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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
ashevillelookout May 28, 2018 7:35 AM (in response to susaninrehoboth)I do not know exactly what happens now. When I was paid the damage deposit, i.e., before HA held it on my behalf and automated the refund payment, I could write an email to the guest explaining the need to charge their deposit and then refund the balance. I have only had to do it twice in 15 years, as most of my guests have called me before their departure about incidental damages and offered reimbursement.
I do not think that the renter would get any notice from HA other than an email stating that their damage deposit has been refunded minus the amount that you kept. This is not something that I have seen in the forums, nor on the HA website, so it would be very enlightening if you were to screenshot any messages that you get while holding back the extra cleaning charge from your damage deposit.
I hope that you are also going to write a personal email to this renter advising them of the charge and including the cleaner's bill. You write very well, so I am sure that you can couch your fee notice to them in language that would circumvent any anger they may have at being charged for their lack of concern for your home.
As to when to complete your star rating of this guest, I would not do anything until you have made sure that all transactions are complete.
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
oceangrover May 28, 2018 10:53 AM (in response to susaninrehoboth)Here's a different approach. Either withhold money OR give two star "review."
If you don't withhold the money, then you can give the two star review and the guest won't see it until after the 14 days are up or after they send in their review, whichever is first. By not withholding the secdep, the guest is not alerted that anything is wrong. Question: how much is it worth to you to give a public negative review? $50?
Or, you can withhold but not write a review at all. If the person writes a bad review, you will have the oppty to respond, in which case you can quantify the excess cleaning time and note that you didn't charge him. For $50, you risk a negative review, with the opportnity to rebut it.
In either case, you can alert your management so that this guest can't rent in your community again.
BTW, when you withhold, you will have a space to add a note to the guest explaining the charges. You don't need to submit a bill.
In my experience, when I have had to withhold, the guest has never written a review. However, we used to have control over asking for a review or not asking. Now that Mother VRBO controls all, and sends out a review request whether you want one or not, your risk of a negative review is probably higher than it was in the past.
Is this helpful of just useless?
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
loo May 28, 2018 10:59 AM (in response to oceangrover)I agree with oceangrover, Give a 1-2 star review. $50 ia not worth the bad review you most likely get.
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
susaninrehoboth May 28, 2018 11:18 AM (in response to loo)The 2 star review is not public, except to owners if the guest makes an inquiry or booking request. The more I think about this, the less I care about a bad review. I have 56 reviews-52 are 5 star and 4 are 4 star.
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
greggt May 28, 2018 7:42 PM (in response to susaninrehoboth)From what I understand the reviews are not visible unless one accepts a booking so really the one-two star review will not help anyone and approaches a waste of time.
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
scowol May 28, 2018 5:57 PM (in response to susaninrehoboth)Here's what I do:
- First, I have set my refund preference to 14 days in VRBO.
- In general, I manually refund the damage deposit on the date of check-out if there is no damage, thereby bypassing the 14 days automatic refund (I always manually refund because I think it's in poor taste to delay refunding the deposit if there was no damage).
- If there is damage, I would await to refund till day 13 and withhold the amount I plan to deduct. Most guests will have written a review within this timeframe. So in most cases you're in good shape. However, if not, they theoretically could rapidly submit a bad review upon learning that you are withholding damage.
The above approach can help lessen your chances of a bad (i.e., "retaliatory") review.
IMO the timeframe of the damage assessment and two-way review process being exactly the same (14 days) is problematic for the very reason of the topic of your post. HA should close the review process prior to the damage deposit assessment timeframe. That would guarantee that there could be no retaliatory review for withholding a portion of the damage deposit.
Review guidelines from the Help section: Both the travelers and the property owner have 14 days to write your review once a review is submitted by either party. You have one year to submit your review of your stay at the vacation rental, assuming that the property owner has not already submitted their review and initiated the 14-day blind period. Once both parties have submitted their reviews or the 14 days are up, neither party will be able to edit what they have written.
