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Hello - Silver Spirit we went to Warren Farm in Brean Sands, Somerset in our LV550 and had a fantastic time. We've also had weekends in Keswick and just last weekend, near Skipton. We are hoping to get away to somewhere within 2 hours of Richmond every couple of weekends, then we'll probably have a week at the end of August somewhere a bit further away.

Geistrunner - hello, nice to hear from you again. Once we get the UK end of things up and running we'll set up proper links to your club. Hopefully it won't be long now.

Finally - Penny and Andrew have put together a good questionnaire so that potential owners club members can tell us what they would want from the club etc. It will be going out to everyone on our database shortly and we will promote the club to all new owners, but in the meantime if you'd like to complete it and email it back to me, you can download it here http://www.scribd.com/doc/16918277/Geist-Owners-Club-Questionnaire-290609#page=2

thanks

Claire

Quote: Originally posted by Geistrunner on 29/6/2009

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Hi Claire, We have ramped ours up now, couldn't wait for you guys, sorry. Let Paddy know I'll give him a ring soon to have a chat about things. You can link off our site if you want. Seems you have some tech and club management issues there to overcome. If we work together on this the GG's (Geist Gatherings) can have a link up online and such. Just so people realise, the www.geistowners.com membership site is a monthly payment site so you have support all the time. Plus we have and will have more info that gets delivered to you weekly.

 So, you charge over 7UK pounds, per month, to give info about caravans from bankrupt importer???

Nice try

Let's hope that this site doesn't get any ideas -;0

 

EDIT

Having read your site more thoroughly I can only say that I am impressed and boggled in equal measure!

I particularly like your invitation for Geist owners to pay money into a fund to enable you to travel to the UK & Germany to 'sort out' matters relating to Geist caravans in Oz

I have absolutely no doubt that the owners of these vans, left high & dry by the liquidation of Geist Australia (a *voluntary* liquidation, it should be noted) will dig deep in their pockets in order to speed you on your way

While we're on the subject, I'm setting up a fund to enable me to spend a couple of months in the Seychelles to explore the caravanning possibilities there - so, anyone reading this who really *cares* about our hobby, well now is the time to pony up the readies....

(well, you never know your luck....)

Well, there you go - by the law of averages, someone had to agree with me sometime, about something...

As for the Club - I just don't know why everyone is faffing about.  A UK domain costs peanuts, hosting would be cheap because the bandwidth would be small - why not just go ahead and set up a site which would act as a meeting point for Geist owners?

The club could be developed from there - perhaps with informal meets to begin with.

The formation seems to be unnecessarily complicated to me!

No there have been rally's we now need to develop the club not just have a website and to do that we need conatct details. Those of us involved feel that the survey would be a useful next step to see what UK Geist owners want and accepting Geists offer of a website they deisgn but we run is good.

Returnee do you have a Geist and would you like to join or voluteer to help?!

Quote: Originally posted by tparkes on 29/6/2009

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Whilst its very interesting to hear of the Geist site set up by geistrunner, I for one would like to wait for Claire to set up hers - surely we can wait another two weeks folks?

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I have to agree!

Also returnee are you a geist owner? you seem to advise people a lot on the german vans but you never state what van you have????

Quote: Originally posted by Ecocamping on 29/6/2009

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No there have been rally's we now need to develop the club not just have a website and to do that we need conatct details. Those of us involved feel that the survey would be a useful next step to see what UK Geist owners want and accepting Geists offer of a website they deisgn but we run is good.

Returnee do you have a Geist and would you like to join or voluteer to help?!

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As it happens, yes.we own a Geist (although I've always thought of it as an LMC)

That doesn't change my own opinion, which is that Geist UK are not long for this world (but that's just my opinion, of course)

While I would be happy to assist  with an owners club, I couldn't bring myself to have anything to do with it if Geist UK were involved - further, since I firmly believe that, as Geist UK's days are numbered, allowing them to design (and presumably host) the site would be a mistake.  Knowing Geistt UK, they would probably exercise legal control over it, and if they go into liquidation they will carry the club down to Davy Jone's locker with them.

