C&CC getting on my nerves

We sometimes end up paying £25 for the 2 of us, awning, 3 dogs and EHU but it has to be a rather special Site and certainly would not consider staying more than 2 nights. It was a definite no-go when we had the caravan as on average we would stay 5 nights in one place and so £23 + just became silly money.  It's not that our pocket can not afford it but we do like value for money!  Generally we prefer the CL/CS sites as there are less distractions for the dogs to bark at, we don't need wash/loo facilities [so why pay for them] and they are often in much more interesting places. We love to watch wild life and we do like a view, other than the side of another Unit!
Each to their own though

Gromit wrote:From Paul's post . . .

"A grass pitch with Electric hook-up Pitch supplement : £12.00"

This seems to suggest a supplement of £12 per night for electricity, since one would assume that a grass pitch was the most basic, and therefore the cheapest.

So is a grass pitch £12 cheaper without electricity??

Does anyone know - 'cos they won't be getting a renewal from me if that's the game they are playing. £12 worth of gas would last all season!!!

Dave

Electric is charged at £4.00 per night - the figure quoted was for the 3 nights I pretended to want to book.

£4 per night is still illegal as I understand it - under EU rules!!!!! Unless they can prove that you have used £4 worth of electricity (which is highly unlikely in the summer months) they have sold on at a profit, which is the illegal bit.

"I might be wrong. But I think in the UK it is unlawful to sell electricity through a meter at a higher rate than it costs the provider - ie the site owner. I believe that is why site fees normally include electricity and it makes no difference whether you use lots or none.

The maximum resale price is the most that anyone can charge for re-supplying gas or electricity which has already been bought from an authorised supplier. It is set by the Utility Regulator.
Anyone who charges more than the maximum resale price may face civil proceedings for the recovery of the amount overcharged, and may be required to pay interest on the amount overcharged.
From 6th September 2007 the maximum price at which gas or electricity may be resold is the same price as that paid by the person who is reselling it ("the reseller"), including any standing charges."

Source - http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=4&TopicID=307982

Dave

I was in the Caravan Club for quite a few years.  The only reason we used the sites was for the (usually) impeccable facilities.

Went to Cambridge in February this year, nice little break but only stayed one night (turned out to be fortuitous as the next 10 days I was hospitalised for which I can't blame the club!).

There was a notice on the washroom building that there was work being carried out at 10:30 the next morning.  That was (for us) an early start, but off we went to shower at 10am only to find that the work started at 9:30!

The warden, when challenged, said that the "10:30" notice was the only one that they had!

I left the club this year.

Just because of that Steve??

One isolated incident wouldn't put you off, would it? There must be more to it????

Dave

Gromit wrote:From Paul's post . . .

"A grass pitch with Electric hook-up Pitch supplement : £12.00"

This seems to suggest a supplement of £12 per night for electricity, since one would assume that a grass pitch was the most basic, and therefore the cheapest.

So is a grass pitch £12 cheaper without electricity??

Does anyone know - 'cos they won't be getting a renewal from me if that's the game they are playing. £12 worth of gas would last all season!!!

Dave

I queried this once about someone being on a pitch in a camper van and not wanting electricity. I was told you still have to pay because it's  there, even if you don't use it, you're still using an electric pitch.


Nora 

Gromit wrote:£4 per night is still illegal as I understand it - under EU rules!!!!! Unless they can prove that you have used £4 worth of electricity (which is highly unlikely in the summer months) they have sold on at a profit, which is the illegal bit.

"I might be wrong. But I think in the UK it is unlawful to sell electricity through a meter at a higher rate than it costs the provider - ie the site owner. I believe that is why site fees normally include electricity and it makes no difference whether you use lots or none.

The maximum resale price is the most that anyone can charge for re-supplying gas or electricity which has already been bought from an authorised supplier. It is set by the Utility Regulator.
Anyone who charges more than the maximum resale price may face civil proceedings for the recovery of the amount overcharged, and may be required to pay interest on the amount overcharged.
From 6th September 2007 the maximum price at which gas or electricity may be resold is the same price as that paid by the person who is reselling it ("the reseller"), including any standing charges."

Source - http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=4&TopicID=307982

Dave

They get away with it by calling it a 'service pitch', what you actually get besides electric is anyone's guess.

Gromit wrote:Just because of that Steve??

One isolated incident wouldn't put you off, would it? There must be more to it????

Dave

The proverbial straw.

