CL Booking problem

What’s to say really? It’s up to the CL owner to run the site to their own T&Cs but you should have been made fully aware at the point of booking.

I suggest you name the site to alert other potential users.

 

Plenty of CLs now wanting deposits, which whilst I would rather not, I understand. I have had a couple who want full amount a few days beforehand, never 5 weeks beforehand. As TW says the T & C should have been made clear when you first enquired about possible dates. Hope you will find another site, I know Anglesey is expensive.

Millie, CLs are run independently to the Club in the way of booking terms and conditions. Each will have their own set up regarding pricing, any deposits, if you have to pay up front, or on arrival. Also method of payment. Some CLs are notoriously late in changing what it says on their Website page, and sometimes things might not be as expected. All you can do is decide what is right for you, and if you want to commit to what is being charged and how it is collected. If the CL says payment up front 5 weeks before arrival, then that’s what you commit to unless it doesn’t suit, and then you walk away. It’s always best to get the full details around payment before you give any money.

For what it’s worth, if it was a CL I hadn’t been to before, then I wouldn’t be paying in advance, unless the reviews were excellent, and I had friends who might have stayed before. I can understand CLs wanting deposits and in some cases up front payments, possibly because they have been badly let down by Members previously. I do think if this is the case though, it needs a clear description of T&Cs, at the time of booking. 5 weeks in advance does seem excessive, I’d be walking away.

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I am also not keen on paying upfront for campsites but unfortunately it is the usual MO for most commercial sites. Losing £230 is a much bigger deal for a CL than it is for a large site and perhaps its a case of once bitten twice shy? On the CL Group Facebook pages CL's are always advertising availability due to late cancellations. Perhaps the problem for this CL is that the deposit charged was so low it was abused with people being willing to forego such a small down payment. Having said that you would have thought that it might be more reasonable to increase the size of the deposit rather than moving to full payment but we don't know what has prompted the move.

David

Fasten your purse Millie, and put it back in your bag.

There are over 100 campsites on Anglesey and I’m sure you can sort out a place to stay the day before you set off  -  when you know you are fit and well enough to travel - and when the weather forecast looks good.   

Best wishes. 

I suspect you’ve identified exactly the reason CL owners request either a meaningful deposit or full payment in advance, WTG. 

I think having cancellation insurance for campsite stays is probably unrealistic, unless the site offers it themselves in some manner.

As an example, one of the big commercial holiday park operators offers insurance covering illness for £10 per booking.

I did look into getting some sort of annual cover,  but for someone of advanced years the cost was high and the excess high, so we just avoid sites that want full payment too far ahead.

CLs have changed a lot WTG in the last few years. There’s a lot of investment goes into some, lots more overheads, lots more trying to get back on investment, so deposits and payments up front are a bit more prevalent, and possibly need to be in some instances if folks book then cancel at short notice. With only 5 pitches to let, that’s a lot of money to lose if someone cancels at short notice. 
That said, there are still a lot of CLs out there where it’s done on trust, and that is down to the owners of course. We used a CL in Cornwall for a decade or so, often for five or six trips per year. We used to send money down periodically so that we had everything paid for by the time we arrived. We trusted the CL, they trusted us. We couldn’t make it one week (Dad taken very ill, we had to turn back.) I contacted the CL and said we didn’t want the money back, but next time, they gave us credit for the nights they had been able to re book.couldn’t ask for fairer than that. Must be so annoying though on a busy popular CL if someone cancels at very short notice. It does happen. 

We tend to book late nowadays, often day before. Usually no deposits required. We have never used insurance, except when I took Mum and Dad away in cottages.

Thanks all for your replies.  I have just booked a site practically next door to the problem site, with the same view of the bay.  A couple of pounds a night more and no water on pitch, but no deposit required and pay when you get there!  Now to see if I get my £10 deposit back.