Any thoughts on go-coastal? We were on a free listing and got quite a few enquiries but no bookings but its only £42 to list.
www.northwalesholidaylets.co.uk
go-coastal
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harcourtv57
- Posts: 1433
- Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:14 pm
- Location: Southsea, UK, Porto Cristo Mallorca
- Contact:
Hi ApexBlue
We listed with Go Coastal last year for free - not a brilliant site but the owner kept promising a revamp and we did get quite a few enquiries, 24 in fact, but only 2 bookings, one of which was later cancelled, having sent no payment. Compare this with IHA another free site (initially), but far superior site - with only 4 enquiries but again 2 bookings. The vast majority of enquiries from GC were for dates that were already booked as there was no calendar facility on there and they obviously hadn't bothered with the link to our website which showed availability.
Anyway we paid for the listing 6 months ago, and since then have had only 2 enquiries! In spite of the promised revamp and promises from the owner about promotion etc. And we have busy traffic from the other sites we list with at the moment. So we probably won't be relisting when the current ad expires.
We listed with Go Coastal last year for free - not a brilliant site but the owner kept promising a revamp and we did get quite a few enquiries, 24 in fact, but only 2 bookings, one of which was later cancelled, having sent no payment. Compare this with IHA another free site (initially), but far superior site - with only 4 enquiries but again 2 bookings. The vast majority of enquiries from GC were for dates that were already booked as there was no calendar facility on there and they obviously hadn't bothered with the link to our website which showed availability.
Anyway we paid for the listing 6 months ago, and since then have had only 2 enquiries! In spite of the promised revamp and promises from the owner about promotion etc. And we have busy traffic from the other sites we list with at the moment. So we probably won't be relisting when the current ad expires.
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Joanna
- Posts: 1091
- Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:12 pm
- Location: Chester, North West England & Sidmouth, East Devon
- Contact:
We had a booking from them in 2006 and another in 2007 and none since. Since the re-design I can't actually find our web page because they have put us in 'west midlands' and don't have a link to that region! (Could explain the lack of bookings).
We aren't really aiming at the coastal holiday market - Chester is about 30-45 mins drive from the nearest beach so we won't pay to list with them again. It's not worth the hassle of keeping yet another web site up to date with photos, rates, etc.
I think I also considered paying for a listing because a link from them to our own site would give us a boost in search engine results. However, the way they format the link doesn't register with search engines so no benefit there.
We aren't really aiming at the coastal holiday market - Chester is about 30-45 mins drive from the nearest beach so we won't pay to list with them again. It's not worth the hassle of keeping yet another web site up to date with photos, rates, etc.
I think I also considered paying for a listing because a link from them to our own site would give us a boost in search engine results. However, the way they format the link doesn't register with search engines so no benefit there.
Jo
Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
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kendalcottages
- Posts: 2474
- Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:08 am
- Location: Kendal, between the Lake District and the Dales
- Contact:
To be perfectly frank, I would only recommend joining this site if you want to be regularly harassed.
I joined on a FOC basis in February. In late May, I got an invoice notice and repeatedly throughout June and into this month, I've been getting emails with the title:
"UNPAID LISTING, please pay NOW to avoid it's REMOVAL! (ACCOMM#4196). Another person visited your website from goCoastal.co.uk"
There appears to be no way of unsubscribing and yet it seems I get one of these emails every time someone supposedly visits my page. We are apparently "set to removal" yet that never seems to come to fruition.
I have emailed to say I am not interested (it's never generated an enquiry for us) and requested that the emails stop, but they still keep coming, and they are VERY PUSHY (with lots of use of CAPITAL LETTERS, suggesting DOOM AND GLOOM if we don't PAY NOW... if you get what I mean
).
I joined on a FOC basis in February. In late May, I got an invoice notice and repeatedly throughout June and into this month, I've been getting emails with the title:
"UNPAID LISTING, please pay NOW to avoid it's REMOVAL! (ACCOMM#4196). Another person visited your website from goCoastal.co.uk"
There appears to be no way of unsubscribing and yet it seems I get one of these emails every time someone supposedly visits my page. We are apparently "set to removal" yet that never seems to come to fruition.
