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

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I must admit, I had a similar rant in Ocotober about deposits when I couldn't get into Longleat CC....BUT...I'm starting to have second thoughts...

My thinking is this - caravanning should be a spur-of the-moment type holiday (that's partly what attracted me to it when I started out) but that isn't going to happen if you have to book and pay a deposit in advance...

If you reserve a pitch and then decide a week before that you don't want to go (crap weather, feeling a bit ill etc), it's nice just to cancel and that does free up your space for someone who does want to book last minute...(as it turned out, I could have got into Longleat CC if I'd called during the week before as they had some cancellations).

I hasten to add I've never done this and don't plan to but I can see the attraction...(at the moment, I don't mind losing a £25 deposit if I do want to cancel).

In fact, if you think about it, this could be a good thing - if loads of people reserve pitches and then loads cancel in the weeks leading up to their departure date, it effectively means pitches are freed up continually and thus you should always be able to get one when you call up!!

Problem solved - it's OK, you don't have to thank me...

 

Post last edited on 08/12/2009 17:24:13

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I think that its a fairly selfish attitude to take to think you can book up and then decide near the time wether to go or not. If you want spur of the moment then take your chances on availability. Many people have to make commitments to children, school holidays, works holidays etc. By booking and not going you may block their preferred destination.

The problem with only allowing bookings up to 1 week in advance have aready been stated - school holidays, work holidays. We still have a school age child and hubby has to book his holidays at the beginning of the year and i work in education. So that means becauseh we have prebooked weeks we may not be able to book a camp site that we want and if thats the case we have time booked off but nowhere to go. I don't know what the answer is to this problem. We don't go away for weekends and  so far been able to book sites that we want for the time we want. The only ones we have booked on the opening day are dates at Black Horse Farm for the start and end of our 2 holidays in France next year. I wouldn't dream of booking lots of weekends just on the chance we might go. If people weren't so selfish and only booked dates that they know they want, maybe there won't be this continual problem

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

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

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I must admit, I had a similar rant in Ocotober about deposits when I couldn't get into Longleat CC....BUT...I'm starting to have second thoughts...

My thinking is this - caravanning should be a spur-of the-moment type holiday (that's partly what attracted me to it when I started out) but that isn't going to happen if you have to book and pay a deposit in advance...

If you reserve a pitch and then decide a week before that you don't want to go (crap weather, feeling a bit ill etc), it's nice just to cancel and that does free up your space for someone who does want to book last minute...(as it turned out, I could have got into Longleat CC if I'd called during the week before as they had some cancellations).

I hasten to add I've never done this and don't plan to but I can see the attraction...(at the moment, I don't mind losing a £25 deposit if I do want to cancel).

In fact, if you think about it, this could be a good thing - if loads of people reserve pitches and then loads cancel in the weeks leading up to their departure date, it effectively means pitches are freed up continually and thus you should always be able to get one when you call up!!

Problem solved - it's OK, you don't have to thank me...

 

Post last edited on 08/12/2009 17:24:13

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I think that its a fairly selfish attitude to take to think you can book up and then decide near the time wether to go or not. If you want spur of the moment then take your chances on availability. Many people have to make commitments to children, school holidays, works holidays etc. By booking and not going you may block their preferred destination.

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Wendy love, read the bit in red that was in my original post...

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

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This has been a real gripe of mine for a long time, I also think people book sites all over then decide where they are going, which wouldn't be bad if they then cancelled in good time for someone else to book but I fear that a lot don't.

We booked well in advance for a weekend in August at Brighton CC site and when we got there the man in front had come on spec and was told there was no room. However that evening on strolling round the site we notice about half a dozen pitches unoccupied. I can only assume these were "no shows".

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It is impossible on the CC system to book more than one site for any particular set of dates, so your first statement is simply wrong since they cannnot boot several sites and pick the one they want to go to.

There are other scenarios that will leave empty pitches on a supposedly full site. For example I was on Cae Mawr CC site last June and around me there were three large hard standing pitches empty and the warden was turning people away. I happened to  have a conversation with her in the evening after this and mentioned this to her and she simply said we are licence for 76 vans and we have 78 vans on the site at the moment peolple are on some of our emergency grass pitches because the normal ones were waterlogged last week, so since the original grass ones are now full we have empty pitches but no licence to be able to filll them.

Quote: Originally posted by Jerry+Tina on 09/12/2009

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Wasting your breath Janus, the same incorrect messages are posted as fact every year. The same as "the majority of members" etc etc. when they actually mean an insignificant few compared to the total membership.

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Well quite but why let facts rather than juicy speculating get in the way of some shock/horror post?. A friend of my neighbours dog, knows hundreds of people who block book all the best CC sites then don't use them...

A career in the tabloids beckons...

Quote: Originally posted by Jerry+Tina on 09/12/2009

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Wasting your breath Janus, the same incorrect messages are posted as fact every year. The same as "the majority of members" etc etc. when they actually mean an insignificant few compared to the total membership.

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I expect you are right! It would be nice if the CC ( I assume they know these sorts of discussions go on) did a little more about providing facts and figures. Mind you we would then get the group that won't believe that either!

David

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

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C&CC sites are also extremely popular, keswick and Ravenglass to name a couple do get booked up all the time but not as quick as Rowntree Park, it is a great site and yes people will want to go but up to next xmas? You cant book a holiday abroad without paying a deposit if you cant afford a deposit you cant book so why does the CC allow it? The C&CC deposit was at 1 point £15 but has went up to £25 not expensive and it knocks a bit off your final payment.I am members of both clubs as they are great quality, its not a competition of which club is best just a gripe!!

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

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

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This has been a real gripe of mine for a long time, I also think people book sites all over then decide where they are going, which wouldn't be bad if they then cancelled in good time for someone else to book but I fear that a lot don't.

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We booked well in advance for a weekend in August at Brighton CC site and when we got there the man in front had come on spec and was told there was no room. However that evening on strolling round the site we notice about half a dozen pitches unoccupied. I can only assume these were "no shows".

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It is impossible on the CC system to book more than one site for any particular set of dates, so your first statement is simply wrong since they cannnot boot several sites and pick the one they want to go to.

There are other scenarios that will leave empty pitches on a supposedly full site. For example I was on Cae Mawr CC site last June and around me there were three large hard standing pitches empty and the warden was turning people away. I happened to  have a conversation with her in the evening after this and mentioned this to her and she simply said we are licence for 76 vans and we have 78 vans on the site at the moment peolple are on some of our emergency grass pitches because the normal ones were waterlogged last week, so since the original grass ones are now full we have empty pitches but no licence to be able to filll them.

 

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