New privacy emails from booking

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2cat_lady

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Anyone else with any experiences so far?
Two separate reservations from two entirely different guests. They each address a particular concern. One, a very late arrival. The other with mobility restrictions and dietary restrictions.
Now that Booking.com disguises the guest's email address, I can't be 100% certain that they are receiving my reply. I've answered their question and yet I don't get any response in return.
Has anyone else sent their guest an email through Booking's extranet service and received a response in return?
 
I have to include a line in all my emails to OTA clients asking them to email me back to confirm receipt. It's a nuisance, but sometimes I end up with their direct email address as a result.
Orbitz & Priceline are the worst. In addition to the fact they usually screw up the reservation (not charging for 3rd & 4th guests in room), but they don't provide you with ANY information, be it phone numbers or emails. We've had guests show up after wasting an hour driving down a road closed in the winter. Our response: We tell all our guests about it in advance. Since Orbitz wouldn't tell us how to reach you, we couldn't. Next time, book directly from our site and we can let you know what's going on, as well as give you an extra gift.
I look on OTAs as a tool to get first-time soon-to-be-regulars. I actually scolded a guest once who booked twice through Expedia. "What? You DIDN'T want a complimentary $20 bottle of wine?"
 
I have to include a line in all my emails to OTA clients asking them to email me back to confirm receipt. It's a nuisance, but sometimes I end up with their direct email address as a result.
Orbitz & Priceline are the worst. In addition to the fact they usually screw up the reservation (not charging for 3rd & 4th guests in room), but they don't provide you with ANY information, be it phone numbers or emails. We've had guests show up after wasting an hour driving down a road closed in the winter. Our response: We tell all our guests about it in advance. Since Orbitz wouldn't tell us how to reach you, we couldn't. Next time, book directly from our site and we can let you know what's going on, as well as give you an extra gift.
I look on OTAs as a tool to get first-time soon-to-be-regulars. I actually scolded a guest once who booked twice through Expedia. "What? You DIDN'T want a complimentary $20 bottle of wine?".
Excellent suggestion. I will change the acknowledgment email right away.
 
Reminds me of dealing with craigslist. Many times, peoples anonynized cl responses wind up in my spam folder, so I have to check occasionally.
 
I was never told that. When did that start?.
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
 
Reminds me of dealing with craigslist. Many times, peoples anonynized cl responses wind up in my spam folder, so I have to check occasionally..
Just answering undersea:
That's kind of what I think is happening to my responses. Like, is Booking.com afraid of direct communication with the customer? Are they monitoring the emails in case you're asking the customer to cancel with Booking and then contacting the site directly? If that's the case, then I would think that would be an invasion of privacy-- mine and the customer's!
 
2cat_lady i think you've figured it out..
Okay, so here's the scoop.
I called Booking and told them my concerns of the guests not receiving their emails or going into their spam accounts. I got her to check their Extranet system and she actually started reading my email back to me.
Hey, I said. Are you reading my private email???? As soon as she acknowledged that, I said I wanted to speak to a supervisor. I said I felt that my message was private and meant only for the guest, and I felt it was a violation of our privacy as well as probably illegal. She said, that only Booking people could read it. I told her I didn't care. I said that if anyone else in the world could intercept my email and read it, I think that qualified as being illegal. Just my guess.
Well, no one that could address my concerns will be in until Tuesday and she promised to have someone call me then. We'll see. I told her that I wanted to opt out of the 'private email addresses'. She said she didn't have the authority to do that. Hmmm. Does that mean that maybe if I kick hard enough that someone can change that option? I also said that I had the guest's phone number and I didn't want to have to call them and tell that that I couldn't communicate via email with them because our emails were being monitored. I asked what she though their customer would say to that. She didn't like where the conversation was going.
Stay tuned for part 2 next week.
 
