To All CC Members

[Tom_5073611]

I have a polite request to all Caravan Club members. Having just returned from a most enjoyable long weekend at Cheshire Oaks CC Site (even though we awoke this morning to 4inch of snow) You can't but help notice tha over the weekend there was at least 10 pitches vacant yet when you try to book on the website it will tell you that they are fully booked. The bottom line is tha CC memebers are pre booking pitches and not turning up.

This makes my blood boil. I cannot abide the type of person who books for the sake of it just to stop other caravaners or motorhomers from booking just in case they want to go.

I am seriously going to campaign for the CC to start billing these people who fail to turn up, then we may see an upturn in bookings.

Why is it that the mindless minotity spoilt it yet again for the majority?

Tom

 

[rayc]

Tom, they could take a deposit like the C&CC do or in the case of a weekend the whole amount. To be honest though I think both clubs have a problem with advance bookings. I booked the C&CC club site at Devizes for Easter a few years ago by phone to the site, and was told it was nearly fully booked. When easter arrived there must have been 40 vacant pitches.

There are CC sites, Rowntree and Chatsworth come to mind, which appear fully booked for popular times within an hour of the advance booking system opening.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Totally agree with you Tom. I for one was pleased when the Club stopped taking deposits but I think that if one couldn't make it for whatever reason we should be prepared to pay at least a percentage of the cancelled/no show booking even more so if the site is shown as fully booked.

 

[Tom_5073611]

I agree to you both, and since writing this post I have emailed the CC to insist that this problem is looked into and sorted.

Beleive it or beleive it not but I have been trying to book for the Rowntree park @ york for over two years now and never managed it

Tom

 

[Bri2]

Agreed, bill the sods and three strikes and your out.

Seems fair to me!!!!

Bri

 

[Wendy-Norfolk]

I say reintroduce the booking fee. Do as the C&CC and charge at least

 

[sparkes]

I have to agree with this. charge a deposit during booking and make it non refundable if people just do not turn up.

 

[laurieW]

Tom. I wouldn't take too much notice of the CC website "avalability" chart.On three separate occasions the sites/dates I required were shown as "full", but a phone call to the actual site(s) allowed me to advance book.

 

[LadyMaureen]

Agree entirely with all that you have said.We were at Chester on one occasion when it was fully booked,but that evening when we walked round the site,there were at least 6 unused pitches.

Surely no-one is too far from a phone these days,but it seems to be the general attitude now.Hospitals/gp surgeries/dentists.They all have the same problem.I noticed in the Club magazine that they are supposedly monitoring the situation.

We always felt that doubling the deposit might have made people think more carefully,and were amazed when they removed it.

 

[Bri2]

The previous posts have just got me thinking, is the CC web site bookings updated as quick as they state, or is there a time lag and sites - head office not in tune as they would have you think?

I.e Iv'e booked and cancelled on line, in plenty of time, in the past, but never phoned to confirm. Are people canceling online at short notice, which they are entitled to do, and the site is not getting the updated data from the main server. Take it that most if not all sites are linked to head office via tinternet?

Just a thought, and do we need to confirm before condeming all.

Bri

 

[Lutz]

Very interesting your comments about Cheshire Oaks at Chester and Rowntree Park at York because we tried to stay at both while touring the UK a couple of weeks ago. Personally, I never book ahead when touring because I never know how far I am going to get each day. We phone ahead a couple of hours before our expected arrival or just turn up and try our luck. If unlucky, we move on to the next or find a CL site in the vicinity. We tried Rowntree Park on a weekend and it did actually appear to be full but there were many free pitches at Chester and we stayed almost a week there. At York we were able to find another (albeit non-CC) site just out of town.

Is it really too much to expect people to cancel their bookings if they are no longer needed? All it costs is a short phonecall.

 

[Vicky_5078445]

I am new to caravanning and I was very surprised that NO DEPOSIT was required to make a CC booking.

I can't see why there isn't a penalty charge if you fail to cancel within a week of your booking... This would encourage people to cancel and give others a chance to take up that free pitch.

I was very lucky to get booked into Rowtree Park for the

St Nicholas Fayre in November, but then I did book on the day the online book for 2006 went live in December... This was at the advice of a CC Rep at Earls Court!

 

[woodbush]

My friend is a CC warden. The reason that empty pitches are seen is because "full" in the cc database is only 90%. They always have a few spare pitches for the unexpected.

Having spoken to him a lot over the last few months they too are annoyed that many pitches are not taken by prebooked members. At least this year you cannot book 2 or 3 sites and then look at the weather and choose the best.

The only way to change this is to email the CC and complain about no show ups but the wardens do report this.

Steve

 

[jacky3]

THE SOONER THE BETTER,IM ABSOLUTELY PEED OFF WITH THE WAY THEY TAKE BOOKINGS,ITS ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL

 

[Hamer_5041128]

One simple new rule would put an end to the problem of members not turning up and not cancelling the booking.With the new computerised booking system the club should do the following.

