It's not an excuse, but most flying clubs are run on a financial shoestring and every part of their operations suffers from lack of investment.
As users, we are, of course to blame. We always seek out the cheapest hourly rate, so it's either run the club cheaply or don't run it at all. Every aspect, including flight safety is affected.
One admittedly crude, rule of thumb is to look at the funiture in the clubhouse. If it consists of the owner's old living room sofa and some second hand armchairs, it is likely that the state of the aircraft will not be much better!