2cat_lady i think you've figured it out..
Okay, so here's the scoop.
I called Booking and told them my concerns of the guests not receiving their emails or going into their spam accounts. I got her to check their Extranet system and she actually started reading my email back to me.
Hey, I said. Are you reading my private email???? As soon as she acknowledged that, I said I wanted to speak to a supervisor. I said I felt that my message was private and meant only for the guest, and I felt it was a violation of our privacy as well as probably illegal. She said, that only Booking people could read it. I told her I didn't care. I said that if anyone else in the world could intercept my email and read it, I think that qualified as being illegal. Just my guess.
Well, no one that could address my concerns will be in until Tuesday and she promised to have someone call me then. We'll see. I told her that I wanted to opt out of the 'private email addresses'. She said she didn't have the authority to do that. Hmmm. Does that mean that maybe if I kick hard enough that someone can change that option? I also said that I had the guest's phone number and I didn't want to have to call them and tell that that I couldn't communicate via email with them because our emails were being monitored. I asked what she though their customer would say to that. She didn't like where the conversation was going.
Stay tuned for part 2 next week.
.
Thank you for following up on this and for letting us know what happens. This is very interesting and, if I understand it, suggests that I would not want to send a guest anything using the communication Booking provides us. We get the occasional famous person and I see the potential for a breach from an unscrupulous employee. Yet another reason for us to stay away from Booking.
 
2cat_lady i think you've figured it out..
Okay, so here's the scoop.
I called Booking and told them my concerns of the guests not receiving their emails or going into their spam accounts. I got her to check their Extranet system and she actually started reading my email back to me.
Hey, I said. Are you reading my private email???? As soon as she acknowledged that, I said I wanted to speak to a supervisor. I said I felt that my message was private and meant only for the guest, and I felt it was a violation of our privacy as well as probably illegal. She said, that only Booking people could read it. I told her I didn't care. I said that if anyone else in the world could intercept my email and read it, I think that qualified as being illegal. Just my guess.
Well, no one that could address my concerns will be in until Tuesday and she promised to have someone call me then. We'll see. I told her that I wanted to opt out of the 'private email addresses'. She said she didn't have the authority to do that. Hmmm. Does that mean that maybe if I kick hard enough that someone can change that option? I also said that I had the guest's phone number and I didn't want to have to call them and tell that that I couldn't communicate via email with them because our emails were being monitored. I asked what she though their customer would say to that. She didn't like where the conversation was going.
Stay tuned for part 2 next week.
.
Thank you for following up on this and for letting us know what happens. This is very interesting and, if I understand it, suggests that I would not want to send a guest anything using the communication Booking provides us. We get the occasional famous person and I see the potential for a breach from an unscrupulous employee. Yet another reason for us to stay away from Booking.
.
I mean, come on. The government is being called onto this issue for spying and monitoring people's emails and Booking can get away with this?????
 
and there you go.
you know they have access to the emails that go through their system ... like craigslist that's basically fowarding it along. and i think you've got it exactly right, it's to prevent the guest from going around them.
all these programs that have access to email make me crazy. my nephew emailed me where he was staying in california. i read the email on my desktop computer. using my iphone suddenly ads for that hotel appeared. so i keep going in and chaning settings, following blogs about privacy and how to get around this monitoring.
 
Thanks for letting us know 2-cat.
I sure wish I had known this before I took their survey this past week!!!
Funny, Exp edia et al has finally started providing us with email & phone numbers for quests, before all we got were names and booking seems to be going in reverse.
Sharpen those claws and be ready to make some fur fly. Please share with us what happens.
 
I was never told that. When did that start?.
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
.
2cat_lady said:
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
Just checked my inbox (in their system) and there is no message regarding this change to their system. I checked all my future bookings and all have their own email addresses still being shown on their site as I have in my system
Not sure what is going on but I will keep a close eye out for change.
 
