Au revoir Airbnb

OTA = Online Travel Agency, which means those sites that sell the booking and take the payment for you.
Frenchlady
Posts: 187
Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:52 pm
Location: Dordogne
Contact:

Au revoir Airbnb

Post by Frenchlady »

Goodbye Airbnb. I would like to say it was nice working with you but it was not. No customer service. No contact with any real people when there is a problem. You decided to take the tax sejour from our guests instead of us - no consultation. You then take the wrong tax at a reduced rate, leaving us with the problem when our commune insists we pay it in full. Not even an apology. When you cannot answer the problem on the Help/Support page (name is a joke) you just cut off the conversation as "ended". Well, we may have a few less bookings now in 2019 but at least our guests will not be paying you 12% for the pleasure of booking with you (which they get nothing more for). Book direct at La Cachette and they only pay the room rate (and the correct tax sejour) no hidden extras.
Au revoir.
SPJ
Posts: 468
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 9:01 am
Location: Aquitaine
Contact:

Post by SPJ »

If you're looking for another marketing platform that seems more like the old OD, no service charges, contact with the guest, helpful support, then have you come across Holiday France Direct, owned by Brittany Ferries? They also offer 20% discount to your ferry passenger/guests who book through your ad on HFD.

I've joined them this summer and already got my first booking for high season next year.

I've come to them because of my frustrations with HA and it's obvious that there are lots of us joining in France from the number of us who have recent joining dates. It begins to make them a credible alternative for French gite owners and their guests. And not just for people using the ferries. My guests are flying into Bergerac.
Frenchlady
Posts: 187
Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:52 pm
Location: Dordogne
Contact:

Post by Frenchlady »

I have heard good reports about Holiday France Direct too. A bit concerned though because as we are a B&B and not a gite there are only 2 B&B's listed on their site for the Dordogne. Possibly better for gite advertising than us.
Happy Days
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 6:35 pm
Location: France

Post by Happy Days »

Hi,
I tried to register with them last season but as we are B&B with
1 Bedroom Suite they would not accept us. The fee would be too high they said. Difficult to get booking unless you sign up to the big names. Have not tried Air bnb.
SPJ
Posts: 468
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 9:01 am
Location: Aquitaine
Contact:

Post by SPJ »

Interestingly Happy Days there are some one bedroom B&B properties on their site. I've just looked. This part of their business may still be small at the moment, but maybe worth keeping an eye on in future years?
Happy Days
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 6:35 pm
Location: France

Post by Happy Days »

SPJ, I think the email said because we could only offer accommodation for 2 persons and we offered accommodation for for a minimum of 1 night we did not meet there criteria. We would have to get several bookings just to cover there subscription. They also said they were more suited to Gîtes.
I also had looked at their site in detail at the time and found some B&Bs but they also offered Gîtes.
SPJ
Posts: 468
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 9:01 am
Location: Aquitaine
Contact:

Post by SPJ »

I don't pay a subscription. I'm on their quickbook option. The guest pays £34 to HFD when they book and I reimburse them the £34 by reducing their fee to me by £34. Works really well.
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