Club prices getting silly

richardandros replied on 25/10/2021 14:18

Posted on 25/10/2021 14:18

I'm not one who normally complains about site fees. It's quite simple - you either accept them, or you don't! We are both fortunate in that we are retired with good pensions and don't have to count the 'pennies' too much.  However, I have just attempted to book two nights at Broadway as a stop-over on our way to Devon, next June. For two people on a normal hardstanding pitch on 5 June (not a peak holiday period), we are being asked to pay £39.40 and for the following night, £35.10 - that's over £74 for two nights.  Compare that with 14 nights at the C&CC site at Dartmouth - which is lovely and just as good, if not better than most CAMC sites - for £311.

I think this is ridiculous and will be looking elsewhere.

That said, I am not averse to paying premium prices if it seems justified - we will be paying something like £37pn at Sandringham, this Christmas - but I would expect that at that time of year due to increased demand - but not in what I see as a 'low/mid season' period.

I don't use Club sites very often and if this is the way things are going, together with the threat of introducing deposits I can't see me using them at all in the future.

Rant over - but I think this is a step too far.

 

JVB66 replied on 28/10/2021 09:54

Posted on 28/10/2021 09:46 by eurortraveller

The better prices for full facility sites (as the OP has found) are often at family owned and family run sites. They don’t have overheads such as head offices and their staff, regional managers,  and wages for multiple wardens.

Those sites are often bigger than CLs - because a site with something like 20 pitches, and perhaps some storage as well, allows a family to make a reasonable living whilst keeping site prices reasonable. .

Posted on 28/10/2021 09:54

We found that at a site near Cromer last year, brand new toilet showerscool used to be two CLs  the owner did like everyone to know how much it had cost him for the new faciltiessurprised

moulesy replied on 28/10/2021 10:13

Posted on 28/10/2021 06:47 by richardandros

"(BTW, does your price at Dartmouth include the ACR?)"

Yes it does Moulesy because I'm looking at what's available to us and since the C&CC use that as a selling point, then I think it's fair to do so. I agree that my comparisons between Dartmouth and Broadway aren't exactly fair but the site we have booked - recommended by Eurortraveller - is £24pn and it's only a few miles from Broadway (but not within walking distance of the village, I admit). If I compare Dartmouth C&CC site with Start Bay - which is just down the road - but not as nice or as accessible as the C&CC site - it's still over £100 more for the two weeks which is not an insignificant amount.

Each to their own - but I do think that this Club is going a step too far.

Posted on 28/10/2021 10:13

Yes, we found the concessionary rate with C&CC to be a big selling point. We also found that many of their sites were just as good, facility wise as CAMC ones - Devizes, Priddy (Cheddar), Wolverley and Kingsbury Water Park to name just a few. If we were still caravanning, or thinking of returning to the hobby, we'd almost certainly use sites like that in preference to CAMC sites, but we'd rejoin the club to be able to use CLs.

richardandros replied on 28/10/2021 10:18

Posted on 28/10/2021 10:13 by moulesy

Yes, we found the concessionary rate with C&CC to be a big selling point. We also found that many of their sites were just as good, facility wise as CAMC ones - Devizes, Priddy (Cheddar), Wolverley and Kingsbury Water Park to name just a few. If we were still caravanning, or thinking of returning to the hobby, we'd almost certainly use sites like that in preference to CAMC sites, but we'd rejoin the club to be able to use CLs.

Posted on 28/10/2021 10:18

My thoughts exactly, moulesy.  And since Covid we haven't used any site facilities anyway - much preferring the safety and comfort of the very large bathroom in our van. (Especially as I've now fitted a heated towel railsmile)

young thomas replied on 28/10/2021 10:30

Posted on 28/10/2021 10:30

When comparing sites, location often has a high priority...

Just in case anyone reads the above and thinks that the CCC site at Priddy is a direct comparison for the CC site at Cheddar, bear in mind the Priddy site is in the middle of nowhere on the Mendips and is 6.5 ml from Cheddar, whereas the CC site is within walking distance...might be OK with a car but perhaps not so convenient with a larger MH.

sites are very liberal with their 'names' and the 'Bath' Chew Valley site being a case in point....it's nowhere near Bath...a 14 ml, 30+ min drive....

Tinwheeler replied on 28/10/2021 10:38

Posted on 28/10/2021 10:30 by young thomas

When comparing sites, location often has a high priority...

