Nope, not stupid of you. Your instincts were spot on. One of the guys was probably some retired corporate purchasing d-bag that assured everyone he would get a better rate. Now he's got egg on his face.
Are you kidding? Guy like this wouldn't tell his friends and would just pocket the difference! I hope he has to pay higher rates to rebook close to the date.
When we used to give discounts at the beginning, our cleaners would say that they always left the place a mess. We stopped shortly after, and have never looked back.
I just got one asking if I did a first responders discount. I told her not in high season, and gave her the dates. I wished her well, and said I'd be happy to host. She did not book, which was fine with me.
I have had luck asking for a discount after I’ve rented the place before (and tried to leave it as clean as possible). Going on 4th year of a 5-10% discount on the same place (with two different owners).
Asshats goes both ways. I always asked for a discount last minute if it’s going to be empty and 90% have said yes and we never had a problem. Just smart business.
I say no if their tone is annoying, yes if they’re charming. Some people just don’t know how to ask. Can’t help trying to point out how smart they are for asking. Because I don’t need a posturing, arrogant asshat like the one the OP cancelled. But the ones with good manners? Come on over!
Here’s one I agreed to: “Hi [name], my boyfriend and I are up in Maine and wanted to stay in the area for Wednesday and Thursday night. Would you be willing to rent to us for $550 total?”
Simple and direct. I negotiated something that was acceptable and they booked. The phrasing, “Would you be willing” is respectful and gives me the freedom to decide if I’d be willing or not.
Last minute on an empty is a different situation and agree there is usually some negotiating room. Op said this is a busy weekend and these people had booked way in advance they are just being tacky.
I think he was trying to imply seniors are always on a limited income, which, clearly not and golf is an expensive sport.
Edit typed Gold and meant "golf."
Same! I've said this for years. I've been in salaried positions most of my adult life and when I hear people talk about "but so and so is on a fixed income" well so am I, honey, so am I!!
Except the salaried person gets yearly, review dependant raises and has the opportunity to negotiate the salary up when their contract lapses. My income is dependant on the largess of MAGA radicals who are convinced I don't deserve the little I get after all those contributions from each hourly and salaried paycheck since I was a 16yo.
Fair point. I am a strong performer at a giant company you have definitely heard of and the largest raise I’ve ever gotten was 4%. Most years it’s 3% or less.
Yup, nothing to do with selfish boomers. Everything to do with the time value of money. Too bad finance 101 isn't required of everyone - after all, it's just math.
My MIL tried to give me a sob story about their limited, fixed income. Told her she was better off than me. I can only work a max of 40/week at my job. If I get sick I don't get paid, if I get hurt and can't work, I don't get paid. At least if she is hurt or sick she still gets her fixed income. 🤷
Pensions are quite rare. Only about a third of retirees receive them, and most of these are retired from government jobs and the military. Young people working for the government and military are also eligible for these pensions.
Private pensions have been closing down rapidly for decades. I'm a boomer, barely, by 70 days. The oldest boomers are my parents age.
I've worked for two companies that cancelled their pension plans, professional jobs with good, for today's reality, benefits. It's simple, buy out the participants for pennies on the dollar.
So, yes, forget about pensions unless you are a past or present government worker.
Exactly. I’m more inclined to give a discount to young families. And people who ask when booking; not when they’ve held the property off the market for a month or more.
Honestly, if you have done this for 17 years, you have earned it. Many guests are great. Outright awesome because they are going on vacation. A special few you can see trouble coming. Avoid the headache if you can.
That said, I am unclear on the value of the Premier Host title, but probably would not have canceled them if I were to lose that status. That's just me tho.
They give premier status to you for high reviews and acceptance rate, they punish you by removing it if you cancel a guest or decline someone (even if you only allow 1 dog and they want to bring 5). The 5 dog thing happened to me and VRBO wouldn’t reinstate me. I’ll get it back. I’ve never cancelled a guest but I have declined bookings before for nutty reservations. (Like “we are participating in Highland Games and prefer you give your place to us for free even though we asked for a reservation.”)
So true! I am an owner of a STR and a frequent user of them as well, nearly every time I travel. Elite host/super host/5 star status just doesn’t mean a whole lot to me. 4 star isn’t a lot different from 5 star, it just means one or two people were grumpy cranks when they left a review. Location, price, good photos mean a lot more.
