VRBO....it's still happening!!

[debk]

So vrbo has sent the enquirer confirmation of the enquiries, but not passed them on to me the advertiser yet.

Yikes. Worst of all scenarios.

I did get a VRBO inquiry yesterday. Paolo, do you have any idea how wide-spread and/or intermittent this might be?

Yes, Alan, I get results from VRBO. Not as many as last year but that could be because my availability is tight due to Adwords. Perhaps, though, the lack of VRBO inquiries is due to this horrid inquiry problem.

After trying a number of sites, free and paid, I am only using holiday-rentals and VRBO this year. My results, of course, will vary from everyone else's based upon our location, target market, etc, but here's what I have thru today for 2005 for our main property:

CASH IN POCKET
60% of bookings came from Personal Website inquiries
15% of bookings came from h-r
15% of bookings came from vrbo
(rest from residual postings on other sites)

EFFECTIVENESS (% of inquiries converting to bookings)
100% of Referrals from prior guests
50% of VRBO inquiries
36% of Personal Website inquiries
31% of Holiday-Rental inquiries

As you can see, I don't like the idea that I might be missing VRBO inquiries. Will send myself a few inquiries today and tomorrow and see how it goes...

[paolo]

You are not instilling a lot of confidence in the qualities of VRBO with this. I am not one of their advertisiers and it's not a site I like the look of. But, it's results that count. Does it produce enquiries for you?

It does produce results, yes. vrbo has always been the best site for me in terms of enquiries. As you say, it's not much to look at, but it seems to work.

Paolo, do you have any idea how wide-spread and/or intermittent this might be?

This problem is new to me, although it is the same as Tansy was reporting. I have no idea how widespread it is. With all the spam filters and blacklists now, it could be nothing to do with vrbo. I'll ask them what they have to say on it.

[BeachRental]

I use VRBO and have been extremely pleased with their results. I just booked a week in September this morning (even if they did call at 6:00 a.m). My inquiries come very timely. Probably 1/2 or more bookings come from vrbo.com

[Alan Knighting]

Tell me about VRBO.

Does it involve the payment of one annual fee with no further commissions, etc.?

Do all enquiries come direct to the owner?

Does the owner correspond direct with the renter?

Are all payments made direct from the renter to the owner?

Alan

[debk]

Alan,
yes
yes
yes
yes

www.vrbo.com

i believe it is the largest listing site in the states, in terms of properties. it was recommended to me by another portuguese vacation owner, based upon her success.

[Alan Knighting]

Debk,

Thanks for that. A bit like me, straight and simple.

Alan

[debk]

Ah... but no one has ever accused me of being fluffy! That's how they tell us apart.

[Alan Knighting]

Ah... but no one has ever accused me of being fluffy! That's how they tell us apart.

If you remember where the fluffy thing came from, do you mean you were left out to dry?

Alan

[debk]

Aye, it's a sad, sad tale but when I was young my parents hung me out to dry... fortunately, my husband is a bit like our fearless forum owner and likes the scratchy type!

[paolo]

Do I sense flickers of life in the unlamented towels thread? (By the way, our dryer broke and I can definitely confirm: line-dried, rigid towels are best...)

[Alan Knighting]

Paolo,

It's not good-v-bad. It's not right-v-wrong. It's personal preference.

That's why I choose to shop in a shop and don't shop on e-bay (well, not very much). That's why I choose to build my own holiday and don't take a package.

Alan

[paolo]

Alan,

Here I must take a stand. Fluffy towels are not only inferior to hard, rasping ones, they are also immoral. And they don't dry as well.

[Alan Knighting]

Alan,

Here I must take a stand. Fluffy towels are not only inferior to hard, rasping ones, they are also immoral. And they don't dry as well.

It's not just you taking a stand, it's the towels as well. So stiff you can stand them in the corner.

Do you use dusters or sandpaper when doing the housekeeping?

Do you use "Silvo" or "Brillo" when cleaning the silver?

Do you wear sackcloth or wool?

It's all down to personal choice.

Happy scratching.

Alan

[tansy]

Just to take you back to VRBO....they never re-imbursed me either...so I am not their biggest fan by any means.

I spoke to the folk that made the one and only booking via VRBO.com (on the telephone from the States)....they weren't too impressed with VRBO themselves as users, as they had sent out lots of enquiries and didn't hear back from anyone - they rang me in the end because they wanted our place on Utah Beach so much....so it looks like I rest my case...on both sides!

[paolo]

Until recently I would have said that vrbo has the best service of any listing site I had experienced, but what I am reading here tells me that they have not expanded that side of their operation in line with their rapid growth.

But poor service is nothing compared to not sending on enquiries. That is calamitous, because even if potential renters then see my house elsewhere on the net, they will not bother enquiring because they will think I won't reply. It has been 48 hours since I sent myself test enquiries and still nothing.