Leaving the Club - finally had enough

geordie21 replied on 11/07/2017 08:19

geordie21

Posted on 11/07/2017 08:19

After over quarter of a century we have decided that the CC has little to offer for us anymore.

The subscription provides little value for money. Discount on site fees is irrelevant if one cannot get booked in. Other discounts, ferry fares and insurance offers are often available elsewhere on the internet and not exclusive,

Site fees have risen out of proportion - what one gets now for what is in essence a shower, some electricity and recycling bins is ridiculous. The most expensive sites are pricing themselves out of the range of families with a modest/average budget, which is very sad for the future of caravanning.

The booking system is lucridous - popular sites being filled up for every weekend and just stopping others getting longer stays. But then closer the date, if one has the will to keep checking there are vacancies because surprise surprise booking are cancelled. The club will not release information on how many bookings are cancelled and yet refuse to go back to a deposit system that would stop the farce!! Over the last few years we have also increasingly noticed that sites that appear full on the booking system are not full during the time we are there. Cancellation up to 72 hours does not help those who need to book time off work in order to pick up the places left! It is a very biased system.

When issues are raised - like the booking system and its abuse; nothing is done or improved and the club now appears to operating solely for itself not its members. The values that I joined the club for, have been totally lost - all ithe Club is concerned about is its £100 million turnover!

Finally the new website is useless - trying to search discussions to add these comments was a total waste of time. It is far from user friendly for the occasional subscriber to discussions and is not much better for bookings. I am therefore very sorry if I have started a duplicate discussion - I am sure someone who spends a lot more time on here than me, will put me right!!!!

16 people like this

107 replies

Tinwheeler replied on 11/07/2017 21:11

Tinwheeler

Campervanner

Posted on 11/07/2017 19:20 by geordie21

I suppose the only way things are going to change is if the Club gets competition. At the moment they are complacent and don't need to change.

Just returned from France - lovely sites, many municipal, for much better value even with the facilities that the main CC sites offer. Visited a couple in extreme heat that offered swimming pools for better value than many CC sities. It is clearly not that difficult 😉

Posted on 11/07/2017 21:11

I think they have plenty of competition from other clubs and commercial sites.

I also think the booking system is simple and superior to most. Problems arise when people don't think ahead and book early enough or are not prepared to compromise. The complainers often turn out to be those who want to selfishly alter the system to suit themselves while disadvantaging the majority.

As I'm sure you're aware, comparing UK sites with those abroad is not a like for like comparison as operating costs are not the same, nor taxation. Therefore, it is unrealistic to expect any UK site, club operated or not, to provide similar facilities for similar fees.

Still, it's your decision, Geordie.

2 people like this

Cornersteady replied on 11/07/2017 21:31

Member

Cornersteady

Caravanner

Posted on 11/07/2017 20:58 by eurortraveller

Well I'm not staying or leaving the Club because of the weather or the price of wine. But now as I near the end of a caravan and travel lifetime I can only look back and reflect on why I have enjoyed some campsites so much. The stand out list.

Some have given me aesthetic pleasure - landscaping, flowers, trees and beauty, Some impressed because of the personal warmth and friendliness of the owners or managers and the service they offered and the lengths they went to. Some because of the space and freedom they offered - the campfires, communal barbecues, the all comers drinks parties, and now and then a communal meal. I remember lots of interesting people along the way, and conversations in an evening. At one site I remember a boy with a guitar singing by an alfresco bar late at night. and at another a group of singers in the doorway of a big tent - and the spectators grew.

I have stayed at dozens of Club sites. None of them are in that list of sites giving any sort of pleasure. They were all about as much fun a supermarket car park. They were functional, clean, and soulless. And much more regimented than they used to be. I think they are catering for different people nowadays too.

Posted on 11/07/2017 21:31

the campfires, communal barbecues, the all comers drinks parties, and now and then a communal meal. I remember lots of interesting people along the way, and conversations in an evening. At one site I remember a boy with a guitar singing by an alfresco bar late at night. and at another a group of singers in the doorway of a big tent - and the spectators grew

Each to their own, but that sort of site is the exact opposite of what I need in a site, and rightly for you that is a good reason to stop coming to club sites, though I can't imagine club sites ever being like that.

For me the pleasure of a being on club site comes from within not from without. When I think back to the 'good times' it's about the pleasure of my caravan and family, the activities and time spent together. I also remember the area and the things we did from the site. As long as it was clean and tidy that's all that mattered, not the landscaping at all. But like I said each person buys the type of site they want.

1 person likes this

IanTG replied on 11/07/2017 21:57

Member

IanTG

Caravanner

Posted on 11/07/2017 21:57

Have to say, I see the clubs offering as like any other leisure/holiday/travel provider..... I book when it suits me (sometimes early sometimes late) and if I can't find my requirements, I look elsewhere. It's a market driven environment. Some you win, some you lose, but to think one can have exclusivity in balancing supply and demand to meet ones own needs, is maybe at best hopeful and at worst deluded.

1 person likes this

kevinreek replied on 11/07/2017 23:54

Member

kevinreek

Caravanner

Posted on 11/07/2017 23:54

I agree with the weekend dates being booked so far ahead that it is near on impossible to be able to book a week. I was told by the CC that some people can only get away at weekends making the system fair, but lots of us who work have to plan our holidays and book the time off work and this cannot be done in December when the system opens for the following year. I believe a percentage of site pitches should be made available for periods of 6 days or more and discounts given for longer stays.