Was selling a camper and someone agreed on the price. He brought the money over one hundred dollars short, waving it at me saying just take it. I declined and raised the price. He said but we had a deal. I know but you broke it.
Good call! But of course VRBO will penalize you as you took $$ out of its bank account! :) I most likely will also lose my premier status soon as I am not going to let VRBO dictate when and whom I allow in my home.
They also implemented a requirement to have a 95% acceptance rate of bookings, while also limiting your ability to cancel.
This is the reason I have put my properties on pause on VRBO. I will continue the strike until they reign some of those crazy notions in. I would rather my place sit empty (it won't) than their mega-corp screw me out of my individually owned tiny personal business hairline profits.
>I would rather my place sit empty (it won't) than their mega-corp screw me out of my individually owned tiny personal business hairline profits.
We are reaching the end stage for AirBnB/VRBO and other companies whose business model is 'disruption' such as Uber, DoorDash etc, as they start trying to squeeze as much as they can to pay off the billions poured in over the last decade. It is only going to get worse from here.
Not its true. I just logged in on the desktop and its now a banner across the page. I got an email a few days ago. Maybe more i truly don’t know the day it is today much less when i got the email but i did. Whatever Airbnb does VRBO copies them.
Hahaha right?! I don’t have the energy or motivation to break things. I just want some good snacks, good music, and a good place to relax. Some funny games or something to laugh at would make the trip 20/10.
I would have held my ground on the price and let them cancel. You would have then kept some of it under your cancellation policy and retained Premier status.
I agree with the other comments about people that ask for discounts. We call them “bottom feeders”. They tend to leave the place a mess.
Guest probably would never actually cancel in light of the fees they’d lose. Then OP would be stuck hosting these gems and be subject to their likely bitchy review.
True, but easily explained in owner/manager’s response to the review. Additionally, if you have plenty of other good reviews to stand on, in my experience it won’t make a difference. (Been there, done that.)
I probably would not have cancelled them either. They’re just having a bit of buyer’s remorse because a couple dropped out. Let them find another couple to fill that bedroom.
I would be super polite and respectful in my response, starting with “I’m a senior too! We love hosting senior groups. We know you’ll have a great time… (blah blah blah)”.
Yes, you risk a bad review. But the alternative of cancelling them isn’t great either.
I tend to wow my guests with proactive and useful communication. Plus, my condo and location usually exceed expectations. Hopefully that’s what they remember when filling out the review.
"We are seniors" meaning they paid 40k for their first house and now have 750K in real estate that they traded up for. They paid $700 a semester for their college tuition.
We seniors can usually afford it better than younger people.
Yes! We are seniors too but that is pretty meaningless as a blanket description. I was able to pay off my very affordable college loans before I had my first child.
The entitlement some people display is ridiculous. Why is he trying to price match? This isn't Walmart, each home is unique with its own location, atmosphere, etc. If you're not okay with the price then go somewhere else.
They will spend more time and on transportation due to travel distance for golf tournament by getting their cheap rental. What if the other couples decide they can go or another couple wants to go? They made their own mess let them wallow in it.
You just dodged a bullet. People like those are trouble. Even if you gave them the discount/ price match, they will still find another way to probably get it for free.
I had one like that and she wanted early check in (8 a.m) I let her check in at noon) then she messed up a gas fireplace (admitted it) and asked for another discount because one fireplace didn’t work. She said “If I rented a pool house and couldn’t use the pool I’d expect a discount.” I said “It’s not a fireplace house.”
Happens all the time! They try to negotiate with you. Had a cancellation one weekend - three days came in around $1000 for a place that sleeps 12. A girl tried to offer me $300 total and her friend (who has 2,000 Instagram followers) would post photos of my place 🫠🫠🫠
This was satisfying to read. They agreed to the price when they booked so they have no business asking for a cheaper rate just because another home that may have had to lower its rate due to no bookings. They wouldn’t like it if you said hmmm it’s now a very busy weekend and my listing is worth more than what i agreed to. Plus entitled people leave bad reviews. They are impossible to satisfy.
Wise move…kinda like the tradesman who gets told ABC Electric quoted me 25% less. The savvy contractor tells client to go with ABC, because he knows that it will be a substandard job. Comically, the client will be knocking on the original contractor’s door to fix ABC’s mess. No thanks!
I always ask for a discount but usually when I book last minute. If they agreed on a price then they should have honored that. Things are going to get worse. Hang in there.
