Balance Payment

[lollybeth]

Hi

Can you help please? I'm new to this and confused!

I have just had a booking withdrawn as I am asking for the balance payment 6 weeks before departure. They think that I am trying to "swindle them" and say that no one else is asking for this. They also wanted to pay 1/2 in advance with no mention of when they were going to pay the balance.

I've got other guests that are perfectly happy with this.

Is 6 weeks reasonable?

Thanks for your help

Liz

[la vache!]

What nationality are they, Lollybeth? It could be relevant. But nevertheless, they should have been aware of your terms and conditions at the time of booking, so I can't see why they are complaining.
My terms are 6 weeks, I think most people ask for the balance 8 weeks before. My French guests pay the balance on arrival though...that is what they are use to and as I'm on site I can accommodate this easily.

[Rocket Rab]

Is 6 weeks reasonable?

More than reasonable, I'd have thought. We ask for the balance 8 weeks before arrival.

And your terms are clearly set out on your website. Looks like you're doing everything right, LB. How much do you really want the booking? You might just be doing yourself a favour if you let them walk away....

Speaking as a Rab who has, on more than one occasion, regretted allowing punters to twist her ears the wrong way, you might want to issue a polite but firm invite to meet your payment deadline.

Or else.

[vrooje]

We ask for payment six weeks in advance; it used to be 8 weeks. Both are perfectly acceptable in the field of holiday rentals.

I agree with RR. Politely stick to your terms and perhaps tell them that if you haven't received payment within X days of the due date (or X days from now if that date has passed), you'll assume they've changed their minds and will release the booked dates.

[LaVilleauTady]

Lollybeth,

We ask for it six weeks in advance, so agree that it is reasonable.

Could there be a misunderstanding? Perhaps a phone call is required to clear things up. Did you provide them with terms and conditions setting out these arrangements at the time of booking, or were things done on a more informal basis?

[enid]

We started by asking for the balance 4 weeks bfore but changed it to 8 weeks - never any problem even with French guests - but LV has more French guests than me. So not an unreasonable request at all I'd say.

[tree-peony]

8 weeks for us too

[Moliere]

Yep - 8 weeks is pretty standard. Us too.

A polite (but firm) phone call seems called for, to ascertain exactly what their problem is - maybe it's something easily resolvable.

Otherwise, if they persist in being unreasonable now, they will continue in the same vein, so better to let them go.

Moliere

[Musetta]

I ask for 1/2 60 days in advance and 1/2 14 days...just got off the phone this morning though with a potential French guest who was not happy at all about it and wanted to pay on arrival. period. I'm not going to change my booking policies for one nationality though so I stuck to my guns...he seemed ok with it when I told him he could pay with his Visa card with PayPal (*fingers crossed* PayPal goes without a hitch!) bit of a language barrier though...so...we'll see once he actually reads through my T&Cs - he honestly did seem shocked I would have the nerve to ask for payment in advance...oh well....when in Rome (or NYC in this case)

[Mouse]

8 wks for me too and I agree with the advice the others have provided.

Mouse
x

[lollybeth]

Hi

Thanks for the replies.

They were Spanish, I sent them the terms and conditions (in English and Spanish) when they enquired and stated the payment terms and due dates in the email.

They have questioned various aspects of payment since day one. All along I have politely answered saying those are my terms and I will not change them. Tuesday night they said ok and were going to transfer the deposit. Then last night they cancelled saying that they thought I was conning them. I have given them my phone number and offered proof of ownership. Three times I have asked for a signed booking form and never received it so only have an email address for them.

They say they have found alternative accomodation who is not asking for payment up front. The alarm bells are ringing so I've decided to let it go.

Thanks again

Liz

[Big Sis..]

From the sound of it Liz, you made the right decision.

I, like a lot of others, ask for the balance 8 weeks before, and noone has ever had a problem with it...

Hope you get anothe booking!!

Take Carexx

[Rocket Rab]

The alarm bells are ringing so I've decided to let it go.

Don't worry, betcha someone else will come along. Fingers crossed! Think of all the hassle you probably just saved yourself.

RR

[Mouse]

One of the personality traits of Spanish people is that in the main they just don't plan (believe me to me British friends married to Spanish men this is the no. 1 frustration! ).
So they may well have been balking at the fact that they had to pay in full before arrival and therefore felt tied in.

It's likely they wouldn't have turned up, being prepared to lose the deposit if they had been able to pay on arrival, however having paid in full they would have course been obliged to follow through no matter what.

So don't feel bad, its more a reflection on their personality trait perhaps than you.

Mousie
x

[harcourtv57]

Agree with everyone else - we ask for a 20% deposit with balance payable 6 weeks before arrival. Sounds as if they would have been hassle anyway!