No Shows

It wasn't complicated. The point is that the club is receiving income from Cl's, both directly as CL owners are obliged to pay membership fees, and indirectly as many members are only members because of CL's. The club would not survive without CL's, but doesn't seem to value and support them. 

I'm always surprised to read posts about CLs not making money for CAMC, they are a valuable part of the"club" don't forget some provide rally fields too. Main site users are sometimes blissfully unaware of the various branches on the tree.

No shows lose CL owners money, the same happens on main sites too (until deposits happen.) However individual CL owners have to make their own financial decisions and those that band together to help each other probably have a better success rate.

Spot on Brue. If your CL usage is very limited, then some of the reasons why they are so valued and loved by others may not be readily apparent. We wouldn’t be Members now if it wasn’t for the CL network, and I think that might explain obberknockle’s post. Their value to the Club is vast, regardless of the fee to join that some CL owners pay. Note I say some. Owners who who provided CLs for decades don’t appear to have to take out Membership as far as I know.

It wouldn’t hurt the Club to send an email to a Member who does a no show at a CL. But the CL would need to provide Membership number and proof of booking. Best to take a deposit from any new Member visiting. 

We are just back from a lovely CL. As laid back as they come, but I would hate for them to have a no show, as it spoils things for anyone who couldn’t get in.

We wouldn’t be Members now if it wasn’t for the CL network, 

Neither would we ttda; we do use main sites but only between about November and March, during the other months much prefer CLs, which are quieter and most have more space.

The owner of the CL we've just stayed on told us that 3 people have cancelled from this weekend onwards into next week, she should have been full.  She suspects it's due to the weather changing (Wales - lots of rain forecast).  Not quite as bad as no shows, but at such short notice there isn't much chance of those pitches being booked at this stage.  She does charge a deposit, but only 1 night's worth, and is now thinking of increasing the deposit.

Very annoying for her InaD, and I don’t blame her at all for increasing deposits. We have a good relationship with the owners of CLs we use a lot. They are very fair with us, we don’t usually pay a deposit, but wouldn’t moan if we had to do so. We usually book very late anyway, night before the off, so we are always fully committed barring an emergency.

It’s still not easy getting a CL pitch, Sites are very busy in certain areas. We were going to try a new one this time out, but I couldn’t book it in advance as OH is waiting for a hospital date, so it was full. But we returned to an old favourite, much to our surprise pitches available, and it was a lovely stay.

We use CLs and ex CLs virtually all the time now.

We generally find that on our first visit to a CL they ask for a deposit. However after that when we book they generally don’t want a deposit as they feel they know us. 
As for no shows well that happens in all walks of life. We do find that like the hospital, dentist doctors etc, we get a text on the day before arrival to confirm that we are coming. Thus the sites we use very rarely get no shows!

The ex CLs we use are all large fields,  have all increased capacity from 5 to 10 or 12 units. No overcrowding at all. Only left the network  as the CMC would not let them increase in size or split the field into two CLs.

On one ex CL they were told they could split into two CLs, as long as an earth bank was built between the two proposed CLs so they could not see each other. Hence they are now ex.

I think you’ll find those stipulations are made by Govt regulation, PR1. It’s not within the scope of the club to vary them.

Why have two CLs PR1?  We have stayed on lots of Sites that comprise a 5 pitch CL, and then planning permission has been granted for a small private Site adjacent. The Club can come along and inspect the little 5 pitch area, but has sweet sod all to do with the private area.  I suspect we have probably stayed on a good couple of dozen sites like this down the years, so it’s not uncommon. We do know of a couple who have asked to have another 5 pitch area with the Club, separate, but the Club as you say have said no, and they have pulled off the network totally, gone it alone. And thriving I might add.

Now we no longer go abroad the only reason we stay members of the club is for the CL access and I imagine there are other members like us so the club do get some revenue from having Cls.

Incidentally we have just stayed on a site in the Lake District where a week before our arrival date we could only book for six days as she was full on the seventh. The day we left there were three empty pitches and no one expected in. She said that in May she had 30 no shows, not cancellations but just people who didn't turn up.