Joining the Club at CLs

I can only speak for myself.  When I take a booking either online, by phone or email I ask for their membership number and only when I have checked the validity of that number with the club's text service do I send out a confirmation email and ask for a deposit.  As a consequence I don't check membership cards when people arrive unless they simply turn up at the gate on the off chance of a vacant pitch in which case I do check their card.

The obvious flaw in this is that I have no idea whether the person who books/arrives is the person it says on the membership card.  It would be a small help if the text service texted back saying 'current member' plus a surname but when I asked about this I was told it's not possible because of GDPR.

If I thought someone arriving at my gate (booked or not) was a traveller and there was a possibility of them admitting other travelling none members I would refuse them.  My T&Cs say I can refuse/terminate any booking if I need/want to.  We are lucky as we have coded access gates...

Nicola
www.skybarnfarm.co.uk
Telephone: 01522 681218
Email: enquiries@skybarnfarm.co.uk
Site 965, page 402 of the 2017/2018 Sites Directory
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Just to add....I have, as you say, had the odd ex-member make a booking online but I do check every membership number and unless they can come back to me with a valid one they get turned away.

As far as I'm concerned you are paying for the exclusivity of being on a 5 pitch site for members only .

Thanks for your reply, Nicola. 

Thanks Nicola. I wonder what other owners do when non-members arrive and pitch up, on a near empty site, before calling in to see the owner?

I agree.

Turning customers away seems a funny way to run a business - does it happen in any other branch of the tourism/ hospitality field? 

Yes, if business owners want to keep their licence to trade. Think pubs and serving underage people or doing business after hours. It happens but at a risk. 

If anyone thinks they can turn people in that community away look up the recent story about Thwaite's brewery.

It just seems silly for a CL owner to turn customers away - it's so easy to show them how to sign up to membership there and then on a smart phone - and welcome them in to the campsite and take their money. Isn't that what business is about? 

Yes, I think that's pretty much what folk have been saying isn't it? Of course if a CL owner chose to it should also be possible to sign up the old fashioned way if necessary. Either way, it does seem daft that if a non member turns up and is prepared to stump up the  £52 it's not possible.