Fewo-direkt is not working for us anymore... our answer is

OTA = Online Travel Agency, which means those sites that sell the booking and take the payment for you.
noud
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Fewo-direkt is not working for us anymore... our answer is

Post by noud »

We were always happy with fewo-direkt. Untill last year 60 % of our bookings originated there. Now, with HomeAway and Expedia ruling this site we do not have 1 single booking. We did everything they asked: ONLINE BOOKING, ONLINE PAYMENT, DIRECT BOOKING ETC ETC. It seems that the german market isn't in for paying with creditcard.
Also the outrageous extra costs (some 35%) on our own price makes our house simply too expensive I think.

so we made our own site in Germany. Have a look at our blogpost about this matter: http://ferienhausaufmadeira.de/ein-feri ... ira-suchen
AndrewH
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Re: Fewo-direkt is not working for us anymore... our answer

Post by AndrewH »

noud wrote:It seems that the german market isn't in for paying with creditcard.
That seems to be the case as I have read elsewhere on LMH. I don't suppose Fewo-Direkt handled money (via their payments agency) before Expedia decided differently, and hence the very large decline in your bookings through that particular site.
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

I believe many Germans don't possess a credit card, and there are other payment options instead. Giropay is one. Could this be set up as an alternative payment method?
noud
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OFF COURSE GERMANS HAVE A CREDITCARD

Post by noud »

I cannot believe that Germans do not have a creditcard. They just do not do online payments. And Fewo-direkt was just a listingsite. Now they changed their policy and they grab all money they can lay their hands on. On top of all their fees for the vacationers they collect also my money for the listing. I hope they will meet their downfall as I for one will not renew my listing. I hope a lot of thers will do the same.
Zur Alten Weinkelter
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Post by Zur Alten Weinkelter »

Germans do not really like to use credit cards however this is changing for the younger couples
we also have problem even when some english guests are here & want to use C/C is restaurants & bars they are still a cash country

i think they also don't like paying over the top on these OTA sites
you are not alone with business going downhill with HA OD & TA etc... they are on my review list for 2018 however at the moment i am only listed on their sites on Pay per booking i was not going to pay the inflated annual rates for no business or support

if you want to attract germans having a german website is good also with an easy way for them to pay most of my guests pay by bank transfer but i am in the same country so no charges but my market is short breaks german tend to spend their main sun breaks (2-3 weeks) in villas or AI hotels try " googling " FEWO FERIENWOHUNGEN with your location maybe some german only sites will come up that will not load on the charges for both the owners & guests or Comparison sites are popular ... i am looking at taking credit cards from 2018 " i still have to sort out a system" as a lot of younger guests are asking but i take Paypal at the moment it is just some of the last minute bookings & charging for cancelations or no shows
When it comes to wine, I tell people to invest in a good corkscrew. The best way to learn about wine is the drinking

The truth is the best German wine remains in Germany
So forget your memories of Blue Nun & Black Tower
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

I have been next to Germans paying for hotel rooms. Many of them are very unfamiliar with the credit card machine and the payment process used in UK and France. The payment card (EC-Karte) most of them use in Germany is not a Visa or Mastercard, it works like a direct debit.
Jenster
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Post by Jenster »

I have had a couple of bookings through Fewo-direkt. Both paid me by bank transfer and did not pay the service fee - I just provided my bank details by email and marked it as paid in my dashboard.

Not sure how it will work now I hear that email addresses will not be provided until the guest has paid the deposit - I wonder if the OD messaging system will block bank details too?

I love German guests...I am now considering running some fb ads with German target audiences as I have had success with this in the UK.
Zur Alten Weinkelter
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Post by Zur Alten Weinkelter »

hells bells yes the EC karte is like the Uk Debit Card & some are going contactless this year

i think the older germans dont like credit cards because of the charges and debt

Jenster ... on my recent visit to the uk i picked up a copy of a magazine from my local german airport ( frankfurt Hahn ) think it was called Cornwall living and it was in German
i gave it to one of my neighbours as they were think of traveling to the UK next year but i had a quick look and there was a selection of classified ads in the back if i have the title right it might be worth giving the publisher a call as it looks as if the cornish tourism are doing a bit of marketing in Germany ... i am due to visit the airport at the end of next week & i will have a look for the correct info
When it comes to wine, I tell people to invest in a good corkscrew. The best way to learn about wine is the drinking

