I have only ever used HolidayLettings/TripAdvisor for online agency bookings, and use their commission only service. So I have no experience of HA/VRBO, but the debate is informative.
HL/TA faq still says 'Please note: if you have an annual listing, guests do not pay a booking fee'.
So, are HL/TA sitting back waiting for VRBO's subscribers to jump ship, or do you think they will consider this apparently greed-motivated suicidal business move in the future?
Do you know what I think? I think that Brian Sharples took on board the fact that Expedia had failed to make the holiday rental business work on it's hotel rental model so he set out to make a viable alternative in HomeAway. His plan, right from the start, was to make it work, buy up all other similar companies (VRBO/OD etc) with one sole aim in mind .... to ensure that once he had cornered the holiday rental business he would sell it to Expedia who will be quite happy to kill it. Brian Sharples never had any interest in making a long term success of HA et al - he just wanted to sell out to Expedia and make his fortune.
I believe he lied back then and he continues to lie now.
Do you know what I think? I think that Brian Sharples took on board the fact that Expedia had failed to make the holiday rental business work on it's hotel rental model so he set out to make a viable alternative in HomeAway. His plan, right from the start, was to make it work, buy up all other similar companies (VRBO/OD etc) with one sole aim in mind .... to ensure that once he had cornered the holiday rental business he would sell it to Expedia who will be quite happy to kill it. Brian Sharples never had any interest in making a long term success of HA et al - he just wanted to sell out to Expedia and make his fortune.
I believe he lied back then and he continues to lie now.
No proof, just my thoughts.
You have just decribed the American/Venture Capital business model - you seemed surprised?
"Write something, even if it's just a suicide note"
"There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise"
"As for my amnesia, I've had it as long as I can remember"
Real name: Steve
Gender: Male
russellt wrote:I have only ever used HolidayLettings/TripAdvisor for online agency bookings, and use their commission only service. So I have no experience of HA/VRBO, but the debate is informative.
HL/TA faq still says 'Please note: if you have an annual listing, guests do not pay a booking fee'.
So, are HL/TA sitting back waiting for VRBO's subscribers to jump ship, or do you think they will consider this apparently greed-motivated suicidal business move in the future?
Any views?
TA/HL introduced traveller booking fees on their commission model listings back in 2014 just after AB had introduced it. These properties have priority over subscription model listings in the rankings. It's just TA/HL jumping on the bandwagon and hoping to attract a few HA/VRBO desenters from the fall out. It's an unlikely attraction to existing HA/VRBO subscription (annual) listers.
"Write something, even if it's just a suicide note"
"There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise"
"As for my amnesia, I've had it as long as I can remember"
Real name: Steve
Gender: Male
Agree with whats being said on here about HA. They are riding roughshod over the owners is some ways. No consultation, rule the roost via the website. Recently they sent me the usual email invitation to introduce a new owner, and the day before I was chatting with a potential new owner joining up. So I filled in his details on the lead page of the email only to discover I should have entered mine. Well, the whole darn thing fouled up and they have never sorted it out despite 4 phone calls. Leaving me well under impressed and £50 down. The back room boys may be well qualified, but common sense is missing. They spend so much time messing with the site and changing things. I thought there was an American saying " If it ain't broke don't fix it." And on top of this, they like hiding the ordinary everyday things we need to access, as in the post above.
I really never thought I would say this but I am considering ( as a potential VRBO refugee) rejoining HL on subscription. I stormed out in high dudgeon in 2013 as their IT foul ups daily messed with my listing. I went to FlipKey, not realising that it had become a tainted product which now has virtually crashed and burned. I managed to persuade someone to change me from commission to subscription before this was made widely available again. I think they are trying to rescue something from the ashes. The trouble is the FK commission model is indistinguishable now from the HL listing ( subscription or commission)to the average visitor to Trip Advisor so I think the folly of one ( greed in their fees) has ruined the reputation of the other. I suppose anyway that they now charge the same to the guest on the commission model?
There is no doubt though that I benefit from TA reviews as I often get people booking on my website who mention them so they must have found me originally there. I want to retain those reviews so I am going to have to pay one or the other ( you can only cut and paste on Vacationhomerental) in order to achieve that.
