Many thx - v helpful - obviously no point in calling booking - it reallly is terrible.
Here is what think now will make the process easier:
send guest email night before arrival reminding of cash deposit (they cert need to be reminded) - collecting cash no big deal for me, as I meet guests.
offering cash return on departure but if they want conveinence of anytime check-out and to save on bother of coordinating with host for deposit return, *please provide bank/paypal details* - deposit will be returned by midday of departure. (It's returning the deposit that is troublesome).
All comments/suggestions welcome.
Reviewed market prices last nite - hugely confusing range of properties/prices for any area - but think you can def. charge a bit more for booking (esp if like me you have discounts).
I see you failed to get booking to collect deposits - any idea why Isle of Wight succeeded? He did say it was quite a business,. (are you in the UK? I am) Booking really should provide this service - they take by far the highest commission of any site.
How do you know booking so much larger than airbnb? I use both - v successful on booking - and find them v. different markets, with booking prices IMO considerably higher.
Hi Richard It was question to Polderman first, because he seems to have common experience with Isle of Wight of booking taking deposits for host - but in his case not ensuring they're paid in first place. But I welcome comments from anyone
I'm reviewing this & other discussions before calling booking. about the matter.
I think you & I agree - deposits need to be taken to ensure guests take care - but manual collection & esp return of deposits is a pain. for both sides
I see there is an alternative for payment by Bank Transfer or Paypal. I'm wondering whether an alternative solution may be to send an email to guest & ask for payment of deposit by either method a week before arrival - with return to them by same method by 12 midday of departure. I have returned by bank deposit to quite a few guests.Odd ones don't like. Complication is - great majority of my guests are from abroad, so bank transfer may be complicated..
The ideal is booking collects deposit like airbnb.
But maybe a fallback solution is automatically send guests email week before, offering them option to pay deposit (& have returned) by bank transfer or paypal - and still leave cash as an inferior option - pointing out that first two make departure trouble-free and anytime flexible for them.
What experience are you talking from? You've had guests who didn't pay the required deposit to booking.com?
Couldn't you, the host, then demand they pay the deposit to you on arrival? My thought is if some guests do pay booking direct, that will still save at least some of the hassle of manually collecting deposits.
Plus you could still email guests a few days before arrival and offer them the option of a bank transfer or paypal to you instead of manual collection.
To be clear - bit confused - if I call booking will they set up automatic damage deposit collection (£100) ? I'm a single property host.
As you say, manual deposit collection a terrilble pain. And main object to ensure guests take care. In the end I wouldn't care if booking didn't repay a deposit for actual damage - just want to make guests careful.
Just about to reply now. PM me with tel no in while if you want to discuss. Seems booking does NOT show bookings ahead to public, only airbnb. - and then it isn't clear whether booked periods are booked by guests or removed by host. The big prob with booking is that they do show your address with full postal code under listing title - and won't remove it. So I'm surprised local council haven't approached more peop. - I know some locals who haven't been approached.
Thx again. So they can't check on my airbnb bookings - can't ask airbnb for the details? That would be v helpful to know. UNFORTUNATELY they *can* see my booking.com bookings.. The reason is booking off their own bat put my *address* as the main title of my listing without asking me. So they can certainly read off my bookings here, and I presume that's why the letter, to Owner/Occupier at my named address, says I have gone over 90 days for 2021 They can see it on my calendar. That presumably is not illegal on their part.? Many thx for your comments. My feeling is I will still be forced to come clean and cancel my O-90 days bookings - the form specifically asks for how many days past and future I've booked. But I am v. grateful for all suggestions.
Many thx - v helpful - obviously no point in calling booking - it reallly is terrible.
Here is what think now will make the process easier:
send guest email night before arrival reminding of cash deposit (they cert need to be reminded) - collecting cash no big deal for me, as I meet guests.
offering cash return on departure but if they want conveinence of anytime check-out and to save on bother of coordinating with host for deposit return, *please provide bank/paypal details* - deposit will be returned by midday of departure. (It's returning the deposit that is troublesome).
All comments/suggestions welcome.
Reviewed market prices last nite - hugely confusing range of properties/prices for any area - but think you can def. charge a bit more for booking (esp if like me you have discounts).
Thx again for helpful reply.
I see you failed to get booking to collect deposits - any idea why Isle of Wight succeeded? He did say it was quite a business,. (are you in the UK? I am) Booking really should provide this service - they take by far the highest commission of any site.
How do you know booking so much larger than airbnb? I use both - v successful on booking - and find them v. different markets, with booking prices IMO considerably higher.
Hi Richard It was question to Polderman first, because he seems to have common experience with Isle of Wight of booking taking deposits for host - but in his case not ensuring they're paid in first place. But I welcome comments from anyone
I'm reviewing this & other discussions before calling booking. about the matter.
I think you & I agree - deposits need to be taken to ensure guests take care - but manual collection & esp return of deposits is a pain. for both sides
I see there is an alternative for payment by Bank Transfer or Paypal. I'm wondering whether an alternative solution may be to send an email to guest & ask for payment of deposit by either method a week before arrival - with return to them by same method by 12 midday of departure. I have returned by bank deposit to quite a few guests.Odd ones don't like. Complication is - great majority of my guests are from abroad, so bank transfer may be complicated..
The ideal is booking collects deposit like airbnb.
But maybe a fallback solution is automatically send guests email week before, offering them option to pay deposit (& have returned) by bank transfer or paypal - and still leave cash as an inferior option - pointing out that first two make departure trouble-free and anytime flexible for them.
Thx for reply All comments welcome
What experience are you talking from? You've had guests who didn't pay the required deposit to booking.com?
Couldn't you, the host, then demand they pay the deposit to you on arrival? My thought is if some guests do pay booking direct, that will still save at least some of the hassle of manually collecting deposits.
Plus you could still email guests a few days before arrival and offer them the option of a bank transfer or paypal to you instead of manual collection.
Many thx for yours and any comments.
?
What experience
Many thx for discussion.
To be clear - bit confused - if I call booking will they set up automatic damage deposit collection (£100) ? I'm a single property host.
As you say, manual deposit collection a terrilble pain. And main object to ensure guests take care. In the end I wouldn't care if booking didn't repay a deposit for actual damage - just want to make guests careful.
Juste mailed you
Just about to reply now. PM me with tel no in while if you want to discuss. Seems booking does NOT show bookings ahead to public, only airbnb. - and then it isn't clear whether booked periods are booked by guests or removed by host. The big prob with booking is that they do show your address with full postal code under listing title - and won't remove it. So I'm surprised local council haven't approached more peop. - I know some locals who haven't been approached.
Thx again. So they can't check on my airbnb bookings - can't ask airbnb for the details? That would be v helpful to know. UNFORTUNATELY they *can* see my booking.com bookings.. The reason is booking off their own bat put my *address* as the main title of my listing without asking me. So they can certainly read off my bookings here, and I presume that's why the letter, to Owner/Occupier at my named address, says I have gone over 90 days for 2021 They can see it on my calendar. That presumably is not illegal on their part.? Many thx for your comments. My feeling is I will still be forced to come clean and cancel my O-90 days bookings - the form specifically asks for how many days past and future I've booked. But I am v. grateful for all suggestions.
.