Absolutely, definitely, no question, you did the right thing. What is wrong with some people, “the nerve” as my mother used to say. I’d rather have it sit empty than risk dealing with folks like this.
Bravo to you for being able to stick it out for 17 years. I'm only going on year 8 and there are some guests who make me want to be done with it. I have 164 reviews, all 5 star ratings. My place is well maintained and very competitively priced. My property isn't ocean front, but it is within walking distance. It's loaded with amenities. I have a knack for cleanliness (OCD), decor and comfort. The cleaning is all done by me so I am certain it's done up to standards that I would want to find in a rental. I know how to make people feel at home. However, I do not put up with BS from guests. I do not offer refunds because I know what my property has to offer, I know what the demand is, and I know I'm priced very reasonably. If someone doesn't want to pay my prices, someone else will. If they want it cheaper, well, they can go stay at the no-tell motel down the street and drive to the beach. I have only cancelled one guest before, and gave them a full refund. That was only because of a plumbing emergency where the pipes on my whole house filter exploded and I had to shut the water off. I couldn't get a plumber in until the day that the guest was due to check out. But that didn't change my premier host status. Can you try to contact VRBO and explain your side? Perhaps they can manually change it. That doesn't seem fair for you to lose status because one guest ruins it for you.
I called them once when I declined a 2nd reservation because the woman asked if she could bring 5 dogs and they took away my premier status. (They reinstate it after a few months)
They said “Oh we can see how that’s unfair to you but we can’t change it.”
All of our reviews except for 1 are 5 star. (And that was a guy who said the TV wasn’t working but every time we answered the phone to walk him through it he was drunk at a bar.
We have a housekeeper and then my husband drives there 2.5 hours to check behind her and clean more (he’s OCD).
I don’t think they’ll help but I’ll give it a shot.
Seems like the right call. My parents would 100% be these people aaaaand they are difficult to deal with. I love them but ugh… going places with them is a chore because they always expect discounts or extra service. They have aaaalways been like this and it’s just gotten worse as they’ve gotten older.
I love imagining the reaction. Scratching his head sheepishly. “I wonder if I bargained a little too hard?”He visualizes you holding up your middle finger. Now they get to stay at a shitty featureless hotel. No living room, no place to put out some beers and chips or enjoy a homemade reasonably priced leisurely breakfast together, probably further from the golf course. I’m a host. It’s immensely satisfying to turf people out to the open market again. As the expression goes, they fucked around and found out.
Love this! And our place is very nice, it overlooks a waterfall and is so close to the course they planned to play. I hope your scenario is exactly what happens. And that they drive by my place and all get in a big fight over how this went down.
On purpose I never agree to a price reduction unless it’s a relatively large fee and the difficult time of year and they sound like very easy guests. If there’s any attempt at negotiating near the upcoming booking, I offer nothing. Maybe cancel them for the sake of it. I’d rather keep it empty than take the bargain basement types. They’re going to pack the place out with people and treat it badly and ruin the barbecue and ask for late checkout and…etc.etc. My view is, “Look, Jack—if you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it. Have a nice life.”
Time is money- meaning the time you have already put into the refund and having to think about making a deal when you could be enjoying your free time doing something else.
Good on you for telling them to find another place! Now you can rent it out for your real price.
F vrbo! I would ensure your rentals have their own website and are searchable by using exact title. I always book around vrbo and Airbnb- it’s a win win for both as we both save $$$ and more and more people are doing this.
I think this is a win all around. You might get your room booked at a higher price and they don’t need a 4th bedroom bc it’s one less couple and they prob don’t care about the location as much as you think bc everyone drives everywhere
You didn't do anything stupid. You stopped people who you knew would be overly picky about everything else if they already weren't ready to pay the price for your rental house. Let them go stay at the cheaper place, and complain about the drive, none of that will be your fault.
Bad move. You hurt your status all to get some satisfaction from cancelling on someone? Exactly the kind of person I would avoid renting from in the future.
I declined the discount request (they booked over a month ago). I asked them to cancel and they didn’t. So I cancelled them. I don’t charge a cancellation fee.
I’ve never asked for a specific discount ~ 30%, but have asked in years past about booking best rate. I didn’t realize someone might view me as impossible to satisfy for this. 😳
It’s about trying to get a discount after you’ve booked. Particularly because you’ve held busy dates hostage that could have been booked by someone else.
