Weekenders hog Peak District

[Dustydog]

Now all the "Gold rush " is over I've just tried to book two weeks at CC Grinlow Buxton. Yet again I have had to book short because the weekenders have hogged all the pitches. Trying to book either side of the hoggers has invoked the "Tow off rule".

With a bit of luck the warden may let me stay the extra 3 days.

Ok this subject gets done to death every year. BUT it really does pi$$ me off that I can't book my 14 days in a solid row. realisticaly I know there will be a number of cancellations and no shows but that doesn't give me certainty of my holiday duration.

Please CC will you allocate some of the weekend pitches to people who wish to be weekers rather than weekenders!!

And here's me booking now in 2008 for 2009. I thought there was a shortage of money and jobs???

Cheers

Alan

 

[LMH]

Alan, I have a similar problem, I tried to book a few long weekends at Loosehill but the other weekenders have got in first.

Lisa

 

[JTS]

Lisa you posted.

"I have a similar problem, I tried to book a few long weekends at Loosehill but the other weekenders have got in first". Whats the difference in your weekend and anybody elses weekend? "Hoggers" Alan called them.

There is a solution to the problem. A non-returnable deposit at the time of booking and full payment 28 days before arrival. Anyone who makes a booking less than 28 days ahead would pay in full at time of booking. I am sure this would introduce a fairer system and nobody should complain unless they are making a "might go" booking. It would encourage campers to take out holiday cancellation insurance - the Caravan Club could easily arrange a simple policy. perhaps paying a premium at the time of booking. The only members I can see objecting to this way of booking are the "Hoggers" - for obvious reasons.

Good luck.

JTS.

 

[Guest]

We have been round this one before, and no doubt will do so again. I have also 'ranted' at not being able to stay over the weekend on a particular site, which is annoying after driving 300 miles to get there. Obviously pre-booking is the answer, but the ability to travel at will is also one of the key avantages of this hobby. Having to pre-book everything pushes it back to the realm of the package holiday methinks. I also use the weather forecast to determine the chosen area of the UK, and again there is little chance to pre plan from that standpoint.

The weekenders argue that they have only limited time, which is fair enough, but they could try to travel a little further than 10 miles down the road at least some of the time. Listening to someone chortling on a Sunday late afternoon as they are packing up, that they will be home in about 30 minutes, does make me want to strangle them, but it is a free world.

 

[Royston]

hi Alan,

You do not say which months the weekenders have booked up, just looked at the site on my computer it does not show any bookings in July or August 2009.

Royston

 

[LMH]

Hi JTS

In reply, Bar Chapel Lane (when one of my dogs was entered for Crufts), we've never stayed at a CC site for less than a week.

I just fancied the CC site in Derbyshire for a couple of long weekends but I'll probably do what I always do these days and stick to independant sites. In fact, when I think about it, I think 2006 was the last time we used a CC site.

Regards

Lisa

 

[Ray R]

As usual when this subject rears its ugly head there is a good degree of exaggeration, alan says the weekenders have hogged all the pitches. After checking on the CC website the ONLY weekend that is fully booked at this particular site happens to be Easter weekend, so no surprise there really.

Maybe if Alan was so keen to book two weeks over Easter then he should have joined in " the Gold rush" .

 

[JTS]

Lisa,

I can understand your frustration, or anyone else who tries to book and find there are no free spaces. However the system allows for it and as I said before it could be resolved. Even if deposit and pre-payment is not introduced perhaps a fine or prohibit further booking for those who fail to turn up. I have no sympathy at all with those who fail to take up their booking thereby spoiling others enjoyment and can think of much stronger names to call them other than "hoggers". Another point, anyone who travels miles to a campsite and finds it fully booked should surely only do it once, having learnt the lesson. I have to admit after all these years of being a CC Member I have only stopped at two club sites, each for a period of 10 days. I do very little camping in the UK and have one or two favourate sites which give me far more than I can get from most club sites especialy quiet.

Good luck. JTS.

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Royston

I wanted the two weeks from 21.04 to 05.05. I have to leave on the 02.05 because of the weekenders. We have other plans for July and August.

Jasper

May I suggest you check your dates before you chastise me! Easter does not fall anywhere within my chosen two weeks. AND NO I refuse to join the "Gold rush". This is not what the CC is all about. Saturday 2nd May is fully booked as well as Easter. Are we looking at the same web site??

Cheers

Alan

 

[Graham_374319662]

Now there seems to be a window of opportunity?

Book all the weekends up. Then offer them up for auction to the highest bidder?

a new gwt quick scheem?

 

[RichardS1]

The weekend Alan is trying to book for is the first bank holiday weekend in May. I would suspect that most popular sites not just CC sites will now be booked for bank holiday weekends.

I agree that it can be frustrating when you cannot book onto a chosen site but thats the price we are paying for the popularity of our hobby these days.

Caravans are an expensive outlay and I don't blame anybody using it as often as they can, if it was not for work commitments our van would be out most weekends.

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Richard

The Bank Holiday aspect passed us by! Ok, you have to wonder why the friday and sunday are not fully booked as well??

Cheers

Alan

 

[glen_374237991]

MOAN MOAN MOAN !!!!! To alan and everybody else who appear to be p-d off with what you call "hoggers and Weekenders" WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ! do you think its your privalige to get exactly all the times that you require , if so you should have booked it last year not 4 months away. I and many other people paid good money (same as you i know) to buy our vans and eqipment, we can choose where and when we go away, the words hoggers and weekenders is such crap, i go away at weekends because i work hard during the week , this snobery must stop right now cos you aint no better than me or anyone else !! you should read all these negative replys again and just listen to yourselfs !!

