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Yes I don't think they would want to pay overtime for the weekend as I expect they have to draft a lot of extra staff in anyway.

What is fairest is to a degree one of those apparently easy but actually tricky questions to answer, in part it depends on the demographic of the club membership which may well be quite different from society in general There may be more retired people, there might be more families than not with at least one adult at home ie not in work. If that was/is the case weekdays are just as good anyway.

It has certainly settled down now and other than the odd hot spot most places still have good availability, so I don't expect they will be rushing to change things!

Quote: Originally posted by brianconwy on 08/12/2009

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I managed to get my bookings and hopefully will next year.  Just out of curiosity how do the camping and caravan club go about it?  Do they have similar problems?  What are their star sites?

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Quote: Originally posted by LegsDownKettleOn on 09/12/2009

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I beleive you have the option of paying a deposit. There has been a spate of people booking sites near ports, turning up late at night and shooting off early morning without paying. For this reason I am told the CC are considering changeing things on sites near ports at least. They have apparently tried contacting people shortly before they are due to arrive and requesting a deposit for sites near ports. This has proven flawed as often the caravanner is out of the country and has booked to stay over on the return leg of the journey.

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I don't see how that can be as I can't think of any CC sites that don't have barriers, you thus could not enter the site late at night. Some have very limited late night arrival areas but that is not actually a pitch on the site.

Also if you know they turned up and didn't pay you have their membership number, or if it appears they never arrived the three strikes and you are out (as discussed above) would soon apply.

Quote: Originally posted by Le Phantom on 09/12/2009

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Quote: Originally posted by LegsDownKettleOn on

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I don't see how that can be as I can't think of any CC sites that don't have barriers, you thus could not enter the site late at night. Some have very limited late night arrival areas but that is not actually a pitch on the site.

Also if you know they turned up and didn't pay you have their membership number, or if it appears they never arrived the three strikes and you are out (as discussed above) would soon apply.

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Black Horse Farm is a very popular site for ferry travellers, and you have to phone to book and pay in advance. The "ferry pitches" are before the barrier to the main site.

Quote: Originally posted by Le Phantom on 09/12/2009

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I don't see how that can be as I can't think of any CC sites that don't have barriers, you thus could not enter the site late at night.

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Quote: Originally posted by janus on 09/12/2009

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Quote: Originally posted by Le Phantom on 09/12/2009

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I don't see how that can be as I can't think of any CC sites that don't have barriers, you thus could not enter the site late at night.

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Try Kinlochewe, Morvich, North Ledaig, Braemar, Clachan, Blair Drummond, Garlieston, Englethwaite hall, Rothbury Low manesty, Meathop fell, Brown Moor, Low moor, The Grange, Cae Mawr, White Horse beach, Top Lodge,  Five acres, Stover, Looe, and  Plymouth Sound for a start. The last time we visited each of these sites there was no barrier and there must be lots more

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Was talking for ages this weekend to the wardens at the CC site we went to last weekend, (It was the last pre booking we had made with the CC and we have now cancelled our membership) It is  fact there are a lot of no shows ( 5 on Friday night at that particular site) and even worse a lot of cancellations made on Fridays when other people have made alernative plans ( they had 8 cancellations on friday) so a site that was showing full for that weekend for weeks had 13 free pitches. So solve that one without deposits!

Quote: Originally posted by Caroline M on 10/12/2009

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Was talking for ages this weekend to the wardens at the CC site we went to last weekend, (It was the last pre booking we had made with the CC and we have now cancelled our membership) It is  fact there are a lot of no shows ( 5 on Friday night at that particular site) and even worse a lot of cancellations made on Fridays when other people have made alernative plans ( they had 8 cancellations on friday) so a site that was showing full for that weekend for weeks had 13 free pitches. So solve that one without deposits!

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Caroline

I think it would be quite easy to resolve without deposits. As I have suggested before if you had to register a credit card, like you do with a hotel, if you cancelled within 48 hours of your visit you would pay the first nights site fee automatically. The advantage of this system is that it does not penalise those members who always honour their bookings. I am not even sure I would allow mitigating circumstances to be taken into account. If you were a no show then the Club has a process in place for dealing with people who do that on a regular basis. The real problem is that we don't know whether its the same people doing late cancellations or whether they are one offs. My view is that now the Club are asking for a reason when you cancel they are now clearly starting to monitor the reasons why people cancel. To me the next natural step would be for them to start to monitor those members that cancel at the last minute frequently and perhaps in the fullness of time you will see those members treated in the same way as no shows. 

David

Quote: Originally posted by Caroline M on 10/12/2009

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Was talking for ages this weekend to the wardens at the CC site we went to last weekend, (It was the last pre booking we had made with the CC and we have now cancelled our membership) It is  fact there are a lot of no shows ( 5 on Friday night at that particular site) and even worse a lot of cancellations made on Fridays when other people have made alernative plans ( they had 8 cancellations on friday) so a site that was showing full for that weekend for weeks had 13 free pitches. So solve that one without deposits!

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Well I think you should be applauded on cancelling your membership; not everybody is prepared to back their statements on here with action and if more did there would be that bit less pressure on bookings for those who accept the current system.

It's perhaps a little churlish to point out that one site on one weekend is not statistically significant, only the CC can really know what the overall picture is. I agree with what has been said that deposits will only favour the rich.

However, if the CC is pursuing a policy of three strikes and you are out I support that above any financial penalties as it will rid us of anybody who makes such a significant number of no shows in a year.

Quote: Originally posted by Caroline M on 10/12/2009

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Was talking for ages this weekend to the wardens at the CC site we went to last weekend, (It was the last pre booking we had made with the CC and we have now cancelled our membership) It is  fact there are a lot of no shows ( 5 on Friday night at that particular site) and even worse a lot of cancellations made on Fridays when other people have made alernative plans ( they had 8 cancellations on friday) so a site that was showing full for that weekend for weeks had 13 free pitches. So solve that one without deposits!

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Why would deposits solve that, those who are going to cancel will cancel no matter what and if there is a deposit paid that approximated to what they would lose by cancelling they will probably not contact until Saturday lunchtime rather than Friday. I fail to see why people think deposits are some magic sort of solution, the costs of a weekend away with a caravan are only partly down to the cost of the site fuel costs can be at least as great and putting all together if someone decides they do not want to travel nothing wil make them.