07 Dec 2008 12:00 AM:

This year unlike other years has not been as good for renting. This is inspite of me advertising with one of the largest sites on the internet that provided me with over 200enquires. And two smaller ones that sent me between 20 and 30 each.

Now here is what I want to pose to you people.  I only managed to convert 4 enquiries from the larger site but 5 and 6 from the two smaller ones.  Which has got me thinking. Are the larger ones sending out enquiries via some kind of remote system to make it look as though they are doing really well for me?

I am working on my computer most of the day and therefore can respond to an enquiry as soon as it comes in.  I write a nice polite email answering any questions. Another thing I noticed is that most of the enquiries from the large site are for the peak season. Yet the smaller sites are spread all over the year.

I am not alone in this. Several people I know are also begining to question things because their conversion rate is not that good compared to the volume of enquiries they get.

Personally, I am going to drop the big site and maybe take on another smaller one just for 2009 and see how that pans out. Because to take only 6 weeks bookings does not warrent paying out nearly £300 a year. Whereas £300 over three small sites and hopefully 20+ weeks makes more sence.   What are your thoughts on this? Cliff

 

 

This message was last edited by papriv on 12/7/2008.
Thread: Poser for all you rental owners

--------------------------------------

19 Oct 2008 8:54 AM:

WOW!!! This is some debate going on here.

If I might be permitted to throw in my bit.  I cannot see what all the fuss is about.  I give my details out almost everyday on the internet when either registering on a shopping site or a membership site.  How do I know that any of them are not real and are just there to rip me off. 

I have been booking holidays on-line for 6 years and on every occasion it was a different property because I like to visit different parts of Spain. So I dealt with 6 different people.  None of them offered me any kind of security that the property did exist. Not that I asked either.  Perhaps that's because I trust people.  In each case my money was paid up front at between 4 and 6 weeks prior to my travelling.

I now own a villa on the Costa Tropical.  I use a website that takes a commission on every booking.  Not had much success with them though. But I will say this.  I am allowed to withdraw my money from their account BEFORE the guest has taken their holiday.  I have to pay an additional fee for this but I can do it.  My point is that there may not be any sure fire way of preventing a fraud so trust must come into it somewhere.

If all trust is removed from the world what state would we be in.  Yes of course we have to be careful but to start implying that chelseaphil's site may be 'dodgy', because that is how I have read some of the postings here.  Is not fair.  He may not have got it quite right with the request for utility bills and or escrituras but for goodness sake at least he is doing something about it.


Thread: Fraudulent 'Owners'

--------------------------------------