Spain-Holiday

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Manclass
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Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2016 4:58 pm
Location: almunecar

Spain-Holiday

Post by Manclass »

I'm trying to telephone Spain- Holiday in Malaga and their telephone number has disappeared off their webpage .
Has anybody got it ? I know they've been taken over but I haven't had any notification regarding this from them ...
dixeady
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Location: Almunecar, Granada, Spain
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Post by dixeady »

You're right. I just checked online. I've also had barely anyone looking at our property, on their site, for the last few weeks! I'd assumed maybe because the Brits not travelling, but perhaps it's all gone/going under? Now I wish I hadn't taken out their expensive new model of advertising last year!
Marks
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Location: Costa Blanca

Post by Marks »

I have fully opened up the calendars for July & August across three properties to try and shift some weeks I have available to people who are flexible with their dates.

I have had 132 enquiries in the last 30 days, every single one for July and August and nothing for September onwards or for 2022. Enquiries are mainly Spanish, Dutch and French, very few Brits.

If your calendars are busy/full for the summer that could be why you are not seeing any activity.
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
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roxytoo
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Location: Spain Costa Blanca

Post by roxytoo »

I have done the same as Marks and had many many enquiries for July and August mainly from Spanish French and Dutch. I am very disappointed with SH as I had paid for 2 ads earlier in the year and had no end of problems i.e adverts were offline, wouldnt show prices, showing incorrect pricing, saying property was unavaibale when it was available.

Many emails back and forth from SH who advised it was in hand, they apologised but all would be ok as they were working on a 'better' website. I don't know how many enquiries I lost because of the incompetance.

With hindsight now I see that what they were not saying was that they had sold out to a German company who are working with bookiply and the model for the future (as no -one wants enquires anymore apparentely) was similar to arbnb et al. I havent had an email either acknowleging this but I know others had so I emailed them to ask if it was true and yes it is. I then got contacted by bookiply who advised it would be so much better for me , they would adveritise for me on airbnb, booking.com VRBO etc and would only take 6% in commsion for the priveledge of doing the work I have been doing for 22 years. Then there is commision to pay for those sites of 12 - 15%. Now we are out of the EU i also have to pay 24% tax with no dectuctions whatsoever that I can offset. So thats 45% gone already without factoring in bills.(TV Wi Fi, Cleaning, water, electric etc) I don't think I can put my prices up 45%!
costa-brava
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Post by costa-brava »

Now we are out of the EU i also have to pay 24% tax with no dectuctions whatsoever that I can offset. So thats 45% gone already without factoring in bills.(TV Wi Fi, Cleaning, water, electric etc) I don't think I can put my prices up 45%!
If you have spaces for July, August and beginning of September and are taking bookings from Spanish people, then I say, don't be afraid to cover your 45%. I can't speak for all regions of Spain but here the market for rentals has flipped and it's a sellers market.
But watch out for the ones who only want the weekend and even if you don't have to give details to the police ask for ID of everybody up front. There have been quite a number of raver/wreckers who claim to be a family then turn up with 20 or 30 for a rave.
Here for the weekend we have gone back into night curfew so the problem of these nasty renters will increase for the summer.
dixeady
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Post by dixeady »

'I havent had an email either acknowleging this but I know others had so I emailed them to ask if it was true and yes it is. I then got contacted by bookiply who advised it would be so much better for me , they would adveritise for me on airbnb, booking.com VRBO etc and would only take 6% in commsion for the priveledge of doing the work I have been doing for 22 years. Then there is commision to pay for those sites of 12 - 15%.'

It's such a shame, as they were about the only 'human' style of OTA still around. I already list on Booking, Airbnb, VRBO etc and get most of my rentals that way. Why would I want them to list for me and pay an extra commission?
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CSE
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Post by CSE »

For those who say they did not know about the changes at Spain-Holiday
It was discussed, briefly, some weeks ago here.
https://www.laymyhat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29699
Never try to out-stubborn your guests.
volcano
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Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:24 am
Location: Lanzarote

Post by volcano »

It is not just the insolence of other "helpers" to uncompromisingly confront this fact. With all the costs that these platforms are causing us recently - what do we get from them? Job! nothing but work. And if there are any problems, THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!
Practically all booking platforms can be found on Trustpilot with 1.5 to 2 stars (out of a possible 5). What goes on behind the scenes makes me sick.
It's enough, has been enough for me for a long time. I'm going to put an end to this type of rental which has not only been trouble but also fun for me for 26 years.
I'm negotiating with local agencies - looks good. Of course, the hand is held up here too. BUT - these people are there. Tangible for the guest and me. No endless waiting on the phone to hear crap - but no solution.
Have a beautiful Sunday
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Vera
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Post by Vera »

dixeady wrote:'I havent had an email either acknowleging this but I know others had so I emailed them to ask if it was true and yes it is. I then got contacted by bookiply who advised it would be so much better for me , they would adveritise for me on airbnb, booking.com VRBO etc and would only take 6% in commsion for the priveledge of doing the work I have been doing for 22 years. Then there is commision to pay for those sites of 12 - 15%.'