FelicityA wrote:I really never thought I would say this but I am considering ( as a potential VRBO refugee) rejoining HL on subscription. I stormed out in high dudgeon in 2013 as their IT foul ups daily messed with my listing. I went to FlipKey, not realising that it had become a tainted product which now has virtually crashed and burned. I managed to persuade someone to change me from commission to subscription before this was made widely available again. I think they are trying to rescue something from the ashes. The trouble is the FK commission model is indistinguishable now from the HL listing ( subscription or commission)to the average visitor to Trip Advisor so I think the folly of one ( greed in their fees) has ruined the reputation of the other. I suppose anyway that they now charge the same to the guest on the commission model?
There is no doubt though that I benefit from TA reviews as I often get people booking on my website who mention them so they must have found me originally there. I want to retain those reviews so I am going to have to pay one or the other ( you can only cut and paste on Vacationhomerental) in order to achieve that.
Listing with FK or HL will get you a duplicate listing on the other as well as TA as you well know. What you should consider is the market you want to target and in particualr the natural currency that you want to use as the basis of your tarifff. The changes to the TA dashboard has highlighted a number of important issues to owners - not just which one I like bestist - but how the $ or £ are shown to travellers. As a UK based owner listing on FK in GBP will show the listing in USD converted at some stupid exchange rate. When a traveller then selects GBP they get a price that bears no resemblance to your originally entered tariff. You should also remember that FK is TA's site of choice so if you pick FK then you will find your property on about 80 affiliate sites that you have no control over - this doesn't seem to happen with an original HL listings (for now anyway).
Also, remember that the PayPal special arrangments for HL subscription model listings is expirevaporating as we speak; so you will now have to pay the 3% (+VAT) payment processing fee if you choose to have on-line payments. A commission model listing is 3% (+VAT) all in - no annual fees for the owner but a booking fee to guests.
"Write something, even if it's just a suicide note"
"There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise"
"As for my amnesia, I've had it as long as I can remember"
Real name: Steve
Gender: Male
According to this HA customer service rep, the service fee has always been there, it was just included on the rental amount!It appears that this video has now gone viral....
AngloDutch wrote:According to this HA customer service rep, the service fee has always been there, it was just included on the rental amount!It appears that this video has now gone viral....
I bet Brian won't be happy about this - the lying 84$t4rd$!!!!!
"Write something, even if it's just a suicide note"
"There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise"
"As for my amnesia, I've had it as long as I can remember"
Real name: Steve
Gender: Male
AngloDutch wrote:According to this HA customer service rep, the service fee has always been there, it was just included on the rental amount!It appears that this video has now gone viral....
AngloDutch wrote:According to this HA customer service rep, the service fee has always been there, it was just included on the rental amount!It appears that this video has now gone viral....
"The service fee is not something new. It's been there before. It was just included in the price"
This is true. Its just the timing of events that is a little bit of a teeny weeny misdirection
When Traveller fee was first introduced in 2016, it was included in the the price to travellers and not broken out separately. Some hours, maybe days after it was introduced, and in response to a massive outcry from owners/managers it was broken out separately.
tavi wrote:For those who are not following the story on Facebook pages in the US one of the "say no to VRBO" page members has filed a lawsuit against HA.
I'm following them on Facebook. My home page is buzzing with posts, so much so, that I have to scroll down loads to find anything that doesn't actual relate to VRBO!
thank you Sean. This unethical practice of slipping in additional fees without advising their clients (the homeowners) is unconscionable. For the homeowners who have tried to skirt around the forced book it now feature their listings have been disabled until they took off the verbiage. These subscriptions are paid for and for Home Away/VRBO to police and bully the renters is beyond words. This has caused a great hardship for those that rent their homes. Renters don’t want to pay an additional 10 percent for fees that they don’t understand. To my understanding this fee was set up to enhance the rental experience and have a stellar 24 hour customer service. I must ask, for the money that was paid by subscription or by pay by booking did they not offer excellent customer service. How does a fee make your customer service better?
TA lurkers walk among us; the LMH Walking Dead
dont mess in the affairs of cats for they are subtle and will p on your computer.
but I am considering ( as a potential VRBO refugee) rejoining HL on subscription. I stormed out in high dudgeon in 2013 as their IT foul ups daily messed with my listing. I went to FlipKey, not realising that it had become a tainted product which now has virtually crashed and burned. I managed to persuade someone to change me from commission to subscription before this was made widely available again. I think they are trying to rescue something from the ashes. The trouble is the FK commission model is indistinguishable now from the HL listing ( subscription or commission)to the average visitor to Trip Advisor so I think the folly of one ( greed in their fees) has ruined the reputation of the other. I suppose anyway that they now charge the same to the guest on the commission model?
