Booking ahead is unfair at some sites

I'm sorry but what has "the spirit of club membership" got to do with it?

I'm all in favour of deposits and have said, on more than one occasion that, if and when they are introduced, it may affect how I book sites.

I've openly admitted what I've done and wait for other members to admit the same.  And, it's only one site in one particular month.  Yes I have multiple visits to that site arranged but, apart from November 2022, when two of the three weekends I've booked will probably be cancelled, all of the other visits will take place.

We have booked several "honeypot" sites for next year,  as part of some tours that we hope to be able to do,, if there was a deposit system in place we may well have curtailed what we hope to do especially if the T&C are as draconian as a few seem to want

I don't understand why it should be curtailed unless, of course, your plans are likely to change.  If you intend to take the tour, like any other holiday, why should a deposit make a difference?

Yes it will make me think of when and where I book

It certainly would. We stopped on the C&CC Malvern site in September, for us £8 a night cheaper than the CAMC site next door. So a no brainier, as we could also book surface type.  Even for someone without age related discount where the price is very similar, paying for two nights up front would count against the likelihood of booking with this club. In September that would have cost £50 as against a £25 deposit with the C&CC.

If they want to drive members away who tour, often only stopping for two nights, it’s as good a way of doing it as any.

I have booked three separate UK CAMC sites for the months of May, June and July in 2022, just in case there are circumstances that may stop me from taking the caravan into mainland Europe during that period. Before the pandemic it wasn't thought necessary but I'm playing safe and within the terms at the moment.

If things go as planned then I'll cancel the CAMC sites, if a small deposit was asked for then I would still pay it and be prepared to lose it. 

And that's a choice we all have. When there are two sites close to each other, both broadly similar in quality, it's a no brainer to choose the cheaper one, particularly where you can choose the pitch type. However, the size of deposit wouldn't be a factor if I wanted to visit a particular site or area where there wasn't a choice of sites.

I can't see that members would be driven away if they had to pay the pitch fees in full or pay a sizeable deposit, unless it's because they drive a motorhome rather than a caravan.  I suppose members with motorhomes are more likely to change their plans or itinerary than someone with a caravan.

We don't tour.  Our two week break in the summer will only be spent on two sites at the most, More usually, we set down roots for the whole time.

Deposits also spread the costs of the holiday or break.  I really don't see what the aversion to deposits is.

Nellie, what usually happens is 'compromise'...it's unlikely that (in any situation) an off the shelf system will do everything exactly as a business requires.

after all, They're coming from a position of years of bespoke system tailoring...

So, some current functionality might need to be dropped or changed to work in a different way, with conversions to move from old to new..again, all std decision making for the top brass to balance the perceived robustness and simplicity of support of the new system, against the current reasons for considering changing....difficulty of support, creaking older system, loss of in house expertise, risk to the business etc, etc...

a company like TUI (or any major cruise/holiday type company) will be booking, cancelling, amending orders for customers who have bought a pitch (cabin, hotel room, plane seat etc)....it's not that different....

packages from companies like SAP have been underpinning many diverse businesses who all are 'unique' (have USP) but buy, sell, deliver products, run accounts etc like all businesses do....

It might be within the rules but is it within the 'spirit' of club membership?

Tend to agree, it’s the equivalent of towels on sun loungers. Just because folks are honest about it doesn’t make it any less selfish.

Members seem to think this is their club and run for them. it isn't. It's in business to make a profit and, whilst that profit isn't paid to highly paid executives or to shareholders, it needs to be run as a business.

Having written that mbee, I’m not sure why your so set on deposits. Is the club likely to sell any more pitches than they do now, or even before the pandemic. If they are so hard nosed, why should they worry about speculative booking, as long as they sell the pitches in the end. I personally don’t think they are loosing very much due to no shows / late cancellations, even when the weather is poor.

The Club already operates its Experience Freedom network via payment up front, certainly for the more expensive accommodation. I haven’t checked out what refunds, cancellation charges might operate, but suspect they advise taking out holiday insurance.

(Cant believe that we can be mentioning “holiday insurance” etc... to pitch up somewhere in UK for a few nights away. World’s gone mad🤪)