HA/OD enquiries asking to reply directly

Post scam emails to warn other rental owners, or if you are not sure if an enquiry is genuine, put it up here and see what others think.
Bree
Posts: 69
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 9:27 pm
Location: Carvoeiro, Algarve

HA/OD enquiries asking to reply directly

Post by Bree »

I have had a few enquiries in the last few days from HA/OD all asking me to reply directly to an outlook address, they all have left spaces between the name @ & outlook so that the email address comes through, I have reported them to HA.
newtimber
Posts: 1945
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:57 pm
Location: Brighton
Contact:

Post by newtimber »

There may of course be perfectly sensible reasons for the guest to do this.

1) They think that HA will charge them a booking fee/commission and they will avoid this is they book direct.

2) They do not want to give their genuine email address to HA and find themselves inundated with spam - have you read HA's privacy policy?
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Post by Hells Bells »

I wish I could get someone to do the same.
Bree
Posts: 69
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 9:27 pm
Location: Carvoeiro, Algarve

Post by Bree »

Thanks Newtimer I hadn't thought of this, I am on subscription & my phone number is there on both sites so just curious if anybody else is getting these, obviously could be genuine, I did reply to 2 emails but not the others, they were different names but same wording. Thanks again
COYS
Posts: 795
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 1:24 pm
Location: Greek Islands

Post by COYS »

newtimber wrote:There may of course be perfectly sensible reasons for the guest to do this.

1) They think that HA will charge them a booking fee/commission and they will avoid this is they book direct.

2) They do not want to give their genuine email address to HA and find themselves inundated with spam - have you read HA's privacy policy?
Newtimber has a valid point, the amount of follow up mail for alternative properties is ridiculous & of zero benefit to you.
Of course, had these enquiries came via your own website, you would be replying directly to them anyway. Take usual precautions with any replies & I don't see a major issue.
This time next year Rodney, we'll be millionaires.
AndrewH
Posts: 1499
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 1:17 pm
Location: Kefalonia, Greece
Contact:

Post by AndrewH »

newtimber wrote:They do not want to give their genuine email address to HA and find themselves inundated with spam - have you read HA's privacy policy?
Having just read the HA 'privacy policy'. I saw this and it applies to "Travellers" (their word) as much as "Owners":

"How we use your personal data .... To provide personalised, targeted, or location-based content, services, and advertising from us and third parties"

In short the ability for themselves, and anyone else they might choose, to send spam to holidaymakers and rental owners alike, once they have obtained, in the course of their business, the required email addresses/telephone numbers to do this.

Some privacy policy :roll:
User avatar
Mouse
Posts: 7277
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 6:47 pm
Location: Balearics
Contact:

Post by Mouse »

Sorry if this is a bit of a TC but I haven't used HA or OD to book a holiday place yet.
So....are you saying that once you enquire after a property you are then sent alternative choices??
Does this happen on both sites?

Thanks for the clarification.

Mousie (pondering)
x
One martini, two martini, three martini floor!
AndrewH
Posts: 1499
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2013 1:17 pm
Location: Kefalonia, Greece
Contact:

Post by AndrewH »

Mouse wrote:Sorry if this is a bit of a TC but I haven't used HA or OD to book a holiday place yet.
So....are you saying that once you enquire after a property you are then sent alternative choices??
Does this happen on both sites?

Thanks for the clarification.

Mousie (pondering)
x
Yes, Mousie. I made a test enquiry some months ago, using OH's name and email address. She now gets a general spam message from HA at least once a week, covering all or many properties, with a caption like "How about Spain this autumn?" or words like that covering locations, types of holiday, etc.

They come from HA, although the test enquiry was through OD. OD specifically haven't sent any.
e-richard
Posts: 5008
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:33 am
Location: Algarve, Portugal
Contact:

Post by e-richard »

AndrewH wrote:
HomeAway wrote: "How we use your personal data .... To provide personalised, targeted, or location-based content, services, and advertising from us and third parties"
So, if I read that correctly you have neither opted in voluntarily, nor is there any (obvious) opportunity to opt out.

