Would It Work ? – Open for sensible debate.

We still work and can't normally confirm holidays until January, so booking the popular sites isn't usually possible. We just work around it, finding other sites or using CL'S.  We are using a club site over AugBH only booked a while ago so it's still possible.  I'am ok with the booking system as it is on the whole. 

 I don't book any of the honey pot sites 

as most people will want the times around school holidays all you are doing in shifting the booking frenzy to 2 months before July 22nd for example, and /or making it even more of a frenzy for those 50% of pitches available on December booking day. 

Also people want assurances of booking their summer holiday. If they can't get that with the club they'll go elsewhere.Thomas Cooks don't let your book holidays like this, wonder why? 

Deposits wouldn't make the problem go away, probably make it worse. As happened in the past.

Would it work if every site allowed only 50% of their pitches to be booked at any time from the December booking date with the remaining 50% not being bookable until no more than 2 months before the planned visit date? Most people, I think, should be able to work around this for planned main holidays. This should accommodate those that must fully book their year in advance and those that cannot.

I am not sure about the at any time bit. Although most of our bookings are off peak and not heavily contested, we still like to get everything sorted out in December, or early January, if holidaying in the UK. If I was unable to do it with the CAMC I would use other providers. So it would just depend if they managed to sell the space I did not book within the final two months. I think if this was brought in, although at less popular sites 50% would seem a lot, it would not go evenly. Weekends would rapidly be booked beyond the 50% and as we book weeks, we would be looking elsewhere. Obviously if it only me they will not be worried, however if the numbers are large and bookings go down. 👎

The alternative is a rolling booking system like the other club which includes deposits and minimum bookings, so no weekends are bookable on popular sites at certain times. This works well but the deposits can get quite hefty on a tour of several sites. So I can put up with the club's system and avoid the booking frenzy if possible. It doesn't help working people who don't get their holiday dates til the New Year, that would have been us before we retired.

Another alternative is to leave as it is 

John

The most successful systems are those that are simple and easy to understand which I believe the current system is. If you want to change something the weight of the argument in favour of that change must be overwhelming and I am not convinced it is. Often proposed changes don't have the advantages that the proposer thinks they do. I don't know how your work holiday system works but you must have a rough idea. Why not book on spec and cancel or amend in January when your dates are confirmed. That would still leave plenty of time for cancelled pitches to be rebooked. I think I would also ask how many sites, bar a very few so called honey pot sites are fully booked by January?

David

Simple it maybe David but it sure annoys the hell out of many members evident by the number of post that continually crop up on the subject. You are advocating book when its not known what is really wanted. That is the major complaint, to easy to book and to easy to cancel because there are no penalties worth worrying about.

I can live with the system because in the last couple of years I have done just what you advocate on the basis if you cannot beat them join them. I wonder to what extent the system is full with tentative bookings and members seeing no dates available go elsewhere?

The only sensible system with minimum of complications for the Club is a non refundable deposit sytem and let those who have to cancel claim on holiday insurance. The Club could even offer that insurance. Isn't that what most holiday companies do?

peedee

I suspect that as many complain about the C&CC system as complain about CC. With the exception of the likes of Rowntree in York perhaps, I also suspect that any other sites booked up early will be for Easter. Surely that is to be expected with almost any popular site?

Yes there are complaints but not nearly so many as here and very few actually complain about the deposit itself. Most seem to arise on complicaltions when cancellations are made.

peedee