OD "Review Your Guest"

OTA = Online Travel Agency, which means those sites that sell the booking and take the payment for you.
russellt
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2014 8:03 am
Location: Ivybridge, Devon, UK
Contact:

Post by russellt »

Just been asked by TA to review my recent guests before they will release the guest's review. :evil:

Have superglued my fingers to the desk in case I reply in haste to TA, then regret it later. :shock:

Where is this all going?? Are the OTAs losing the plot, or have they simply lost entire respect for the owners and think they can treat us with complete disdain?

(The guest booked another week, DIRECT, and saved £75 on booking fees! :D )
Web: https://yofftoo.com/property/esmes-cottage
Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @esmescottage
FelicityA
Posts: 2816
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:54 pm
Location: Cotswolds
Contact:

Post by FelicityA »

Does this just apply if you are on commission, I wonder? I have a listing on TA but the last couple of reviews appeared straight away, without me even having an option to say whether or not the people stayed. They did, but did not book through there! I did not get any request to review them, just to respond to the review.

Perhaps this is very new. I have refused to review anyone on VRBO. I will do it on AirbnB if I ever get a booking from them as that is their 'norm' but I did not sign up to the other sites on this basis.
russellt
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2014 8:03 am
Location: Ivybridge, Devon, UK
Contact:

Post by russellt »

FelicityA wrote:Does this just apply if you are on commission, I wonder?
I don't know. I'm on commission with them. A recent review from a non-HLTA booking didn't ask for a review of the guest.

Reviewing the guest: A load of old nonsense which I won't be participating in for soooo many reasons, many already discussed in this thread.
Web: https://yofftoo.com/property/esmes-cottage
Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @esmescottage
User avatar
PW in Polemi
Posts: 1781
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:23 am
Location: A village in Paphos, Cyprus

Post by PW in Polemi »

FelicityA wrote:Does this just apply if you are on commission, I wonder?
No. We're on subscription with no on-line booking and no on-line payment (we want to be in control of who stays in our cottage so does that make us control freaks? :lol: )
We've had to review a couple of guests, both this year and last, before being able to read their review... And I don't know whether, if you leave it long enough, the review they left will be uploaded and if so, whether you will still be able to post a reply to it. :x
Dogs have masters. Cats have slaves!
FelicityA
Posts: 2816
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:54 pm
Location: Cotswolds
Contact:

Post by FelicityA »

Think it must be HL or VHR. I am on Flipkey with no fee, no online payments and this has never happened to me.
Joanna
Posts: 1091
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:12 pm
Location: Chester, North West England & Sidmouth, East Devon
Contact:

Post by Joanna »

We've just had this - we're on HL and TA. It didn't happen with our last review in April from a guest that hadn't booked through TA. This time the guest did book through them.

I don't want to rate them because, like others, I'm off site so I don't know if they kept the house rules, etc. It says that I have 11 days to review him. Hopefully after that I'll be able to see his review and reply. Does anyone know if that's how it works?
Jo

Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
russellt
Posts: 353
Joined: Tue Dec 09, 2014 8:03 am
Location: Ivybridge, Devon, UK
Contact:

Post by russellt »

Joanna wrote:Hopefully after that I'll be able to see his review and reply.
Yes, that's how it works. I think they hold you in suspense for 15 days, and the wording is such that you feel that you need to do their bidding in order to see the review. It's pathetic.
Web: https://yofftoo.com/property/esmes-cottage
Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @esmescottage
Joanna
Posts: 1091
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:12 pm
Location: Chester, North West England & Sidmouth, East Devon
Contact:

Post by Joanna »

Thanks Russellt :D
Jo

Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
Post Reply