OH *insert multiple swear words of choice here* - nightmare!

[Sam V]

I've received this email this morning;

Reservation HA-9SH528

Mrs Veal

With reference to the above reservation for Villa Trinity between the dates of 20 July 16 and 27 July 16.

We are a party of 6 which includes my grandson aged 3.5 years who will be travelling with his parents. It had been intended that he would share a bedroom with another family member. As the holiday approaches his parents have some concerns as to how he may settle in unfamiliar surroundings.

We note from the documentation that a Z bed is available and would therefore ask if it would be possible to have this set up in the ground floor bedroom so that he is with his parents.

We therefore request, subject to the above being acceptable, that all rooms be made up as doubles.

We look forward to your response regarding the above request and also look forward to receiving confirmation of the access arrangements.

Regards

AP

At first I though this was some weird new scam as I could not find any booking for an AP on these dates and we are booked within other dates at this time. Then it dawned on me when I looked through my OD account and saw he had sent me a 'reservation request' '7 months ago' (why can't we have an actual date?!) which I must have accepted and sent a payment request. He paid this on 02/12!

Now, any enquiry I add to PIMS and if I also have a contact email, I will email them from PIMS too. I checked my archived PIMS enquiries and sure enough he is there, the enquiry was closed 'Enquiry that failed to convert' BUT! The email address is not his one, it's Mrs Ps email - DP, she also sent me a 'booking enquiry' on 1/12 for the same dates but it doesn't look like I replied to her via OD, but I can't find my having sent an email via PIMS either, it's in the history, but I may have just clicked through to close it having had no reply.

The only emails I can find, other than the original 'reservation request' received from AP at 20.36 on 2/12 and 'Enquiry' received from DP at 22:31 on 1/12 is one on 2/12 23:21 from noreply@messages.homeaway.com (which on my iPhone reads noreply@me..) reads in greyed out 'Details of your upcoming reservation' and 'below is a copy of the email you sent for your records' - which only when you scroll down to view is an automated email confirming his booked and he's paid. The next email from same addy is dated 14/5 08:14 'below is a copy of the email you sent for your records' - which is another automated email 'Requesting' his 2nd payment.

So, for whatever reason, I've totally missed/messed up on this one! I've not replied to him as yet but have told my manager and she's seeing what she can come up with!

Eeeeeeeeaaaaaaaarse biscuits!

Any advice on response/action gratefully accepted. - just when I thought I was in for an easy week!

[Mouse]

Oh Sam....sympathies. it's an owners worst nightmare. I don't understand PIMS so can't help on the flow of information....but given they booked and paid so long ago are they the original bookers of the period? Does that mean that the ones that booked it later are the ones you have to relocate?

It is no doubt made worse because it's peak period too.

I really hope you manage to find them somewhere else.....that's the only thing I can think I'd be frantically trying to do, which I'm sure you are too.

Good luck!

Mousie
x

[Nemo]

Oh dear, the perils of these pesky systems when they get involved with our own which worked perfectly without them being involved. So it appears that the OD system has sent two payment requests which they have paid in full?

Apart from wait on your manager, as Mousie says I would now be frantically searching for a replacement for them through all the listing sites and anywhere else I could think of. There's probably something out there even at this late stage, but may not be the same area perhaps?

Fingers crossed for you all.

[French Cricket]

I'm feeling sick with you, Sam - it's one the thing I dread the most.

given they booked and paid so long ago are they the original bookers of the period? Does that mean that the ones that booked it later are the ones you have to relocate?

That's the first thing that occurred to me too. If they were the original bookers, then shouldn't they have the booking, if you see what I mean?

[Sam V]

I'm feeling sick with you, Sam - it's one the thing I dread the most.

given they booked and paid so long ago are they the original bookers of the period? Does that mean that the ones that booked it later are the ones you have to relocate?

That's the first thing that occurred to me too. If they were the original bookers, then shouldn't they have the booking, if you see what I mean?

The second Booker booked through Clickstay/Rental Systems. I've had to do a lot of handholding and reassuring with her through the process and Ive also sent her the arrival pack and key. The first bookers I've had no info or correspondence from them whatsoever until today. This I also found a little odd as I've only had a couple of other bookings paid to OD and both of them emailed me (xcitedly) once they had paid their deposits.

[AndrewH]

There is OD's "book with confidence guarantee" (no, I am not trying to be funny). You might head this one off at the pass by pre-warning OD to see if they can use their methods to find alternative accommodation. That according to OD is what this "guarantee" is all about.

It would put you out of sorts with OD of course, but then, as I remember, it wouldn't be the first time and you seem to have survived that OK, Sam.

[kevsboredagain]

When I suggested that a backup system was useful to protect against human errors I was mocked and informed that PIMs is sufficient.

[e-richard]

My sympathies Sam. Its everyone's worst nightmare !

