Enquierer expected us to hold until they made their decision

[dublin13]

we had an enquiry about week and a half ago from a german (lets call him Herman german) for a 2 month rental at our apartment. We gave herman a price for the two weeks and he came back to say it was very expensive against other prices and we could "make him another offer". We did and then herman came back to say he,d booked another place witha gym and sauna but he had friends who might be interested and wanted to make an appointment to view the apartment. Meanwhile we,d had another enquiry for a week who told us they wanted to book and were making the payment so we let it to them when they paid straight up and we let herman know the apartment was gone for a week during his dates to which he sent back this email

"Is this some kind of joke I do not understand?
Or are you just wasting my time or what is this all about?"

We told him that we receive alot of enquiries and we run our property on a first payer gets the dates to which he sent this back

"First of all its actually Dr. German for you and not Herman. (he only called himself doctor in the last email which was about the 5th email hed sent we,d always used hello herman or der herman)

In developed countries we call People by their academic grade and not by first name we are not in the sandbox.

You seem to run here some rogue business - your explanation is furthermore illogic and weird.

I report you at google. Any further mail by you is considered spam."

[Tizfata]

I envy so much this kind of persons with LOTS of free time to harass holiday home owners

[la vache!]

I think its cultural. From my understanding it is normal in Germany to refer to people by their titles, including academic qualifications and never on a more familiar basis as used in the UK - Hi and first name only. When I answer French enquiries anad all subsequent correspondence, I always use Monsieur and Madame and never first names, unless the enquirer does first.

[Martha]

Very rude and what an unpleasant experience for you, probably a lucky escape with that attitude!

Leaving aside the unpleasantness and trying to take something constructive....It might be worth adjusting your response, making it clear to people in your email what "holding" means.

I get asked to hold very often, because getting 10 people to agree on something is never easy, and I think it's really important to spell out if you're holding it for them, or if you will contact them and give them 24 hours to respond if you get another enquiry, or if it's strictly first come first serve (there are diplomatic ways of saying this of course!)

People are normally fine with it as long as they know what the deal is - misunderstandings can be very frustrating so I try to be polite but clear.

[Marks]

I often offer a provisional 'hold' but only for 24 hours and only to someone I feel sure is going to book. I give a specific time by when I need confirmation. No confirmation by x o'clock and the dates are released.

[Nightowl]

I've been holding dates for someone for about 2 weeks now, pending payment of deposit - I usually specify 5 days to stump up but he'd said he had to go to a conference (I was suspicious at that point but let it go) and would pay on Monday when he was back (about day 8 ). As it's for dates in Jan, a 3 week booking, I'm not inundated with enquiries so let it slide and reminded him again last week and again today and said that as promised deposit hadn't materialised I would no longer be able to hold dates and let me know if he does want them. I'm assuming he doesn't now. wish people would just bloody say so!!!!

Another one was messing about with payment for dates he wanted... I gave 5 days....he said he'd pay on Saturday. I sent a paypal invoice and said, you can pay now, in just one click (did the same with the above messer abouter too).

Sunday mornining I sent him an email saying ' You promised payment yesterday etc. Please pay today if you want these dates held.

got an email back saying 'I'll pay Monday'.

Now unfortunately from him, in the meantime, I'd had someone else who wanted the dates so I said to her, if you want to pay today, the dates are yours. And she did, by return.

So Mr Monday got an email saying, sorry the dates I was holding til Saturday are no longer available.

That's the way it goes. I had someone once before get very shirty when after I'd held dates for about 10 days, and reminded him, I let them to another enquirer and he sent me a very stroppy email... but I sent one back saying, I told you what the process was, I reminded you, I get a lot of enquiries and I get a lot of people who say they want to book and I never hear from them again after holding dates. You didn't pay after 10 days and that's why I didn't hold the dates.

I didn't hear from him again.

[kendalcottages]

Herman sounds a bit of a bully to me.

[Nightowl]

yeah, I think you prob had a lucky escape from him..

[wallypott]

I try not to hold dates - sometimes I go with the flow, but if I haven't had payment and booking form by Day 5, then I assume they are not booking.

I say in every email, in bold.

Your booking is only confirmed when we have received payment and the booking form and that we sometimes get lots of enquiries for the same dates.

If I think they are serious, I warn them that I have had another enquiry for the same dates. Otherwise I don't really have the time for multiple email reminders.

[Jimbo]

Herman was relaxed about booking another property when he couldn't persuade (browbeat) you to lower your price to his preferred level but not relaxed when you decided in turn to let your property to a dead cert rather than 'some of his friends who might be interested', but who required first to 'view the apartment and with whom you'd yet to be in contact. You might be generous and infer that his offer of 'his friends' was a kind thought but his subsequent unpleasant comments and 'Dr.' nonsense make me think not. Lucky escape.

we are not in the sandbox

Intrigued by this comment, though? Does this mean 'in the sandpit' - like as 'we are not children'? Or something else?

Jim (not been in the sandbox for a while)

[Nemo]

I have lost track lately of how many "definite" bookings have never materialised. They wish to book, I send them the form etc and then silence....!

My email says I will only hold the dates once the booking form is returned awaiting payment for up to 5 days. For late bookings I give no grace period at all. It's not booked until it's paid for. At least that way I never lose an enquiry and can send chasers if required. If it's a fair time ahead then you can afford to be generous but then after a while you realise they are not committed to booking.

I think more people than we realise have a change of heart after deciding to book, or else other family members/spouses etc change their mind for them!

[Marks]

When someone says they want to book I reserve the dates for 5 working days waiting payment and return of the rental agreement, I also mark the dates as unavailable on the calendars.

I'm intrigued to know what happens with those of you who don't mark the calendar as unavailable until payment etc is received. Say you have 2 people asking for similar dates or dates that overlap, you send your booking form/agreement and ask for payment. Both payments and forms are returned on the same day so you have a clash of dates. Then what happens?

[Giddy Goat]

I'm intrigued to know what happens with those of you who don't mark the calendar as unavailable until payment etc is received. Say you have 2 people asking for similar dates or dates that overlap, you send your booking form/agreement and ask for payment. Both payments and forms are returned on the same day so you have a clash of dates. Then what happens?

I would never mark the calendar as unavailable until I have the guests' deposit on the basis that you might well be losing interest from other people in the meantime.

If two groups are competing for the same dates I normally explain to the first that we have had keen interest from another party and that if we do not receive booking form and reservation deposit by date X I will be letting it to the second group.

[Marks]

If two groups are competing for the same dates I normally explain to the first that we have had keen interest from another party and that if we do not receive booking form and reservation deposit by date X I will be letting it to the second group.

OK, I get that bit. You've sent the booking form and payment details to group 1. As you do so group 2 say they want to book the same/similar dates. What do you say to them?

[Giddy Goat]

Having committed to giving group 1 a deadline of date X, I stick to that, and ask group 2 if they are happy for me to notify them if the first booking does not materialise.

If Group 2 sounds like a more attractive proposition for various reasons though, I would make the deadline as short as possible for group 1.