I was never told that. When did that start?.
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
.
2cat_lady said:
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
Just checked my inbox (in their system) and there is no message regarding this change to their system. I checked all my future bookings and all have their own email addresses still being shown on their site as I have in my system
Not sure what is going on but I will keep a close eye out for change.
.
I got mine March 5th CH and here it is:
Dear partner,
As you may already be aware, scammers are increasingly trying to find ways to gain access to online platforms like Booking.com. They try to use email addresses, as well as links, attachments and images in emails, to illegally gain access to the private information of our customers and partners.
Because we are committed to protecting you and our mutual guests from these kinds of email-based attacks, we are providing you with two features to create an even more secure and convenient method for you to communicate with your Booking.com guests.
Anonymous email addresses
As of this week, guest email addresses will be made anonymous in order to provide an extra level of security. Your email address will also be protected in the same way. You can continue to send and receive emails to guests as you normally would. The difference is that your identity, as well as that of your guests, will be protected. In addition, you will not be able to send links, images, attachments, or anything of this nature. This ensures that you and our mutual guests are less susceptible to online scammers.
We already send pre-arrival emails to guests 5 days prior to check-in to provide helpful information for their stay, including maps to the front door of your property. This reduces the need for you to send extra emails with links, attachments, maps or images. We’re also exploring additional options to make it even easier for you to communicate with guests in the most secure way possible.
Direct communication with guests via your Extranet
Your Extranet is the most secure environment for you to communicate directly with guests. We’ve added visible alerts on your homepage, and have enabled you to quickly respond and/or proactively send messages to guests anywhere their booking information shows up. All you have to do is select the individual reservation, and respond or send your message. A click of a button is all it takes!
Our goal with these features is to enable easy and convenient communication, while providing an enhanced level of protection for you and our mutual guests.
If you have any questions or concerns, please respond to this message and a member of our team will get back to you.
Kind regards,
The Booking.com Team
And not only this, but the way they've disguised the email address makes it look very suspicious, like those stupid Apple emails I get from scammers trying to get me to log into their fraudulent sites.
 
I was never told that. When did that start?.
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
.
2cat_lady said:
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
Just checked my inbox (in their system) and there is no message regarding this change to their system. I checked all my future bookings and all have their own email addresses still being shown on their site as I have in my system
Not sure what is going on but I will keep a close eye out for change.
.
I got mine March 5th CH and here it is:
Dear partner,
As you may already be aware, scammers are increasingly trying to find ways to gain access to online platforms like Booking.com. They try to use email addresses, as well as links, attachments and images in emails, to illegally gain access to the private information of our customers and partners.
Because we are committed to protecting you and our mutual guests from these kinds of email-based attacks, we are providing you with two features to create an even more secure and convenient method for you to communicate with your Booking.com guests.
Anonymous email addresses
As of this week, guest email addresses will be made anonymous in order to provide an extra level of security. Your email address will also be protected in the same way. You can continue to send and receive emails to guests as you normally would. The difference is that your identity, as well as that of your guests, will be protected. In addition, you will not be able to send links, images, attachments, or anything of this nature. This ensures that you and our mutual guests are less susceptible to online scammers.
We already send pre-arrival emails to guests 5 days prior to check-in to provide helpful information for their stay, including maps to the front door of your property. This reduces the need for you to send extra emails with links, attachments, maps or images. We’re also exploring additional options to make it even easier for you to communicate with guests in the most secure way possible.
Direct communication with guests via your Extranet
Your Extranet is the most secure environment for you to communicate directly with guests. We’ve added visible alerts on your homepage, and have enabled you to quickly respond and/or proactively send messages to guests anywhere their booking information shows up. All you have to do is select the individual reservation, and respond or send your message. A click of a button is all it takes!
Our goal with these features is to enable easy and convenient communication, while providing an enhanced level of protection for you and our mutual guests.
If you have any questions or concerns, please respond to this message and a member of our team will get back to you.
Kind regards,
The Booking.com Team
And not only this, but the way they've disguised the email address makes it look very suspicious, like those stupid Apple emails I get from scammers trying to get me to log into their fraudulent sites.
.
I never knew they sent a pre arrival email. I do the same. And yet guests who want to cancel tell me they have no idea how to contact booking.
Darn tooting the guest gets an email from me with the policies in it.
And I never got this email from them.
 