1. Instruct all wardens to notify head office the names and membership numbers of members who do not turn up and do not cancel.

2. The said members should be given one ,and only one warning.

3. If the said members ignore the warning they should have any further bookings for the next 12 months cancelled, with no further bookings allowed for 12 months.

More people are taking up caravaning with vacant pitches harder to find on certain sites and at certain times of the year. Only those members who have NO consideration for fellow members would be affected by this rule. Considerate members would not be affected,except they would have a greater choice of pitches.

HAMER.

 

[AnnM1]

The CC must be losing out on a lot of revenue due to members not turning up when having pre-booked. It is becoming more difficult to get on site(s) these days at a drop of a hat (which touring is meant to be). Sadly, you will always encounter the "I couldn't care less!" group until, as suggested a booking fee is reinstated which is non-refundable for now arrivals.

 

[RichardS1]

Can anyone recall when the CC stopped taking deposits, was it when they made online booking available. I think they should give people one chance don't turn up then all further bookings for the remainder of the year are cancelled. We spent this Feb half term at Clumber Park, on arrival the wardens said the site was full all week but the weather being poor they expected a fair amount of no shows. The number of empty piches visible most nights backed up their comments. RichardS

 

[Colliepal]

One simple new rule would put an end to the problem of members not turning up and not cancelling the booking.With the new computerised booking system the club should do the following.

1. Instruct all wardens to notify head office the names and membership numbers of members who do not turn up and do not cancel.

2. The said members should be given one ,and only one warning.

3. If the said members ignore the warning they should have any further bookings for the next 12 months cancelled, with no further bookings allowed for 12 months.

More people are taking up caravaning with vacant pitches harder to find on certain sites and at certain times of the year. Only those members who have NO consideration for fellow members would be affected by this rule. Considerate members would not be affected,except they would have a greater choice of pitches.

HAMER.

This sounds a simple solution to me, though I think they'd have to put a deadline on the cancellation time 'cos there's always some people with genuine reasons for not showing up. Stopping taking deposits has been the reason behind this I'm sure.

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

its so easy to cancel a cc booking if you have got the next its just the click of a button.its easier than doing the booking.try and get into chatsworth park most weekends a fully booked up until at least aug.

 

[martin Straker]

As this problem happens throughout the year but mainly weekends it would be easy for the club to charge full non returnable deposits that would cover the weekend. This deposit only to be repaid if cancellation is through medical grounds (doctors certificate). Alternatively for those booking early in the season to ensure they have pitches throughout on weekends that the condition of booking is payment in full 4 (four) weeks prior to arrival or booking cancelled as some of the larger commercial site are doing to overcome this problem.

If it is of interest caravan club centre rallies are also having the same problem, ie people booking and then not turning up.

 

[Hamer_5041128]

Can anyone recall when the CC stopped taking deposits, was it when they made online booking available. I think they should give people one chance don't turn up then all further bookings for the remainder of the year are cancelled. We spent this Feb half term at Clumber Park, on arrival the wardens said the site was full all week but the weather being poor they expected a fair amount of no shows. The number of empty piches visible most nights backed up their comments. RichardS

Richard,

I have been told that the company who wrote the new computerised software for bookings failed to include provision for the payment of a deposit!

Hamer

 

[Hamer_5041128]

The introduction of deposits is not the answer.Prior to the new booking system the C.C. had deposits and there were just as many "no shows". In fact some members would book 2 or more sites for the same period, pay the deposits, and forfeit deposits on sites not visited. At least with the new system members cannot double book. The only way is to deal with this is as i have said before, one warning and if ignored cancellation of further bookings.

Hamer

 

[AnnM1]

I wonder how difficult it would be for CC members to place a booking online which would have to be followed up by a non-returnable deposit. When booking online members are given a reference number and, if no deposit arrives, then cancel the reference number on the computer. That way perhaps members would reconsider booking ad lib. It is a very tricky situation, but trustworthy members are being penalised due to other selfish people.

 

[rayc]

Ann, the C&CC booking system takes the deposit electronically from your credit card. It appears to work well, and when a site was closed at short notice due to flooding the deposit was put into a holding account, which I used to book the replacement site.

 

[JohnKS]

The introduction of deposits is not the answer.Prior to the new booking system the C.C. had deposits and there were just as many "no shows". In fact some members would book 2 or more sites for the same period, pay the deposits, and forfeit deposits on sites not visited. At least with the new system members cannot double book. The only way is to deal with this is as i have said before, one warning and if ignored cancellation of further bookings.

Hamer

I agree that the no shows should forfiet their right to book in advance. If I cannot book on the net with CC I phone the site. Never failed to get a pitch yet. I don't think many of the wardens are very happy about the situation. It is up to us. We are the members and it is our club.

The worrying part about it is that the executive committee all look as if they have never seen the inside of a caravan. They are elected for their experience in business and for their connections. Don't disagree with that but I do wonder how much representation we have as members. Anybody know?