I have emailed to say I am not interested (it's never generated an enquiry for us) and requested that the emails stop, but they still keep coming, and they are VERY PUSHY (with lots of use of CAPITAL LETTERS, suggesting DOOM AND GLOOM if we don't PAY NOW... if you get what I mean
). Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd., Kendal, Cumbria - between the Lake District & the Yorkshire Dales.
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harcourtv57
- Posts: 1433
- Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:14 pm
- Location: Southsea, UK, Porto Cristo Mallorca
- Contact:
- and this was the case on the site as well as in e-mails.-
kendalcottages
- Posts: 2474
- Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:08 am
- Location: Kendal, between the Lake District and the Dales
- Contact:
You have my sympathies, harcourt... if they were any good at what they did, I'm sure there wouldn't be a need to shout about it.
Ah yes... the West Midlands... that region in the middle of the country renowned for its beautiful... errr... coastline!Joanna wrote:Since the re-design I can't actually find our web page because they have put us in 'west midlands'...
Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd., Kendal, Cumbria - between the Lake District & the Yorkshire Dales.
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kendalcottages
- Posts: 2474
- Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:08 am
- Location: Kendal, between the Lake District and the Dales
- Contact:
Yet another this morning (and another request to stop sent by me!)... here's the cr*p I'm receiving:
If I was ever in two minds (as it happens, I wasn't), this kind of approach would sure as hell leave me with no doubts as to whether to do business!
See what I mean about the CONDESCENDING USE OF CAPS?Dear Paul Johnson, Kevin Parrish here from goCoastal.co.uk, this listing is unpaid and is now set for removal and everytime goCoastal.co.uk sends a customer looking for your type of holiday accommodation to your wesbite from your advert here you will receive an email confirmation of this click-through.
Everytime you receive a confirmation like this one, it is a real person clicking through to YOUR website from your advert on goCoastal.co.uk looking specifically for your type of accommodation and possibly wanting too book!
I am only sending these click-through confirmations as a last resort and primarily to highlight business generated from people clicking on your website link at goCoastal.co.uk who then may enquire or book through your own website!! Yet originated from your advert at goCoastal.co.uk which is about to be deleted.
People ARE specifically clicking through to your website from goCoastal.co.uk which generally means potential business, however you appear NOT to have RENEWED, and I am hoping these messages will bring attention to the potential business you may lose when removed shortly!
On occasion, advertisers who are massively overdue, wait until removal before re-advertising, to avoid paying the previous invoice. If you re-advertise for this reason, you will NOT be entitled to the prompt payment discount and your renewal date on the new advertisement will be set back to match this one. Thank You.
(I have enclosed an invoice, plus below that some information and links to special pages on referrals and making most of goCoastal.co.uk)
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***INVOICE***
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Kevin Parrish, GoCoastal.co.uk.
55 Arnewood Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH6 5DL, England.
0044 (0)7917 573728.
Advert Ref: ACCOMM#4196-goCoastal.co.uk
Accommodation Name: Kendal Cottages
Listing fee: £49 UKP.
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CHEQUE: Made payable to Kevin Parrish, sent to the address above.
CARD: Click the link directly below to pay securely online by card using PayPal.
(if clicking doesnt work properly, paste the link into your browser instead)
>> link removed
Alternately, log into the Advertisers' Area and use the 'Pay Now' button to pay online
Advertisers' Area Link: >> link removed
Forgot your ADVERTISER'S AREA LOGIN PASSWORD? Don't worry, use the link below and goCoastal.co.uk will email it to the ADVERTISER'S AREA LOGIN EMAIL listed at the top of this message.
>> link removed
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*** 200,000 WEBSITE REFERRALS LAST YEAR ***
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GoCoastal.co.uk sent around 300 PEOPLE on average last year to EVERY WEBSITE linked from here, and is a main way goCoastal.co.uk generates business for you, if you have a website link!
Use the link below to view a special page outlining how goCoastal.co.uk generates business for you and more importantly explains refarrals and how to monitor them!
>> link removed
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***ARE YOU MAKING THE MOST OF GOCOASTAL?***
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Please have a look at MAKING THE MOST FROM YOUR ADVERTISEMENT page linked below.
>> link removed
Kind Regards,
Kevin Parrish
If I was ever in two minds (as it happens, I wasn't), this kind of approach would sure as hell leave me with no doubts as to whether to do business!
Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd., Kendal, Cumbria - between the Lake District & the Yorkshire Dales.
