I have just come accross my first major problem with Villa Renters online booking and credit card payment facility. Apparantly they have removed the facility for manual payments. There reason was to reduce fraud and credit cards are safer than cheques etc. Although I can understand them doing this for bookings they generate it makes it extremely inflexible for people like me using on my own website purely as a management tool.
I also offer flexible payment plans so this means these bookings can not be put through their system as the robot mails only work once certain payments are made so even if you enter the booking as £0.00 they would never be generated. It seems previously you could enter manual payments to get around this.
I think this is very short sighted on their part as private websites need more flexibility from a system ie to take cheque payments or wire transfers etc. I do not see how useful this will be now as I will still have a two tier system and have to remember to email clients that have not paid by credit card rather than their console taking care of all the bookings. I have emailed them to let them know they will potentially put a lot of people off using their system because it does not offer flexibility on payment methods.
I just wanted to post this in case anyone else was considering using them after my previous posts. Take Care
Test Driving Villa Renters Management Console
Test Driving Villa Renters Management Console
Always Learning
I am having several problems with this system and at the moment it seems to be a new thing every day. My main problem is getting someone from the site to resolve the issues quickly when they arise. I have had 3 outstanding issues since last week and one major one preventing me from requesting payments. I am ready to throw in the towel after the coming season if things do not improve rapidly.
The problems I am having are listed below is anyone else using villa renters experiencing the same?
Problem 1
A recent client did not receive the robot mails for a balance request. This is a guest who has been at my villa before and always pays on time so I guessed something was up with the system.
The only response I have got on this is to tell them to log in and make a payment but this defeats the object of using the system as I could return to taking payments by paypal if I still need to remember to check the robot mails are being sent.
Problem 2
I tried to upload 25 pictures and made a payment and was taken to a page unavailable message. Left message on forum was asked for my property id which was visible on the post below left it and have not heard anything since and no forum replies.
Problem 3
This just about tops it I requested a payment and I am just taken round in circles back to the request a payment page.I am most worried about not being able to transfer my own money minus there commission of course
The problems I am having are listed below is anyone else using villa renters experiencing the same?
Problem 1
A recent client did not receive the robot mails for a balance request. This is a guest who has been at my villa before and always pays on time so I guessed something was up with the system.
The only response I have got on this is to tell them to log in and make a payment but this defeats the object of using the system as I could return to taking payments by paypal if I still need to remember to check the robot mails are being sent.
Problem 2
I tried to upload 25 pictures and made a payment and was taken to a page unavailable message. Left message on forum was asked for my property id which was visible on the post below left it and have not heard anything since and no forum replies.
Problem 3
This just about tops it I requested a payment and I am just taken round in circles back to the request a payment page.I am most worried about not being able to transfer my own money minus there commission of course
Always Learning
It's a bit deja-vu here I'm afraid! I've contacted Villarenters but had no reply! I believe they have some connection with Visit France?
I keep my calendar up to date,I have had no enquiries through them.My listing "score" with them is 46. Here is what they give out to potential clients:
30-50 Greater chance of finding the calendar is not accurate due to poorer calendar maintenance - you may find your booking request is declined by the manager.
What a waste of space!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't exactly give potential clients confidence!!!!!!!! I have asked why my rating is so poor as I do maintain my calendar, no response!!!!!! What a shambles hey????
ps- my ad on Villarenters is property number 8955 if anyone is curious as to what I'm trying to explain.
I keep my calendar up to date,I have had no enquiries through them.My listing "score" with them is 46. Here is what they give out to potential clients:
30-50 Greater chance of finding the calendar is not accurate due to poorer calendar maintenance - you may find your booking request is declined by the manager.
What a waste of space!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't exactly give potential clients confidence!!!!!!!! I have asked why my rating is so poor as I do maintain my calendar, no response!!!!!! What a shambles hey????
ps- my ad on Villarenters is property number 8955 if anyone is curious as to what I'm trying to explain.
Just and upate I finally emailed them again explaining that I was test driving on a popular owners forum and they have now fixed all my problems. Its amazing that isn't it.
I think with villa renters you have to go all or nothing in order to get higher enough on their index to be found. Primarily the site is for villa rental management and their sister site appears to have some way to go for generating enquires. I have been with them well over a year and only have 1 booking and 109 views.
However I liked the idea of having a facility to manage my bookings as well as take credit card bookings so am putting all new bookings through their system. By doing this you automatically get a higher index.
The principle behind the site is great and if they can sort out the bugs and more importantly the customer service issues they could be very good. One of my guests who has just come back has given a glowing review on the site as their system also sends a robot secretary inviting them to review.
I will have to stay with them this year but things will need to improve if I am continue. Another problem is their tutorials are out of date and this can be very confusing as the technology has changed and you can spend lots of time trying to do something only to find that the facility does not exist anymore.
All in all they need to pull their socks up and concentrate on customer service first and foremost.
I think with villa renters you have to go all or nothing in order to get higher enough on their index to be found. Primarily the site is for villa rental management and their sister site appears to have some way to go for generating enquires. I have been with them well over a year and only have 1 booking and 109 views.
However I liked the idea of having a facility to manage my bookings as well as take credit card bookings so am putting all new bookings through their system. By doing this you automatically get a higher index.
The principle behind the site is great and if they can sort out the bugs and more importantly the customer service issues they could be very good. One of my guests who has just come back has given a glowing review on the site as their system also sends a robot secretary inviting them to review.
I will have to stay with them this year but things will need to improve if I am continue. Another problem is their tutorials are out of date and this can be very confusing as the technology has changed and you can spend lots of time trying to do something only to find that the facility does not exist anymore.
All in all they need to pull their socks up and concentrate on customer service first and foremost.
