Exclusive Holidays Magazine

OTA = Online Travel Agency, which means those sites that sell the booking and take the payment for you.
Sarah
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Exclusive Holidays Magazine

Post by Sarah »

Hello there

I'm new here. I was referred to this excellent site by a friend and would just like to say 'well done', it is very very helpful and informative.

I have a question about Exclusive Holidays Magazine. Does anyone know of them and if so are they any good?. I read a couple of independent reviews of the mag which seem to be good. They also have a website, thevillafinder.com which seems very professional.

I am interested because they phoned me this afternoon having seen our property on some other sites. The man said that he is doing a feature on South West France and would like to include our property. They are not cheap, £295 for the site and mag. I would be very interested to have peoples' opinions.

Sarah
alexia s.
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Post by alexia s. »

Why don't you contact some other owners (from your area) who advertise with them and ask how many bookings they have had from them?
It sounds too expensive. Is there a free trial period?
Best,
Alexia.
Sarah
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Exclusive Holidays Magazine

Post by Sarah »

Thanks Alexia for your reply, I think you're right, asking existing punters is probably the best way to get a relatively balanced view.

:oops: Just noticed an earlier thread. Sorry. They don't appear to be held in particularly high esteem, perhaps I'll leave it. Also didn't offer a copy of the mag, I'd certainly want to see that before taking the plunge.
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Renaud
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Post by Renaud »

Hi Sarah. I think this was a magazine that I was contacted by some years ago. It was pretty new then (if its the same one). We didn't advertise. We asked for copies of the magazine to see what it was like, as we couldn't find it for sale anywhere. We never got them. So, unless you are familiar with the publication, I would ask for a few back copies to be sent to you, together with some stats from the Audit Bureau of Circulation, or similar.
I've tried a quick search on Google to try to see what Exclusive Holidays Mag looks like to see if it is the same one. But a front cover seems to be equally elusive.
However, a website called "newsstand.co.uk" had a page which allowed you to subscribe to this mag, so it it obtainable. No front cover though!
However, I was disturbed to note that on the same page "People who have purchased EXCLUSIVE HOLIDAYS have also bought" Rugrats, Men Only, Escort Readers Wives (all with covers showing!) and FHM.
Draw from that whatever conclusion you want!
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paolo
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Post by paolo »

I know that when I used to look for these things up to a couple of years ago, there was a magazine in UK supermarkets and newsagents with 'Exclusive' in the title. Can't remember if it was Exclusive Holidays or Exclusive Villas.
Paolo
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memes
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Post by memes »

They also offered me the almost £300 package - came back a month later and offered it at 1/2 price. They did send me a copy of the magazine - the typeface on the ads is tiny making it very hard to read and the Italy section was small (so no good for me) - their claim to be doing a 'feature' on individual areas in the sales pitch is a bit iffy too - the amount of editorial in the magazine is negligible.
Much better value using websites I think..

Memes
Sarah
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Post by Sarah »

I finally decided not to go with this Company. They were particularly 'hard sell', which I found quite offputting. They did send a copy of the magazine in the end which was OK but I can't see people being bothered to use it instead of the internet, they also offered a considerable reduction in the £300 fee, but it is still expensive.

Nearly forgot to mention, I did phone round a few existing clients when I got the magazine and only one person said they had had bookings, and that was only after 2 years of being in the magazine.

So all in all, not very good. :(

Sarah
Fraise
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Post by Fraise »

Hi. I had a brief flirt with the idea of magazine -type advertising companies about 6 months ago.I am glad I didn't go with them now! A house I pass on my way to my house is advertised with them (exclusively) and this year it had no more than 6 weeks in total of bookings!! The rep told me I could expect 11 using them- ermmmm..not good enough!! We've done much better using internet advertising together with our own website :wink:
ps- this isn't the same company that you are talking about though.

www.thepetitmanoir.com
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Normandy Cow
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Post by Normandy Cow »

I'm embarrassed to admit that I was taken in by the sales spiel and coughed up about £100 to be in 2 issues of the magazine and 6 months on their website (this was in about June last year). I too was very disappointed and dismayed to not get any bookings as a result!

BUT... I have to say that I have had about 3-4 enquiries this month, one of which has resulted in a booking for the last week of Feb, so I will at least have covered my unitial outlay.

But even so, I shan't be renewing...
ncvillas
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The Villa Finder / Exclusive Holidays Magazine

Post by ncvillas »

I am sorry to say that I was taken in by the sales pitch from this listing site late last year. I paid a total of £346 for magazine adverts in 4 issues and a listing on their website.

The website appears professional and I am able to make amendments to my ad if I want to.

However, I have now tried contacting the company by both e-mail and telephone (using the no. quoted in the magazine and on the website) without any success. E mails are unanswered and the telephone number elicits the response "the number you have used has not been recognised".

Any company that is uncontactable by its clients is of highly questionable value.

I am glad that I did not respond to their later special offer of a 1/2 page spread advert at the discounted rate of £300 for 6 months.

If nothing else this experience has enabled me to find this excellent site when I did a Google search on "The villa finder Scam".
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Mountain Goat
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Post by Mountain Goat »

ncvillas, hi

Did you pay by credit card? If so, list out your complaints (preferably truthful, long-winded and in chronological order) and with the help of your credit card company you should be able to tell them to get lost. Worth a try.

Good luck.

MG
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Thanks for the warning Nc... :)
Shows its still happening....
This is the sort of thing that I think is very useful to other Forumers...
Hope you can get somewhere with what MG suggests :wink:
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Topcat
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Post by Topcat »

I've been contacted a couple of times by 'Spain' magazine. They sent me a copy - it's certainly a nice looking mag. They offered me 3 months for £200.

I don't think I'll be taking them up on it unless I get desperate, though. It seems to me that the people who buy these mags are largely intending to buy in the area rather than rent.

Has anyone had any luck with shop window advertising? I've just made some cards and intend to trek round the better off areas of Essex and Suffolk and see if that bears any fruit.

Pauline
Debut novelist at http://tinyurl.com/or89jle

http://wivenhoewriters.blogspot.co.uk/
Contributor to anthology 'In a Word: Murder'
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Hi Pauliner.

Theres been a few postings about magazine advertising and its mostly had the thumbs down...Is your own website the only one you advertise on....Have you considered others
Regards Ros
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Topcat
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Post by Topcat »

Ros, I'm with HR and HL as well, together with 3 free ones. I don't expect much from the free ones as yet. but they may build up.
Pauline
Debut novelist at http://tinyurl.com/or89jle

http://wivenhoewriters.blogspot.co.uk/
Contributor to anthology 'In a Word: Murder'
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