To All CC Members Part 2

[Tom_5073611]

Thought I would start a new thread,slight change to original.

I have been in contact today with the CC and apparently the main reason as to why they stopped taking deposits was that the software for booking online didn't support the full securities required, however, that is about to change. The gentleman I need to speak to,(he is away from the office this week) has been asked to call me next week on this very subject. I will not name him for obvious or not so obvious reasons.

Apparently the site wardens are told to hold back anything up to 10% of weekend pitches for possibilities of having to take pitches out of commision, emergencies and so on, thats ok by me!

But the main point is that the CC are aware of this problem and it is a high probability that non-refundable deposits will be taken, they also are aware of the dissapointment with some of its members that this problem is causing. What I also quoted to them was the actual postings (word for word) on this forum and I think in all honesty that they were not surprised in fact it was mentioned that forums such as this and others are carefully watched by these organisations.

Finally,I fully intend to continue dogging the CC until something is done and with your support we will make it a fairer system.

Tom

 

[mikeE]

Tom,

Not knowing of the 90% equals full system I abandoned thoughts of one trip altogether. On rearranging it I had to use a not altogether suitable, in terms of distance to cover, site. I can see the point about the on-line booking system not being secure and, like many others, would like to see a non-refundable deposit system in place when it is secure. So when the gentleman you need to talk to calls you can assure him you are not alone.

Mike E

 

[Hamer_5041128]

Tom,

As I said on the previous thread deposits are not going to solve the problem. When deposits were accepted by the C.C. there were still the same number of "no shows". The new system at least stops double booking. The only way to stop "no shows" by inconsiderate members is to penalise them after one warning with cancellation of further bookings for one year.

HAMER.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I have booked two private sites for the coming year who do not require deposits. I like the easiness of not paying a deposit but I do think that no shows should be billed and have to pay unless its under exceptional circumstances.

 

[LadyMaureen]

Lord B,

My personal opinion is that if the people are NO SHOWS then surely sending them a bill would be a complete waste of time.....it would just be ignored.

 

[AnnM1]

I, inadvertently, placed a reply on the first thread if anyone is interested!

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Lord B,

My personal opinion is that if the people are NO SHOWS then surely sending them a bill would be a complete waste of time.....it would just be ignored.

Unless they leave the club Maureen, in this age it shouldn't be too hard to add the money to their next booking.

 

[MONKEY1]

Tom

I don't have a problem with the deposit system but take this real-life situation as a scenario. With a week to go before our main holiday with the van; my wife's father easy rushed into hospital with a very serious illness, so I cancelled our holiday with a weeks notice.

For me there's a good chance that the CC may not be able to retail their sites with a little or no notice so potentially the CC is out of pocket to around

 

[MONKEY1]

Tom

If you or rather the CC can come up with something sensible than I take it but lets not get into a situation like the C & CC with their "early turn up penalties

Regards Monkeys Husband

 

[SteveW77]

Almost all other forms of holidays ie: package,independently booked hotels, all require payment in full 6 to 8 weeks before your holiday starts. In the interest of their clients they advise insurance cover against cancellation.

As someone who has a 12month travel insurance policy, I for one would not object to both caravaning clubs operating this kind of system. Other wise certain sites like Roundtree Park in York become almost a private club within a club, because it is almost impossible to get on this site due to people booking so far in advance. After all we do own "Touring" vans not semi permanent sited vans.

Steve W

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Steve dont let us get to deep into this with rules and regulations. I for one choose caravanning because it is easy and stress free (mostly). I certainly would object to having to take out insurance. Next thing someone will complain about the state of the site roadways and blame it on 4x4s or overloaded vans. Then they'll be lobbying the C.C. to install weighbridges at entrances and turning those away over a certain weight. Like Monkeys Husband, I also dont want to go down the road of an early arrivals fee. Certainly penalise no shows, like adding the

 

[Tom_5073611]

Thank you for your comments.

