Do they charge extra commission for marking up your property as non-refundable or reduce the daily rate you receive for the booking as they call it a "non-refundable RATE"?
Many thanks for your comments Sarah and fingers crossed the insurance will do the trick? I was sorry to read about your bad experience. The youngsters who let me down on AirBnB and damaged things were actually market traders at the local Christmas Fair selling jams, marmalades etc. They took a lot of items out of the property and used them on their market stall as either props or to cut things up on! The kitchen was left in a terrible state with new taps broken, worktops scratched etc. etc. It was a family business booked by mother but she never actually acompanied them and all they were thinking about was making a quick buck...... so not holiday people sadly. So you see, once bitten, twice shy. I did give them a bad review obviously so at least I know they won't be coming again through AirBnB but they could quite feasibly book on Booking.com and that thought terrifies me!
Yes, I do have public insurance but I feel that if the guest knows that they will have to pay for any damage, they tend as a general rule to be more careful. I've been doing AirBnB for just over 3 years now and I did however have to make one claim from some unruly 20 year olds who damaged several lovely things - booked through the parents profile. AirBnB did sort it out for me in the end although of course these things take time (as with insurance companies) with a lot of photographic evidence, receipts and repair quotes going back and forth. I don't both about the odd broken glass etc as that is to be expected but this felt like malicious inconsiderate damage!
Thanks Kelvin but I think I'm going to leave it because to take a deposit every other day with my two day bookings will drive me nuts I think?! I'm trying to make things simpler and it will be a lot of hassle as I do everything myself. Booking.com are much more expensive than AirBnB commission-wise (12% more) but it's a much more difficult platform to use and they don't offer as much help or take care of the security deposit etc, well at least at the moment. Thanks anyway.
Have you got your listing set up for Booking.com to take the payments on your behalf? If you have, you should get the payments less their commission on the 15th of the month your guests have been.
Many thanks for your quick & helpful reply. Yes, I really don't feel very safe using Booking.com and so have only limited my availability (and haven't allowed children but I do on AirBnB) To be honest I may take it off until I feel more confident. It's good to hear that they're working on the security deposit issue. Have you any idea how much the card machines cost, just very roughly? I'll look into that perhaps after all. Re. anonymity of guests, I have asked for names, addresses and contact number before people can book and Booking.com are taking the payments for me.
Do they charge extra commission for marking up your property as non-refundable or reduce the daily rate you receive for the booking as they call it a "non-refundable RATE"?
Many thanks for your comments Sarah and fingers crossed the insurance will do the trick? I was sorry to read about your bad experience. The youngsters who let me down on AirBnB and damaged things were actually market traders at the local Christmas Fair selling jams, marmalades etc. They took a lot of items out of the property and used them on their market stall as either props or to cut things up on! The kitchen was left in a terrible state with new taps broken, worktops scratched etc. etc. It was a family business booked by mother but she never actually acompanied them and all they were thinking about was making a quick buck...... so not holiday people sadly. So you see, once bitten, twice shy. I did give them a bad review obviously so at least I know they won't be coming again through AirBnB but they could quite feasibly book on Booking.com and that thought terrifies me!
Yes, I live in the same building too - which can be a mixed blessing! ;-)
Yes, I do have public insurance but I feel that if the guest knows that they will have to pay for any damage, they tend as a general rule to be more careful. I've been doing AirBnB for just over 3 years now and I did however have to make one claim from some unruly 20 year olds who damaged several lovely things - booked through the parents profile. AirBnB did sort it out for me in the end although of course these things take time (as with insurance companies) with a lot of photographic evidence, receipts and repair quotes going back and forth. I don't both about the odd broken glass etc as that is to be expected but this felt like malicious inconsiderate damage!
Thanks Mike - yes, I've seen those settings but I don't want to take any credit card payments myself. Cheers/
Thanks Kelvin but I think I'm going to leave it because to take a deposit every other day with my two day bookings will drive me nuts I think?! I'm trying to make things simpler and it will be a lot of hassle as I do everything myself. Booking.com are much more expensive than AirBnB commission-wise (12% more) but it's a much more difficult platform to use and they don't offer as much help or take care of the security deposit etc, well at least at the moment. Thanks anyway.
Have you got your listing set up for Booking.com to take the payments on your behalf? If you have, you should get the payments less their commission on the 15th of the month your guests have been.
Hi Kelvin
Many thanks for your quick & helpful reply. Yes, I really don't feel very safe using Booking.com and so have only limited my availability (and haven't allowed children but I do on AirBnB) To be honest I may take it off until I feel more confident. It's good to hear that they're working on the security deposit issue. Have you any idea how much the card machines cost, just very roughly? I'll look into that perhaps after all. Re. anonymity of guests, I have asked for names, addresses and contact number before people can book and Booking.com are taking the payments for me.
Jillie