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
susaninrehoboth May 28, 2018 7:29 PM (in response to scowol)When searching for answers yesterday, somewhere within timeframe for refund, I read HA allows the owner/PM to delay refund by 1 week if requested. That should do it.
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
sage May 28, 2018 8:51 PM (in response to susaninrehoboth)I read HA allows the owner/PM to delay refund by 1 week if requested.
One must always keep in mind that just because HA allows something does not mean the action would be permitted under local law.
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
susaninrehoboth May 29, 2018 2:29 PM (in response to sage)30 days to refund per local law. Imagine this: HA help explained how to delay refund one week. The option to do so is no longer visible.
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
homeaway_community_manager Jun 7, 2018 2:56 PM (in response to susaninrehoboth)Hey susaninrehoboth,
When you write a review on the traveler, they will be notified that you wrote a review and they then have 14 days to write a review of your property. If they don't write a review in that time frame, then they do not have another opportunity. The 1 year time frame is only if you don't write a review on them. Here is more info on how it works.
Erinn
HomeAway Community Manager
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
cathio Jun 7, 2018 4:46 PM (in response to homeaway_community_manager)Hi Erinn homeaway_community_manager,
At what point can an owner see a traveler's star rating? There's been some discussion about whether or not we can see the owners' reviews of a traveler before we accept a booking request.
Thanks so much!
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
homeaway_community_manager Jun 8, 2018 8:19 AM (in response to cathio)Hi cathio,
If a traveler has a star rating, you can see it when you get their inquiry/booking request. Their name should be a clickable link. If it's not, then no partner has rated them yet. Thanks!
Erinn
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
bettywha Jun 9, 2018 7:37 AM (in response to homeaway_community_manager)Travelers can change email, name, even phone number, or ask family members or friends to book same propert. Worse, they can do damage hard to notice
by cleaning people, or damage appliances which fall tear wear, if they decide they were not happy and want to retaliat. How to prevent this?
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
homeaway_community_manager Jun 11, 2018 8:19 AM (in response to bettywha)Hi bettywha,
Great questions. Please reach out to Customer Support for further details in relation to your questions.
ErinnHomeAway Community Manager
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
uncheval Aug 28, 2018 10:29 PM (in response to cathio)This was my concern with a guest I recently had problems with that called HomeAway, and they de-activated my account after I didn't respond to 2 emails HomeAway sent shortly after the guest left. I feel HomeAway should have called me when I didn't respond to the emails, instead of erring on the side of and guest and giving him the benefit of the doubt, when he certainly didn't deserve it. I was busy cleaning up the damage, plus having hip and foot problems. I feel a responsibility to warn other homeowners to never rent to this guest. He is horrible.
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
susaninrehoboth Jun 9, 2018 8:33 AM (in response to homeaway_community_manager)Thanks Erinn. I thought each had 14 days total. I didn't realize clock reset to 14 for the one that hadn't submitted a review. Rather a moot point now, since damage deposit was refunded in 9 days, rather than 14 as was supposed to be done. I've changed my listing to avoid this happening again.
I find it amazing that HA won't admit they made the mistake, ask me for the invoice to prove the cost and credit my account that amount. I wouldn't expect them to go after the guest once they've refunded.
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
homeaway_community_manager Jun 11, 2018 8:21 AM (in response to susaninrehoboth)Hi susaninrehoboth,
Did you call customer support and escalate the matter? While we cannot force the traveler to repay you once refunded, if we are at fault for early return of deposit, we can see what we can do to make it right. Thanks.
Erinn
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Re: Lots of Questions-Damage Deposit Timing re Review Sharing
susaninrehoboth Jun 14, 2018 1:52 PM (in response to homeaway_community_manager)Supervisor called the next day. No way, no how is HA going to admit they made a mistake or repay me. Honestly, $50 back would have been nice but not worth worrying about anymore. So far, no review from the guest, even after I directly emailed her a nastygram.
I let most small damages go as cost of doing business but when my cleaning lady, who is not a complainer, calls almost in tears and rightfully bills me for extra time, I wanted to be reimbursed.
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