I have today spoken with the Head of Sites @ the CC.

His comments were to say the least most interesting. The amount of no shows on bookings across the board is 1 1/2 % (one and a half percent) which in anyones books too high but neverless it could be worse!

Also according to the CC statistics the last year has shown a considerable decrease in no shows primarily due to the fact that it is now NOT possible to double or treble book sites (this in turn will produce a lower percent by simple virtue)

At the worse case scenario some individual members have no shown on 65 occasions !!!!

Again, the conversation today was encouraging in so much as that it is more than likely that deposits will have to be paid in the near future but this will in turn incur an administration cost of &350.000 just to take care of the deposits. There are currently around 450.000 members which begs the question of which I can answer, Yes I would pay an additional quid on my membership fee.

It is well nnoticed by the CC that the majority of members are fed up with this and they are in the process of putting it right, my suggestion was to have a referendum to all its members re deposits, mabye?

Finally, As previously mentioned about the worse case scenario of a close relative being taken to hospital and losing deposits, my feelings are two fold, If it was my relative then losing a deposit would be the last thing on my mind and secondly I have never had cause to complain to the CC about anything relating to their sites, warden, or the grounds generally and this far out-weighs the loss of a deposit.

How many times do we read about other members of other clubs complaining about turning up early fees? Not being able to get their entitled discount because they don't look over 55?

Thank you again

Tom

 

[SteveW77]

Lord B

I agree that caravaning should be about freedom. But I get very fed up with not being able to book certain sites because people re-book the site as they leave and then forget to turn up.

I have booked commercial sites near to club sites and called in to these club sites only to find that they are holding pitches open for people that never turn up. It can't be beyond the wit of man to evolve a system to stop this abuse.It is becoming a big problem, that if not resolved will make many members of both clubs consider if it is worth renewing their membership.

Steve W

 

[chrissie2]

Not having used the Caravan Club's on-line booking service, I am not in a position to comment on its efficiency, but I can say here that the C&CC's deposit system seems to work pretty well. If you have to cancel (as we have had to do a couple of times), the deposit is simply credited to your 'account', and used to pay for a subsequent booking or towards your next stay.

Obviously, this is less satisfactory if you have no forseeable future occasion to use a C&CC site, but it does at least ensure that there is some real intention to turn up when a booking is made - to book every weekend right at the start of the season, for instance, would be pretty expensive. A deposit would certainly put off the majority of those who might be tempted to do this if there were no cost attached. As there seems to be a real concensus among CC members on here that a problem exists with 'no shows', perhaps a similar system might be worth considering.

 

[Bri2]

I'm not opposed to people cancelling providing they do it in good time to allow others to take their place.

On the no shows, as I stated in part1, 3 strikes and your out and you stay out should be the rule.

Bri

 

[colin(bridgend)]

There have been comments made regarding members booking a year in advance. In order to even the bookings would it not be an idea where reservations must be made in a maximum period of say 8 weeks before the holiday. Any attempted bookings outside this period would not be accepted. This way members would have a better chance of a pitch on a chosen site and prevent the situation as is described for the Rowntree site at York where it appears that it is virtually impossible to reserve a pitch.

 

[Royston]

My biggest moan which will probably upset a lot of people, is that at weekends when all the popular cc sites appear to be fully booked. I like a lot of people prefer to stay longer than two nights, and find it impossable to do touring due to the clogged weekends.

If the cc decides to bring back deposites then I hope they will adopt the c&cc club credits , If they do not then the system could get worse , more people would not inform the cc with regards to cancellation.

Is there any figures to prove whether all member sites are less likely to suffer from this lack of common coutersy to advise cancellation than the normal sites which allow none members.

Our local Doctors surgery advised that last month there 54 patients that did not turn up for appoitments, so its not just cc sites that are affected by laziness to conform.