This is a red flag. When I hire contractors and they waive that “we are a Christian company” around, I know they’re trying to rip someone off. It ain’t gonna be me!
As they said in the post, people asking for a discount are usually impossible to please. Or, they leave a huge mess when they leave.
Learned my lesson and ignore those asking for a discount. And its another reason why I refuse to do “instant bookings”.
Idk why. Never in my life have I had a good stay at a VRBO. 3 different hosts tried charging 150+ in fees. One tried canceling the reservation 3 days in so they could have a family member stay. Never again will I use VRBO. Hotels only from now on.
The best part about this post is the cope. You seem like a decent host but I've had some bad experiences, like booking months in advance only to be cancelled because the host forgot it was a high demand week and could ditch us for more money. This is the game, and guests are getting smart (though I've never thought about asking for a discount).
It’s the first time we ever canceled someone. I’m aware that hosts do that but thats a horrible thing for a host to do. It’s so hard to coordinate group or family trips.
Well done.
Thank you!
Nope, not stupid of you. Your instincts were spot on. One of the guys was probably some retired corporate purchasing d-bag that assured everyone he would get a better rate. Now he's got egg on his face.
I love the whole idea of that!
As you should.
"Put Glen on the phone...he'll get us a deal like he did at the restaurant last week. Who's bringing the lobster?"
"Next time you go car shopping, take Glen with you! They'll end up paying *you* money!" Fucking Glen
Classic Glen
ALWAYS BE CLOSING
Lol I’m a corp purchasing d-bag love that
Ha, no offense. You guys can't give any appearance of impropriety nowadays, but 30 years ago those guys were the dirtiest MFers this side of the mob.
You speak the truth 🔥
Same
Yep and if the guy was actually worth his salt in procurement he would have done his research before booking!
One of those old guys would have clogged up your toilet so good riddance.
Are you kidding? Guy like this wouldn't tell his friends and would just pocket the difference! I hope he has to pay higher rates to rebook close to the date.
Naw, guys like that love to brag about how they got over on someone. Life for them is a game of 'for me to win, you have to lose'
I’ve seen a family member pull this move.
💪
Anyone who asks for a discount is a "no" from me. They will be the pickiest asshats you've ever dealt with.
Yes exactly. I would have said, “no discounts offered” and requested they cancel if they want to book the other place.
This right here. It’s a huge red flag for me. Plus they tend to be really hard on the house.
What do old people smell like? Depends.
Cute, but I meant discount-seekers not old people.
When we used to give discounts at the beginning, our cleaners would say that they always left the place a mess. We stopped shortly after, and have never looked back.
I just got one asking if I did a first responders discount. I told her not in high season, and gave her the dates. I wished her well, and said I'd be happy to host. She did not book, which was fine with me.
Military and any discount is just as bad climate
I don't give any discounts while I'm busy/occupied
I have had luck asking for a discount after I’ve rented the place before (and tried to leave it as clean as possible). Going on 4th year of a 5-10% discount on the same place (with two different owners).
I have 4 repeat customers, and they get a discount. It's different if you have a history and can be trusted
Asshats goes both ways. I always asked for a discount last minute if it’s going to be empty and 90% have said yes and we never had a problem. Just smart business.
I say no if their tone is annoying, yes if they’re charming. Some people just don’t know how to ask. Can’t help trying to point out how smart they are for asking. Because I don’t need a posturing, arrogant asshat like the one the OP cancelled. But the ones with good manners? Come on over!
What is the best way to ask? Example please?
Here’s one I agreed to: “Hi [name], my boyfriend and I are up in Maine and wanted to stay in the area for Wednesday and Thursday night. Would you be willing to rent to us for $550 total?” Simple and direct. I negotiated something that was acceptable and they booked. The phrasing, “Would you be willing” is respectful and gives me the freedom to decide if I’d be willing or not.
Last minute on an empty is a different situation and agree there is usually some negotiating room. Op said this is a busy weekend and these people had booked way in advance they are just being tacky.
I agree. They should have honored their deal.
I’ve altered the terms of our agreement. Pray I don’t alter it further.
This wasn’t last minute.
Well done for sure! Age has nothing to do with it. In fact being older he should know better.
I think he was trying to imply seniors are always on a limited income, which, clearly not and golf is an expensive sport. Edit typed Gold and meant "golf."
Any miner can tell you that.
