Posted on BedPosts

[gillumhouse]

This was posted today. I thought it might be an interesting read for some - may it never come true
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bookingcom-vacation-rentals-nightmare-stefano-sessa

 

[Arks]

Booking deliberately DOES NOT MAKE ANY CONTROL over identities or credit cards. This is a main security issue: any terrorist could easily book through them with a fake name and a fake credit card.
That sounds ridiculously paranoid to me.

 

[gillumhouse]

Booking deliberately DOES NOT MAKE ANY CONTROL over identities or credit cards. This is a main security issue: any terrorist could easily book through them with a fake name and a fake credit card.
That sounds ridiculously paranoid to me..

This is a nightmare generated by a lot of the new policies with no direct communication. I thought it might be interesting to read.

 

[Arks]

Booking deliberately DOES NOT MAKE ANY CONTROL over identities or credit cards. This is a main security issue: any terrorist could easily book through them with a fake name and a fake credit card.
That sounds ridiculously paranoid to me..

This is a nightmare generated by a lot of the new policies with no direct communication. I thought it might be interesting to read.
.

I thought it might be interesting to read.

It is. And a lot of it is right on target! I just don't buy the terrorist thing as being the biggest problem with Booking!

 

[Morticia]

OK, their rules in Europe seem to be different. However, here's how I have handled overbookings - contact the guest directly with their phone number, explain to guest, book guest at another property, NEVER tell booking this happened and just pay the commission. My mistake, my problem. (I have had other innkeepers demand WE pay the commission so they are out nothing on their mistake, but that's another issue.)
If there is also a FINE on top of paying the commission, no way.
We don't let booking have access to our checking account. (Thank you Copperhead for telling me this up front!)
Reply to review - that is controlled by the guest. If the guest does not want a reply, you don't get to make one.
We had 2 cards fail this week. First time in 2 years. The process to get the card updated was fairly simply - click 'Credit Card Declined' and send an email to the guest. I had email replies and info from the guests within 12 hours. (I didn't read where we have to hold the rez for 36 hours, but it's possible.) I state pretty firmly in the email we need to have a valid cc to proceed.

 

[Copperhead]

Agreed, this is a paranoid individual.
Does seem that Europe has different policies than those here in the states, at least for now. I have heard some issues international innkeepers have had dealing with them (this on other forums).
Bking is looking at offering prepaid bookings through their site. I am not so sure I want to have them know my banking info.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Agreed, this is a paranoid individual.
Does seem that Europe has different policies than those here in the states, at least for now. I have heard some issues international innkeepers have had dealing with them (this on other forums).
Bking is looking at offering prepaid bookings through their site. I am not so sure I want to have them know my banking info..

More than likely they will let you use PayPal. Have them send the $ to a merchant PayPal account then tell PayPal to transfer the money to your regular bank biz account. This is what I do with Air. There was no way I was going to give Air my regular account. I keep a $0 balance in my PayPal and when I get notified that fund have been put into the account, I immediately transfer the $ to my biz bank.

 

[OnTheShore]

Agreed, this is a paranoid individual.
Does seem that Europe has different policies than those here in the states, at least for now. I have heard some issues international innkeepers have had dealing with them (this on other forums).
Bking is looking at offering prepaid bookings through their site. I am not so sure I want to have them know my banking info..

More than likely they will let you use PayPal. Have them send the $ to a merchant PayPal account then tell PayPal to transfer the money to your regular bank biz account. This is what I do with Air. There was no way I was going to give Air my regular account. I keep a $0 balance in my PayPal and when I get notified that fund have been put into the account, I immediately transfer the $ to my biz bank.
.

Don't you end up paying double transaction costs doing it Air to PayPal to bank? Air takes 3% and PP takes another 2.9%+0.30 -- right?

 

[JBloggs]

Agreed, this is a paranoid individual.
Does seem that Europe has different policies than those here in the states, at least for now. I have heard some issues international innkeepers have had dealing with them (this on other forums).
Bking is looking at offering prepaid bookings through their site. I am not so sure I want to have them know my banking info..

