Holidaylets.net free trial?

[la vache!]

Jane,
I get a discount from several property rental advertisers for my multi-unit properties. I also frequently manage to negotiate a discount with some rental sites when they offer the annual re-subscription. I consider this to be a reward for customer loyalty. I think it is very different from the 'freeloaders' who are loyal only to the 3 month free trial period offered by various sites at various times of year who take their bookings where they can on the back of paying customers whilst commiting to nothing themselves.

[marcus]

There is much to be said for both arguments.

I admit I had never much considered the influence of freeloaders. Are there really so many that obtain all their bookings from free trial periods - that would be an amazing achievement.

I look forward as much as anyone to reporting in three months time that I have obtained more enquiries from HL this year than last year, due to the absence of these freeloaders (I have been a paid up member for a couple of years now so have a rough number for comparison).

Meanwhile, we'd best stop this thread, it might be distracting Ross from the more important things in life, like marketing our properties. (p.s. Ross, if you are reading this still, how often do I need to update my availability schedule to always be on page 1 of the results?)

Cheers
Marcus

[Giddy Goat]

Marcus - yes, I was re-reading Tony's post, and Susan's, and thinking the same thing. To fill your books for the year, you'd have to find a lot of sites offering free trials, and consider the time it takes to input your details on each - they're all set up slightly differently, so it's not a simple matter of cutting and pasting from one to the next! Unlikely, surely, that there are many rental owners up to these sorts of tricks.

[ashtondav]

I think free advertising periods are smashing! Imagine a crafty scoundrel who wants to make a killing renting his/her property....

"I freeload for a few months and get a few bookings (being sure to take them off you paying saps, because I have an identical property minutes down the road).

What do I do then - oh yes then I cancel because I don't want any more bookings, and I certainly don't want to advertise on a proven, successful site! Why no, I'd like to take my chances elsewhere and leave my property empty."

Get real. Any site, in this crowded market, which does not give a free, or money back, period is not likely to get any INCREASE in advertisers.

The onus is on THEM to prove their value, not us PAYING them to establish their value.

Cheers Tudor.

[Hanorah]

Trial periods are very important to me. Holiday rentals did not deliver although I have been on there nearly a year. I would be very unwilling to get my fingers burned again without a free trial.

The sites that work for me are the commission ones and to be honest this suits me much better than paying a yearly fee with no return at all. I am doing well on my bookings so I am fortunate I do not need to shop around this year.

I will certainly not be signing up with any more paid listing sites but would consider trying some out on a free trial to see if they would offer value for money. If they did I would sign up. I would like to get my bookings from any source that offered the best value for money and a yearly fee should be more cost effective than commission based bookings in theory.

I do not think trying out a site is free loading I think it makes good business sense as I do not want to throw my money down the drain which unfortunately has been the case with holiday rentals.

In all fairness all our points of view will be different because we have different experiences. The golden goose for some is the bad egg for others. Personally though I would not risk paying for expensive advertising again unless a free trial was offered.

For Ross you have made this decision so I guess you will need to gauge after a period of time whether it is the right way to go or not. I would imagine if sign-ups drop significantly and the profit margins then there might be another thread in the future saying the free trial has been reinstated. As the old saying goes "The proof is in the pudding".

[gh]

(p.s. Ross, if you are reading this still, how often do I need to update my availability schedule to always be on page 1 of the results?)

This is on HL FAQ's
Secondly, your ranking in the summary results page is influenced by the frequency with which you update your availability chart. The system sorts both on this and a daily randomise function. So in simple terms, updating your availability chart will help maximise your position in the directory and therefore help increase your number of property views and booking enquiries.

Basically you and everybody else who updates daily will have an equal playing field.


Years ago when we were new to renting we were offered a free trial of 3 months (not with HL) which we took them up on. We received 6 wks of bookings and now we still subscribe to them many years on.

For me, what differentiates free trial periods from test drives of cars, etc. is that you get to keep the results of free trial periods and the results can be substantial.

We had a weekend test drive with Saab and bought a vehicle from them which we have changed often, to another Saab.

My personal opinion is if you like the results/test drive you will pay your hard earned money to purchase whatever service or commodity you have a mind to.

Ross
I agree totally with what you have said. We were unfortunate in the timing of our free trial, however we will be using your site in the very near future, as soon as one of our listings is due for renewal. As we are on the other side of the fence so to speak and recoginise when the natives are getting restless.

Bonne Chance

[Alan Knighting]

Johnel,

My personal opinion is if you like the results/test drive you will pay your hard earned money to purchase whatever service or commodity you have a mind to.

Agreed, when a purchase is in mind.

Alan

[alexia s.]

Jine,
Please, never, never write in anything other than strine again: I love it!! You godda do this for us! I think it's the richest vernacular still alive (guess wot: I can't do it. Surprise.).
My brother in Oz does it brilliantly: he doesn't own anything that could be called "second hand" - all of his possessions are "pre-loved". He sells his "pre-loved" car, his "pre-loved" stereo, his "pre-loved" computer..... Wonderful!

[Guest3]

G'day Jine...Can we have a few phrases in 'Strine' in the Cafe for anyone venturing out to Oz?

[enid]

Just had my daughter and friends for Noel - one comes from Perth and had us in stitches with her contribution - on those occasions when we had no French people round she would use strine to 'keep up the bi-lingual feel of the holiday'

[Giddy Goat]

G'day - I'm a bit rusty now, having not lived in Striya since 1974, but here's something to get you started.

I well remember these little guides, so that dates me big time!

http://www4.tpg.com.au/users/bev2000/strine.htm

Love,

[Fraise]

Thanks for that!!I'll be able to understand a bit more of Neighbours now!!!!!! Especially Joe Mangel

[Giddy Goat]

Frise - no worries! Glad I could help!

[alexia s.]

"Frise - no worries!"
Jine,
Doncha mean "no sweat, cobber"?

[Giddy Goat]

"Frise - no worries!"
Jine,
Doncha mean "no sweat, cobber"?

Alexia - g'day mate - orright? Missed youse. Either the above would be OK I think. Strine is a very rich language...