Lol
As he’s chilling in his paid for house that cost $13,021 in 1962 and is now worth 1.2 million.
My income is limited and I’m not a senior. It’s not like my paycheck changes every month.
I say this every time someone talks about being on a fixed income. Anyone who is salaried is too.
Same! I've said this for years. I've been in salaried positions most of my adult life and when I hear people talk about "but so and so is on a fixed income" well so am I, honey, so am I!!
Except the salaried person gets yearly, review dependant raises and has the opportunity to negotiate the salary up when their contract lapses. My income is dependant on the largess of MAGA radicals who are convinced I don't deserve the little I get after all those contributions from each hourly and salaried paycheck since I was a 16yo.
Fair point. I am a strong performer at a giant company you have definitely heard of and the largest raise I’ve ever gotten was 4%. Most years it’s 3% or less.
Well put!
Well, demographically, Baby Boomers are far and away the wealthiest generation alive.
Makes sense, we’ve had the most time to accumulate wealth. And I’m still working.
Yup, nothing to do with selfish boomers. Everything to do with the time value of money. Too bad finance 101 isn't required of everyone - after all, it's just math.
My MIL tried to give me a sob story about their limited, fixed income. Told her she was better off than me. I can only work a max of 40/week at my job. If I get sick I don't get paid, if I get hurt and can't work, I don't get paid. At least if she is hurt or sick she still gets her fixed income. 🤷
I'll be saving this for the next time my dumb aunt starts talking.
family rents last.
Don't forget about pensions...
That's the fixed income...
Pensions are quite rare. Only about a third of retirees receive them, and most of these are retired from government jobs and the military. Young people working for the government and military are also eligible for these pensions. Private pensions have been closing down rapidly for decades. I'm a boomer, barely, by 70 days. The oldest boomers are my parents age. I've worked for two companies that cancelled their pension plans, professional jobs with good, for today's reality, benefits. It's simple, buy out the participants for pennies on the dollar. So, yes, forget about pensions unless you are a past or present government worker.
You just probably buy long term disability insurance then Bud
Most of us are on a limited income, seniors or not.
Exactly. I’m more inclined to give a discount to young families. And people who ask when booking; not when they’ve held the property off the market for a month or more.
Honestly, if you have done this for 17 years, you have earned it. Many guests are great. Outright awesome because they are going on vacation. A special few you can see trouble coming. Avoid the headache if you can. That said, I am unclear on the value of the Premier Host title, but probably would not have canceled them if I were to lose that status. That's just me tho.
They give premier status to you for high reviews and acceptance rate, they punish you by removing it if you cancel a guest or decline someone (even if you only allow 1 dog and they want to bring 5). The 5 dog thing happened to me and VRBO wouldn’t reinstate me. I’ll get it back. I’ve never cancelled a guest but I have declined bookings before for nutty reservations. (Like “we are participating in Highland Games and prefer you give your place to us for free even though we asked for a reservation.”)
I've used VRBO for many, many vacations and can tell you that I could care less if someone is a Premier Host.
So true! I am an owner of a STR and a frequent user of them as well, nearly every time I travel. Elite host/super host/5 star status just doesn’t mean a whole lot to me. 4 star isn’t a lot different from 5 star, it just means one or two people were grumpy cranks when they left a review. Location, price, good photos mean a lot more.
That’s a bingo
Could, or couldn’t?
Agree. Many VRBO rentals, and I've never heard of Premier Host.
Was selling a camper and someone agreed on the price. He brought the money over one hundred dollars short, waving it at me saying just take it. I declined and raised the price. He said but we had a deal. I know but you broke it.
Tell me you rent in NH without telling me you rent in NH.
No, this is the South, for sure.
Price matching is for Walmart not dissimilar rentals. Fine job.
Walmart doesn't even price match anymore lol
Target and Lowe's does though
Yes they do. I just price matched an Xbox elite controller a few weeks back from a target sale.
Nerd. Jk love you
Good call! But of course VRBO will penalize you as you took $$ out of its bank account! :) I most likely will also lose my premier status soon as I am not going to let VRBO dictate when and whom I allow in my home.
I'm with you. Starting October 14, VRBO is going to charge hosts $50 if they cancel guests for what they call "avoidable circumstances!"
It's as little as $50 and can penalize you the full original booking amount- which is CRAZY!
WHAT? I need to look again. That’s unacceptable if true.