I was never told that. When did that start?.
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
.
2cat_lady said:
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
Just checked my inbox (in their system) and there is no message regarding this change to their system. I checked all my future bookings and all have their own email addresses still being shown on their site as I have in my system
Not sure what is going on but I will keep a close eye out for change.
.
I got mine March 5th CH and here it is:
Dear partner,
As you may already be aware, scammers are increasingly trying to find ways to gain access to online platforms like Booking.com. They try to use email addresses, as well as links, attachments and images in emails, to illegally gain access to the private information of our customers and partners.
Because we are committed to protecting you and our mutual guests from these kinds of email-based attacks, we are providing you with two features to create an even more secure and convenient method for you to communicate with your Booking.com guests.
Anonymous email addresses
As of this week, guest email addresses will be made anonymous in order to provide an extra level of security. Your email address will also be protected in the same way. You can continue to send and receive emails to guests as you normally would. The difference is that your identity, as well as that of your guests, will be protected. In addition, you will not be able to send links, images, attachments, or anything of this nature. This ensures that you and our mutual guests are less susceptible to online scammers.
We already send pre-arrival emails to guests 5 days prior to check-in to provide helpful information for their stay, including maps to the front door of your property. This reduces the need for you to send extra emails with links, attachments, maps or images. We’re also exploring additional options to make it even easier for you to communicate with guests in the most secure way possible.
Direct communication with guests via your Extranet
Your Extranet is the most secure environment for you to communicate directly with guests. We’ve added visible alerts on your homepage, and have enabled you to quickly respond and/or proactively send messages to guests anywhere their booking information shows up. All you have to do is select the individual reservation, and respond or send your message. A click of a button is all it takes!
Our goal with these features is to enable easy and convenient communication, while providing an enhanced level of protection for you and our mutual guests.
If you have any questions or concerns, please respond to this message and a member of our team will get back to you.
Kind regards,
The Booking.com Team
And not only this, but the way they've disguised the email address makes it look very suspicious, like those stupid Apple emails I get from scammers trying to get me to log into their fraudulent sites.
.
Thanks for posting the email. No never received it.
The reason they give for this is BS. What it appears to me is enabling them to scan the emails to stop those trying to sway the guest to cancel and book direct.
 
I was never told that. When did that start?.
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
.
2cat_lady said:
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
Just checked my inbox (in their system) and there is no message regarding this change to their system. I checked all my future bookings and all have their own email addresses still being shown on their site as I have in my system
Not sure what is going on but I will keep a close eye out for change.
.
I got mine March 5th CH and here it is:
Dear partner,
As you may already be aware, scammers are increasingly trying to find ways to gain access to online platforms like Booking.com. They try to use email addresses, as well as links, attachments and images in emails, to illegally gain access to the private information of our customers and partners.
Because we are committed to protecting you and our mutual guests from these kinds of email-based attacks, we are providing you with two features to create an even more secure and convenient method for you to communicate with your Booking.com guests.
Anonymous email addresses
As of this week, guest email addresses will be made anonymous in order to provide an extra level of security. Your email address will also be protected in the same way. You can continue to send and receive emails to guests as you normally would. The difference is that your identity, as well as that of your guests, will be protected. In addition, you will not be able to send links, images, attachments, or anything of this nature. This ensures that you and our mutual guests are less susceptible to online scammers.
We already send pre-arrival emails to guests 5 days prior to check-in to provide helpful information for their stay, including maps to the front door of your property. This reduces the need for you to send extra emails with links, attachments, maps or images. We’re also exploring additional options to make it even easier for you to communicate with guests in the most secure way possible.
Direct communication with guests via your Extranet
Your Extranet is the most secure environment for you to communicate directly with guests. We’ve added visible alerts on your homepage, and have enabled you to quickly respond and/or proactively send messages to guests anywhere their booking information shows up. All you have to do is select the individual reservation, and respond or send your message. A click of a button is all it takes!
Our goal with these features is to enable easy and convenient communication, while providing an enhanced level of protection for you and our mutual guests.
If you have any questions or concerns, please respond to this message and a member of our team will get back to you.
Kind regards,
The Booking.com Team
And not only this, but the way they've disguised the email address makes it look very suspicious, like those stupid Apple emails I get from scammers trying to get me to log into their fraudulent sites.
.
I never knew they sent a pre arrival email. I do the same. And yet guests who want to cancel tell me they have no idea how to contact booking.
Darn tooting the guest gets an email from me with the policies in it.
And I never got this email from them.
.
I never received it either.
They're using the false flag of email spammers to inject themselves in the communications loop between you and the guest they procured for you. I ALWAYS assume when I'm using AirBnB, Booking's or other OTA's interfaces that they are scanning the content. Air even has this down to a science, where their robots automatically delete any email, web address or phone number to force you to continue the transaction through them.
I don't like it, but I accept that it's their sandbox and they can set the rules. I can then either take my toys or go home, or continue to play their way. As I said earlier, it's a tool to get NEW customers. If they keep using OTAs after their first stay, then I haven't done my job.
 
