Always wondered this. Just been on a lovely site, but they charged an extra £2 per night for an awning... and looking around, this is fairly common.
I could understand if I was putting extra people in there to sleep, but we weren't... and the pitch size is the same whether you put an awning up or not...
Also wondered why some sites charge extra for dogs... ours in particular don't tend to use the hot water or dish washing facility... They try and wash the dishes themselves... :-(
some awnings damage the grass and dogs need a dog walk & bins but these sites are commercial enterprises simply finding ways to "add value" i.e. charge more. Who can blame them if charges are reasonable.
We have choices - if you don't want to pay go somewhere else or don't take a dog or awning.
G'day JaxG, Can't comment about awning charges, It's down to site policy I suppose. But I can tell you why some sites charge for dogs. They might not use the wash-ups and they certainly don't use the loo's, but they do GO somewhere and it has to be picked up and placed in a bin. As retired wardens, we had to empty the bins and replace the black bags. On a hot summers day, whatever the site charged, it was never quite enough. Pheew!!
Some sites charge an all-in price, some don't, shop around if it gets too dear. We rarely use an awning and have never paid for our Fiamma caravanstore.
There is no standard pricing structure for sites. A site will need to make £x in order to make it viable - how they do it may sometimes appear a little odd, but they are aware of their market and what people are prepared to pay.
Most would probably agree that the charge for one person in a small ridge tent should be less than a large double axle caravan with 6 adults. After that, it's largely a matter of what the site thinks is fair and how they can achieve maximum income. I suppose one way of looking at it is, you may be paying £2 for the awning but the realistic alternative would be an overall rise in the pitch prices of £2 for everyone. Someone in a small van and staying for a couple of nights might be put off by higher prices and therefore if the site feels that by adding £2 to all fees would decrease the number of units using the site ( and therefore their overall profit margin) then they will seek to achieve their profit margin in this or other ways.
Some sites charge extra for EHU, for hardstandings and for water hook-up (super-pitches etc), but some don't - it's what works for them.
One could argue that children ought to pay more than adults for a nights stay, if a proportion of the land they have is given over to providing a playground and equipment, therefore decreasing the amount of room they can give over to caravan/tent units staying on the site, but no doubt most would argue this is not fair and as a result would not stay.
Dogs often have facilities i.e. dog walks. If dog walks were not there then the site could argue it would have room to take more units.
Some places might charge more for tents than caravans as there is the possibility that the grass suffers more damage.
I am not saying that any one system of charging is better than another, orthat I agree with it, but in the end, the site has a profit to make and it's pricing structure is based on the best way it can achieve that, in their particular circumstances, based upon their experience.
Quote: Originally posted by millermicm on 07/6/2010
Quote "Most would probably agree that the charge for one person in a small ridge tent should be less than a large double axle caravan with 6 adults"
If the site has fixed pitch perimeters e.g. the hedged or fence variety then the cost should be the same as they get to use the same amount of space. But this isn't always the case. As I tried to point out, if it's a question of charging less for a small tent and one person or charging 'full-price' getting no-one on the pitch, then I think I'd be able to guess which a site owner would go for. A site will know the best method of reaping the cash and will need to create it's profit. If, as a consequence of charging the same, means less pitches occupied, then the result might even be that individual pitches will cost more. On the other hand, if no-one goes then the price of pitches may be reduced in order to attract others. If income is not achieved then places go out of business. Differentiating between the types/size of unit is just another way of sites achieving maximum income.
Does anyone still use ridge tents? Probably not!! I meant, very small tent - although I might still have one in our loft!
Quote: Originally posted by tlcs on 07/6/2010
I have noticed that some are now charging for gazebo's!!
...... and some sites don't allow them at all. I have some mixed feelings here, as I have seen one take off in windy weather with potential of causing damage.
money the root of all they don't charge abroad only for the emplacement so why do they do it here as mentioned about because they can and why can they do it because we pay it is nothing to do with the extra grass we cover a pitch is a pitch is a pitch the french pitches are for you to use in whatever way you wish put a tent on it for the kids and you are fine in the uk you pay madness oops forgive me my hobby horse has just escaped from the paddock
They do charge abroad, just not for awnings specifically. Look on any French campsite website & you will see a list of separate charges. pitch, adult, child, dog, car etc. If campsites just charged per pitch & that was it then 2 people+tent would be paying more so family+caravan etc could pay less & folk would still complain.
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Topic: Why do sites charge extra for awnings....
