Posted on 06/11/2021 09:02
Hi everyone,
Not sure if it’s just me but since starting caravan life I have found one site which is busy most of the time and this site is chatsworth park. What is frustrating is you can book space here well in advance but noticed that people release their booked space indicating that they only booked in case they want to go. Maybe a small deposit would stop the crazy booking system.
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Posted on 09/11/2021 11:31 by mbee1We don't tour but would have thought that, particularly in the summer, tours would be planned in advance to ensure there was a pitch available in a particular area?
Posted on 09/11/2021 11:32 by MichaelTNot turning up doesn't help anyone. In most cases cancelling at 72 hours doesn't help many people particularly if they're touring.
If I am touring I look on the day for a site/pitch so 72 hours is fine and I am sue many others will find the same but we have a MH so more flexible I guess and most caravans do not tour speculatively?
To any club or site a deposit retained is better than an unsold pitch. Common business sense to me but then, I'm in business and perhaps know what I'm talking about.
Being in business you must know what a USP is then, if not look at Dragons Den!! Gaining say £25 for an unused pitch is fine but getting £40 or £50 is much better I would say but that's common business sense. If a person is going to lose a deposit whatever there is no incentive to cancel is there so at least with the present system someone not going to take up their booking can easily cancel so it is available for others.
Posted on 09/11/2021 11:43
I am trying to think back to what DG said at AGM, but I don’t think that it was mentioned that no shows were an issue, more that deposits might make bookings fairer for more people. It is giving up on a much loved USP though, and we have always picked up lots of cancelled pitches either on day of setting off, or adding to a stay when somewhere like YRP. Can’t recall ever seeing YRP not almost fully booked, other than when a few pitches were out of use for maintenance work.
All that’s going to happen is that there will be a monthly scramble a year ahead for certain Sites, at certain times of year, and those unable, or unwilling are still going to be at the back of the queue for those Sites unless they can sort something out. Deposits won’t solve this. Nor will putting a cancellation deadline of a month in place. Folks booking their Summer holiday won’t think “oh I didn’t get my booking in July 2022, and I will wait to see if a cancellation comes up in June 2022”, they will have sorted something else out months before this, either elsewhere, or with another business.🤷♀️
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Posted on 09/11/2021 11:39 by mbee1Bu that's my argument - 72 hours is useless for most people!
Lack of deposits may be a USP but to have six unsold pitches on two nights at Chatsworth in half term is bad business.
Posted on 09/11/2021 11:43
But you as I posted do not know the reason. 
And I would have thought if some one at half term wanted Chatsworth but as it showed full when looking, ,so maybe took another site as second choice
Common sense would prevail and if pitches became available at short notice would have canceled the other site and snapped them up
Posted on 09/11/2021 11:43 by JVB66But you as I posted do not know the reason.
Posted on 09/11/2021 11:46 by mbee1I don't know the reason the pitches were empty but that isn't the point. Had those pitches had a £25 deposit the Club would have had £150. As it was they had nothing.
Chatsworth is an expensive site so I'd be in favour of a higher deposit.
Posted on 09/11/2021 10:47 by mbee1Even if the site was fully booked, and assuming it was a CAMC site, I can't see why you couldn't have moved the following morning. The club doesn't allocate pitches so that was odd from the Warden.
Posted on 09/11/2021 11:59
I think you might just be looking at things from a caravanners view point mbee (nothing wrong with that at all by the way😁), but generally, those with MH’s, campervans might just be a tad more spontaneous in their choices, tend to stay on one Site for a shorter period, and are happier booking a stay later, if they book at all. Some of course, will do things differently, I accept that.
When we used caravan, I would book our stay a year in advance (a very popular CL, tweaking the dates ASAP to suit work). We seldom book anything more than a few weeks, more usually a few days ahead with MH, so I can fully understand what MichaelT is saying. A lot of cancelled pitches are picked up by those properly touring around, or adding onto somewhere they might just have rolled into. We do this regularly, always ask for any cancellations that might come up at YRP, to add on another night or two.
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Posted on 09/11/2021 11:24 by mbee1Not turning up doesn't help anyone. In most cases cancelling at 72 hours doesn't help many people particularly if they're touring. it really only helps the retired members who might have a look at the website, see a pitch has become available and decide to go. Certainly doesn't help working people who may have to plan leave in advance.
Change that to 30 days may help lots more members and bringing in deposits to stop speculative bookers.
To any club or site a deposit retained is better than an unsold pitch. Common business sense to me but then, I'm in business and perhaps know what I'm talking about.
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