Just in case anyone reads the above and thinks that the CCC site at Priddy is a direct comparison for the CC site at Cheddar, bear in mind the Priddy site is in the middle of nowhere on the Mendips and is 6.5 ml from Cheddar, whereas the CC site is within walking distance...might be OK with a car but perhaps not so convenient with a larger MH.

sites are very liberal with their 'names' and the 'Bath' Chew Valley site being a case in point....it's nowhere near Bath...a 14 ml, 30+ min drive....

Posted on 28/10/2021 10:38

Good point. The locations don't compare at all and it never pays to try to compare sites when they are situated so dissimilarly.

EmilysDad replied on 28/10/2021 10:45

Posted on 28/10/2021 10:30 by young thomas

When comparing sites, location often has a high priority...

Just in case anyone reads the above and thinks that the CCC site at Priddy is a direct comparison for the CC site at Cheddar, bear in mind the Priddy site is in the middle of nowhere on the Mendips and is 6.5 ml from Cheddar, whereas the CC site is within walking distance...might be OK with a car but perhaps not so convenient with a larger MH.

sites are very liberal with their 'names' and the 'Bath' Chew Valley site being a case in point....it's nowhere near Bath...a 14 ml, 30+ min drive....

Posted on 28/10/2021 10:45

 ... whereas the CC site is within walking distance...might be OK with a car but perhaps not so convenient with a larger MH.

a larger MH would present its own problems due to the club's narrow access road.

Cheddar Club site

replied on 28/10/2021 10:47

Posted on 28/10/2021 10:30 by young thomas

When comparing sites, location often has a high priority...

Just in case anyone reads the above and thinks that the CCC site at Priddy is a direct comparison for the CC site at Cheddar, bear in mind the Priddy site is in the middle of nowhere on the Mendips and is 6.5 ml from Cheddar, whereas the CC site is within walking distance...might be OK with a car but perhaps not so convenient with a larger MH.

sites are very liberal with their 'names' and the 'Bath' Chew Valley site being a case in point....it's nowhere near Bath...a 14 ml, 30+ min drive....

Posted on 28/10/2021 10:47

The user and all related content has been Deleted User

brue replied on 28/10/2021 10:59

Posted on 28/10/2021 10:59

I have compared site prices at similar sites which are close together. We often use Slapton Sands C&Cc site which is close to CAMC Start Bay site. Prices are similar even with concessions and pitch options. It can be a bit of an illusion with concessions as prices in peak season start off at a higher point and "shoulder" seasons are often high too. Some don't like the journey to these sites but we're OK with it. I feel that both clubs offer similar prices, both offer CLs and CSs plus rallies etc etc and I'm sure both clubs keep an eye on each other's prices. 

DavidKlyne replied on 28/10/2021 11:52

Posted on 28/10/2021 10:30 by young thomas

When comparing sites, location often has a high priority...

Just in case anyone reads the above and thinks that the CCC site at Priddy is a direct comparison for the CC site at Cheddar, bear in mind the Priddy site is in the middle of nowhere on the Mendips and is 6.5 ml from Cheddar, whereas the CC site is within walking distance...might be OK with a car but perhaps not so convenient with a larger MH.

sites are very liberal with their 'names' and the 'Bath' Chew Valley site being a case in point....it's nowhere near Bath...a 14 ml, 30+ min drive....

Posted on 28/10/2021 11:52

I would almost go as far as saying that it is location and closeness to somewhere, walking/bus ride, that almost exclusively decides our choice of site. Probably even overrides the consideration of on site facilities as we use our own anyway. I noticed in the latest magazine a new CL under "Bristol" yet its nine miles away! Fortunately in these modern times we have plenty of avenues of research available to us to avoid making a mistake.

David

KjellNN replied on 28/10/2021 12:03

Posted on 28/10/2021 12:03

As we do not usually go away much in peak periods, we find the shorter peak periods used by CCC are advantageous as we can use our age concession all the time.

With the CCC sites, we can also use the fact that school holidays in Scotland are different from in England and Wales, whereas CAMC generally increase prices on a lot of sites  in England as soon as the Scottish schools go on holiday.  

CCC also do not seem to consider Easter to be a peak period in Scotland.....so far.   This can make a very large difference for us when comparing nearby or alternative sites.    A saving of £10 per night is quite possible.

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