HA/OD enquiries asking to reply directly
HA/OD enquiries asking to reply directly
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.
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?
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?
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Newtimber has a valid point, the amount of follow up mail for alternative properties is ridiculous & of zero benefit to you.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?
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.
Having just read the HA 'privacy policy'. I saw this and it applies to "Travellers" (their word) as much as "Owners":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?
"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
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
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!
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.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
They come from HA, although the test enquiry was through OD. OD specifically haven't sent any.
So, if I read that correctly you have neither opted in voluntarily, nor is there any (obvious) opportunity to opt out.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"
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
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
From this government site I've highlighted the "musts" - those are legal requirementse-richard wrote:So, if I read that correctly you have neither opted in voluntarily, nor is there any (obvious) opportunity to opt out.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"
IANAL, but I think this is either not legal or certainly breaks every code of conduct that I have come across.
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.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.
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.
Probably.greenbarn wrote:Can HA ignore the law by hiding behind the "we're a US company" smokescreen, as TA does?
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
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
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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.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.
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:
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.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.
So WTF is that if not registering???
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
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!
This also explains why guests are very reticent about leaving reviews on HomeAway.
Same non-optional opt-in rules apply
Same non-optional opt-in rules apply
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !