Sykes Deserts Owners

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Tremewan
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2014 11:35 am
Location: Yorkshire Dales

Sykes Deserts Owners

Post by Tremewan »

Anyone who markets their properties through Sykes will have received an email from them giving an update on their new policy.

In addition to offering customers an alternative date with no administration fee to pay, they have now set up an alternative offer for customers without reference to their property owners. This allows guests to request a credit to their customer account, which can then be used to book a holiday at any Sykes property within the next 24 months. In order for them to do this owners will have to repay any rental amounts already made.

As an owner with two properties on Sykes's books, I am fully in favour of offering to rebook guests for a future date - whilst waiving any admin fees. That is fair to all parties. What I cannot agree with is a policy whereby Sykes retains the holidaymakers' funds in full, in order to place the guest at an alternative property within the Sykes portfolio. As owners, we lose the entire revenue whereas Sykes retains the funds in full and, as a result, does not take the financial hit which we must agree to. They are simply trying to shore up their brand whilst hanging their owners out to dry.

Yes, you can opt out of facilitating credits but, as the email says, "this is an issue for you to resolve with the customer". Well, I'm sorry, but it is not! Owners generally have no direct contact with the customer, as the agency first secures and then manages the booking - for which we pay a very sizeable fee. The agents cannot simply wriggle out of their commitment just because the owner, (whose opinion they have not sought) chooses not to agree with this change in policy.

We are in extraordinary times, however we all have signed contracts which do not cater for such changes. Who will be the first owners to test them at law, I wonder? If the agencies want to reinvent the wheel in such ways (without prior reference to their owners) they should terminate all existing contracts with owners, issue new conditions - and retire to see who signs up to them. Once we are finally through this disaster, I, for one, will be seriously considering in whose hands I wish to entrust my future business dealings.
Kilm
Posts: 44
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 4:23 pm

Post by Kilm »

This is why I like Cottages means of not paying any monies owed by guests to me, until the month of their booking. That way, I have no backlog, so to speak, of owner deposits. The £25 booking is mine regardless.

From Covid-19, because of when it fell I only had one fully paid booking which was cancelled, and I keep that money as the guest has to go through insurance as is standard.
newtimber
Posts: 1945
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:57 pm
Location: Brighton
Contact:

Post by newtimber »

There are now over 5,000 members on the Sykes Unhappy Customers Facebook page. It makes depressing reading and certainly I wouldn't want to be associated with such an awful company that treats guests and owners in a disgraceful way.
zebedee
Posts: 1270
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

Kilm wrote:This is why I like Cottages means of not paying any monies owed by guests to me, until the month of their booking. That way, I have no backlog, so to speak, of owner deposits. The £25 booking is mine regardless.

From Covid-19, because of when it fell I only had one fully paid booking which was cancelled, and I keep that money as the guest has to go through insurance as is standard.
Have you had confirmation that they received a full refund though? (This may even include their insurance premium if it was mandatory for their booking).
newtimber
Posts: 1945
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:57 pm
Location: Brighton
Contact:

Post by newtimber »

Kilm wrote: From Covid-19, because of when it fell I only had one fully paid booking which was cancelled, and I keep that money as the guest has to go through insurance as is standard.
Apparently insurers have been trying to get this money back from owners where the properties are closed as the contract is frustrated and so the guests should have a full refund.
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