Tinwheeler replied on 12/07/2017 00:13

Tinwheeler

Campervanner

Posted on 11/07/2017 23:54 by kevinreek

I agree with the weekend dates being booked so far ahead that it is near on impossible to be able to book a week. I was told by the CC that some people can only get away at weekends making the system fair, but lots of us who work have to plan our holidays and book the time off work and this cannot be done in December when the system opens for the following year. I believe a percentage of site pitches should be made available for periods of 6 days or more and discounts given for longer stays.

Posted on 12/07/2017 00:13

That is an example of what I said earlier. Someone wishing to tweak a system to their own benefit but to the detriment of others. The present system is fair and open to all on an equal basis. Reserving pitches for longer stay people would penalise some.

Why a discount? We currently have equality in pricing. Ah, would this be because you would benefit, KR?

1 person likes this

replied on 12/07/2017 07:31

Posted on 11/07/2017 20:58 by eurortraveller

Well I'm not staying or leaving the Club because of the weather or the price of wine. But now as I near the end of a caravan and travel lifetime I can only look back and reflect on why I have enjoyed some campsites so much. The stand out list.

Some have given me aesthetic pleasure - landscaping, flowers, trees and beauty, Some impressed because of the personal warmth and friendliness of the owners or managers and the service they offered and the lengths they went to. Some because of the space and freedom they offered - the campfires, communal barbecues, the all comers drinks parties, and now and then a communal meal. I remember lots of interesting people along the way, and conversations in an evening. At one site I remember a boy with a guitar singing by an alfresco bar late at night. and at another a group of singers in the doorway of a big tent - and the spectators grew.

I have stayed at dozens of Club sites. None of them are in that list of sites giving any sort of pleasure. They were all about as much fun a supermarket car park. They were functional, clean, and soulless. And much more regimented than they used to be. I think they are catering for different people nowadays too.

Posted on 12/07/2017 07:31

The user and all related content has been Deleted User

1 person likes this

dmiller555 replied on 12/07/2017 08:14

Member

dmiller555

Caravanner

Posted on 12/07/2017 08:14

We are new to caravanning but have so far visited eight sites for various periods this year with another six booked up to October. These have been a mix of CC, CCC, CL and private. So far I've not had any problem booking any of them for the required periods but can sympathise with those that have to fit in with work holidays.

Oneputt replied on 12/07/2017 09:24

Member

Oneputt

Caravanner

Posted on 12/07/2017 09:24

Wonder if the club works on thee reverse Pareto principal, if 20% of members are unhappy the other 80% must be OK with what they offer

allanandjean replied on 12/07/2017 09:28

Member

allanandjean

Caravanner

Posted on 12/07/2017 09:28

We joined the club in 1990 so that we could take Red Penant cover and we used club sites rarely.

We made increasingly greater use of club sites over the following years especially in the period 2009-2013 when three Grandchildren came along and Alderstead became the official BBB location-that's Birth,Beer & Barbecue.

We now use one CL regularly, to visit said Grandchildren, and rally for about 4-5 weeks so, whilst not using sites or club insurances,we would still remain as members-even if not rallying or using CLs the benefits from ITX ferry packages saves the membership fee several times over.

I suppose that the clubs policies/procedures will always suit some, but not all, and that the 'some' will change depending their own circumstances.

Takethedogalong replied on 12/07/2017 10:57

Member

Takethedogalong

Posted on 11/07/2017 20:58 by eurortraveller

Well I'm not staying or leaving the Club because of the weather or the price of wine. But now as I near the end of a caravan and travel lifetime I can only look back and reflect on why I have enjoyed some campsites so much. The stand out list.

Some have given me aesthetic pleasure - landscaping, flowers, trees and beauty, Some impressed because of the personal warmth and friendliness of the owners or managers and the service they offered and the lengths they went to. Some because of the space and freedom they offered - the campfires, communal barbecues, the all comers drinks parties, and now and then a communal meal. I remember lots of interesting people along the way, and conversations in an evening. At one site I remember a boy with a guitar singing by an alfresco bar late at night. and at another a group of singers in the doorway of a big tent - and the spectators grew.

I have stayed at dozens of Club sites. None of them are in that list of sites giving any sort of pleasure. They were all about as much fun a supermarket car park. They were functional, clean, and soulless. And much more regimented than they used to be. I think they are catering for different people nowadays too.

Posted on 12/07/2017 10:57

I can empathise with a lot of what you say EuroT, but interestingly, our experiences are solely UK based, rather than overseas. But not on Club Sites, our more relaxed memories are of small private sites, Club AS/MUC Sites and CLs.

Your last paragraph sums up our thoughts on Club Sites of today, with the caveat that we do enjoy them solely as a base in quiet periods, when there are few other campers around. Some such as Bolton Abbey are an absolute delight in Winter, full of bird life, with delightful walks direct from site. But they are just a sleeping base for us, we go out off site most days, all day. Not so with CLs, here we will sit out, chat with like minded neighbours, have a meal or a drink together, perhaps share a hobby interest.

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