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That is entirely my gripe, Jan, and it must happen quite a lot. As aforementioned, I expect to pay for my pitch of course and don't mind paying per person, but don't see why I should then pay for extras' (such as pup tent, as mentioned in your post).

'Tis all 'bout money. And no doubt we shall all keep on paying!

I just sent an online booking form into a local campsite...on it it said "No peripheral tents or gazebos allowed" and it had two scales of tarif for tents...up to 5mx5m footprint, and up to 8mx8m. Bigger tent is four pounds more.

Nice clear booking form, I thought. No ambiguities and no wondering if your tent will fit onto a pitch...it`s the footprint dimensions that count. I`m taking the Cadiz weekend tent which is 3mx 5.5m. so I`m a bigger tent, no arguements. I could have taken the bigger 7mx7m Vango for the same basic pitch price, but it`s my choice not to because I want the fast pitch tent.  The only surcharges are for extra adults/kids over five, a very modest £1.50.

As I said, nice clear booking form, well thought out. No nasty surprises. very precise parameters. If all booking forms were as clear about what they provide then there would be less problems. It might not suit everyone (especially these with tents bigger than 8mx8m!) but at least they`re upfront about it all and it`s up to you to decide whether you want to go there.

My tent is around 9m square and i knew when i bought it i might be charged for double pitch, i dont have problem with this as it might take up part of another pitch that could have been booked out, i then pay extra as i have 5 children, and i also pay for a kitchen tent that is always pitched between my sleeping pods (so not taking up any more space outside footprint of tent) sometimes as much as £25 a week for !!!!!

Surely if im paying for a double pitch of 20m by 10m then i shouldnt have to pay for kitchen tent?

At the end of the day it is all about money and not done out of the kindness of the owners site but the sites i prefer are the ones who are have a fixed price for pitch and then extra for over so many people and aslong as you can fit all the things you want on it with guyropes in aswell there isnt extra charges for pup tents kitchen tents ect

julesrush 

Yes Paul I think you are missing the point. There are two main "areas" of charging. 1) people,dogs etc 2) area. If you have paid for an "area" why should it make a difference if you erect two pup tents or one bigger tent? Surely if you have paid to use a pitch that should be enough?

And, yes we played the game when we had four kids we went for Haven with their pitch and up to 6 people pricing or c&cc holiday sites where anything goes. Now its just the two of us we go to sites where the basic price includes two and they add on for everything!

UKCS rallies also offer a good deal for people with kids awnings dogs etc as it is usually an inclusive price.

Quote: Originally posted by pauldelphi on 06/5/2006

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Hello,

I realy don't see the argument here, am I missing something? Like I said a while back, if you don't like the prices then don't go, is there something wrong with that? No one HAS to pay these prices, we aren't being forced to go to these sites, are we?

Paul.

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I think the issue is that it seems now more usual to charge in this way, than not, and it is quite simply a rip off. Instead of voting with our feet, it surely is something which needs to be addressed and (dare I say it) challenged.

I agree entirely with Jan, I will happily pay for what I use and, when we take a large tent with more people, I too have paid for two pitches, plus charges per head (no problem at all with that). If you then have to pay for a kitchen tent (which, after all, is not just about choice but about safety - keeping cookers well away from the tent etc), a pup tent (already paid per head for the people in it, remember) or even a gazebo (NOT flimsy one!!!), then it seem to me that campsite owners are capitalising just because they can!

I like the idea of cars being kept in separate area after unloading.  As for pricing market forces will help dictate whether campsites can continue to rip off their customers, as long as planning consent from the local councils don't help set up a monopoly situation.  We use haven quite a lot and have no trouble with their pricing.  Instead of using pup tent we use an awning with the universal annexe ( from ukcampsite) and have accomodated 7 at reasonable charge.

I think sometimes that if there was only 2 of us on a short stay, it would be handy to have a utility toilet tent.  I have been on sites where a party have multiple cars, extra tents and gazebos,windbreaks, and the whole set up reminded me of the wagon trains from old western movies.  Just as some campsites charge what they think they can get away with, some campers try to abuse the system. 

Quote: Originally posted by brian humphreys on 07/5/2006

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 I have been on sites where a party have multiple cars, extra tents and gazebos,windbreaks, and the whole set up reminded me of the wagon trains from old western movies.  Just as some campsites charge what they think they can get away with, some campers try to abuse the system. 

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But don't you think that those people would still take all the clart, regardless of whether or not they have to pay additional charges?

Quote: Originally posted by brian humphreys on 07/5/2006

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 Instead of using pup tent we use an awning with the universal annexe ( from ukcampsite) and have accomodated 7 at reasonable charge.

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I was pleasantly suprised when I booked at Hoddom Castle today and the very ncie lady put me at the end of the electric pitches to accomodate my large tent at no extra charge.

Quote: Originally posted by Liddenham on 07/5/2006

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 I But don't you think that those people would still take all the clart, regardless of whether or not they have to pay additional charges?

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Yes, some will. But some won't.

Last summer we stayed on a family-type campsite within walking distance of  a dog-friendly beach. You might have expected the site to be over-run with dogs, but there were actually very, very few there. I am quite sure that the £3.50 per night charge for dogs had a lot to do with that. And I wouldn't be surprised if the siteowners had deliberately set the 'dog charge' so high to keep down the number of mutts on site.

In other words, targetted high charges can have a deterrent effect.MT

Quote: Originally posted by Liddenham on 07/5/2006

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Instead of voting with our feet, it surely is something which needs to be addressed and (dare I say it) challenged.

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There is no more effective way of addressing and challanging an issue such as this than voting with your feet. If your campsite is half empty even at the height of the season then even the dimmest campsite owner is going to be drawing comparisions between his site and the busy one down the road.

I wouldn't say that a folding camper with awning and annexe is any bigger than any other unit plus awning.  At over £100 for three nights I would have put the cost at reasonable rather than cheap for the facilities offered.  When we go to France in the summer it does work out cheaper this way, but then we will be usingonly one bay plus one ehu. 

If booking this way abused  the campsite's system then I am sure they would change the method of charging. I feel that charging systems should take into account no. of people/vehicles/units and facilities offered.

At the end of the day you pay your money and make your choice. Personally I don't mind paying for super pitch facilities and entertainment at places like haven, but its nice to have cheaper sites for quiet weekends without kids.  Its when sites with poor(or no) facilities start trying to bump up their charges that I would avoid them like the plague.