Posted on 25/11/2021 11:54
The Club have released more details of the new Booking System here
There are still finer details still to be arrived but the link (thanks Harry) sets out how the new system will work.
I have closed the previous thread on when we will get details of the new booking system and opened this one to allow comments specifically on the new system rather than discussing what they might be.
David
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Posted on 10/01/2022 12:53 by NavigateurMy point on the PO insurance is that while it is representative of UK travel insurance, it really is not tailored to the protection of deposits on caravan site bookings (especially when the full amount has not yet been paid). The best organisation to offer cover would be The Caravan Club themselves since they already have some considerable experience in insurance products, plus they have the customers' attention at point of booking.
All it would require is an option button to select "deposit protection" and the addition of the appropriate fee. We could well discuss what others on here think would a suitable fee per booking. Or could the Club simply incorporate deposit protection in all bookings?
Posted on 10/01/2022 13:12 by KjellNNI agree.....insurance,unless possibly offered by the club, does not seem the way to go here.
The premiums on the Post Office one would probably be more than the deposits lost, and the length of trip covered is insufficient for us.
Not really suitable for touring holidays.
Posted on 10/01/2022 13:16 by SteveLBlock booking is such an emotive term. Surely if 50 or so folk book the weekend at a particular site, they are just bookings. Even though the weekend may show as unavailable for anyone wanting a longer stay. They are probably working in the week and fancy a weekend break.
We book 6 / 7 weekends in a row at different sites during our tours. Perhaps we are guilty of block booking.🤔
Posted on 10/01/2022 13:47
We also at times book a weekend first as part of a tour, ,as they are the most difficult to get a pitch, then fill in the Sunday or Mondays to Fridays as we put ,the tour together, so we could also be "block booking?"as some seem to think is a problem for those who do not "book early enough"
Posted on 10/01/2022 12:37 by JollyKernowMorning
I understand your and "it seems many others" perceived situation. I also understand your long term membership status. But, we are now entering a new era of the Caravan and Motorhome Club which includes a new system to book pitches (still in April by the way). If you have to cancel within the time period (not amend) the deposit will be forfeit. There will be however a dedicated channel to discuss personal circumstance if you feel you'd like that deposit back. I don't know details but I'm just letting you know.
Just for the record I look on other media including the busiest from Motorhome Fun and in my opinion the overall majority of people are all for the new deposit system not the "vocal minority" you mention.
JK
Posted on 10/01/2022 13:16 by SteveLBlock booking is such an emotive term. Surely if 50 or so folk book the weekend at a particular site, they are just bookings. Even though the weekend may show as unavailable for anyone wanting a longer stay. They are probably working in the week and fancy a weekend break.
We book 6 / 7 weekends in a row at different sites during our tours. Perhaps we are guilty of block booking.🤔
Posted on 10/01/2022 14:13
I think block booking is a valid term I'm not so sure it's much different from speculative booking when booked up to 12 months in advance, I book 2 to 3 two week holidays well in advance with the full intention of taking them and consider that a block booking, my point was that this discussion is about coming changes to the booking system and there are more reasons for lack of pitch availability than speculative bookings such as weekends being fully booked preventing full week bookings, I am not anti working people booking weekends but can see no reason for not recognising it as a pitch availability also.
Posted on 10/01/2022 13:21 by KjellNNAgree Steve. We stopped booking crossings where we could not afford to lose the fare, or were not able to cancel for a small fee, something like £20, and as we did not book sites, we just waited till we were sure we would be travelling to buy the RP insurance.
Have prices on RP not gone silly now for the over 70s? Not been abroad since 2017.
Posted on 10/01/2022 12:37 by JollyKernowMorning
I understand your and "it seems many others" perceived situation. I also understand your long term membership status. But, we are now entering a new era of the Caravan and Motorhome Club which includes a new system to book pitches (still in April by the way). If you have to cancel within the time period (not amend) the deposit will be forfeit. There will be however a dedicated channel to discuss personal circumstance if you feel you'd like that deposit back. I don't know details but I'm just letting you know.
Just for the record I look on other media including the busiest from Motorhome Fun and in my opinion the overall majority of people are all for the new deposit system not the "vocal minority" you mention.
JK
Posted on 10/01/2022 14:38
JK
If you want opinions on things, Social Media is certainly the place to look
I would just question how many of those on Motorhome Fun baying for deposits to be taken by the Club actually use Club sites at all? I have seen it on other forums as well, people who have no interest in the Club but happy to offer an opinion! On the other hand we don't know how many of the older demographic are not involved in Social Media and are perhaps more in JVB's camp of using lots of sites, and as such providing the Club with a lot of income, who could find the new T&C's quite difficult to deal with. No doubt some may even find it quite stressful. I don't know whether the Club will monitor this but if they get a greater number of long established members giving up membership, and probably the hobby, would that be considered a success for the new system, I suspect not?
David
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Posted on 10/01/2022 14:46
Whilst I have some sympathy for the CAMH Club with respect to the number of cancellations, one of the key selling points that encouraged me to sign up was the flexibility on holiday planning. This now seems to be being eroded. I'll be very keen to learn of the detailed T&C around cancellation through a change of site (rather than a total cancellation). I'd like to see the deposit credit applied to a site-change within the 3 weeks - as in my view the CAMH have not 'lost' any money by me moving from one site to another for the same nights. I also think (but have no basis for this assumption) that a significant proportion of the 25% cancellation rate is due to people changing sites rather than no-shows.
They say "it’s not just a small minority of ‘block bookers’ who are cancelling, almost half of all members who make a booking each year make at least one amendment or cancellation too" as if it is a bad thing. I don't believe it is & the 'flexibility of the offer' is a key part of selecting this organisation to provide a camping pitch for my caravan. After all they charge a £56 annual fee for something. My year is planned out now but if the cancellation charges are too steep in 2022 then I'll have to review my 2023 renewal.
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DavidKlyne
Motorhomer from Buckinghamshire