Main reason for me is the cost of their sites 
and the fact that it is no longer an organisation run for the benefit of the members.

I'd rather support a decently run commercial site, preferably one which caters for their customers rather than some committee.

I know what you mean Steve.

I suppose that on the one hand, if they didn't make a healthy profit they would cease to exist, and that would hurt a lot of us.

On the other hand however, when does the pricing become a rip off? Electricity is certainly one candidate.

I would be a lot happier if they were not so hypocritical. They claim to want member opinion, but only if it suits their agenda.

We have personal experience of being summarily dismissed by a very senior member of the CC Executive, who buttonholed us at the Knaresborough site and asked if we had any comments. All went swimmingly while we praised the Club, but as soon as we dared to criticise their policy on no-showers, asking if they couldn't be a bit more draconian now they have computers to monitor and log activity, he turned abruptly and began to walk away, saying he could see no problem.

I saw red and asked if he was always that rude when someone made a comment he didn't like. No response - just walked away again.

If he's typical, I'm not surprised the Club is no longer a members' club. (Better not mention his name, but it could be mistaken for that of a character in "Open All Hours".)

Dave

Just an update, SWMBO says that we paid £28 per night for the Riverside site in Stratford, but reminded me that it's neither CC or C&CC.

Before anyone says 'more fool you', yes, you're right.

I used club sites twice in the last twelve months. And only then as I was a member. 

I have a sudden feeling of freedom now!

boxerman wrote:

gemdeco wrote:Hi
   something positive,we have just joined and with over 55 discount the site prices are better than the Cavavan Club,

Yes! but both are still expensive compared to commercial sites, when you consider its supposed to be a club. Don't forget to add your membership fee when working out how much it costs.

Frank

Don't know about CC but C&CC age discount is not 55 (otherwise I'd qualify which I don't yet), it's 60.

It was 55 until two or three years ago. The CC don't give a discount. 

Nora

Traficlady wrote:It was 55 until two or three years ago. The CC don't give a discount. 

Nora

That's correct - and those who already qualified but hadn't reached 60 kept the entitlement.

Roger

They did, surprisingly! 

Nora

C&CC magazine August --- page 11

£150 for 4 x nights camping.  At least they have a sense of humour 

mikeyval wrote:C&CC magazine August --- page 11

£150 for 4 x nights camping.  At least they have a sense of humour 

They will need a sense of humour quoting those prices

Amazingly they probably have a good bank balance too!!

I've been a member of C&CC for 5 years now, but never visited one of their sites, or a CC site come to that. Yes, I hear they have very nice facilities, but so does my van, so I see no need. As I mentioned somewhere else, I only joined for the list of CS's. But as I'm joining Britstops next year I see no need to continue membership. I've stopped the DD today.
Al.

mikeyval wrote:C&CC magazine August --- page 11

£150 for 4 x nights camping.  At least they have a sense of humour 

I don't usually defend the C&CC but that is not a club site. It is at the Country file show with access to the show, 600 stalls etc etc. with food demos tastings etc. It's on a par with CC pitches at the NEC show.

Let's be clear. No part of my post said it was a C&CC site, the only reference being that it was on page 11 of current magazine.

Sense of humour remark derived from the fact they published it, no doubt for a hefty fee paid for by people like us via the BBC television licence income (Country File).

Club site / Commercial site / Show site it matters not. £150 For 4 x nights camping, by any standard is very expensive.

On the subject of electric hook up costs and being illegal or not, I think I am right in recalling I read some place that the cost includes upkeep/installation of the supply!

Sounds like all the other service industry excuses, ie. line rental etc.

We could also start a thread on site WiFi charges, but that might open a can of worms.

Been looking to book pitches on both c&cc and cc sites, as a member of both, it seems to me paying £30+ a night is getting a bit excessive, and it will probably keep going up, but as most of the pitches are booked up on most sites, they have no need to worry!

I joined the CC like bikeralw for the CL's, rarely use the sites as just too expensive now and the alternatives are growing! Only decent thing about CC is if you shop at Sainsburys you can get 4% discount.....I get back much more than the annual fee but if they stopped that probably wouldn't bother!

We didn't know about the 4% at Sainsburys...do you just show your membership card?  

What is the average folks pay for a Site these days? [couple, 3 dogs, awning, EHU]
Wifi does not bother us as we have MIFI and we have found Site Wifi can be a rip off as often you can not get on it in the morning/evening when everyone is using it anyway.