Booking via 3rd party - advice please

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Kingyclan
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Booking via 3rd party - advice please

Post by Kingyclan »

I have been running my property for over a year, taking booking directly from customers quite happily but today I've been approached by Discover Holidays Ltd who want to book for a 3rd party at my holiday home.

All seems ok in principle. No advertising charges or additional fees for me. They add on their bit to my costs and if the customer is happy the booking is made. They've sent me their T&C's for 'properties not signed up'.

Some of it makes sense, I mustn't increase prices, must have insurances etc, must honour the booking and not have direct contact with customer with regard to pricing etc. It does also say if the hirers contact me I must refer them to the holiday company. That is fine this year, but most of my customers come back - what about next?

There are a couple of bits bothering me not least of all if there is any damage I must then contact the hirer directly (surely that doesn't work with the above). I must also find alternative accommodation and pay any difference in the event of the property being unavailable and more.

Anyone got any experience of this or can offer advice please. I don't like being told how to run my business by this company but it does seem a genuine booking and it could be a good source for new customers I just feel nervous that if anything goes wrong I am at a disadvantage where normally I would deal directly with my customer and put it right to the best of my ability.

Thanks in advance
Ruth

p.s. AND they now want me to send photos of the property because they can't pull them off the website and presumably don't want to direct the customer to the website.

www.kingsholidaycottages.co.uk
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Casscat
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Post by Casscat »

If I have the right site, they seem to be travel agents marketing what I would term 'conventional' holidays.
kg1
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Post by kg1 »

Sounds like a fishing expedition for properties for them to advertise to me. Like Aspire I too think the 'guest' will vaporise once you have signed up. Why would they ask an online booking site if they can book a property not on their website?
Kingyclan
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Post by Kingyclan »

Thank you. The story is they have a branch of the business called disabled.holidays directory which I know to be genuine. It seems the 3rd party wanted to holiday in the area (Kent). The company hasn't any properties but did a search and found me. I'm not required to sign up to anything and wonder why the 3rd party couldn't find me themselves but then some people like a bit more hand holding and perhaps feel the company gives them more protection.
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greenbarn
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Post by greenbarn »

My first reaction was much the same as 7A's, but knowing now that you have a property suitable for disabled guests makes a very big difference.
How would these guests have found you otherwise? I did a quick search on Google with "disabled holiday cottage kent" and disabledholidays.com were top of the list, and I can see why someone would want to use them. I didn't look beyond the first page, so I don't know how far I'd need to drill to find your property.

I'd want to know more (and keep all the caveats already raised in mind), but as a means of addressing a specialised market it's probably worth checking into.

ps ETA - I found your property on the second page, so visibility is good unless the result is skewed because I'd already visited your site (who knows how Google works :roll: ) so the notion that they're searching to widen their portfolio may hold true.
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Nemo
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Re: Booking via 3rd party - advice please

Post by Nemo »

Kingyclan wrote:I must also find alternative accommodation and pay any difference in the event of the property being unavailable and more.
Do your current terms and conditions have these terms? I bet they don't, as I know if I couldn't fulfil a booking, say in the peak summer season, the chances of me finding suitable alternative accommodation is slim. If we're talking about suitable disabled accommodation I'd say you'd probably have zero chance!

Do you want a third party company advertising your property and you having no control over that advert? I know this is what agencies do, but is this what you want to do, having not previously sought an agency to advertise your property?

As GB has stated, if you are in the disabled sector then it could indeed mean they have the power to bring you in a supply of bookings, but it has to be with terms you can agree to. Will you sleep at night if not? :wink:

PS I did the same search as GB using a Chrome incognito window. This makes it a clean, unbiased search. Sure enough disabled holidays directory came on the first page, but you were there on the second page, so very respectable for the search terms I used.
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Cas & Irene
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Post by Cas & Irene »

Sound very familiar to the many calls I got from Indian cold callers.

I give them always 2 options:

- send me the booking and after the payment I pay 10% fee
or
- send me the booking and after the payment you can list me for at least 1 year.

They are never interested, so it´s clear fake to me!

But I had not any calls for the last 3 weeks (that is really unique in the last 2 years!), since I explain several callers that they speak with the main police station from Barcelona.

This works so far perfect for me!! (Don´t hope that they read LMH like the scammers!)
Sail with the wind from today and count your blessings!
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Kingyclan
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Post by Kingyclan »

Thank you all for your advice today. You are right Nemo, I cannot accept their terms as I know I cannot fulfill them in the case of something going wrong. I will try the tactics you suggest Cas & Irene - I suppose the 3rd party now know there is a suitable property out there even if they don't know the name, it wouldn't take too much work to find me. I have happily operated independently this far so can't be going that wrong. Many thanks.
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Normandie
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Post by Normandie »

Kingyclan wrote:You are right Nemo, I cannot accept their terms as I know I cannot fulfill them in the case of something going wrong.
As we all know from our own terms & conditions, they can be varied if business (or personal whim :wink: ) suggests it.

If they want you and you think going with them might be useful, go back to them and negotiate the t&cs you will sign up under. I do think the ...find alternative accommodation and pay any difference in the event of the property being unavailable and more is difficult because there must be a very small number of properties that are properly disabled-friendly and to be able to conjour one up to the same specification (or better) within a week or two's notice if your house (or you) suffer a catastrophic event simply isn't practical.

You could probably agree to a full refund under such circumstances though so see if the t&cs can be varied. If you are reasonable and they will not negotiate, don't go with them.
Kingyclan
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Post by Kingyclan »

Thank you Normandie - as usual the advice from those who've been in the game longer is invaluable.
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