More than likely they will let you use PayPal. Have them send the $ to a merchant PayPal account then tell PayPal to transfer the money to your regular bank biz account. This is what I do with Air. There was no way I was going to give Air my regular account. I keep a $0 balance in my PayPal and when I get notified that fund have been put into the account, I immediately transfer the $ to my biz bank.
.

Don't you end up paying double transaction costs doing it Air to PayPal to bank? Air takes 3% and PP takes another 2.9%+0.30 -- right?
.

Don't you end up paying double transaction costs doing it Air to PayPal to bank? Air takes 3% and PP takes another 2.9%+0.30 -- right?

there is no % you lose when they pay you from Air to your bank acct via paypal.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Agreed, this is a paranoid individual.
Does seem that Europe has different policies than those here in the states, at least for now. I have heard some issues international innkeepers have had dealing with them (this on other forums).
Bking is looking at offering prepaid bookings through their site. I am not so sure I want to have them know my banking info..

More than likely they will let you use PayPal. Have them send the $ to a merchant PayPal account then tell PayPal to transfer the money to your regular bank biz account. This is what I do with Air. There was no way I was going to give Air my regular account. I keep a $0 balance in my PayPal and when I get notified that fund have been put into the account, I immediately transfer the $ to my biz bank.
.

Don't you end up paying double transaction costs doing it Air to PayPal to bank? Air takes 3% and PP takes another 2.9%+0.30 -- right?
.

Don't you end up paying double transaction costs doing it Air to PayPal to bank? Air takes 3% and PP takes another 2.9%+0.30 -- right?

there is no % you lose when they pay you from Air to your bank acct via paypal.
.

JB is absolutely right. There is is no charge to have PP hold the money & transfer it to your bank. PP only charges when you are having them do the CC processing.

 

[Arks]

Agreed, this is a paranoid individual.
Does seem that Europe has different policies than those here in the states, at least for now. I have heard some issues international innkeepers have had dealing with them (this on other forums).
Bking is looking at offering prepaid bookings through their site. I am not so sure I want to have them know my banking info..

More than likely they will let you use PayPal. Have them send the $ to a merchant PayPal account then tell PayPal to transfer the money to your regular bank biz account. This is what I do with Air. There was no way I was going to give Air my regular account. I keep a $0 balance in my PayPal and when I get notified that fund have been put into the account, I immediately transfer the $ to my biz bank.
.

Don't you end up paying double transaction costs doing it Air to PayPal to bank? Air takes 3% and PP takes another 2.9%+0.30 -- right?
.

Don't you end up paying double transaction costs doing it Air to PayPal to bank? Air takes 3% and PP takes another 2.9%+0.30 -- right?

there is no % you lose when they pay you from Air to your bank acct via paypal.
.

JB is absolutely right. There is is no charge to have PP hold the money & transfer it to your bank. PP only charges when you are having them do the CC processing.
.

JB is absolutely right. There is is no charge to have PP hold the money & transfer it to your bank. PP only charges when you are having them do the CC processing.

Good ole PayPal, co-founded by Elon "Tesla" Musk!

 

[Morticia]

Agreed, this is a paranoid individual.
Does seem that Europe has different policies than those here in the states, at least for now. I have heard some issues international innkeepers have had dealing with them (this on other forums).
Bking is looking at offering prepaid bookings through their site. I am not so sure I want to have them know my banking info..

More than likely they will let you use PayPal. Have them send the $ to a merchant PayPal account then tell PayPal to transfer the money to your regular bank biz account. This is what I do with Air. There was no way I was going to give Air my regular account. I keep a $0 balance in my PayPal and when I get notified that fund have been put into the account, I immediately transfer the $ to my biz bank.
.

More than likely they will let you use PayPal. Have them send the $ to a merchant PayPal account then tell PayPal to transfer the money to your regular bank biz account. This is what I do with Air. There was no way I was going to give Air my regular account. I keep a $0 balance in my PayPal and when I get notified that fund have been put into the account, I immediately transfer the $ to my biz bank.

We haven't gotten paid yet but I asked for a check. Slow, yeah, but like you not wanting to give them my bank info.