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3386 Views 8 Replies Latest reply: Feb 15, 2013 6:48 PM by beachbumz RSS
Contributor 50 posts since
Dec 8, 2011
Currently Being Moderated

Jan 13, 2012 12:56 PM

If you could change one thing about VacationRentals.com what would it be?

There are many pros and cons when using a Vacation Rental website. Let me know what you would change about your vacation rental website to improve it if you had a choice?

  • New Member 4 posts since
    Dec 2, 2011

    If I had a choice of changing one thing about vacational rental website.Then I would change it's designing look and give an attractive look to it.Because visitors visit the attractive websites first give priority to it.Then more and more visitors will come and visit our website.

     

    emigrating to canada

  • New Member 1 posts since
    May 12, 2012

    I agree with the previous reply but I also want to add that a lot of properties do not give a disclaimer to which age group the owners are willing to rent to. Some will rent to prom groups, to families, groups over 25, but in order to find out for sure I always have to email multiple owners only to find out I am unable to rent.

  • New Member 2 posts since
    May 24, 2012

    On the listing it states "owner". This needs to be changed to reflect if you are a owner or a propert manager. I have numerous potential renters call and question this, why? Well it turns out these potential renters call and get a rental agent or property manager that doesn't know the property. From the potential renters that I do get to talk with this is discouraging them from renting from anyone on vacation rentals. In each case I had to assure the potential renter that we are the owners and our property is well maintained. I have to give references, extra photos etc and this is due to the poor reviews that are posted by vacationers that have stayed in these property managed properties. I will say I can only speak for my area. Recently I had a group of 2 families that told me that if I did spent the time with them on the phone and know my area they were NOT going to rent from any home on vacation rentals because of the negative reviews and the attitude of the property managements team at the office. It's time a category is made that clearly states Owner and another that states Property Manager. So customers know who they are dealing with before they contact that particular listing.

    • anja Community Ambassador 1,270 posts since
      Aug 9, 2011

      Hi flagler44,

       

      I'm not sure that I am understanding your post correctly {pardon me if I do not}.

       

      HomeAway {HA}  added symbols to separate the two.  They added icons for  Owner Managed and Property Managed on every propertythat is listed on VRBO  {I haven't looked at their other websites...so I don't know if every HA site has the same}.  On VRBO, the symbol for "Owner Managed"  is  a  HEAD icon   and the symbol for  P.Manager  is a  HOUSE icon....and they be seen on all property listing pages that appear in a search so when travelers scroll the result lists, they can see the icons to the *right*  of the headline.  The icons also appear on our individual property ads when our page opens up.

       

      Is that what you were wanting?   {Again, I apologize if I misunderstood your request.}

      • New Member 2 posts since
        May 24, 2012

        Vacation rentals site they give out "owners badges" to any property at all as long as it gets two reviews. That could be a pm or owner. It also shows only "owner" and property managers are putting their name in that place with their business office phone number. There is no place or specific title of "property manager". It's that simply. They need to have correct labels for the owner and pm.

         

        Sent from my iPhone

  • dogwoodridge Contributor 63 posts since
    Jul 17, 2011

    I really like using vacationrentals.com!  They are my favorite out of all the 'Big 3' - VRBO, HomeAway and VacationRentals.com.  I like the fact that you can move up and down in the sort by updating your calendar and adding deals, etc and I like it that you can add deals for FREE, unlike the other two that want to charge for special offers as if they aren't getting enough money out of us already!  It's inexpensive compared to the other two, but you only get 8 photos with the standard listing, so to have more costs extra $$, but all in all as far as inquiry to booking conversion, I have more success with VR than with VRBO and HomeAway combined.  If I could change one thing about vacationrentals.com it would be that I should be able to add a link to my property's website from the listing.  Given that I only get 8 photos, I should be able to direct prospective guests to my website for additional photos and information.  I think that would be a great addition!

     

    Stephanie

    www.theguesthouseatdogwoodridge.com

    VacationRentals.com #88356

    HomeAway #920912

  • thebadwitch New Member 6 posts since
    Feb 14, 2013

    I know VRBO can't "police" owners & renters but I see a lot of complaints that there is no recourse for renters/owners but leaving or defending a bad review. I don't know what the advertising policies are but it would seem to me that after a few well investigated complaints the posted rental would have to be removed.  This is would be the only thing that would prevent others from getting burned also. I'm sure there are some obvious chronic bad renters, rentals, but there should be clear lines.  In my experience the owner/property manager took reservations, lost the property, canceled all the reservations, didn't return the deposits & walked away, yet he & his property manager still have other rentals posted.  Why are they allowed to continue to use VRBO?  Bad renters are put on the bad renters list, why not bad owners?

    • beachbumz Contributor 257 posts since
      Jan 21, 2013

      That's just it - there isn't a bad renters list. These people just slither around like snakes burning each owner as they go along. Many of us would like to see something in place to exchange information about negative renters. We're kinda stuck too in many ways. Now having said that, you were burned, and badly. The old homeowner did have a (moral if not legal) responsibility to let the new owner know of outstanding rentals and monies received. In my opinion the old homeowner should be removed and banned from having any properties placed on VRBO.COM, HA, and VACATIONRENTALS.COM. If he or she did it to you, chances are they've done it to others. Equally, I'm sure they reported to VRBO.

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