Hi, Moira! Well, it's clear that the 'booking.com' system isn't working, and as long there is no protection of a property , or the owner is not backed and supported but is regarded as the last element in the business , that just wont do. Using 'partners' ( I laugh here) only for generating money having no other importance is the mentality of a pimp. No, that won't do. And Airbnb, has no fake reviews with a pat in the shoulder'. Some might publish a problem underrated, but they will still publish it. All you have to do is read reviews of people. Plenty of them are more straightforward and hard than I would expect. There's ways to discover those banned from Airbnb and appearing with different names, too. And you ALWAYS get to speak with a person in charge in case of a problem. I have been there and the situation went under control EACH AND EVERY time! So please, no comparison.
Until we stop giving 'booking.com' a pat on the shoulder because we need the money and behave as they want us to (don't wanna say the word), and unless we start to exit the platform, in large numbers, which will be my reality if something doesn't really change for the owners or administrators, none of them wouldn't care less about solving these problems! Unfortunately, that's the fact.
Thanks so much for your support, Maria! (I suppose M stands for Maria?)
I've been trying to make my property stand out and I don't like decoration that looks almost identical between short term rental apartments....I've learned my lesson now, and I'll minimise exclusive decoration or works of art that can not be easily replaced....But still, I believe these type of guests should not be getting away with such actions!
Lots of greetings from Heraklion, Crete,
I hope we all have a great summer season in the end!
No matter how many tools they've got they're ineffective since the guest can still go against the policies! No matter how many rules there are if the guest can get away with breaking them without being affected it's all a shiny polished theoritical bunch of crap! When the damage is done in our apartment it's done, but we should be at least able to warn other hosts about the potential value of the guests they might get , through a host review! It doesn't go one way I'm afraid! Whats the problem with reviewing the guests anyway? And I don't shed tears when I report a guest to booking.com. The next host having them might though.
Trip Advisor is the worst plarform ever because anyone has the right to review even if they have never been guests of a specific place (residence, restaurant etc).
I am outraged with booking.com now though. I could see this coming from day1 when I became a host but didnt know when it was gonna happen, and stopped thinking about it, in good faith..
The guarantee system is weak and ineffective 1.How indiscreet is to ask for the guarantee money from the guest on arrival, let alone that non of them reads this rule and they behave as if they didn't know about it? 2. How silly it is from booking.com to expect hosts to make a total thorough check over of their apartments while at the same time the guests are in a hurry to leave (if you get there earlier they haven't packed yet and they are not ready to leave the apt.). Then you are expected to charge the guest for a damage or loss while having to find out how much the damage or loss would cost by check out? Seriously? This is ridiculous.
I went to see my respected guests by check out time as we had arranged, they had not packed yet, I inspected the house quickly while they were still cleaning some stuff and I returned them their guarantee money to get out of their way and let them finish their packing. only to return after 1 hour to find a precious handmade decorative piece of art missing (which was there 1 hour earlier)! I exchanged messages on whatsup which the guests answered when they were already in their country, and they didn't know what I was talking about, till I sent them a picture already uploaded on booking.com which showed exactly of which item I was talking about. I kindly asked them to search in case it got mixed up with their stuff (that was the only polite way I could put it ) and insisted that if it was found I would take the charge of the courier as long as they could send it back to me, and end the matter there....Or, (i asked them )to tell me where they might think they have put it....But...after 10 exchange messages where they would 'gladly' accept they would search and everything, they suggested it must be still there somewhere misplaced and that Iwould find it...mind, I am the only person dealing or cleaning or entering the apartment, no one can enter apart from me or the guests...and had turn the apartment upside down, it is not a huge place.
So these guests, perfect and clean in any other way, took advantage of the last minutes after getting their money back to steal me as soon as I had turned my back. They gave me a 10 point review (rushed to shut me up as well), not that I didn't deserve it, but I still want to warn other hosts that they should BEWARE of these KIND AND SPOTLESS people who could remove anything from your apt and then make you tink you are crazy! I still want to write back a reply to their review and thank them for their tidiness and good words but not for their long hands. I am not taking the blame why I have some exceptional items in my place, i dont want it to look that anything else. I want them to clearly be reported for stealing, because they could steal whatever it appeals to them anyway. They happened to like that thing. I can never get it replace or get my money back for it anyway. Sorry for the long text.
