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Re: HomeAway Survey
feibus Feb 5, 2019 4:45 PM (in response to sonenalpmammoth)I did and about had a stroke over the questions.
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Re: HomeAway Survey
moosebigd Feb 5, 2019 5:31 PM (in response to feibus)Was not privy to the survey. Maybe it was not for those of us who are VRBOers?
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feibus Feb 5, 2019 6:16 PM (in response to moosebigd)Near as I can tell, was sent to a random sample of owners on the platform likely just within USA, given the way the topics were presented.
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Re: HomeAway Survey
ashevillelookout Feb 11, 2019 6:49 PM (in response to feibus)I must have gotten the same survey you did (the one about different service fees, cancellation etc.). I responded negatively to all survey points as it was patently ridiculous and outrageous. It actually made the offering of the local real estate property manager palatable.
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Re: HomeAway Survey
wildiris Feb 5, 2019 6:34 PM (in response to sonenalpmammoth)The survey was sent to owners who are part of HomeAway Voices. Supposedly there are around 9,000 property owners or managers who are part of the HomeAway Voices group. The survey asked about what items owners stock in their rentals for guests to use. It also asked if HomeAway gave owners a checklist of what travelers expect to be provided in a vacation rental, how willing would you be to provide travelers with a list of those items you already have stocked. HomeAway's suggested list of "property essentials" was: dish soap, paper towels, dishwasher detergent, dish scrub brush, fresh sponge, ziploc bags, aluminum foil, salt and pepper, coffee, sugar, seasonings/spices, butter/margarine, cooking oil, condiments, toilet paper, hand soap, toothpaste, shampoo, condition, body wash/soap, laundry detergent, all surface cleaner, first aid/Band-aids, matches/lighter, charcoal/propane, and facial tissue.
I don't have a problem with HomeAway wanting owners to let guests know what items they provide with their rentals. I already give guests a list of items provided in my vacation rental. I WOULD have a problem if HomeAway expects owners to provide all of these items for their guests.
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Re: HomeAway Survey
feibus Feb 5, 2019 6:47 PM (in response to wildiris)I got a different survey . That one wouldn't have given me a stroke.
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grant570 Feb 6, 2019 9:52 AM (in response to feibus)yeah, my survey had nothing about what is in my rental...it was all about listing platform options in terms of commission rates, insta book or 24hr wait, cancel period lengths, traveler fee % and other things you find on various listing sites....pretty much didn't like any of the countless options, so I assume they are going to change things again in a way most of us will not like....
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ohst8er Feb 5, 2019 8:10 PM (in response to wildiris)oh lord, should we stay and cook for them, too?? . Here's my list:
dish soap, paper towels, dishwasher detergent, dish scrub brush, fresh sponge, ziploc bags, aluminum foil, salt and pepper, coffee, sugar, seasonings/spices, butter/margarine, cooking oil, condiments, toilet paper, hand soap, toothpaste, shampoo, condition, body wash/soap, laundry detergent, all surface cleaner, first aid/Band-aids, matches/lighter, charcoal/propane, and facial tissue.
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Re: HomeAway Survey
rinaldomoon Feb 6, 2019 9:10 AM (in response to wildiris)Once again HomeAway is taking the "one-size-fits-all" American way of thinking and assuming.
While some properties in France (myself included) do provide many of the things listed above, there are many in France that provide nothing. Some do not even provide sheets and towels!
Now before anyone makes judgement, I would like to point out that the concept of "vacation rental" goes way back in France. I may be wrong but it may even have been "invented" here.
The french use the word "gîte" (pronounced "jeet" like jeep in English) which traditionally meant an extra room/space/building at rural farmhouse that people could rent. All you do/did was pay the farmer (who could earn a little extra cash) who would give you a key but you had/have to bring your own sheets etc.
It was a "cheap" way to take a holiday.
Like I said, much has changed but the traditional/original "gîtes" still exists! And there is nothing wrong with them. They are inexpensive and there is a market for them.
Most French who book with us almost always ask "do we bring our own sheets?"
HA should not go down a path to "discriminate" against such properties.
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hmmmm Feb 12, 2019 1:52 PM (in response to wildiris)And as I was taught years ago, nothing should be left for food items due to possible contamination.
My house keepers throw out the ice cubes.
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Re: HomeAway Survey
green_mango Feb 5, 2019 10:11 PM (in response to sonenalpmammoth)If it was the survey about 10 million different commission-sub-servicefee-cancellationpolicy-insurance variables, I got that today and happily passed along my thoughts that a majority of the options were not even close to being acceptable. I don't recall seeing a single option for no refunds - longest was 30 day cancellation & most were shorter. Not to mention the commission or traveler service fee variations. Oh boy - we shall see what's ahead, but this seems like a *very* important survey to take.
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feibus Feb 6, 2019 9:07 AM (in response to green_mango)That's the one the got my blood pressure up to stratospheric proportions.
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grant570 Feb 6, 2019 9:55 AM (in response to feibus)They should have mailed us a bottle of wine to consume while we took the survey....
