You’ve decided where you want to go on holiday but you are now faced with the dilemma of where you are going to sleep at night. Travel specialist Helen Cobb examines the pros and cons of booking your chosen accommodation through an agency or directly with the owner.
So you’ve decided to stay in a holiday apartment or villa – Where and with whom do you select your holiday accommodation? The internet over the last 4 years has seen two key sources emerge.
Reputable agencies online have grown in number over the last 10 years. They ensure that the properties they have listed and the surrounding environs have been inspected.
The other most popular source is to find your property through one of several websites that merely list the owner’s properties and you can book through the owner direct.The obvious advantage to you the customer is that you buy direct from the owner which is often cheaper than booking a through an agency.
The aim of this article is not to criticise those who chose to book direct with the owners. Not at all, you should have choice and choice can be healthy. The author’s aim is merely to make you aware of the potential pitfalls that lie ahead when booking direct with an owner thereby minimising the chance of being let down and ruining your hard earned holiday experience.
Here are some key things to bear in mind when making your choice:
Q. Will an owner be honest and transparent enough to upload truly representative pictures of the exterior and/or interior of their home and then write in the description that the pictures have actually been cleverly taken to make the property look better than it is reality?
A. Many clients have found to their cost that in real life a property looked completely different/better to the pictures on the internet.
Q. Do you think the owner will be completely honest and frank in his/her description of the property and state exactly what the property and its locale are like?
A. Unfortunately an all too common scenario is that the property’s description has been exaggerated and often key facts have been omitted, such as the property is located under the flight path of an international airport or perhaps a nearby busy railway track or even noisy neighbours!
Q. Is it fair or unreasonable to expect the owner to lay on some key basic services as part of your booking or will you face being greeted by a dark lifeless home and a lengthy instruction manual which you need to sit and read through to discover for yourself how everything works!?
Do empty cupboards and refrigerator await you (or if you’re lucky stocked with some cheap wine, bread and milk) resulting in you spending the first day of your holiday visiting the local mall do get food and drink?
A. A reputable agency will provide a “meet and greet” service at the airport and/or at the property. A guided tour explaining how things work and contact numbers for any queries is normally provided. Also in advance of your arrival an essentials shopping list will be taken by the agency and then bought, delivered and stored for you.
Q. You’re been let down by the owner in regards to the holiday home you purchased and want to get some compensation.
A. Experience has shown that you would find it very difficult to cost effectively get some form of compensation directly from an owner. However if the owner is listed with a reputable agency he/she will be more inclined to offer compensation in the unlikely event something was not up to scratch. Primarily because he would be contractually obliged to do so and secondly he doesn’t want jeopardise his established rental income.
If you pay by credit card through an agency (owners are unlikely to have this facility) you may complain to your credit card issuer and make a “claw back claim” of some or all of the monies paid on the premise that you have not received the goods/service you paid for. Agencies need good feedback and referrals to survive – owners operating on their own are able to be more anonymous and are less reliant on word of mouth and referrals.
You can therefore for the price of a nice bottle of wine a day reduce the risk of these highlighted dangers and feel much more assured that the holiday home you booked is what you will find when you get there!
Helen Cobb is a travel specialist #1 and has been looking after her villa rental customers for over 15 years. Helen and her team at Luxurybreaks #2want to ensure that your next holiday villa rental experience is one to remember for all the RIGHT reasons.
Before you book your next holiday vacation home, make sure you check out Helen Cobb the travel professional’s excellent free article on why paying less direct with an owner could end up costing you more in the long run.