I was never told that. When did that start?.
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
.
2cat_lady said:
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
Just checked my inbox (in their system) and there is no message regarding this change to their system. I checked all my future bookings and all have their own email addresses still being shown on their site as I have in my system
Not sure what is going on but I will keep a close eye out for change.
.
I got mine March 5th CH and here it is:
Dear partner,
As you may already be aware, scammers are increasingly trying to find ways to gain access to online platforms like Booking.com. They try to use email addresses, as well as links, attachments and images in emails, to illegally gain access to the private information of our customers and partners.
Because we are committed to protecting you and our mutual guests from these kinds of email-based attacks, we are providing you with two features to create an even more secure and convenient method for you to communicate with your Booking.com guests.
Anonymous email addresses
As of this week, guest email addresses will be made anonymous in order to provide an extra level of security. Your email address will also be protected in the same way. You can continue to send and receive emails to guests as you normally would. The difference is that your identity, as well as that of your guests, will be protected. In addition, you will not be able to send links, images, attachments, or anything of this nature. This ensures that you and our mutual guests are less susceptible to online scammers.
We already send pre-arrival emails to guests 5 days prior to check-in to provide helpful information for their stay, including maps to the front door of your property. This reduces the need for you to send extra emails with links, attachments, maps or images. We’re also exploring additional options to make it even easier for you to communicate with guests in the most secure way possible.
Direct communication with guests via your Extranet
Your Extranet is the most secure environment for you to communicate directly with guests. We’ve added visible alerts on your homepage, and have enabled you to quickly respond and/or proactively send messages to guests anywhere their booking information shows up. All you have to do is select the individual reservation, and respond or send your message. A click of a button is all it takes!
Our goal with these features is to enable easy and convenient communication, while providing an enhanced level of protection for you and our mutual guests.
If you have any questions or concerns, please respond to this message and a member of our team will get back to you.
Kind regards,
The Booking.com Team
And not only this, but the way they've disguised the email address makes it look very suspicious, like those stupid Apple emails I get from scammers trying to get me to log into their fraudulent sites.
.
I never knew they sent a pre arrival email. I do the same. And yet guests who want to cancel tell me they have no idea how to contact booking.
Darn tooting the guest gets an email from me with the policies in it.
And I never got this email from them.
.
I never received it either.
They're using the false flag of email spammers to inject themselves in the communications loop between you and the guest they procured for you. I ALWAYS assume when I'm using AirBnB, Booking's or other OTA's interfaces that they are scanning the content. Air even has this down to a science, where their robots automatically delete any email, web address or phone number to force you to continue the transaction through them.
I don't like it, but I accept that it's their sandbox and they can set the rules. I can then either take my toys or go home, or continue to play their way. As I said earlier, it's a tool to get NEW customers. If they keep using OTAs after their first stay, then I haven't done my job.
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Copperhead said:
...enabling them to scan the emails to stop those trying to sway the guest to cancel and book direct.
Of course! When we try to get guests to bypass them, it's taking money out of their pockets. They'll certainly want to stop that, and I'm sure the terms we agreed to when we signed up give them the right to stop it.
PhineasSwann said:
I ALWAYS assume when I'm using AirBnB, Booking's or other OTA's interfaces that they are scanning the content. Air even has this down to a science, where their robots automatically delete any email, web address or phone number to force you to continue the transaction through them.
Me too. I always assume they, or a "bot", will be reading the e-mails they pass between me and my guest. Just like Phineas said, "I don't like it, but I accept that it's their sandbox and they can set the rules. I can then either take my toys and go home, or continue to play their way."
I'm going to stop trying to sneak, into the e-mails, ways for the guest to go directly to my booking page or website. I don't want to risk Booking or Air deleting my message entirely.
 