If i ring and find a booking not available i just accept it and dont write a blog about WEEKERES . I CANT BELIEVE ALL THE **** THAT I READ ABOVE , IM A NORMAL PERSON THAT OWNS A CARAVAN THAT I LIKE GOING IN WITH MY FAMILY, NOT A CARAVAN SNOB THAT THINKSTHAT THEY ARE AN ELITE TEAM OF THE BEST IN THE LAND.......GET A LIFE ALL OF YOU ⇨

 

[Dustydog]

Glen

Your language is a disgrace and probably epitomises the small minded person you are.

If you had paid attention to the previous posts and this one on the "weekenders" problem you would begin to see there are various views.

As for booking last year, all I can say is you must be a bit of a thikko. The CC had problems with their computer which supposedly opened on the 17th December 2008 for 2009 bookings. I do not consider my bookings were late nor do I consider I am moaning, rather trying yet again to find a balance between weekenders and weekers. It's all to do with allocation, something the CC needs to address.

And please in future don't you dare SHOUT at me again!!!

Cheers

Alan

 

[ProfJohnL]

This thread is obviously generating a lot of ill will. I am sure the moderators will be watching and will drop the axe if it continues on the downward spiral.

All caravanner's have equal rights to join which ever club, and to book which ever site for which ever time there is available.

The booking system may be flawed, but it is the same for all.

If you are concerned about the system, then by all means report it on here but don't forget that this forum has no teeth in such matters, you should complain direct to your club.

 

[Dustydog]

John L said

"The booking system may be flawed, but it is the same for all".

That's just it John. I have written to the CC asking if there is a more equitable method of pitch allocation for weekers against weekenders at the peak times ( no pun intended).

Equally we all know about the recent bun fight on the 17th December.

It's not life and death but economically it cannot be good for the Club in these hard times.

Cheers

Alan

 

[JTS]

Glen,

I agree with what you say but not the way you say it. I will be surprised if the Mod allows it to stay. I am all for families getting away at weekends. What I am against are those who book and do not turn up, they are the ones you should be turning on.

Lets have no more whingeing about not being able to book - you had your chance the same as every other member.

Please calm it down chaps.

Good luck.JTS.

 

[glen_374237991]

yep ok , apolagies to all and alan, im out of this argument just needed to pass my thoughts (frustrations) on .

 

[Dustydog]

yep ok , apolagies to all and alan, im out of this argument just needed to pass my thoughts (frustrations) on .

Glen

Accepted. I just want a fair solution for all parties. Any ideas??

Cheers

Alan

 

[Damian]

I am glad that apologies have been made by Glen for his post, or rather the tone of it, and it has been accepted.

Obviously there seems to be a problem with the booking system the CC operate, or maybe the folk who book every weekend just on the off chance they "may" go.

Only if enough members continually harass the CC in writing will anything be done, they must surely eventually get fed up reading the same kind of mail every day!!

Personally I would have thought the priority should go to those who wish to stay longer than just a weekend, seems more financially sound.

However, how would they manage that? have only a certain number of weekend pitches available, which may be full but those pitches which are for longer stay may be empty?

A deposit system would certainly deter many "we may go if we feel like it or it is not raining/snowing/windy/dull/sems like a good idea kind of bookings.

The Club is the place to vent frustrations, not individuals using the forum.

 

[glen_374237991]

everybodys a hapy bunny !

As for any thoughts ive never booked somewhere "just in case i go " and i like to think that most people share that opinion. Caravaning is still quite cheap to stay away,i would have no problem at all if a simple system applied ie

4 nights or less full money payable on booking.

5 nights or more a deposit to secure the pitch.

This would i expect stop the "go if its sunny brigade" and at least get some kind of payment to the site if the longstayers had to cancel for genuine reasons.

its very simple and so easy to action surely ????

glen

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Damian

I am now awaiting the CC reply to my e-mail .

On the basis the CC have an all singing and dancing computer it cannot be that difficult to identify the cancellers and no shows.

Equally , especially at bank holidays etc the pitch allocation between weekenders and weekers could easily be shared.

No one member should be allowed to book loads of weekends . There should be a limit. I thought it was three but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Say 6 bookings and 5 cancellations in a year I would then restrict that member to one booking at a time for the next 12 months.

I am not a fan of deposits although I suspect full payment for weeekends may have some merit to stop the abuse of the system.

It would very interesting if the CC published the statistics on how many booked places were cancelled or no shows.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Ray R]

Alan, Either join the "goldrush" or don't moan when you can't get your choice of site on a bank holiday weekend.

 

[Parksy]

As a member of the C&CC if I wish to book a pitch a deposit is required and I honestly can't see what the problem is with deposits.

The problems that have arisen with the Caravan Club have recieved a thorough airing on most caravan forums and an ongoing theme is that CC members don't want to pay a deposit for the pitch that they want to book. Why not?

If I want to just turn up at a site I telephone on the morning before setting out and if a pitch is available I go.

If there isn't a pitch I choose somewhere else.

If I pre booked any other holiday I'd expect to pay a deposit so why is caravanning different? CL's and CS's offer caravanners the freedom to move around without pre booking or deposits.

The forums don't have posts from C&CC members with the same complaints as those who belong to the CC which imho proves that a deposit system for main club sites works.

 

[hogrider56]

It's a shame that so many people have a downer on us "weekenders". If you just take a step back, we have to weekend simply because we are working during the week. We have to go close to home because it is just not feasable to travel long distances when you have limited time in which to do it.

Maybe the Caravan Sites should consider splitting their pitch allowances....75% of pitches for 5-7 day stays, and 25% for weekend-only bookings.

Just bear in mind that we are not all retired, and have limited work holidays so we have to use our weekends to enjoy our hobby. And also, I go out with the van every weekend, so when you add up the potential income from me, it is probably way in excess of someone who goes away for their annual two-week holidays.