Roy

 

[AnnM1]

No, Monkey, you shouldn't be penalised for cancelling your holiday at short notice. If you cancelled directly with the site by telephone then it is possible that, in the interim period, a telephone booking can/could take your pitch, with no loss of revenue to the CC. Hope your father is getting along OK.

 

[AnnM1]

Not having used the Caravan Club's on-line booking service, I am not in a position to comment on its efficiency, but I can say here that the C&CC's deposit system seems to work pretty well. If you have to cancel (as we have had to do a couple of times), the deposit is simply credited to your 'account', and used to pay for a subsequent booking or towards your next stay.

Obviously, this is less satisfactory if you have no forseeable future occasion to use a C&CC site, but it does at least ensure that there is some real intention to turn up when a booking is made - to book every weekend right at the start of the season, for instance, would be pretty expensive. A deposit would certainly put off the majority of those who might be tempted to do this if there were no cost attached. As there seems to be a real concensus among CC members on here that a problem exists with 'no shows', perhaps a similar system might be worth considering.

From my understanding and C&CC will allow people to use a booking fee for a future holiday, but only within that year. When the year is up you forfeit your money to the club. I seem to have read this in the magazine and wonder what leg they have to stand on in keeping members monies.

 

[chrissie2]

From my understanding and C&CC will allow people to use a booking fee for a future holiday, but only within that year. When the year is up you forfeit your money to the club. I seem to have read this in the magazine and wonder what leg they have to stand on in keeping members monies.

Ann, that was the sort of scenario I had in mind when I mentioned problems for people who might not want to use a C&CC site in the forseeable future. I doubt if there is a perfect solution to this one, which will leave no one feeling hard done by, but on the whole, in the last couple of years, I have heard only one complaint from a C&CC member about their system, as opposed to the numerous ones about what seems to be happening with the CC. With any system, there are winners and losers - the key is to try and strike a fair balance.

 

[MONKEY1]

Ann on behalf of my wife (whose father was affected) thank you for your kind thoughts. I guess when you in situation of LR what is said or muttered by some on this forum is really very very insignificant

Monkeys Husband

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Hi Monkey - the situation where you had to cancel with very little notice to the site warden would in my opinion be a genuine reason as there were extenuating circumstances. They would have had to be very short sighted if they were to force payment for family sickness. They might ask for a medical certificate as proof of illness but I am sure most site wardens are very sympathetic to these unforseen issues. How is your father in law now - I hope everything is now OK and that he is either better or on the way to a full recovery. Regards Colin

 

[Lutz]

Can someone tell me what the position is if you pre-book a site for several nights and, having paid a substantial deposit, find after the first night that it's not at all what you expected or the neighbours are impossible and there's no free pitch to move to? Does one get the remainder of one's deposit back? I must admit that, up to now, I've been reluctant to make a reservation in case something like that happens to me (it has happened but then I hadn't made a reservation and was therefore able to move to somewhere else without being faced with the potential problem).

 

[chrissie2]

Lutz, as I am sure you are well aware, on most UK sites, club or commercial, one has to pay for the total projected stay upon arrival. I have never paid a deposit which amounted to more than one, or in the case of a long stay, perhaps two night's fees. In the circumstances you describe, the deposit would probably only cover the part of the stay it took to discover the awful reality of the site, but by that time you would anyway have paid the full cost of your stay, for however many nights you had booked. You would then have to battle to not only get a refund of your deposit, but of the balance that you had already paid. How much more civilized is the system we have normally encountered in Europe where the balance is only paid just before departure.

 

[Lutz]

That's exactly what I feared. Whenever advance payment upon arrival was requested by the site I have therefore always only paid for one or maybe 2 nights and continually extended my stay.

As you say, advance payment on the Continent is rare. Occasionally, one's passport or a copy of a credit card is held as security to make sure that you don't leave without paying but I have only encountered advance payment in a few rare instances at peak times when sites were absolutely chock-a-block full and then only for one night.