New Booking System

Takethedogalong. Wow! Well done to find that click path through the website. Whoever came up with that convoluted process must have been knitting spaghetti when they thought of it.
Thanks for your input earlier but I did eventually manage to make a booking for our return trip at the North Yorkshire Moors site. I will still be looking at Ciff Farm for a future visit though.
Please see my comment entered on this thread at 19.20 today, the 16th:

GREAT NEWS, I made a booking for next week at NY Moors club site and the My Bookings page says I don't have to pay until June 2025. I took a screenshot and will show that on arrival.

Been using this website since 2012 or thereabouts, and down the years, because of all its foibles, you learn to look at different ways of find your way through the spaghetti. At one time, it was awful if you had Apple devices, the current glitches seem more Android related, but I hope they get sorted. Nothing is ever intuitive, always long winded trying to negotiate the maze. The only decent part of it was the old booking system ironically, that was easy to use and fast.

Glad you got sorted. NYM is a nice site👍But give a CL a go, or a small private site. Cliff Farm is lovely around Christmas, heated facilities, honesty freezers, nice walks, and great for Helmsley and Pickering👍

Agree. There was a snagging list started back around 2016 I think, when the website was upgraded. From memory, I think maybe a couple of issues got resolved, so don’t hold your breathe this time🤭🤣

Started looking at sites for this weekend at 7pm, it’s now midnight and I’ve finally been able to book 2 nights away.

1. I browsed the previous app for a site, required a few and found availability, input everything and then faced with a page telling me to download the new app. 45 mins wasted.
2. Downloaded new app, signed in, searched again for the same site I was trying to book. Dates no longer available on new app but are on the old app. Looked for the second choice site and found availability but when clicked through, the Saturday night was no longer available. 30 mins wasted. 
   
3. Added third choice site to the “basket”, input dates of birth for my partner and me, basket then empty so had to start again. 15 mins wasted.
4. Started whole process again and input debit card details. Mastercard security page appears, I approve in my bankkng app and the CAMC app freezes. I leave it 10 mins and return. 
5. App still crashed and repeat above process again. 15 mins wasted. 
6. Repeat process and now charged twice as both payments come through simultaneously, 

The search function is horrendous, I don’t know the name of the site I want to stay at sometimes. I also don’t always know the town/city/area I want to stay in and would rather browse a map with availability as per the previous booking system.

I’m a fairly new member but will not be renewing. I may as well spend less time calling independent sites to make bookings.

I need a holiday now.

Thanks Tda. That works well. As does brues  method of putting the site name in the search box. It is however totally ridiculous that these work arounds are required. Surely the CAMC want folk to leave reviews and know the safe route to a site. That accessing these things in a straightforward manner hasn’t been considered, speaks volumes about the lack of basic planning in this new system launch.

It will be interesting to see what the Club does about this which needs to be done quick. The convoluted process of having to drill down to find the reviews and dircections is a joke but it could be easily solved (in my view) once you have found a site or for that matter a CL by adding a link to the bottom of the summary where it says "Links" which will then take you to the site details page. Quite why the initial search does not take you to the site detailed page in the first place is a bit of a puzzle. Perhaps it is becuase there would be too much detail alongside the map? Even comparing sites you select and clicking on the "View Site" button at the bottom of the camparison page does not take you to the details page?

If it is any help, I have found the best way to search for either a Club site or CL is from the "Book a campsite," search by county and then use the map that comes up to chose your site. I think that is better than the previous system because the Club had some strange ideas in which regions to place a site. The search is not that precise in bringing up the county of choice, the sites map does overlap with with other counties so as long as you have a rough idea of where you want to go it should not be a problem and you can always zoom in and out or move the map about to suit with the result further sites become visible which you can bring up by clicking on them..

peedee

Your method of using search by county and the map PD is a good one, as long as you have a reasonable broadband speed. However, if you are on a low bandwidth link such as CAMC WiFi or 4G when it’s at the limits, the map doesn’t respond well. Although the old system had some quirks like putting Malvern in the Cotswolds, once you knew that it worked well, even on tatty CC WiFi.

As with anything you are trying to find on the internet, poor links as well as outdated hardware and software doesn't help.

peedee

Via the HOME page, scroll down there is an updated new booking experience link. On the link there is a YouTube "how to use" clip, also the latest App up date. I don't know whether this might help anyone.

For myself if I need site details I will go in via the search box top right on this web site page if I know which main site I want or have known CL in mind. Or Google search.

If I booked previously I generally  checked out a site first via uk campsites then booked via the chosen site details page. I can still do this or go in via the pop up booking box.

I think at present the browsing experience is better via the website rather than the booking experience site however they should be competently linked to provide a seamless search.

Just used the new system to book a site for May next year. 

Not liking change is human nature and im no exception unless I can see a benefit.

Hopefully this benefit will be more pitch availability but doubt it as members will still use the 72hr rule to get full refunds leaving the other members on  'standby' for late availibiity (remember booking hols on teletext or staring into travel agents windows waiting for the last minute get away) We plan most of our trips 6-12 months ahead.

What if you had to cancel under 72hrs for extenuating personal circumstances, i looked through the booking tc's couldent see anything on this subject.. mind you i was watching the clock ticking as the various screens flicked around so may have missed it. Page layout seems random indicating the process flow needs to be smooth out. 

Now we have a deposit system it would be good to see data on members who repeatedly cancel prior to 72hrs, how this compares to the previous booking system  and how they are dealt with - cancelled membership

Why is there an option to take payment the day before the day of arrival, i doubt this will be selected by the majority of members and is a pointless step in process. The  CCC take the balance on morning of arrival. 

Was the new system trialed before launch, we used to call this the 'sand pit'  for developing new processes, these sessions would include all stake holders including the end user - if a process is going to  break, the end user will find the weak point  - no body likes change!