Always Learning
Looking through this site I have found a little beauty. For those weeks that are already booked that you are still getting enquiries for you can use affliliate links and recommend other villas in your area for a commission of 50% of their commission charges.
I often get enquires from people for weeks that I am booked so am going to start doing this and hopefully earning some money if they decide to book one of the alternative villas
It might be worth joining even if you don't intend to advertise your villa on their site or use their calendar etc. The best thing is you can choose which villas would be suitable so only suggest ones that meet their requirments.
I have just created a page on my website that is hidden so if you want to take a look feel free.
http://www.villahanorah.co.uk/recommendedvillas.htm
In theory for very little work you might be able to earn some well deserved pennies.
ps I know I have to remove the Amazon link which I will when I get a mo. I just set it up really quickly as have sent to an enquirer that I can not help out myself.
I often get enquires from people for weeks that I am booked so am going to start doing this and hopefully earning some money if they decide to book one of the alternative villas
It might be worth joining even if you don't intend to advertise your villa on their site or use their calendar etc. The best thing is you can choose which villas would be suitable so only suggest ones that meet their requirments.
I have just created a page on my website that is hidden so if you want to take a look feel free.
http://www.villahanorah.co.uk/recommendedvillas.htm
In theory for very little work you might be able to earn some well deserved pennies.
ps I know I have to remove the Amazon link which I will when I get a mo. I just set it up really quickly as have sent to an enquirer that I can not help out myself.
Always Learning
I never did get a reply from them!It is a total waste of space as far as I'm concerned! No way am I going to be bullied into putting all my business through them! I'm glad it might be working for you now 
www.thepetitmanoir.com
I'm glad it might be working for you now www.thepetitmanoir.com
I've been with villarenters since they first started and managed to get two enquires! No bookings. Haven't looked at them for a long time (site always seemed to 'busy' and never seemed to have the time to read it all!!) However I have just logged into them and realised my calaender was set to fully booked till Jan 06!! So no wonder I haven't get any enquiries!! (Am only booked till Sept) Have emailed them to see how it happened though god knows how they will know, I certainly didn't do it though!
Re the referral program I have passed the links to other villas in Turkey to 2 people so far. I have just checked my reports and it looks as if one of them has booked
property id 9440 £1,158.00 deposit received £386.00 commission paid so far £13.03
I will also get another payment when the balance is due. So basically I will get 5% of the 10% commission charge just for sending an email with links to other villas I hand picked from the site as being suitable alternatives. So I should end up with over £50.00 on this booking alone which I can offset against my own advertising costs.
On the other hand I continue to have problems with the site nearly every time I use it and it takes ages for support to get to me. Last occasion was the system decided it didn't like my bank details even though they were correct. It then asked for my mothers maiden name which I wrote and it rejected 3 times and then froze me out of the system completey. This took 5 days to resolve and there was nothing wrong with my bank details in the first place. Grrr
However if I could get 5% of each booking I refer then this is the one bit of the system that might work for me. It could be a one off so I won't get too excited and will keep you informed if any more crop up. The only downside I am thinking is that people who wanted to book my villa this year when it was full might have come back the year after to book so I might be shooting myself in the foot long term by referring them elsewhere.
property id 9440 £1,158.00 deposit received £386.00 commission paid so far £13.03
I will also get another payment when the balance is due. So basically I will get 5% of the 10% commission charge just for sending an email with links to other villas I hand picked from the site as being suitable alternatives. So I should end up with over £50.00 on this booking alone which I can offset against my own advertising costs.
On the other hand I continue to have problems with the site nearly every time I use it and it takes ages for support to get to me. Last occasion was the system decided it didn't like my bank details even though they were correct. It then asked for my mothers maiden name which I wrote and it rejected 3 times and then froze me out of the system completey. This took 5 days to resolve and there was nothing wrong with my bank details in the first place. Grrr
However if I could get 5% of each booking I refer then this is the one bit of the system that might work for me. It could be a one off so I won't get too excited and will keep you informed if any more crop up. The only downside I am thinking is that people who wanted to book my villa this year when it was full might have come back the year after to book so I might be shooting myself in the foot long term by referring them elsewhere.
Always Learning
I was just saying the other day how the system is working for me but now this has come up. Not good practice if you ask me. The message I posted in their forum is below and explains what I am talking about.
I too had a complaint from a client that I was spamming them. They received unsolicited emails asking them to buy holiday insurance and car hire. This is unacceptable behaviour on the part of villa renters. These were my own enquiries and Villa Renters does not have the right to email my own guests about their affiliate schemes. I thought I had just signed up to use your management facilities and am paying for the privilege. I deal with communications law and each client should be asked at the point of registering if they wish to receive these kind of emails if they are not it is illegal and against the privacy act in the data protection law. Please can you comment, as this kind of issue is one that will make me think twice about continuing to use Villa Renters at all. It makes me look extremely unprofessional and I am not happy. I can understand you might want to do this on enquires initiated by you but for personal bookings it is definetly not on. The fact that the client complained proves this point perfectly.
I too had a complaint from a client that I was spamming them. They received unsolicited emails asking them to buy holiday insurance and car hire. This is unacceptable behaviour on the part of villa renters. These were my own enquiries and Villa Renters does not have the right to email my own guests about their affiliate schemes. I thought I had just signed up to use your management facilities and am paying for the privilege. I deal with communications law and each client should be asked at the point of registering if they wish to receive these kind of emails if they are not it is illegal and against the privacy act in the data protection law. Please can you comment, as this kind of issue is one that will make me think twice about continuing to use Villa Renters at all. It makes me look extremely unprofessional and I am not happy. I can understand you might want to do this on enquires initiated by you but for personal bookings it is definetly not on. The fact that the client complained proves this point perfectly.
Always Learning