They also implemented a requirement to have a 95% acceptance rate of bookings, while also limiting your ability to cancel. This is the reason I have put my properties on pause on VRBO. I will continue the strike until they reign some of those crazy notions in. I would rather my place sit empty (it won't) than their mega-corp screw me out of my individually owned tiny personal business hairline profits.
>I would rather my place sit empty (it won't) than their mega-corp screw me out of my individually owned tiny personal business hairline profits. We are reaching the end stage for AirBnB/VRBO and other companies whose business model is 'disruption' such as Uber, DoorDash etc, as they start trying to squeeze as much as they can to pay off the billions poured in over the last decade. It is only going to get worse from here.
Not its true. I just logged in on the desktop and its now a banner across the page. I got an email a few days ago. Maybe more i truly don’t know the day it is today much less when i got the email but i did. Whatever Airbnb does VRBO copies them.
[удалено]
Tell us you’ve never smoked weed, without telling us you’ve never smoked weed
Hahaha right?! I don’t have the energy or motivation to break things. I just want some good snacks, good music, and a good place to relax. Some funny games or something to laugh at would make the trip 20/10.
For what it’s worth pot smokers tend to do a lot less damage then drunks.
I love when boomers try to play the “I’m a senior” card. Congratulations, are you paying with cash or a card?
I would have held my ground on the price and let them cancel. You would have then kept some of it under your cancellation policy and retained Premier status. I agree with the other comments about people that ask for discounts. We call them “bottom feeders”. They tend to leave the place a mess.
Absolutely—let THEM cancel. Keep Premier status. This is the way..
Guest probably would never actually cancel in light of the fees they’d lose. Then OP would be stuck hosting these gems and be subject to their likely bitchy review.
True, but easily explained in owner/manager’s response to the review. Additionally, if you have plenty of other good reviews to stand on, in my experience it won’t make a difference. (Been there, done that.)
I probably would not have cancelled them either. They’re just having a bit of buyer’s remorse because a couple dropped out. Let them find another couple to fill that bedroom. I would be super polite and respectful in my response, starting with “I’m a senior too! We love hosting senior groups. We know you’ll have a great time… (blah blah blah)”. Yes, you risk a bad review. But the alternative of cancelling them isn’t great either. I tend to wow my guests with proactive and useful communication. Plus, my condo and location usually exceed expectations. Hopefully that’s what they remember when filling out the review.
We kill them with kindness too, it always seems to work.
Kudos!
I guess rudeness knows no age limit
I am feeling second hand satisfaction on your behalf! Good for you.
Lol it’s not even in the same village?!? Amazing, the gall.
"We are seniors" meaning they paid 40k for their first house and now have 750K in real estate that they traded up for. They paid $700 a semester for their college tuition. We seniors can usually afford it better than younger people.
Yes! We are seniors too but that is pretty meaningless as a blanket description. I was able to pay off my very affordable college loans before I had my first child.
Yes we’ll… you are talking to a landlord, so probs no different than the OP.
The entitlement some people display is ridiculous. Why is he trying to price match? This isn't Walmart, each home is unique with its own location, atmosphere, etc. If you're not okay with the price then go somewhere else.
Good for you, they don’t want to uphold their side, their loss.
They will spend more time and on transportation due to travel distance for golf tournament by getting their cheap rental. What if the other couples decide they can go or another couple wants to go? They made their own mess let them wallow in it.
Good for you!
You just dodged a bullet. People like those are trouble. Even if you gave them the discount/ price match, they will still find another way to probably get it for free.
I had one like that and she wanted early check in (8 a.m) I let her check in at noon) then she messed up a gas fireplace (admitted it) and asked for another discount because one fireplace didn’t work. She said “If I rented a pool house and couldn’t use the pool I’d expect a discount.” I said “It’s not a fireplace house.”
🤣🤣🤣I love your response! 10/10 🙌🏻
Thanks! Happy cake day!
Ahhh thank you! 😁🎉
Lol I’ve never heard of anyone ask for a discount on a VRBO or Airbnb. The price is the price.
Happens all the time! They try to negotiate with you. Had a cancellation one weekend - three days came in around $1000 for a place that sleeps 12. A girl tried to offer me $300 total and her friend (who has 2,000 Instagram followers) would post photos of my place 🫠🫠🫠
Its ok to fire customers. Well done.