Hi, Moira! Well, it's clear that the 'booking.com' system isn't working, and as long there is no protection of a property , or the owner is not backed and supported but is regarded as the last element in the business , that just wont do. Using 'partners' ( I laugh here) only for generating money having no other importance is the mentality of a pimp. No, that won't do. And Airbnb, has no fake reviews with a pat in the shoulder'. Some might publish a problem underrated, but they will still publish it. All you have to do is read reviews of people. Plenty of them are more straightforward and hard than I would expect. There's ways to discover those banned from Airbnb and appearing with different names, too. And you ALWAYS get to speak with a person in charge in case of a problem. I have been there and the situation went under control EACH AND EVERY time! So please, no comparison.
Until we stop giving 'booking.com' a pat on the shoulder because we need the money and behave as they want us to (don't wanna say the word), and unless we start to exit the platform, in large numbers, which will be my reality if something doesn't really change for the owners or administrators, none of them wouldn't care less about solving these problems! Unfortunately, that's the fact.
Thanks so much for your support, Maria! (I suppose M stands for Maria?)
I've been trying to make my property stand out and I don't like decoration that looks almost identical between short term rental apartments....I've learned my lesson now, and I'll minimise exclusive decoration or works of art that can not be easily replaced....But still, I believe these type of guests should not be getting away with such actions!
Lots of greetings from Heraklion, Crete,
I hope we all have a great summer season in the end!
No matter how many tools they've got they're ineffective since the guest can still go against the policies! No matter how many rules there are if the guest can get away with breaking them without being affected it's all a shiny polished theoritical bunch of crap! When the damage is done in our apartment it's done, but we should be at least able to warn other hosts about the potential value of the guests they might get , through a host review! It doesn't go one way I'm afraid! Whats the problem with reviewing the guests anyway? And I don't shed tears when I report a guest to booking.com. The next host having them might though.
Trip Advisor is the worst plarform ever because anyone has the right to review even if they have never been guests of a specific place (residence, restaurant etc).
I am outraged with booking.com now though. I could see this coming from day1 when I became a host but didnt know when it was gonna happen, and stopped thinking about it, in good faith..
The guarantee system is weak and ineffective 1.How indiscreet is to ask for the guarantee money from the guest on arrival, let alone that non of them reads this rule and they behave as if they didn't know about it? 2. How silly it is from booking.com to expect hosts to make a total thorough check over of their apartments while at the same time the guests are in a hurry to leave (if you get there earlier they haven't packed yet and they are not ready to leave the apt.). Then you are expected to charge the guest for a damage or loss while having to find out how much the damage or loss would cost by check out? Seriously? This is ridiculous.
I went to see my respected guests by check out time as we had arranged, they had not packed yet, I inspected the house quickly while they were still cleaning some stuff and I returned them their guarantee money to get out of their way and let them finish their packing. only to return after 1 hour to find a precious handmade decorative piece of art missing (which was there 1 hour earlier)! I exchanged messages on whatsup which the guests answered when they were already in their country, and they didn't know what I was talking about, till I sent them a picture already uploaded on booking.com which showed exactly of which item I was talking about. I kindly asked them to search in case it got mixed up with their stuff (that was the only polite way I could put it ) and insisted that if it was found I would take the charge of the courier as long as they could send it back to me, and end the matter there....Or, (i asked them )to tell me where they might think they have put it....But...after 10 exchange messages where they would 'gladly' accept they would search and everything, they suggested it must be still there somewhere misplaced and that Iwould find it...mind, I am the only person dealing or cleaning or entering the apartment, no one can enter apart from me or the guests...and had turn the apartment upside down, it is not a huge place.
So these guests, perfect and clean in any other way, took advantage of the last minutes after getting their money back to steal me as soon as I had turned my back. They gave me a 10 point review (rushed to shut me up as well), not that I didn't deserve it, but I still want to warn other hosts that they should BEWARE of these KIND AND SPOTLESS people who could remove anything from your apt and then make you tink you are crazy! I still want to write back a reply to their review and thank them for their tidiness and good words but not for their long hands. I am not taking the blame why I have some exceptional items in my place, i dont want it to look that anything else. I want them to clearly be reported for stealing, because they could steal whatever it appeals to them anyway. They happened to like that thing. I can never get it replace or get my money back for it anyway. Sorry for the long text.