Homeaway Payments - Grrr!

OTA = Online Travel Agency, which means those sites that sell the booking and take the payment for you.
Sam V
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Homeaway Payments - Grrr!

Post by Sam V »

I have HA guests checked in yesterday for 3 nights.

I received an email this morning from HA. confirming a payout of£76.95 less fees.

Slight panic, this booking is more like £400, so why only (iro) £75?!

Just called them and she told me payments are sent out in ‘Batches’ so this is for their deposit payment, the next payment ‘of around £300’ will be paid out in 5-7 days.

So why am I not being paid the full amount? The guests have checked in. When did they pay the final balance (August!) this makes no sense, you’ve had the payments from the guest months ago!!!

‘Sorry ma’am, you will receive notification of the payment to your account in 5-7 working days....’


INSERT APPROPRIATE CUSS WORDS FROM PROPERTY OWNER HERE

So they are no longer paying us in full once guests have checked in, but a part payment on check in and the balance when they see fit!

—————
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Sunbeam
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Post by Sunbeam »

I presume this is after the recent changes to HomeAway's payments generally – and taking their payments in-house. We managed to stay on the old system of deposit paid on booking and balance paid 2 months before, and this seems to be working. We have a booking for next year that we think fell into limbo during the change and not sure if we'll get the balance paid 2 months before or after check-in. Will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
Bree
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Post by Bree »

That is very annoying Sam.
I can see lots of glitches with this new system and changeover, it will be important to watch carefully for payments. I wonder will this happen with all payments or is it just a glitch on changeover..

How did you manage that Sunbeam, did they ask you to move to new system of payment after check in?
Sam V
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Post by Sam V »

Yesterday I received an email from HA reminding me that the guests security deposit will be repaid soon if i don’t contest it.

This morning I've now received an email confirming the balance payment will be paid.

Ive checked my bank account but nothing has been paid in yet. Guests checked in on Thursday, so, going by the 5-7 day rule, it’s likely I’m not going to receive the deposit until around this Friday or possibly next Monday. If the balance has only just been released today, then I wont be receiving that until some time early next week, a week after guests departure!

I’m not going to set up advance payment with them, not if they are going to charge 3% on top, I can manage ok financially with out it. But I don't see why they cant pay out the full balance on check in. It’s basically just HA grabbing that extra bit of interest on your money.

When i spoke to HA I got the impression this is the way it is and will be.
TA lurkers walk among us; the LMH Walking Dead

dont mess in the affairs of cats for they are subtle and will p on your computer.

www.algarvevillatrinity.co.uk
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Sunbeam
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Post by Sunbeam »

Hi Bree – we were offered this when the new system came in. Not sure what the criteria were/are for eligibility though.
KathyG
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Post by KathyG »

One of the many reasons I sent them packing last year. Greedy bast***s, but they're all the same now. Such a shame.
Kathy
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Sam V
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Post by Sam V »

Update:

I received both payments yesterday, thankfully sooner than expected, via Yapstone, which I was a little surprised about as I thought they'd stopped handling HA payments. I've made a new post about that after I've just gone back over a few emails sent to me via HA recently.
TA lurkers walk among us; the LMH Walking Dead

dont mess in the affairs of cats for they are subtle and will p on your computer.

www.algarvevillatrinity.co.uk
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Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

I had a HA booking stayed in August, i received the full amount in one payment, guests paid deposit and balance. I guess one way to avoid two payments though, might be to take 100% upfront.
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

Could it be that the initial payments were taken by Yapstone which is why they are paying it out to you on this occasion?
Sam V
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Post by Sam V »

I've started a new post which explains it!
TA lurkers walk among us; the LMH Walking Dead

dont mess in the affairs of cats for they are subtle and will p on your computer.

www.algarvevillatrinity.co.uk
www.facebook.com/villatrinity
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paolo
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Post by paolo »

KathyG wrote:Greedy bast***s, but they're all the same now.
This is an industry which puts its clients first, and its clients are renters, not owners. Payments are disbursed after arrival so that renters know that if a property is misrepresented, or part of a scam, they will get reimbursed in full.

The next step will be instant booking as the default option. If you want to opt out of instant booking it will be at a cost and you will be demoted in the site's search results. You can vote with your feet but the site won't care, they will be weeding out the less profitable owners.
Paolo
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e-richard
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Post by e-richard »

Count yourself lucky with HomeAway payments a few days after guests check in.

I've just had my first guests via bookingdotcon and while their T&Cs state that we get paid "up to 10 days AFTER guests have departed", I have just been paid 16 days after guests have long gone.
** Richard
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Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

wow, that's terrible. I take payment for Booking dotters directly, so get paid straightaway.
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