HomeAway more or less telling guests to cancel.

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Renaud2
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:47 am

HomeAway more or less telling guests to cancel.

Post by Renaud2 »

I have just seen the following email sent to all booked guests from HomAway.

"Navigating holiday plans around COVID-19"

"Dear traveller,
We understand the hesitation to travel in light of COVID-19. Family is our number-one priority, and that certainly includes yours. We want you to make the best decisions for your family’s safety and well-being, and know that we’ll be here when you’re ready to reconnect and decompress on a getaway together.
Homeowners and property managers who list homes on HomeAway have been encouraged to adopt more flexible cancellation policies in light of COVID-19 and offer full refunds to those who wish to cancel for concerns for their family's well-being.
Everyone deserves something to look forward to, and will need a break to reconnect with one another when this stress recedes. There are fully refundable holiday options around the world, and we hope HomeAway can play a role in your family’s next great holiday, whenever that may be.
Here are some tips for handling current or future reservations:
Tips for updating holidays you already booked

Adjust your holiday from your traveller account
From your account, open your upcoming reservation to adjust or cancel your dates. If you are making changes outside the cancellation policy window, please contact the owner for refund options.

Reach out to the owner
Homeowners and property managers who list their homes on HomeAway set and enforce their own cancellation policies. We are finding new ways to reward their flexibility and understanding during this time, and we encourage you to try to work out exceptions to their policies with them first.

Visit the HomeAway Help Page for current policies
The help page has details on our policies and what they extend to. This page will be updated as new information becomes available.

Contact Customer Support
As always, our customer support team is here to help with questions about your traveler service fee or instructions for changing or cancelling a reservation.

Tips for booking an upcoming holiday

Look out for flexible cancellation policies
Homeowners and property managers are highly encouraged to adopt flexible policies for cancellations and refunds during this time — you can find the owner’s refund policy on the property page. You can also hover over the Free Cancellation badge when searching for holiday homes to see how much time you have to cancel without charge. Be sure to enter the destination and dates to see the badge.

Look for something closer to home
Opt for a holiday within driving distance instead of a long flight. Find a place where you and your family can all be just far enough from home to feel like a holiday.

As you evaluate future stays, we encourage you to review local travel recommendations and restrictions, in addition to following guidance from the World Health Organization.
Connecting with family is important — especially during times of stress and anxiety. We support and encourage your family to be strong together, wherever it is you choose to spend this time.
Stay well, and stay together,
Jeff Hurst and the entire HomeAway Family"

So, what is the point of advertising with HomeAway?

They try to force us to accept payments only through them, charge about 10% on top for a 'service fee' that provides next to nothing, delays paying homeowners until after the guest has gone, and now encourages guests to cancel, even if the owner has set a policy of no cancellation. We rely almost 100% on our rental income, which is why we set a no refund policy.

I have just sent them an email asking the above question, detailing why they are no longer worth advertising with, and asking for a response. I doubt whether I will get one.
I would ask all remaining advertisers with HomeAway to email them asap telling them that they are undermining our businesses and that you are reviewing whether or not to continue advertising with them.


Thoughts?
Sunbeam
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2015 5:24 pm
Location: Spain

Post by Sunbeam »

We have just seen this email too and completely agree

Our thoughts:

1) HomeAway are treating Owners as if we are all the same - we are not.
- Some of us rely on holiday lets for our sole income
- Some are renting a holiday/second home with a separate income source
- Some people own their properties outright, some have mortgages

(there will be others too)

2) The HomeAway Help page advises guests to first contact the owner to discuss the cancellation policy; then to contact their insurance company; and then to contact their credit card company. Why has this not been mentioned in the email they have just sent to guests - they are putting the full burden on Owners.

3) HomeAway should not tell customers to contact owners to ask for a refund, putting us in a very awkward position when we have to enforce our cancellation policy and making us seem like we are going against an "official HomeAway line"

4) Guests have the opportunity to choose a property with varying degrees of flexibility around cancellation, before they book. And Owners choose their degree of flexibility around their own circumstances - potentially making the property less attractive because of a strict cancellation policy.

5) HomeAway could perhaps have asked guests to be understanding if an owner was not able to be flexible on their cancellation terms.

ie. There is no mention of livelihoods of Owners and the people who help them (pool maintenance, cleaning etc) plus the wider effect on an area that may rely on tourism for survival (bars, activity companies, guides etc). Compared to loosing a holiday (which may be a small outlay in comparison to their salary) it could help put things into perspective for a lot of guests.

6) Owners are generally flexible if there is an unexpected cancellation and will try to re-book a week in order to refund a guest - but cancelled weeks during this Coronavirus situation are unlikely to be filled.

Interested to know how Jeff Hurst would feel if he didn't have a job for the rest of the year.

We will be putting this to HomeAway too.
newtimber
Posts: 1945
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:57 pm
Location: Brighton
Contact:

Re: HomeAway more or less telling guests to cancel.

Post by newtimber »

Renaud2 wrote:
So, what is the point of advertising with HomeAway?

They try to force us to accept payments only through them, charge about 10% on top for a 'service fee' that provides next to nothing, delays paying homeowners until after the guest has gone, and now encourages guests to cancel, even if the owner has set a policy of no cancellation. We rely almost 100% on our rental income, which is why we set a no refund policy.

I have just sent them an email asking the above question, detailing why they are no longer worth advertising with, and asking for a response.
Because you are still with them and they think you will remain with them whatever they do. This being the case, why should they care about you when their main income comes from guests not owners.
Renaud2
Posts: 32
Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:47 am

Post by Renaud2 »

They should care about owners, as without owners they will have no properties to advertise, no bookings being made, and therefore no income.
Without owners they have no product. It's that simple.
SW31
Posts: 86
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2014 5:02 pm
Location: Haute Garonne, France

Post by SW31 »

Sorry, owner has the right to set their cancellation policies. Guests should have taken out travel insurance when they booked their holiday. Then if FO say no travel unless essential the travel insurance kicks in. We are not responsible if airlines ground flights or FO degrees only essential travel.
newtimber
Posts: 1945
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:57 pm
Location: Brighton
Contact:

Post by newtimber »

Renaud2 wrote:They should care about owners, as without owners they will have no properties to advertise, no bookings being made, and therefore no income.
Without owners they have no product. It's that simple.
The current owners just sell to another owner who is told that holiday lets are a money spinner. The current owner wants to get a high price so says the same thing and the merry-go-round continues...
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