It's such a shame, as they were about the only 'human' style of OTA still around. I already list on Booking, Airbnb, VRBO etc and get most of my rentals that way. Why would I want them to list for me and pay an extra commission?
I think Spain Holiday have handled this takeover very badly and I found the sales talk from Bookify to be misleading and very much focused on getting me to sign a contract with them and having the pleasure of giving them 6% for doing work i can easily do myself.
I have had one booking with Spain Holiday in the last 2 years and am happy to say goodbye to them.
As much as I dislike bookingdotcom at least they bring me bookings.
Oh for the old days of Owners Direct! I've always hoped Holiday Let would fill the gap but it looks unlikely.
costa-brava
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Post by costa-brava »

I'm negotiating with local agencies (quote) Volcano
I hope you have someone locally who can watch out for the bookings the agent doesn't tell you about. Some are totally honest but in my 30 years experience and knowledge of ALL THE AGENTS in my area, (I taught many of them English) it's in the mindset of agents to treat people like idiots. Skimming of the top is commonplace.
volcano
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Post by volcano »

@Costa brava
I have been fortunate enough to have lived here for 27 years. I have known two agents (one German, the other Spaniard) - mainly in real estate trading - for a long time. They can't fool me into an X for a U. The scepter stays in my hand.
costa-brava
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Post by costa-brava »

Glad to here it Volcano, though you may be better with a claymore! The young police recruits in the UK get taught, "assume nothing, believe nothing, check everything."
My first experience with holiday lets was when I first came here in 1986 and worked two summers with Starvillas, a holiday company based in Cambridge. The local manager was an ex-police sergeant but I discovered that one of the agents was ripping them off silly.
At that time everything had to pass through a Spanish agent.
One of the strange factors is that Joe Punter usually trusts an agency in preference to a private individual.
Anyway good-old Spain-Hol is gone so there aren't many avenues left to get bookings without the big boys.
One thing you may find; there has been quite a lot of adverse publicity about criminal gangs exploiting the mainline sites and leaving Spanish families without what they thought they had rented. So that may well push people back to the high-street agents.
Manclass
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Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2016 4:58 pm
Location: almunecar

Post by Manclass »

Vera wrote:
dixeady wrote:'I havent had an email either acknowleging this but I know others had so I emailed them to ask if it was true and yes it is. I then got contacted by bookiply who advised it would be so much better for me , they would adveritise for me on airbnb, booking.com VRBO etc and would only take 6% in commsion for the priveledge of doing the work I have been doing for 22 years. Then there is commision to pay for those sites of 12 - 15%.'

It's such a shame, as they were about the only 'human' style of OTA still around. I already list on Booking, Airbnb, VRBO etc and get most of my rentals that way. Why would I want them to list for me and pay an extra commission?
I think Spain Holiday have handled this takeover very badly and I found the sales talk from Bookify to be misleading and very much focused on getting me to sign a contract with them and having the pleasure of giving them 6% for doing work i can easily do myself.
I have had one booking with Spain Holiday in the last 2 years and am happy to say goodbye to them.
As much as I dislike bookingdotcom at least they bring me bookings.
Oh for the old days of Owners Direct! I've always hoped Holiday Let would fill the gap but it looks unlikely.

I only took out my new subscription in June , just before I heard about this takeover.. what happens if you dont want to sign a contact with Bookify ?, I dont suppose I will get a refund ?, I feel like I should have been informed before I renewed ...... It all seems very underhanded...
dixeady
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Joined: Tue Sep 24, 2019 2:52 pm
Location: Almunecar, Granada, Spain
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Post by dixeady »

I only took out my new subscription in June , just before I heard about this takeover.. what happens if you dont want to sign a contact with Bookify ?, I dont suppose I will get a refund ?, I feel like I should have been informed before I renewed ...... It all seems very underhanded...[/quote]

I emailed them yesterday, asking why we're finding out on this forum, but there's been no direct information sent out? This is their reply:

'We understand your point but the reason why that we haven´t done an official announcement, is because we want everything completely ready, will all the information, how to proceed etc.

Spain Holiday belongs now to Bookiply, of the German group Holidu. You will still be able to advertise your holiday home, it will stay on Spain Holiday (with the option to be shown on Airbnb, VRBO, Google Search, etc) but managed through the Bookiply system (website or App) The Spain Holiday access will dissapear.

We´ll contact everybody, so you will hear from us with a complete information.'
volcano
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Post by volcano »

in other words - take it or leave it. Because what use is my ad at SH if I no longer have access and have to use this bookiply, of course with all its costs, which are still very opaque.
I had my first contact with my personal advisor two weeks ago. I then had some tricky questions. that was on Wednesday last week, no answer until today.
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