Trip Advisor enquiry

OTA = Online Travel Agency, which means those sites that sell the booking and take the payment for you.
Claire J
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Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:03 pm
Location: Cotswolds

Trip Advisor enquiry

Post by Claire J »

Newbie to the holiday letting business, couldn't find the answer I was looking for by searching so I apologise if this has been covered.

I have received an email enquiry through TA asking about an Easter booking and whether I could reduce the price, they have a budget. I am happy to do this but TA have added a hefty fee on top which brings up the price. I also have a website where you can book direct avoiding fees. I take it contravenes TA rules to inform them of this fact?
louiseddie
Posts: 175
Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2013 7:43 pm

Post by louiseddie »

Hi Claire, unfortunately yes it does and rightly or wrongly they may strike you off if they think you're circumventing them.

I believe the quote the guests receive when putting in their dates on the website already includes the TripAdvisor fee so it shouldn't come as a surprise. When I respond to enquiries I always state the rental amount and the TA amount to make it clear to the guests, and I try to soften it by saying that the TA amount is TA's for securely handling their payment and guaranteeing the safety of their booking. People usually take that okay.

Hope that helps.
Marks
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Location: Costa Blanca

Post by Marks »

You can amend the quote if you want to.
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

I had that once with a TA enquiry and pointed out the amount they were paying to book through one of the online booking agents.
I said it was their choice, but as they wanted to save money it might be better them looking at alternative options.
I also said whilst I would be happy to discount to 'my viIla name' enquirers I couldn't do so with bookings through TA.

She did find me direct but didn't go on to book.

Mousie
x
Claire J
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Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:03 pm
Location: Cotswolds

Post by Claire J »

I was hoping they would find me by other means but hey-ho!

I am finding the listing sites very difficult to master. Trying to set my pricing up is so difficult. I have a minimum 3 day stay - any day of the week at the same price. You can stay for 3/4/5/6 and a week. On my website I have a 3 night price, then it goes up in increments for each further day and then a 7 day price. Trip advisor has my 3 night and 7 night price correct but I don't seem to be able to make the 4/5/6 price work. Works out that its cheaper to stay 7 nights than 5 or 6 nights! I give up! Still I have taken my first booking of 3 nights, so hooray for that.

Thought I would leave TA alone and focus on Homeaway, oh dear mother of god, what have I done to deserve such misery on a computer? Read the help section beforehand, seasonal rates, yes, this looks better, but no, I cannot find a page with seasonal rates, its all daily rates and discounts. Are there any listing sites that make it easy for pricing?

At this rate it will be quicker for me to hand deliver a leaflet through the letterbox of each household of the UK and far more enjoyable.
:roll:
AndrewH
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Post by AndrewH »

Claire J wrote:...Trip advisor has my 3 night and 7 night price correct but I don't seem to be able to make the 4/5/6 price work. Works out that its cheaper to stay 7 nights than 5 or 6 nights! ...
I hope I haven't got your situation wrong, Claire, but is it necessary to make your pricing system so complex? What if someone wanted to stay longer than 7 nights? Why not apply a nightly rate (or different nightly rates according to the season) and state that the minimum stay is 3 nights? The potential guest can do the mathematics, or he/she can ask you for the correct price, or TA can work it out automatically and show it on the screen.
Claire J
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2018 5:03 pm
Location: Cotswolds

Post by Claire J »

I don't think I explained it that well. I do have seasonal rates, my nightly rate is £170, as the minimum is wanted to receive for a 3 night stay was at least £500. At that period a week stay is £740. If a customer looks at, lets say a 5 night stay, TA works it out that £850 is due! I've probably missed something, there doesn't seem to be a simple way of working out pricing and each listing site has a different way of displaying the information. I need an idiots guide to... everything!
Igor
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Joined: Sat Jun 10, 2017 4:27 pm

Post by Igor »

Claire,

On HolidayLettings/TripAdvisor pricing, you can add a static fee to each booking.

Look at your seasonal prices table, and scroll down past it to find "Looking for taxes and fees" and click on "They're over here".

Now you can make your pricing work with a changeover fee that covers your changeover cost.
Igor lives in Fort StaySavr, a secret location high in the mountains
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