When I suggested that a backup system was useful to protect against human errors I was mocked.

What is a "backup" system Kev ?

It strikes me that Sam's issue arose because there were two separate booking systems in the process (hers and OD).

I really fear that with the growth of online booking at each of many listing sites, this is a problem that is likely to grow.

I'm genuinely scratching my head for a solution. Hence the opening question.

[Sam V]

When I suggested that a backup system was useful to protect against human errors I was mocked and informed that PIMs is sufficient.

PIMS is sufficient, I messed up because for whatever reason I didn't 'see' on OD dashboard or in my emails that he had booked and paid. It's not helped with receiving emails from an ambiguous email address from OD that a booking is confirmed and the emails were sent to my 'family' /second email on my account email and not my OD primary 'business' email on my account

[Sam V]

Scouring the websites I've made a few enquiries for properties showing on their calander as available. I've had a reply from an agency managing two properties that we're both showing as available on and beyond my dates only to be told they have no availability for the Algarve!

My other worry now is the money. I can pay for the accommodation upfront, but as he has paid online and the payment is withheld until his check in, how can I'd be reliant in his honesty to confirm his check in for my payment to be released to me? - a call to OD to step in, I've sent them a FB message, no reply yet.

[Nemo]

When I suggested that a backup system was useful to protect against human errors I was mocked and informed that PIMs is sufficient.

There is no back up system in the world that will prevent human error kev. As e-richard has said, it's down to having two booking systems running alongside each other which is unavoidable now when advertising with the big listing sites. No matter what the back up system was, whether it was a notebook, excel spreadsheet or management software, it required manual input from Sam to realise that the first booking had actually taken place. Sam's issue has been compounded by different emails being involved and zero communication from the original booker until now.

Small consolation Sam, but there's no way I'd book a villa overseas without asking questions and making direct contact with the owner, so from that perspective, they have been naive in allowing a large listing site to process the booking with virtually no involvement from you. Scary stuff. Hope OD can help in this instance but I wouldn't bet on it.

[French Cricket]

Sam, I woke up thinking about you this morning.

Have you contacted whichever booking you're having to 'bounce' yet? If it were me, I think I'd like to know, with as much notice as possible.

[Sam V]

I've just been on the phone to OD, initially she suggested I cancel the non OD booking but I explained she's now had maps, key, etc already sent to her and I have absolutely no info from the OD guests booking. The only help she can offer me is suggest I call him explain the situation and cancel the booking so he gets a refund and perhaps help him find alternative accommodation.

[French Cricket]

Sorry to be blunt, Sam, but going back to where you said 'my other worry now is the money' .... I think you need to put that on the back burner until you've got your bounced guest sorted out.

Plenty of time later to worry about that - the absolute number one priority that has to take over all your thoughts and waking hours is the guest party that you can't accommodate.

[Nemo]

Sam I'm sure you're feeling like a headless chicken with all this worry but do you know any owners that only rent to family and not as a business that maybe therefore happen to be empty that week, that you could fall at their feet and beg to use their villa?

FC, I can see why the money is a huge worry too to Sam. She hasn't received it and with OD involved, he could raise a cancellation with them and with their guarantee in place (if it covers it, or his credit card does) they could refund him all his money and then he refuse to pay Sam if she did find him an alternative. It's such a mess with an outside party involved such as OD.

Sam, bite the bullet and ring the guests. They need to hot foot over to the phone at Owners Direct as they are the ones covered by the Book with Confidence guarantee (if at all) and not you. OD won't help you, but they may be obliged to help the guest. That leaves your time free to try and find an alternative as well as OD helping him too.

What is the Book with Confidence Guarantee?

When you book and pay through the Owners Direct checkout and your booking is accepted by the owner or property manager, you are eligible for the Book with Confidence Guarantee.

The Book with Confidence Guarantee provides travellers with following benefits:

Comprehensive payment protection that protects your full rental payment against listing fraud, phishing, property significantly misrepresented and more

Premium customer service that is available 24/7 to help you if you have issues or questions regarding your stay

Re-booking assistance to help you find another holiday rental should your booking be cancelled by an owner or manager at the last minute

Security deposit protection to help you recover your deposit if it is wrongfully withheld

The Book with Confidence Guarantee is to help travellers feel confident booking on Owners Direct, reducing booking hesitation that in turn supports our homeowners. We believe that most owners are already very responsive in resolving their own customer issues, and we continue to expect that most issues will be addressed with satisfaction directly between the guest and owner. Should a traveller contact Owners Direct for assistance under the Book with Confidence Guarantee, Owners Direct will assess each situation case by case. Should Owners Direct become aware of repeated or severe situations where a property owner is providing a bad experience or taking advantage of the Owners Direct guarantee, we reserve the right to take appropriate action based on the individual circumstances.