Posted on 14/09/2022 09:31
Good morning. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience being caused with the implementation of our new booking system. Members and guests are able to make bookings through the new system however this is not the complete experience we have designed.
Please be assured our IT and Technical Teams are working extremely hard to resolve all of the issues as soon as possible.
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Posted on 20/09/2022 21:12
I am all for deposits 100%..... However I have an issue which must affect many retired members..... We have been members since 1978 and as far as we can remember have only been forced to cancel once.
Now we are retired and for the last several years we book our trips for the coming year from January during the colder weather and this year we will have been away 82 nights exclusively on club sites..... I am entirely happy to pay a non returnable (inside 21 days of booking) deposit. However to charge 20% of a fortnight's trip is too much . If we booked all 82 nights on main CMC sites it would cost us around £480 in one hit!
We cannot afford to do this so risk not being able to have a plan for our year completed as we can only afford a smaller amount in one hit. I appreciate that we could cancel before the 21 day cut off but we, as very good numbers who do not play the system by overbooking and are definitely being unfairly penalised for other inconsiderate abusers of the system and it is not reasonable.
Please would management have a rethink and whilst appreciating the benefit of deposits for both members and club viability, please also appreciate the difficulties and upset a blanket 20% deposit on the total cost of a multi day booking is causing.
Thank you
2 people like this
Posted on 20/09/2022 21:12 by MJCBJCI am all for deposits 100%..... However I have an issue which must affect many retired members..... We have been members since 1978 and as far as we can remember have only been forced to cancel once.
Now we are retired and for the last several years we book our trips for the coming year from January during the colder weather and this year we will have been away 82 nights exclusively on club sites..... I am entirely happy to pay a non returnable (inside 21 days of booking) deposit. However to charge 20% of a fortnight's trip is too much . If we booked all 82 nights on main CMC sites it would cost us around £480 in one hit!
We cannot afford to do this so risk not being able to have a plan for our year completed as we can only afford a smaller amount in one hit. I appreciate that we could cancel before the 21 day cut off but we, as very good numbers who do not play the system by overbooking and are definitely being unfairly penalised for other inconsiderate abusers of the system and it is not reasonable.
Please would management have a rethink and whilst appreciating the benefit of deposits for both members and club viability, please also appreciate the difficulties and upset a blanket 20% deposit on the total cost of a multi day booking is causing.
Thank you
Posted on 20/09/2022 21:27
I've just commented on another thread that I found some old correspondence from the then Caravan Club, from 1999, indicating that I paid two deposits of £5 each for two site bookings, one of 12 nights and one of 8 nights. The total booking fee isnt shown so I dont know what % that was, but clearly the deposit was a fixed amount regardless of length of booking. On a longer booking a fixed deposit is clearly going to be less than 20%. I believe there is a minimum deposit, so presumably there could be a max deposit. And for those who say you pay the same amount whenever you pay, true. But cash flow matters to some people.
2 people like this
Posted on 20/09/2022 21:12 by MJCBJCI am all for deposits 100%..... However I have an issue which must affect many retired members..... We have been members since 1978 and as far as we can remember have only been forced to cancel once.
Now we are retired and for the last several years we book our trips for the coming year from January during the colder weather and this year we will have been away 82 nights exclusively on club sites..... I am entirely happy to pay a non returnable (inside 21 days of booking) deposit. However to charge 20% of a fortnight's trip is too much . If we booked all 82 nights on main CMC sites it would cost us around £480 in one hit!
We cannot afford to do this so risk not being able to have a plan for our year completed as we can only afford a smaller amount in one hit. I appreciate that we could cancel before the 21 day cut off but we, as very good numbers who do not play the system by overbooking and are definitely being unfairly penalised for other inconsiderate abusers of the system and it is not reasonable.
Please would management have a rethink and whilst appreciating the benefit of deposits for both members and club viability, please also appreciate the difficulties and upset a blanket 20% deposit on the total cost of a multi day booking is causing.
Thank you
Posted on 20/09/2022 21:53
Several options for you.…
.Book each tour separately rather than booking for the whole year in one go. Pay deposits for each separate tour on a credit card and pay them off in stages . Choose cheaper sites - independent sites as well as CLs, Travel flexibly without paying deposits, just making phone calls for availability as you go. Save Tesco vouchers to use on the Channel tunnel.
The Club is not going to change its system, but you could change yours.
Good wishes.
1 person likes this
Posted on 20/09/2022 20:23 by WherenextMany of the CL owners who contribute here are also part of Ted's separate CL booking website so I imagine they won't be as concerned as those CL owners who just rely on the Club site.
I'm on a C.L. at the moment run by a couple who mentioned their 60 y.o. son going down to London for the funeral, so it gives you some idea as to their age.
During a conversation I happened to mention the new system and they said they never go on the club website. I suspect there will be many C.L. owners of several years standing who will be in the same boat and won't have a clue as to how the system is potentially affecting their business.
If the club really isn't interested in C.L.s, and their attitude seems to be veering away from their current level of support, then pass over their licence to an organisation that is.
Posted on 20/09/2022 21:53 by eurortravellerSeveral options for you.…
.Book each tour separately rather than booking for the whole year in one go. Pay deposits for each separate tour on a credit card and pay them off in stages . Choose cheaper sites - independent sites as well as CLs, Travel flexibly without paying deposits, just making phone calls for availability as you go. Save Tesco vouchers to use on the Channel tunnel.
The Club is not going to change its system, but you could change yours.
Good wishes.
Posted on 21/09/2022 00:00
Some good ideas there.
I would add.....get a 0% interest credit card and use that for deposits. You can set up the monthly DDs to pay it off to suit you. Most give the 0% for 12-24 months, so ditch the card before then and apply for a fresh one.
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Posted on 20/09/2022 20:33 by ThehappycaravannersThe complaints have nothing to do with sour grapes for deposits. The new system is totally diabolical, and I was for deposits, however it also appears some people will always back the club and try to defend it .
Posted on 21/09/2022 06:54
I don't find it totally diabolical at all, yes it needs some work on it but it does function, you are able to book and look for sites, CLs and late availability. The crux of the matter is some are having problems working out how just because it does not work like the old booking system! Quite why I have no idea, some of us manage quite well. Time and time and again I see posts in this thread where it is obvious the poster hasn't really a clue and hasn't made much attempt to help themselves. I don't think I am known as a defender of the Club, if trying to help others is called defending the Club then I am guilty as charged.
peedee
P.S. you forgot to mention about resistance to change
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Posted on 21/09/2022 07:05
Whatever you think about the new system, it is fairly lengthy and does require you to input credit card data at the end. Given that I would have hoped that the IT department would have made an effort and started warning about maintenance with a pop up. But no, same as always, last night they just pulled the plug without warning. Hope nobody was in the middle of a booking at the time.🤞
3 people like this
Posted on 21/09/2022 07:05 by SteveLWhatever you think about the new system, it is fairly lengthy and does require you to input credit card data at the end. Given that I would have hoped that the IT department would have made an effort and started warning about maintenance with a pop up. But no, same as always, last night they just pulled the plug without warning. Hope nobody was in the middle of a booking at the time.🤞
Posted on 21/09/2022 07:55 by Rocky 2 bucketsSL, is it Credit card only or can a debit card be used. I ask because to use a debit card is less potential loss leading. Credit cards tend to have way more available funds.
Posted on 21/09/2022 07:55 by Rocky 2 bucketsSL, is it Credit card only or can a debit card be used. I ask because to use a debit card is less potential loss leading. Credit cards tend to have way more available funds.
Rowena
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