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susaninrehoboth Feb 6, 2019 5:58 AM (in response to sonenalpmammoth)I didn't get either survey. Were there qualifiers for any of the items? For whole house rentals, some things such as butter or margarine are just yucky to leave if started. Unless individual sealed packets of sugar are left, I'd be concerned as to previous use. Asking cleaner or PM to supply refrigerated items isn't practical, especially in hot weather areas. We stayed in rental that had started jars of mayo, mustard, etc. We didn't know if cleaner forgot to clean inside fridge, owner left items for their use at a later date or we could use items. Whatever the reason, it was unpleasant, to put it mildly. How wants to dip into a started jar of mayo?
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Re: HomeAway Survey
ohst8er Feb 6, 2019 6:15 AM (in response to susaninrehoboth)susaninrehoboth yea, don't get me started. I have a kid who likes to eat from the peanut butter jar. Since I've been unsuccessful in breaking this bad habit I've just assigned her her own personal jar. I have no interest in eating from my own KID's PB jar, and I know where she lives and where she's been. There's just NO WAY I would want to eat from an opened jar of PB, or anything, that a stranger left.
Our housekeeper has a policy, no food left behind. If it's opened, it's garbage. If it's sealed, the cleaners can make their own decision if they want to take it home. I'm totally on board with this.
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Re: HomeAway Survey
oceangrover Feb 10, 2019 11:33 PM (in response to ohst8er)I'm with you guys. Opened condiments are a complete turnoff. (And who would leave a perishable like butter?) I know this is a matter of personal preference, but if I found used condiments in the fridge, instead of a completely clean and empty fridge, it wouldn't feel like a luxury rental.
I leave a few spices (esp Montreal Steak as I assume most folks want to cook out in the summer and we provide a grill), salt and pepper and that's about it for food.
We don't provide toothpaste, but we do provide all paper goods,laundry detergent and other things on the suggested list. I would not normally provide shampoo and conditioner but I do place two big pump bottles of shampoo and conditioner, as well as one with body wash, in the outdoor shower--and none in either of the indoor showers--to encourage use of the outdoor shower.
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Re: HomeAway Survey
wildiris Feb 11, 2019 11:46 AM (in response to oceangrover)For me, it depends on the item. I use ketchup and mustard in bottles at restaurants all the time - they aren't giving me a new, unopened bottle each time. I've also been in high-end restaurants that present sugar cubes in a sugar dish brought to the table (instead of in paper packets). A vacation rental providing certain condiments, sugar, cooking oil, etc. is nice. I hate to have to buy an entire bottle of ketchup when I'm only going to use it for one meal during my stay.
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Re: HomeAway Survey
ohst8er Feb 6, 2019 6:15 AM (in response to sonenalpmammoth)I got NO survey, but I would assume there's one on it's way at some point.
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greggt Feb 12, 2019 12:21 PM (in response to ohst8er)I didn't get one either, maybe they just don't want our opinion.
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grant570 Feb 6, 2019 9:58 AM (in response to sonenalpmammoth)FYI, I leave a fishing rod and some bait with a note saying free food in Lake....
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Re: HomeAway Survey
u0999 Feb 6, 2019 2:08 PM (in response to sonenalpmammoth)Is that same survey where VRBo was asking in every which way how they can increase the total "take" to 24%? I did not get one but saw discussion in groups. I would answer with one and same sentence to questions of that kind: "learn from Tripadvisor that 20% of 0 bookings is still a 0".
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Re: HomeAway Survey
jackaroo Feb 6, 2019 3:18 PM (in response to u0999)The survey had 11 pages of 8 or so options to choose on each page. Different platforms offered ranged from VRBO; Hotels.com; Tripadvisor; Homeaway, etc. The question posed was in the realm of "which option would you choose?" The options included no cancellation to 30-day cancellation; pay out at booking or pay out after guest checks in; 0 in subscription fees - $699 subscription fee; 6% guest booking fee to 15% guest booking fee; 0% merchant fees to 3% merchant fees, etc ... so it offered lots of scenarios, but nothing of them palatable to me. 30-day cancellation and pay-out after guest checks in are the real deal breakers for me.
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Re: HomeAway Survey
familyfirst Feb 12, 2019 8:09 AM (in response to jackaroo)Me too. I will remove myself from VRBO/Homeaway if they try to mandate me do a 30-day cancellation and only pay-out after guests check in. I am a fly-to destination with a large home. My strict cancellation-no refunds has only given me maybe 5 cancellations in over 6 years. People book out my home over a year or more ahead of their time with us. I will never go on those sites that they were listing....we are not hotels. If they do this, they will lost homes, $$$$ of money too. They make $499 each time a guest books with me and they do nothing.
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Re: HomeAway Survey
kmccor Feb 12, 2019 1:24 PM (in response to sonenalpmammoth)I got a survey that was very short. It was asking about property performance information. The questions were if I liked and would use certain performance information, such as comparisons of my rates to those in the competitive set, and tracking my numbers of days occupied and payouts received to my goals.