I was never told that. When did that start?.
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
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2cat_lady said:
I think about out three weeks ago. I got one confirmation with a personal email address, and then the next day it was a 'modified' reservation with only the email being different.
I got an email that notified me, which was in my I box, which you don't know about unless you actually log into it. Their reasoning was that it was to protect the 'customer's privacyand seurity', which doesn't really make sense because they also said I could still send them messages via their Extranet service. They still give me the phone number and address though. Don't know if I should actually call the customer. You'd think if there were any concerns with their reservation they would have contacted me directly and not just added a notation to their Booking reservation.
Just checked my inbox (in their system) and there is no message regarding this change to their system. I checked all my future bookings and all have their own email addresses still being shown on their site as I have in my system
Not sure what is going on but I will keep a close eye out for change.
.
I got mine March 5th CH and here it is:
Dear partner,
As you may already be aware, scammers are increasingly trying to find ways to gain access to online platforms like Booking.com. They try to use email addresses, as well as links, attachments and images in emails, to illegally gain access to the private information of our customers and partners.
Because we are committed to protecting you and our mutual guests from these kinds of email-based attacks, we are providing you with two features to create an even more secure and convenient method for you to communicate with your Booking.com guests.
Anonymous email addresses
As of this week, guest email addresses will be made anonymous in order to provide an extra level of security. Your email address will also be protected in the same way. You can continue to send and receive emails to guests as you normally would. The difference is that your identity, as well as that of your guests, will be protected. In addition, you will not be able to send links, images, attachments, or anything of this nature. This ensures that you and our mutual guests are less susceptible to online scammers.
We already send pre-arrival emails to guests 5 days prior to check-in to provide helpful information for their stay, including maps to the front door of your property. This reduces the need for you to send extra emails with links, attachments, maps or images. We’re also exploring additional options to make it even easier for you to communicate with guests in the most secure way possible.
Direct communication with guests via your Extranet
Your Extranet is the most secure environment for you to communicate directly with guests. We’ve added visible alerts on your homepage, and have enabled you to quickly respond and/or proactively send messages to guests anywhere their booking information shows up. All you have to do is select the individual reservation, and respond or send your message. A click of a button is all it takes!
Our goal with these features is to enable easy and convenient communication, while providing an enhanced level of protection for you and our mutual guests.
If you have any questions or concerns, please respond to this message and a member of our team will get back to you.
Kind regards,
The Booking.com Team
And not only this, but the way they've disguised the email address makes it look very suspicious, like those stupid Apple emails I get from scammers trying to get me to log into their fraudulent sites.
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I never knew they sent a pre arrival email. I do the same. And yet guests who want to cancel tell me they have no idea how to contact booking.
Darn tooting the guest gets an email from me with the policies in it.
And I never got this email from them.
.
I never received it either.
They're using the false flag of email spammers to inject themselves in the communications loop between you and the guest they procured for you. I ALWAYS assume when I'm using AirBnB, Booking's or other OTA's interfaces that they are scanning the content. Air even has this down to a science, where their robots automatically delete any email, web address or phone number to force you to continue the transaction through them.
I don't like it, but I accept that it's their sandbox and they can set the rules. I can then either take my toys or go home, or continue to play their way. As I said earlier, it's a tool to get NEW customers. If they keep using OTAs after their first stay, then I haven't done my job.
.
Copperhead said:
...enabling them to scan the emails to stop those trying to sway the guest to cancel and book direct.
Of course! When we try to get guests to bypass them, it's taking money out of their pockets. They'll certainly want to stop that, and I'm sure the terms we agreed to when we signed up give them the right to stop it.
PhineasSwann said:
I ALWAYS assume when I'm using AirBnB, Booking's or other OTA's interfaces that they are scanning the content. Air even has this down to a science, where their robots automatically delete any email, web address or phone number to force you to continue the transaction through them.
Me too. I always assume they, or a "bot", will be reading the e-mails they pass between me and my guest. Just like Phineas said, "I don't like it, but I accept that it's their sandbox and they can set the rules. I can then either take my toys and go home, or continue to play their way."
I'm going to stop trying to sneak, into the e-mails, ways for the guest to go directly to my booking page or website. I don't want to risk Booking or Air deleting my message entirely.
.
And you know what's really silly?
They say they do this to stop links, attachments, etc. but when I had DH make a reservation using his personal email address, they forwarded my confirmation email ( the one that ResKey automatically sends) right after their confirmation, and my email address is right there as a link because that's how I set up my template
And Morticia, in the confirmation email that Booking sends out, Booking includes a cancellation button at the end of their acknowledgement that all they to do is click. It's that easy. So no, the guest does not have the excuse that they didn't know how to cancel. That is, if they actually get the email or it ends up in their spam or junk box.
 
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