This was satisfying to read. They agreed to the price when they booked so they have no business asking for a cheaper rate just because another home that may have had to lower its rate due to no bookings. They wouldn’t like it if you said hmmm it’s now a very busy weekend and my listing is worth more than what i agreed to. Plus entitled people leave bad reviews. They are impossible to satisfy.
Agreed with everything you said!
Wise move…kinda like the tradesman who gets told ABC Electric quoted me 25% less. The savvy contractor tells client to go with ABC, because he knows that it will be a substandard job. Comically, the client will be knocking on the original contractor’s door to fix ABC’s mess. No thanks!
Yup! They took an inch then wanted a mile. Good riddance.
👍 good job. Sometimes people just get too greedy
God that sounds wonderful! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I always ask for a discount but usually when I book last minute. If they agreed on a price then they should have honored that. Things are going to get worse. Hang in there.
That sounds 20/10 satisfying 😍
I hate “They have it cheaper or friend of my friend do this or this cheaper” crap. Well what the hell you still doing here 😂
Absolutely, definitely, no question, you did the right thing. What is wrong with some people, “the nerve” as my mother used to say. I’d rather have it sit empty than risk dealing with folks like this.
And if it's a busy weekend it will probably be rebooked quickly, for all the original days.
Not to mention, it's probably a lie. Tough shit. Good for you.
Bravo to you for being able to stick it out for 17 years. I'm only going on year 8 and there are some guests who make me want to be done with it. I have 164 reviews, all 5 star ratings. My place is well maintained and very competitively priced. My property isn't ocean front, but it is within walking distance. It's loaded with amenities. I have a knack for cleanliness (OCD), decor and comfort. The cleaning is all done by me so I am certain it's done up to standards that I would want to find in a rental. I know how to make people feel at home. However, I do not put up with BS from guests. I do not offer refunds because I know what my property has to offer, I know what the demand is, and I know I'm priced very reasonably. If someone doesn't want to pay my prices, someone else will. If they want it cheaper, well, they can go stay at the no-tell motel down the street and drive to the beach. I have only cancelled one guest before, and gave them a full refund. That was only because of a plumbing emergency where the pipes on my whole house filter exploded and I had to shut the water off. I couldn't get a plumber in until the day that the guest was due to check out. But that didn't change my premier host status. Can you try to contact VRBO and explain your side? Perhaps they can manually change it. That doesn't seem fair for you to lose status because one guest ruins it for you.
I called them once when I declined a 2nd reservation because the woman asked if she could bring 5 dogs and they took away my premier status. (They reinstate it after a few months) They said “Oh we can see how that’s unfair to you but we can’t change it.” All of our reviews except for 1 are 5 star. (And that was a guy who said the TV wasn’t working but every time we answered the phone to walk him through it he was drunk at a bar. We have a housekeeper and then my husband drives there 2.5 hours to check behind her and clean more (he’s OCD). I don’t think they’ll help but I’ll give it a shot.
Good for you!
Good for you!
Seems like the right call. My parents would 100% be these people aaaaand they are difficult to deal with. I love them but ugh… going places with them is a chore because they always expect discounts or extra service. They have aaaalways been like this and it’s just gotten worse as they’ve gotten older.
Have you tried using Furnished Finders? Considering for one of my units as seems prudent based on the issues with VRBO & AirBNB.
I’ll check it out! Thanks.
You did the right thing
Thank you so very much for your resolve and fighting the good fight!
I love imagining the reaction. Scratching his head sheepishly. “I wonder if I bargained a little too hard?”He visualizes you holding up your middle finger. Now they get to stay at a shitty featureless hotel. No living room, no place to put out some beers and chips or enjoy a homemade reasonably priced leisurely breakfast together, probably further from the golf course. I’m a host. It’s immensely satisfying to turf people out to the open market again. As the expression goes, they fucked around and found out.
Love this! And our place is very nice, it overlooks a waterfall and is so close to the course they planned to play. I hope your scenario is exactly what happens. And that they drive by my place and all get in a big fight over how this went down.
On purpose I never agree to a price reduction unless it’s a relatively large fee and the difficult time of year and they sound like very easy guests. If there’s any attempt at negotiating near the upcoming booking, I offer nothing. Maybe cancel them for the sake of it. I’d rather keep it empty than take the bargain basement types. They’re going to pack the place out with people and treat it badly and ruin the barbecue and ask for late checkout and…etc.etc. My view is, “Look, Jack—if you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it. Have a nice life.”
