Am I being unreasonable?

At what level of deposit is it too much? It does depend on the alternatives for me. In September our first stop was 5 nights at The Willows at Abersoch. The deposit was £108 with a further £108 to pay. 

We were going to book Dornafield for July next year on their website but it demanded payment in full on booking and so we booked another site for 5 nights with £30 deposit. I did however send an e-mail to Dornafield to let them know that they had lost my booking. Their reply amused me as they said that if I had phoned they would have given me a lower deposit cost but that their website did not allow for that. 

Most commercial sites have wanted between £5 and £10 a night

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Reading your post you are suggesting that even if you are only staying one night? Really?

"its odd that the level of deposit seems to have sharpened the 'level of commitment' and in this case, the booking was not taken up.

perhaps the issue was the level of commitment not the level of deposit, as in my case above?"

 

I don't think you can have read my subsequent posts very carefully, BB. This 7 night stay comes bang in the middle of a proposed tour next year. My commitment is to finding a suitable site in the area we're visiting. There are many alternatives in the area, one of which now has our custom for those 7 nights (and, interestingly, without a deposit). The booking was not taken up, not by any lack of commitment, but out of personal choice and consideration of our experience in other CLs we have used recently.

I'll say again, it is entirely up to the CL owner to decide how to run their business. We weren't satisfied in this  case,  but good luck to them if they can find folk happy to pay that level of deposit. 

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odd wrinkle? -no need to be offensive. And if not taken that way then people who stay one or two nights are not 'odd' but perhaps the norm at weekends.

As far as CC Ltd is concerned I would suggest the value of three nights to correspond with the three night (72 hr) alteration / cancellation time.

I am a not a mind reader and if you write something it should be clear as to what you mean, the above was not

corners, I read DD"s post to mean the odd 'wrinkle' (as in 'hiccup') in the suggestion

.....certainly not 'wrinklie'.....if this is what you are referring to?

...and, I must say, I certainly thought the suggestion meant 'upto' three days....(although it didn't actually say that...)

and I didn't study rocket science

When touring we only nèed to stay for one night....en route...(sound familiar ?)  Are you seriously suggesting that I pay for 3 nights upfront for that luxury ?  Full amount for one night....perhaps, But 3  definately not.  If we liked it, we MAY stay longer ?  But we are touring, the least organization the better.

The 'other' club only allows a minimum of 2 nights bookable on some sites....no good for us, I thought CLs were more easy going ? Obviously not.

If i phone up and book, (usually for the following day) then apart from a RTA, i WILL be there,,and if i'm going to be late, again i phone up and let them know....its just good manners. 

perhaps I haven't understood, but having decided on a site, doent this mean that it is the preferred site in that area....

you go as far as to say this about it....

'Looked very good, toilet/shower, dog friendly, great reviews, ideal for where we wanted to stay and just £15 a night. Ideal for us I thought ......"

but then, because of a £60 deposit, this now falls from favour.

of course, you're the customer and can go where you like, but to me, you weren't committed to that site.

if you really wanted to go there, and were committed to doing so, does it really matter what level of deposit they want...why is £60 any worse than, say, £50....or £40....

you still have to pay the balance when you get there....

is there some doubt in your mind that you will be going?

is it that, should the whole holiday be cancelled, you would have lost more?

again, if I wanted to go to a particular site (and it had all I wanted including a good price) I don't see why one wouldn't take it up.

im glad you've found an alternative, hopefully  with all the things you need, and at a good price.....and that their deposit policy meets your criterion. 

im sure it'll be as nice as the one that got away.

enjoy.

Ray - I think most CLs certainly are more easy going. I'm sure many folk will stump up want the site I mentioned in the OP requests, and good luck to them. But in my experience the vast majority of CL owners, many of whom are, of course club members themselves, show a considerable degree of trust in fellow members. The most we've been asked for over the past 2 or 3 years is one night's fee,  which is entirely reasonable in my view.