The Booking.com "Cash on arrival" security deposit
I have been dipping a toe in the water on BDC for several weeks. I have received 4 bookings so far (I put my prices high). Have 6 active units.
Of those 4, 3 requested early checkin/late checkout. Need to learn to manage that
The ANNOYING THING, is that 2 of the 4 scratched up a couple pieces of wood furniture and 1 left a water stain on a wood sidetable. Also, one left significant blood stains in a brand new king bedsheet.
1) I am contemplating perhaps a $100 security deposit on arrival, as this seems the only way to do it on BDC. Just to suppress the desire of guests to leave this kind of unpleasant damage.
Does this greatly reduce bookings? Do guests get annoyed having to pay cash upon arrival? Pros/cons?
2) I am using BDC to collect payments, as my understanding is that only they can collect the payment before arrival. That if I collect to my own card processor, I cannot do so until arrival.
Thoughts?
What do you do?
Really unfortunate and I think just unlucky.
1) For the deposit I would reconsider and think how you would feel if you were travelling and treated in the same way.
2) I prefer to let BDC process payments. When I was doing it myself on a purely cash basis I had lots of cancellations, and unable to collect fee, and several no shows. This has stopped now as BDC have card details.
Hope this helps.
I have posted several times about this .....
I have several properties where guests turn up and let themselves in with a key in a key safe. I use Payments by Booking.com. We don't meet guests (normally).
On some properties, the settings allow us to collect a damage deposit by bank transfer - on others it says only by cash on arrival - BDC say cash because BDC do not trust owners (which I find offensive).
A solution that BDC came up with was to have an automatic email which is sent when a booking comes in, asking guests to pay the damage deposit by bank transfer. We tried that for a couple of months but it didn't work - there is a separate issue with guests not actually reading messages from BDC.
So another solution BDC came up with was to change The Fine Print at Property > View Your Descriptions and scrolling down and clicking the link to request a change. Our text now says " A security deposit of GBP 75 is required prior to arrival for incidentals. The property will contact you after booking with the payment information. This deposit is fully refundable after check-out and subject to a damage inspection of the accommodation. "
Sadly, they wouldn't allow "Please check your inbox for payment information" - so guests are still not checking their inboxes, and still not paying the damage deposit .....
Next step is to just not send directions and check-in information until that damage deposit is received ......
Has not sending directions worked for you or have you devised a better solution?
So, its been 7 months. Have either of you found a better solution for collecting the security deposit? BDC recommended that I research an online company that handles security deposits. But the issue still remains, the BDC guests just don't read their messages.
I thnk BDC needs to do a better job with the message notification system to guests, especially for this new market where homeowner are doing BnB now.
Hi having the same problem.
The first guest who ruined my BBQ (770 EUR) Damage.
Receiving the Damage deposit in Cash is not workable in a big villa. In 5 minutes you don't see possible damage. So I don't understand they do not facilitate this.
I will try the messages, now.