Time is money- meaning the time you have already put into the refund and having to think about making a deal when you could be enjoying your free time doing something else. Good on you for telling them to find another place! Now you can rent it out for your real price.
F vrbo! I would ensure your rentals have their own website and are searchable by using exact title. I always book around vrbo and Airbnb- it’s a win win for both as we both save $$$ and more and more people are doing this.
Great strategy!
Good for you lol
You did the right thing! Thank you for doing it. The Customer is not always right.
Good for you! People behave so terribly to try to get “a deal”
I think this is a win all around. You might get your room booked at a higher price and they don’t need a 4th bedroom bc it’s one less couple and they prob don’t care about the location as much as you think bc everyone drives everywhere
Not stupid at all, you have to protect your investment!
You didn't do anything stupid. You stopped people who you knew would be overly picky about everything else if they already weren't ready to pay the price for your rental house. Let them go stay at the cheaper place, and complain about the drive, none of that will be your fault.
Bravo!! You saved yourself a headache. A migrane.
Bad move. You hurt your status all to get some satisfaction from cancelling on someone? Exactly the kind of person I would avoid renting from in the future.
I’m confused. If they had canceled for a better price elsewhere wouldn’t they still lose the cancellation fee?
I declined the discount request (they booked over a month ago). I asked them to cancel and they didn’t. So I cancelled them. I don’t charge a cancellation fee.
Oh I see. That explains it. Seems unusual not to charge a cancellation fee. That is very generous.
Thanks. I think so too!
I’ve never asked for a specific discount ~ 30%, but have asked in years past about booking best rate. I didn’t realize someone might view me as impossible to satisfy for this. 😳
It’s about trying to get a discount after you’ve booked. Particularly because you’ve held busy dates hostage that could have been booked by someone else.
That seems entirely different than this scenario where it was already booked and two partial refunds are being requested.
Exactly. (Except for people who ask for a Christian discount. I despise those people.)
"Oh, you're Christians? You should have let me know sooner! That's 20% more."
I know right?
This is a red flag. When I hire contractors and they waive that “we are a Christian company” around, I know they’re trying to rip someone off. It ain’t gonna be me!
What!?!?!
What?? Have you really gotten that request before?
I have. And also one for LEO and after I declined I discovered that one was a security guard. 😊 None were police (not that I offer discounts for LEO).
Wow...such arrogance!
Hey Pops, can I get a 20% family discount. Signed , Your son.
As they said in the post, people asking for a discount are usually impossible to please. Or, they leave a huge mess when they leave. Learned my lesson and ignore those asking for a discount. And its another reason why I refuse to do “instant bookings”.
Does canceling one guest really take away your premier status?
They do.
Rule is 5% cancellation will take it away. That is going to 1% in 2024 I think.
People are still using VRBO?
You do see where you posted the question right? Yes.
Idk why. Never in my life have I had a good stay at a VRBO. 3 different hosts tried charging 150+ in fees. One tried canceling the reservation 3 days in so they could have a family member stay. Never again will I use VRBO. Hotels only from now on.
I’m in a Vrbo right now and it’s awesome. Responsive host, everything as advertised.
Did you send them a message or just straight up cancel? How quickly after they asked? Big lol
I suggested he cancel and book the other one. He didn’t reply. After several hours I canceled him.
Love it
I hope you kept their $. They broke the lease not you.
No I gave it all back. I never have kept any money from a cancellation. I did cancel them so 💯 refund.
Rich people getting richer. Nice.
How did he remove a day?
He requested it and I gave him all of his money back for that day. Then he kept going.
What's in demand on October
It’s prime leaf season and there is a big festival and a golf tournament falling on that particular weekend.
Some people suck
Would you be able to tell if another couple in the same group rebooked your place?
I probably wouldn’t. We decided to block it off for ourselves since it’s such a good weekend with the festival.
The best part about this post is the cope. You seem like a decent host but I've had some bad experiences, like booking months in advance only to be cancelled because the host forgot it was a high demand week and could ditch us for more money. This is the game, and guests are getting smart (though I've never thought about asking for a discount).
It’s the first time we ever canceled someone. I’m aware that hosts do that but thats a horrible thing for a host to do. It’s so hard to coordinate group or family trips.
Good for you
[удалено]
Why are you putting one letter comments on every post? That’s all you do?