Lay My Hat

Using some of the figures from Essar's document I have written this blog post on the booking/service fees and commission that OTAs charge owners and guests. Feel free to share it but if you rewrite a similar blog please can you change the text significantly so neither you not I get penalised for plagiarism by Google. Can you also please add the link to Essar's website as he did so much of the data collecting

http://eco-gites.blogspot.fr/2016/01/in ... -more.html

Nicely written. Think I will share that if I may.

Thank you Kev and please do share. A comment on the post would be nice too

I think we should get in contact with Martin Lewis. Although I blame him for the fact that most people haggle these days he would be the perfect person to get the message across to the public

Very nice post, Rosie. I have something a bit similar ready to go out in the next few days too - and hopefully more of us will do the same!

French Cricket wrote:Very nice post, Rosie. I have something a bit similar ready to go out in the next few days too - and hopefully more of us will do the same!

Thank you FC and thank you for your comment - let me have a link to your post when you publish it.

Thank you, for a newcomer I learnt a lot. Well written and very informative.

It is excellent, Rosie. I will think of places to share it as it deserves a wider audience.

roxytoo wrote:I think we should get in contact with Martin Lewis. Although I blame him for the fact that most people haggle these days he would be the perfect person to get the message across to the public

+1. I had the same thought, but perhaps time it to when HA sites actually come on stream with 'travellers fees' alongside the rest of them. MoneySavingExpert I am sure has a huge following amongst the consuming public in the UK.

That is an excellent blog, Rosie. Peppering your listing on these sites, where you may not mention your own, with subtle hints towards finding a cheaper price on the owner's site could become an art form. Excuse me if I quote you:
"To do this look carefully through the listing as they may mention their name or location or see if any photos have the name of the property on them. You might have to be a bit of a detective but you could save yourself a small fortune by booking direct."

Thank you Felicity and Andrew ... if only I could get this bog to go viral but I suspect a lot of the public are too taken in by the media coverage that says when you book online you'll be scammed out of your money

Rosie wrote:Thank you Felicity and Andrew ... if only I could get this bog to go viral but I suspect a lot of the public are too taken in by the media coverage that says when you book online you'll be scammed out of your money

Yes, and all those dire warnings saying whatever you do don't pay by wire transfer! The way that at least 50% of my guests currently do ( if wire transfer means bank transfer...).

FelicityA wrote:

Rosie wrote:Thank you Felicity and Andrew ... if only I could get this bog to go viral but I suspect a lot of the public are too taken in by the media coverage that says when you book online you'll be scammed out of your money

Yes, and all those dire warnings saying whatever you do don't pay by wire transfer! The way that at least 50% of my guests currently do ( if wire transfer means bank transfer...).

Wire Transfer & Bank Transfer are two different things.
For Wire Transfer think "western Union".

Excellent Rosie, thank you. Not being very 'wordy' it is lovely to have my thoughts and impressions put into words!

I shall share with credits to you.

Essar wrote:
Wire Transfer & Bank Transfer are two different things.
For Wire Transfer think "western Union".

Ah. Thanks Essar. But sometimes Americans say, "I've wired you the money" when they have done a bank transfer so I was confused.

Thank you Eileen.

Please do all let me know where you are sharing this post so I can give it another share from your accounts.