Lay My Hat

Just renewed (very reluctantly) with OD and forgot to ask about how they will be managing my £150 security deposit.

I'm assuming that the £150 will be paid over to me along with the rental once my guests have moved in. So when my guests leave I can check all is well and reimburse them £150.

However, I'm also assuming that OD's "service" (ha!) charge will have been levied on that £150.

Has anyone had any guest demand reimbursement of their security deposit + OD's service charge?

Assuming it's the same as the HA system (on subscriptions that is). I've just taken a booking under this new system, and once HA have received their service fee everything is payable direct to you. However, I know they're changing the rules all the time and some people are under the system where all monies are paid to HA and eventually doled out to you the owner, once the guest arrives. So it all depends on who was in charge on the day you signed up with them.....

My understanding is that they pay back the security deposit by taking it from your bank account automatically after the guest has left unless they here oitherwise from you (at least thats what happened last year). And they charge you 3% transaction fee for the privelidge of taking the money from your account (after charging you 3% to deposit the money in your account). Heads they win, tails you lose/

KathyG wrote:Assuming it's the same as the HA system (on subscriptions that is). I've just taken a booking under this new system, and once HA have received their service fee everything is payable direct to you. However, I know they're changing the rules all the time and some people are under the system where all monies are paid to HA and eventually doled out to you the owner, once the guest arrives. So it all depends on who was in charge on the day you signed up with them.....

Hello Kathy, I'm not sure I understand. I understood I had no option. I will not receive the money until after my guests check in. Are you implying there is an alternative?

Dusty wrote:My understanding is that they pay back the security deposit by taking it from your bank account automatically after the guest has left unless they here oitherwise from you (at least thats what happened last year). And they charge you 3% transaction fee for the privelidge of taking the money from your account (after charging you 3% to deposit the money in your account). Heads they win, tails you lose/

Hello Dusty. I've completely missed this. Are you telling me I am going to be charged as well as my guest? The guy on the phone really did not explain this. I need to call OD and find out what's going on. Thanks.

Thanks Dusty, I have just had a bitter conversation with some poor woman on their help line. I kept reassuring her my comments were not aimed at her and that I hoped my conversation with her was being recorded.

So, at the moment, I pay no charges to my bank for a BACs transfer of their security deposit back to my guest when they leave, usually done in a day or so.

Now I learn that OD will charge me £4.50 for the "pleasure" of taking my guest's deposit from my account and paying it back to my guest after 7 days. And that if I have any concerns and want any of the money retained it's up to me to contact OD within those 7 days. I also need to confirm with my guests as they leave that they will not see their deposit for at least 7 days.

This just confirms for me yet again that I hope to heaven that I get NO bookings via OD itself and that I need to do my best to make sure people find me directly via google.

SPJ wrote:

KathyG wrote:Assuming it's the same as the HA system (on subscriptions that is). I've just taken a booking under this new system, and once HA have received their service fee everything is payable direct to you. However, I know they're changing the rules all the time and some people are under the system where all monies are paid to HA and eventually doled out to you the owner, once the guest arrives. So it all depends on who was in charge on the day you signed up with them.....

Hello Kathy, I'm not sure I understand. I understood I had no option. I will not receive the money until after my guests check in. Are you implying there is an alternative?

There WAS when I renewed last August but it changes on a monthly basis. At the time they told me that they were leaving Yapstone and then they would run payments themselves "so that owners would receive their money as the guest pays it". That hasn't happened then!

KathyG wrote: At the time they told me that they were leaving Yapstone and then they would run payments themselves "so that owners would receive their money as the guest pays it". That hasn't happened then!

Sadly not.

SPJ wrote:
So, at the moment, I pay no charges to my bank for a BACs transfer of their security deposit back to my guest when they leave, usually done in a day or so.

Now I learn that OD will charge me £4.50 for the "pleasure" of taking my guest's deposit from my account and paying it back to my guest after 7 days. And that if I have any concerns and want any of the money retained it's up to me to contact OD within those 7 days. I also need to confirm with my guests as they leave that they will not see their deposit for at least 7 days.

If all payment has been handled through OD/HA, then they hold the security deposit and it is returned to the guest roughly 2 weeks after they have left. If you report damage to them (OD) then they pay you the security deposit. This has been my experience and I've had many rentals operating this way. I am not charged for the refund of the security to the guest and the service fee is entirely independent of it.

Guests complain to me that they haven't had their security deposit returned and I explain that it is in the hands of OD. I have not as yet had to claim money back from the security deposit via OD and I would expect they will levy a charge for the transaction as that is their way.

So SPJ has bee told iI is a chargeable service yet Rebelemc isn't charged.

This is why I hate these big companies....no one has a clue what is going on.

Any further clarification? If I have to pay them for it to be returned then I'm not taking a DD on their bookings. Simple. I'll find another way.

Mousie
x

SPJ wrote: So, at the moment, I pay no charges to my bank for a BACs transfer of their security deposit back to my guest when they leave, usually done in a day or so.

Be warned also that, if the guest pays by credit card then they charge you 3% when they pay you and 3% when they refund the damage deposit.

I realise now I need two sets of terms and conditions. One set for guests who come to me directly (ie the T&C that I have now) and another set for people who come via Owners Direct that makes it absolutely clear that it is Owners Direct who is charging a service fee, Owners Direct who is holding their money and Owners Direct who is responsible for refunding the security deposit.

At the moment I have nothing but five star reviews. With all of this, having Owners Direct between me and my guests, I fear for any slippage in standard of service. Yet again, I have to say, I'm on their web site but I want no business through them!

Just to explain how this currently works for me on OD/HA.

I am on the commission model so all of my payments are sent after the traveller checks in.

From my experience Travellers do not get Service Fee charged for damage deposit nor as an Owner do we get charged commission on this amount.

When a Traveller pays the damage deposit, this amount is held by HA and is sent back to the Traveller in 7 days if no damage is reported. I am not charged any fees on this amount unless I were to reclaim the deposit due to damages etc...

I had to claim half of the damage deposit once due to a guest damaging the property and I was only charged a transaction fee for the amount I kept.

John

I was told by OD that for any new bookings taken since last July they hold the security deposits, like TripAdvisor, and return them seven days later. They still put in and take out the deposits from my account for bookings earlier than last July. Hope that helps?

Well I’m now none the wiser! Just had an email from a guest saying it’s been over three weeks and she’s not received her deposit back.

Looking at my OD account it’s showing I have to activate the refund, but looking at another recent booking it was done yesterday automatically, which is what I thought happened if you don’t need to intervene.

...I’ve just gone to the refund action and it also gives me the option to refund any amount of the deposit with a description