It would be as well not to forget that among the Directors who voluntarily elected for the receivership of the Geist in Australia were those who also control the UK operation.

I'm afraid that, all to often, the interests of consumers and those of manufacturers differ - and that it isn't really possible to cosy up to a particular vendor without adopting the position of lapdog.

A club should be free to speak the truth about the product, warts and all, and I just can't see that happening if it is dependent on Geist UK for its existence.

But then, I'm quite Bolshie, I suppose 

What we have been discussing as Geist owners is independent, with the exception of them setting up the website and paying for that to get us started. They are also helping us get it started in other ways but from the discussions with Claire they would like it to be independent.

Returnee what Geist do you have ?

Hello all

yes, with my Geist Marketing hat on I think the club needs to belong to the Owners/Members. Geist will pay for the website, hosting, admin set up and other incidentals but it will belong to the owners club. Geist will also write out to the database with the Owners Club questionnaire, to see what our owners want from their club. We'll also get some leaflets produced to put into every new van and we'll promote the owners club to all of our customers, via posters, leaflets and on the main website and e-newsletter. Hopefully this will be enough to ensure that it gets started well and continues to grow. Ideas welcomed though, this is by no means an exclusive list!

I think that the club would need to charge a nominal annual fee to help keep the club running and fund any equipment for rallies (tea urns etc) and any mailings/promo items. I don't anticipate that it would all go via Geist although I'm sure Paddy et al would be very supportive generally.

With my Geist owner hat on, I would join the club quite happily and provide support where I could!

Claire

AK565

Why allow Geist to pay for the site? - that immediately makes the proposed club subservient to them.

What's more - there is the distinct possibility that the design would be every bit as woeful and gloomy as their own effort  (which appears more suited to a firm of undertakers, than a leisure company  )

Hi Returnee

well we'll have to agree to differ on this one I suppose. 

The website would be fine and would belong to the club. Unless the owners want to fork out between them and set something up instead? I think though, that people are busy and just want a bit of assistance setting this up. There really is no sinister plot to rule the owners club by stealth and brainwash the members, I promise.

If you'd rather not be involved then that is your choice, of course.

Geist UK, for the record, are doing just fine. I wouldn't have bought a Geist if I didn't think so!

And if the current site reminds you of a firm of undertakers, that's a little sad really. It reminds me of Tuscany, but then I'm a happy kind of person.

Well everyone is entitled to their own view returnee - perhaps you would like to send in a questionnaire with your views on?!

J

Quote: Originally posted by yorkshirepud on 29/6/2009

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If you'd rather not be involved then that is your choice, of course. <<

I'd love to be involved - but not if Geist UK have a finger in the pie.  As you say, my choice, for my reasons.

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>Geist UK, for the record, are doing just fine. I wouldn't have bought a Geist if I didn't think so! <<

Any word on how old the few new vans that Geist UK have listed are? -  are LMC still making Geist's based on the previous 'Dominant' model, or are the vans at Gateshead & Lincoln 2007/2008 models that never sold?

When will we see a brand new Geist that is based on current LMC production?.....

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>>And if the current site reminds you of a firm of undertakers, that's a little sad really. It reminds me of Tuscany, but then I'm a happy kind of person. <

Yes, it does have a whiff of Tuscany about it -  hillside cemeteries with little shrines and photo's of the dead!....

I admire your loyalty - but, come on! - it's ghastly!!!

Hello Returnee. I'm not up for a public argument I'm afraid!

I am more than happy to get Paddy or Dean to reply to your questions but I'm not in a position to answer, as I don't know. Why don't you email me at marketing at geistforlife.co.uk if you have a list of questions or issues you'd like addressed and I can get the Geist team to come back to you. You can then share your feedback on here if you choose. If you've had a bad experience surely it's better to get it sorted out if at all possible?

If the majority of owners would rather that Geist had no hand in the owners club then hopefully that will come through on here and via the questionnaire, in which case the owners who want the club will no doubt set it up themselves. It is not my decision in terms of how the club is set up and run. I'm just the conduit through which we can access a little funding from Geist to set it up if required.

Best wishes

Claire