The truth is the best German wine remains in Germany
So forget your memories of Blue Nun & Black Tower
noud
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Post by noud »

I am now considering running some fb ads with German target audiences as I have had success with this in the UK
Jenster> is there a site or something where I can realy read how it works
Jenster
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Post by Jenster »

Zur Alten Weinkelter wrote:hells bells yes the EC karte is like the Uk Debit Card & some are going contactless this year

i think the older germans dont like credit cards because of the charges and debt

Jenster ... on my recent visit to the uk i picked up a copy of a magazine from my local german airport ( frankfurt Hahn ) think it was called Cornwall living and it was in German
i gave it to one of my neighbours as they were think of traveling to the UK next year but i had a quick look and there was a selection of classified ads in the back if i have the title right it might be worth giving the publisher a call as it looks as if the cornish tourism are doing a bit of marketing in Germany ... i am due to visit the airport at the end of next week & i will have a look for the correct info
Thanks Zur Alten Weinkelter, sounds promising. I'll do a bit of googling, Visit Cornwall or other tourism organisations may well be promoting in other European countries.
Jenster
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Post by Jenster »

noud wrote:
I am now considering running some fb ads with German target audiences as I have had success with this in the UK
Jenster> is there a site or something where I can realy read how it works
The Facebook help pages are ok..I have just muddled through really. If you google 'Facebook advertising' there are bound to be 'how to' articles etc...some may charge but there will be a few free guides I would guess.
ianh100
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Post by ianh100 »

We get a couple of bookings a year from German customers, they have always paid using the OD tools. I wonder what additional bookings we could be missing. With the pound so weak I was hoping we would get more Euro country bookings this year.
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AngloDutch
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Post by AngloDutch »

Most of our bookings from Germany come via Fewo-direkt and this year has been not only the best ever in twelve years for bookings from Germany (six bookings so far from Germany through the HA group for 2017 dates), but the best ever for bookings through OD in general (currently eight for 2017 dates).

We have three separate listings for our farmhouse on Fewo-direkt (VR/OD and Travelmob) but the Germans always pick the OD listing because, as the rates are set in GBP, they are quoted a lower price in Euros than the auto quotes showing on our VR listing.

Though problems occur when some of our German guests decide to go through OD to complete the booking with a credit card and wonder why they are being charged in Pounds, with the resulting Euro amounts being charged by their card issuers differing from what was originally quoted by Fewo-direkt (especially when they go later to pay the balance payments, and the Pound has suddenly increased in value). Though it looks like that problem is going to be resolved, taking the state of the Pound into consideration :shock: (wonder how many will contact us to query why the balance payment is now less? :lol: )

About 25% of our German guests enter their credit card details and book through OD without enquiring first, so we let those bookings just run their course. If they enquire, we reply directly to their own email address (as we are on subscription with OD) but offer them two options - pay through OD with the service fee added, but if they don't have a credit card, then they can pay us directly.
I have told HA several times that they are losing revenue by not allowing the many alternative payments used in Europe (just look at the payment options available when you book though ABB), but it seems that they haven't done anything about this. So, if guests want to book via the OD system because they find it gives them added security, no problem for us, but we don't want to lose guests because they don't understand how the automated booking procedure worked or because they don't have a credit card.

We believe that one reason for the surge (apart from that many of the competition on OD has disappeared now :lol: ) could be that we have now begun to promote the lakes nearby to us, and many Germans seem to find lake-swimming as acceptable as jumping in the North sea. Many of our enquiries from Germany have always included the question of the distance to the beach and the fact that we are ninety minutes from the coast seems to have put many of them off booking over the years.

Also, our experiences with German guests are extremely positive, including being very observant of our house rules. The three German families who stayed with us last week organised themselves into groups on the last day and set about tidying and cleaning everything. Never seen anything like it before. One man cleaning the garden furniture, while at the same time another tackling the BBQ (a proper clean, which often does not happen, does it?) and the vacuum cleaner could be heard being used inside. At 10.00 a.m. they were all sitting on the chairs in the garden looking exhausted....most impressed!

Also, the general level of spoken English among Germans is very good. We have never had a German group where no one spoke English. Only last year did we have a family group from Berlin where it was difficult to communicate, with their poor 21-year-old daughter who worked at a 5* hotel reception having to translate everything back and forward
:o
noud
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Post by noud »

Jenster have you or anyone else experience with google adwords ????
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