IANAL, but I think this is either not legal or certainly breaks every code of conduct that I have come across.

Thanks for digging it up Andrew, but, I bet its been like that for eons :cry:
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

e-richard wrote:
AndrewH wrote:
HomeAway wrote: "How we use your personal data .... To provide personalised, targeted, or location-based content, services, and advertising from us and third parties"
So, if I read that correctly you have neither opted in voluntarily, nor is there any (obvious) opportunity to opt out.

IANAL, but I think this is either not legal or certainly breaks every code of conduct that I have come across.
From this government site I've highlighted the "musts" - those are legal requirements
You must check if customers want to be contacted by fax, phone, post or email, and give them the chance to object.

When you collect customer details, you must get their permission if you want to send them other offers or promotions.

You must also ask for their permission if you want to share their information with another organisation.

Letting customers opt out
Customers have the right to stop their information being used for direct marketing.

You must make it easy to opt out - eg by sending a ‘STOP’ text to a short number, or using an ‘unsubscribe’ link.
HA have always ignored Contract Law, so perhaps they regard themselves as too big to be bothered by such petty restraints when it comes to marketing.
I have a feeling the third party mention engages the Data Protection Act? IANAL.
Can HA ignore the law by hiding behind the "we're a US company" smokescreen, as TA does?

ps apologies for any typos, preview facility not working again - getting a bit peed off with it.
e-richard
Posts: 5008
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:33 am
Location: Algarve, Portugal
Contact:

Post by e-richard »

greenbarn wrote:Can HA ignore the law by hiding behind the "we're a US company" smokescreen, as TA does?
Probably.

But the US have their own CAN SPAM act (That is a contrived acronym for Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act - appropriate, don't you think ?).

It allows you to send spam without opt-in, but you have to have an opt-out link in the spam message. Just Google for "CAN SPAM act" if you really want to know more
:roll:
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
User avatar
French Cricket
Posts: 3058
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 3:47 pm
Location: French Pyrénées
Contact:

Post by French Cricket »

AndrewH wrote: I made a test enquiry some months ago, using OH's name and email address. She now gets a general spam message from HA at least once a week, covering all or many properties, with a caption like "How about Spain this autumn?" or words like that covering locations, types of holiday, etc.

They come from HA, although the test enquiry was through OD. OD specifically haven't sent any.
I booked a rental earlier this year through Abritel - using a different email address from my OD account - and have been spammed regularly ever since by Homeaway as well as by Abritel itself. I just bin them but really must get round to unsubscribing.

Out of interest I've just checked out Abritel's policy. They tell me that I don't need to register in order to make an enquiry, but then go on to say:
Par l’envoi d’une demande d’information et la transmission de son adresse email, le Vacancier accepte de recevoir des communications de la part de HomeAway concernant les offres, services et idées de vacances.
Translation: In making an enquiry and passing on their email address, the holidaymaker agrees to receive marketing communications from Homeaway relating to offers, services and holiday ideas.

So WTF is that if not registering??? :roll: :evil:
User avatar
Mouse
Posts: 7277
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2006 6:47 pm
Location: Balearics
Contact:

Post by Mouse »

Thanks Andrew.

Do they also send you alternatives when you are enquiring? For example if someone enquires about our place do they then get spammed with alternative 4 bed villas in Ibiza?

If so then I need to start chasing up enquirers if I don't hear anything back from them.

Personally I think automatically sending spam mail without having an opt in is the sign of a very poor company who cares more about it's profit margin than clients...but then we know that already sadly

Mousie (still pondering)
x
Last edited by Mouse on Mon Aug 24, 2015 1:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
One martini, two martini, three martini floor!
newtimber
Posts: 1945
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:57 pm
Location: Brighton
Contact:

Post by newtimber »

You can "unsubscribe" when you receive the emails; but you can't opt not to have your data shared to start with.
e-richard
Posts: 5008
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 11:33 am
Location: Algarve, Portugal
Contact:

Post by e-richard »

This also explains why guests are very reticent about leaving reviews on HomeAway.
Same non-optional opt-in rules apply :evil:
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
Post Reply