pensioners taking a last minute week or so away when the weather suddenly turns better.

I guess the mad panic is to book Bank Holidays weekends, as a pensioner I am certainly not interested going then. Far too busy !

So come on, lets have some real facts and figures not wild accusations.

Any form of regulation will probably cause more problems than it cures and the expense of complicated systems just isn't viable.

So come on, instead of pre empting your problems and having a moan, tell us the reality.

Where have you tried to book and where have you faild to get in.

Where have you been successful ?

 

[Lee4]

With minutes to go I'm not poised waiting to put in multiple bookings. In fact I'm not going to make any yet.

If pre booking posed a big problem of non showers the CC would do something about it.They said in the magazine recently that it did not present a significant problem.

I can't think that there are that many wealthy pensioners booking up every weekend, quite the contrary in fact. The weekenders prevent the pensioners taking a last minute week or so away when the weather suddenly turns better.

I guess the mad panic is to book Bank Holidays weekends, as a pensioner I am certainly not interested going then. Far too busy !

So come on, lets have some real facts and figures not wild accusations.

Any form of regulation will probably cause more problems than it cures and the expense of complicated systems just isn't viable.

So come on, instead of pre empting your problems and having a moan, tell us the reality.

Where have you tried to book and where have you faild to get in.

Where have you been successful ?

Just used two different PC's logged into the CC website, refreshing the "holding" page every 10 seconds each, and 1 of them got in after 35 minutes.

I made the booking I wanted (Southport for the flower show weekend - first time I've been able to get in!!!), then out of curiosity, tried to make another booking.

I'm glad I didn't want to - as the system straight away put me back to the "holding" page.

Must say though, I'm bemused that the CC doesn't wise up? Why the hell can't they use some common sense, and release the bookings for different areas of the country over a period of 10 days or so?????

South East - Monday

North West - Tuesday

Scotland - Wednesday

and so on????

Maybe thats being a bit too simplistic???

Another idea - perfectly possible on their servers, is at 0900 to CLEAR ALL CONNECTIONS to the server.

That way, everyone DOES start on an equal footing, rather than allowing people to have already been sat there refreshing the page since 0400!!

Just my _0.02221 Euros worth, lol

Lee.

 

[Dustydog]

Durham , Berwick Upon Tweed and Losehill Castleton, last year.

Other CC sites seem to have spaces held back for late bookers or those on site who want longer or those who have genuinely booked a period longer than a weekend.

I accept to police a system of allocation is not easy but you can understand the frustration when I had to move on earlier because someone had booked a weekend. Ok so they are just as entitled as me to book as long or as short as they want.

No wonder there is now a bun fight, and believe you me I for one am chucking buns !!

Cheers

Alan

 

[Charlie4]

It is a joke they stuff it up the first time then today have spend ages trying to get on to no avail,

 

[ed1]

i see its now 12 o clock again....

 

[RogerP]

is this only a problem with the CC and not the C&CC?

I'd agree with a small charge / deposit. That would reduce some of the issue.

I also think that limiting the number of booking would help , however for those who have to book school holidays this would have to be well thought out.

The other option is to surcharge serial cancellors or non shows. Set an acceptable limit and if you exceed this then you have to apy a small surcharge for your next bookings in that given year.

I do think though that the idea of opening the lines at a specific time / date is always going to lead to a bun fight , and that cant be good relations for the Club with those who are left dissappointed.

As happend this year , their systems grinding to a halt was not good practice or PR me thinks.

By the way dont they reopen the flood gates today? (17th Dec)

 

[Surfer]

Oh no, does the poster live to complain? Has the poster had the guts to write to the CC and complain? Can the poster post a copy of the complaint letter to the CC on this forum? Anyway what is so special about the poster? Is the poster a MP? Hello this is the real world out here! Maybe the CC are better off without members that complain continously about CC facilities.