Silly site prices. Off season and peak season

Not Mike replied on 28/02/2019 02:08

Posted on 28/02/2019 02:08

I have looked at the latest handbook to book a site.  Prices are not clear ... There is no guidance, as there was in the past, as to off season / peak season pricing.  Is all pricing now charged at peak season rates? Go online .. No mention of differential prices as you book.

So the only way I can find how much a site will cost is to go through the booking process, then I will get a price, then I can decide if I can afford it or not.

for Example

I looked at the Bladon Chains site ... Page 149. A bargain at "from £7.90 a night, for one adult and pitch.  It's open from 01 March.  I decided to book from 01 March ... Surely this is must be low season, my experience tells me that this is the case. But I wanted too  book two adults, so I wonder how much this will cost??  Perhaps, at the very most, my wildest guess, at the most 2 X £7.90.  Perhaps £16 a night.  No it can't be that much ... The site has only just opened, so it must be off season.  Proceed to book it  £179.20 for 8 nights. £22.40 a night for 2 people!! There is no breakdown of the pricing on the email confirmation.

In the wildest imagination of consumer rip offs, "I could not believe it"!  How can you get from £7.90 to £22.40 by adding one person.  How do I find when I can go by myself for £7.90?

This seems to me the most opaque pricing structure you could possibly get.  I thought transparency was the new watch-word in consumer relations!

I booked, but will be chasing this up to find out WHY., The silly price declaration. (Would it have been cheaper to book 2 pitches with one person on each?). I don't expect I will get a sensible answer over the phone tomorrow.... But I have given the 'powers that be' a chance to formulate a response, in advance.

Watch this space!

Pathfinder replied on 02/03/2019 17:47

Posted on 02/03/2019 17:47

I for one have advocated for some time now for more site with just basic facilities, but in my opinion the 'club' will not follow that through as the powers that be just want to grab every penny they can out of us 

replied on 02/03/2019 17:50

Posted on 02/03/2019 17:20 by cyberyacht

Given that many make a big thing of capacious end bathrooms in their vans and much of the accolades to club sites are regarding the loo block facilities, I am somewhat puzzled that either (a) there are paying for van facilities that aren't used or (b) paying for site facilities that they don't use. If it is the latter, then most certainly we are being charged over the odds for a rectangle of gravel/grass.

Posted on 02/03/2019 17:50

Far too simplistic CY. Our end bathroom has a large shower two wardrobes and it is far from essential. We do use non-facility sites if they happen to be where we want to be for part of our trip. 

Why do we have a large end bathroom then? SImple we want a side dinette, we want to long and wide front bunks to use as singles and we also want sprung seating. 

Hence our choice of van

replied on 02/03/2019 18:10

Posted on 02/03/2019 17:47 by Pathfinder

I for one have advocated for some time now for more site with just basic facilities, but in my opinion the 'club' will not follow that through as the powers that be just want to grab every penny they can out of us 

Posted on 02/03/2019 18:10

I think that the real reason is that many members do not want to use their own facilities and particularly for number twos smile

replied on 02/03/2019 18:17

Posted on 02/03/2019 17:20 by cyberyacht

Given that many make a big thing of capacious end bathrooms in their vans and much of the accolades to club sites are regarding the loo block facilities, I am somewhat puzzled that either (a) there are paying for van facilities that aren't used or (b) paying for site facilities that they don't use. If it is the latter, then most certainly we are being charged over the odds for a rectangle of gravel/grass.

Posted on 02/03/2019 18:17

The user and all related content has been Deleted User

nelliethehooker replied on 02/03/2019 18:39

Posted on 02/03/2019 17:50 by

Far too simplistic CY. Our end bathroom has a large shower two wardrobes and it is far from essential. We do use non-facility sites if they happen to be where we want to be for part of our trip. 

Why do we have a large end bathroom then? SImple we want a side dinette, we want to long and wide front bunks to use as singles and we also want sprung seating. 

Hence our choice of van

Posted on 02/03/2019 18:39

We're very similar, although for us a large end bathroom is essential as we seldom use sites with toilet/shower facilities as we generally stay on CL's and non-facility club sites. We too like the side diskette and the two wardrobes.

Tinwheeler replied on 02/03/2019 18:40

Posted on 02/03/2019 17:47 by Pathfinder

I for one have advocated for some time now for more site with just basic facilities, but in my opinion the 'club' will not follow that through as the powers that be just want to grab every penny they can out of us 

Posted on 02/03/2019 18:40

I’m with you, PF. Those sites are great.

The difference to the OP's suggestion is that MHs and cvans alike can all use them.

replied on 02/03/2019 19:02

Posted on 02/03/2019 18:39 by nelliethehooker

We're very similar, although for us a large end bathroom is essential as we seldom use sites with toilet/shower facilities as we generally stay on CL's and non-facility club sites. We too like the side diskette and the two wardrobes.

Posted on 02/03/2019 19:02

We too like the side diskette 

Does yours play DVDs and CDs. laughing

replied on 02/03/2019 19:05

Posted on 02/03/2019 18:40 by Tinwheeler

I’m with you, PF. Those sites are great.

The difference to the OP's suggestion is that MHs and cvans alike can all use them.

Posted on 02/03/2019 19:05

Saturday 16th April 2017. A very large motorhome with all facilities pulls onto Hebden Bridge. The young couple had not realised that there were no toilets and could not possibly use their own facilities for the night and so at 7.30 (sunset) they pulled off to find another site.

nelliethehooker replied on 02/03/2019 19:07

Posted on 02/03/2019 19:02 by

We too like the side diskette 

Does yours play DVDs and CDs. laughing

Posted on 02/03/2019 19:07

Bl##dy predictive text !!! I'm using a small kindle at the moment for writing my posts and it seems to have a mind of it's own.

As you might have guessed it was supposed to say dinette.

Burgundy replied on 03/03/2019 11:38

Posted on 03/03/2019 11:38

Back to OP.

We looked at Bladon Chains to meet up with friends at Easter.

From £7.90 seemed a reasonable price.

The dates we wanted turned out to be £29. Quite a difference.

Even the non electric economy pitch would be £19.10

As there is only one of these pitches availablity is very limited at £7.90

Looking at the prices on the web site the cheapest price band for non electric pitch is £6.50 per person £1.50 pitch = £8.00. And this is only for the last three nights of the season.

A bit like package holidays to Spain from £99 and when you go to book they have all been sold!

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