Another villa rental bank transfer payment thread...

[floridasarah]

I've paid each time by bank transfer. I have also been given the details of the owners tax details and been able to check they are the owners on the tax collectors website.

[fatblokeflorida]

Originally Posted by PerksP

I think that there are a lot of positives in what you have said but the only bit that I question is Homeaway providing them with your email address. That doesn't happen any more. It used to be that I could offer the guest the choice to pay me directly or pay via Homeaway but Homeaway removed that option about a year ago, unless there is some sort of exception from the Netherlands . If I was to try to include my email address in a message to a guest through Homeaway it would be blanked out to (I think) asterisks.

Asking for a security deposit or offering damage insurance is usual practice so I am surprised that they do not require that but maybe it isn't common practice in the NL. As an aside, I would question whether I would accept a guest if they said that they wouldn't pay one or the other so that example goes both ways.

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Even the owner said they never reveal the travellers contact details but somehow our phone number and what he called our e-address were shown so he couldn't believe it had happened. All correspondence form that point showed our actual email address.

As for the security deposit, we've always paid one previously and I get why it's required, i'd just prefer not to have to get our cash back once we are home if i could avoid it, that's all.

[fatblokeflorida]

Originally Posted by Softy

I’d never pay by bank transfer. You are not covered if anything goes wrong. With the 1000s of villas available why would you risk it.

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Booking via Homeaway has always previously been our preference, but looking at the latest Homeaway reviews on Trust Pilot it looks like pot luck as to whether booking through them is a better option these days!

[Guest]

I don’t like booking through places like Homeaway, I prefer to deal with the owner, I make sure I speak to them more than once, check out their tax situation and that they are the owners, then I’m quite happy to pay by bank transfer.

[bernard301]

Whilst I would prefer to book by homeaway and receive the protection they afford, you have done your due diligence checks and the owner checks out and sounds completely legitimate.

Re the deposit, I can see why he doesn't take one to be honest, if he takes a $500 deposit over so 30 bookings over the course of the year, he has to pay 30 x bank fees (even at 3-5%) that could well work out just as expensive for him as withholding the fees for minor damages or paying an insurance excess over the course of a year.#

Ultimately its down to you if you want to pay by transfer but this does sound like a legitimate owner

[Pussycat Doll]

Must admit it all sounds fine to me. For what it’s worth I don’t take a damage deposit either!

[fatblokeflorida]

Originally Posted by Pussycat Doll

Must admit it all sounds fine to me. For what it’s worth I don’t take a damage deposit either!

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As a villa owner, can I just ask whether you use airbnb to list your villa and if you do, do they offer any protection for renters although I guess if paying by cc then you would get section 75 protection anyway? Reason I ask is there is another villa on there that we like, it's more expensive as its 4 bedrooms which we really don't need this trip but it would presumably give us peace of mind being able to pay by cc should something go wrong.

[Sue F]

We advertise our villa on Homeaway and everything was fine with them until they changed their payment provider last August, since then we have had a nightmare trying to sort out our new payment details and get approved to take payments via their system.

Based on our recent experiences, I am guessing that this is a similar problem to what the OP's owners are having and that is probably why they are having to do down the direct payment route - it might also explain why the owner was provided with the contact information, which is unusual.

[Cocobean121]

I done similar and had doubts, but booking direct with the owner was fine, luckily, not sure it was worth the worry of ‘will the villa be there’ for 8 months prior to arrival tho!

[ELLENUT]

It all sounds fine to me. I always do the checks etc... but nothings 100% so I always have a little nagging doubt until I arrive.
I asuume they are giving you a cheaper price if they are not having to pay Homeaway fee's?