No News Yet on the New Booking System

Dynamic pricing works both ways. If you have a commodity for sale, let’s say a pitch, and it’s still vacant on the day of sale, then discounting it might encourage someone to take it up. That pitch can never be sold again, for that date, so by discounting it, encouraging someone to take it up at a much reduced price, then the Club would get something for the pitch, rather than nothing.

Never use airlines, so cannot comment. But I do use very nice pubs for stop overs, and have walked into a few at 5pm to see if they have a room available, and if so, at what price. If the answer isn’t good enough, I walk away, then go back at 7pm and ask again. Never failed yet to get a good discount, and a room. We usually agree to eat in the pub as well, so it’s a win win. The pub gets something, we get something, both are happy. Best deal so far was at a very very nice pub in Fowey. They wanted £150 a night, I suggested £75 and eat in. I even persuaded them to do the same deal if we stayed another night. You need lots of bottle, a polite negotiating style, and a plan B. I had a work colleague who negotiated on cottages, only done that if it was a big cottage but we only wanted one bedroom. 

If Club offered heavily discounted on the day pitches, we might use a Club Site for the odd night. But they don’t, so we use CLs. It’s a marketing ploy they are missing out on.🤷‍♀️ Won’t work at busy times,,or on busy Sites of course, but at certain times......better any fee for a pitch than lose a fee.

Although you might TDA I can’t see very many folk,  towing a caravan, ringing up / going online at 5pm then 7pm to try and get a slightly better deal. Perhaps the odd one with a MH. However, not for us and most others I suspect. I’m not sure even making it earlier in the day would make much difference. Perhaps they could offer them to those already onsite, temp them to an extra day.

The user and all related content has been Deleted User

In theory that may be the case but I defy you to find examples of prices going down near departure time.....    I do have some experience on that score.    For customers it was far preferable with the old system before dynamic pricing where prices went down to fill seats at the last minute.  The airlines (and ferry companies) seem to think now if you book last minute you will pay whatever they ask to make sure you get transport.....

 

Sorry OG&S, you are asking wrong person here. Last time I was on a plane was 1983😂 As for a ferry, other than CalMac ones, only ferry I have ever been on was a Greek one! I think it sank a few years later😱

I know what you mean, but that is dynamic pricing for transportation, works cheaper early, dearer on the day. Accommodation often works the other way, or has a different set of T&Cs, such as cheap price is fixed date, whereas pay more and you can alter/amend. Transport will go usually, no matter how many on board. Accommodation has to be taken up or the opportunity is lost forever. It’s why last minute cottages, hotels etc....do late availability deals cheaper. Every year (pre Covid) we would hoover up last minute cottage stays very late, as we are luckily in the position of being able to go at very short notice when they are often heavily discounted. For a cottage owner, the very worst scenario is an empty cottage. 

Covid of course has skewed things badly. The desperate will pay almost anything, hence all the thousand pound prices to get somewhere in Cornwall last Summer. 

The user and all related content has been Deleted User

Ive certainly seen variations for Club ferry prices...for different periods (supply and demand) but also if hesitant and time moves on...leaving ferry booking late is likely to see a price rise...but, as said, this is transport not accommodation.

I do see pitch type selection coming (hopefully without the ensuing 'member confusion') along with any price differential but not sure about dynamic pricing, a step too far...

similarly with deposits, there's a whole raft of system elements that need to be thought through and this is not CC's forte....

we wait....as ever.

I may have missed something in this long thread, but reference is made to "going elsewhere if deposits are brought in". What seems not to be mentioned is that on "most" commercial sites, a deposit has to be paid on booking, followed by the full cost of the booking often a month in advance. I have no problem with deposits, and accept that I may lose it if I have to cancel - but the possibility losing the full amount of a booking for say 14 nights is a major factor in deciding on making a commercial site booking. This also is often the case on CL's - certainly the ones I have used.

If the C&MC bring in a non returnable deposit of circa £50 then that is fine with me, as long as the the full price payable on arrival is retained. With all the uncertainties surrounding Covid, paying the full price in advance is a big gamble. OK, UK travel insurance is available but for the "more mature" members it is very expensive to obtain cancellation cover for covid related issues.

After all, the C&MC is a commercial business run for the benefit of its shareholders not its members. Late cancellation may deny the business the expected income from that pitch, and the deposit at least then covers the admin costs.

Pitch selection would help - maybe if more non serviced standard hard standings were available that would leave the full service pitches for those that actually use the water and grey waste connections.

Paul

One major misunderstanding you seem to have by your post   that being there are no Shareholders of the caravan club,   it is a members organisation  run on commercial lines 

 

Rowena.  Thank you for keeping us informed that HO is aware of what is discussed on CT. Interesting to know.  

I realise CAMC has to run a viable operation but sometimes it may at times be prudent if it could find another way to consult the whole membership occasionally and not rely on the forum, social media, AGM’s, focus groups etc.

Just my thoughts