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<\/p>\n[av_heading heading=’#BookDirect – Jamaica Villa Rental Guest Awareness Day’ tag=’h1′ link=” link_target=” style=” size=” subheading_active=” subheading_size=” margin=” padding=’10’ icon_padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” icon_color=” show_icon=” icon=’ue800′ font=” icon_size=” custom_class=” id=” admin_preview_bg=” av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” av-medium-font-size-1=” av-small-font-size-1=” av-mini-font-size-1=” av_uid=’av-22bqee’][\/av_heading]<\/p>\n
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Save<\/span>Save<\/span><\/p>\n Save<\/span>Save<\/span> [av_hr class=’default’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’50’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-23a0yu’]<\/p>\n [av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-khtqps34′ admin_preview_bg=”] All you have to do is book direct<\/a> with me, Cavel. Yes, it\u2019s that easy.<\/p>\n But first, are you interested in the details on that $499 fee you\u2019re now paying? Here are a few things you should know:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Over the last few years, HomeAway, VRBO, Airbnb, and other major vacation rental listing sites have changed their business model. While they were once straight advertising\/listing sites \u2013 basically, online vacation rental classifieds \u2013 they have slowly evolved into booking engines, similar to Hotels.com.<\/p>\n So what?<\/em>, you say, you like online booking via credit card<\/em>.<\/p>\n So do we. But that\u2019s not the change that concerns us. These are:<\/p>\n Have you noticed the new HomeAway and VRBO service fee? It was introduced in 2016. Essentially, in exchange for the convenience of booking online, HomeAway and VRBO (owned by HomeAway) now charge an average of 5-12% on top of each booking. And beware: Fees can go higher than 15%, and they top out at $499 per booking.<\/p>\n Put in real numbers, when you book a $2,000 vacation rental on HomeAway or VRBO, you\u2019ll now pay up to $240 extra (or more, depending on HomeAway\u2019s algorithms) for that privilege.<\/p>\n The Airbnb guest service fee is calculated at 5-15% percent. Again, on that $2,000 rental, be prepared to pony up an additional $100-$300, just for the privilege of booking via Airbnb.<\/p>\n In the past, we could chat before your booking. You could ask us questions, we could answer. We could point you to our website, send a link to photo albums, invite you to give us a call, and send emails back and forth.<\/p>\n In June 2017, HomeAway laid down a new law: No more pre-booking contact. <\/strong>No more one-on-one phone discussions about properties that interest you. No more back-and-forth emails. I\u2019m not even allowed to send you my free Jamaica travel guide.<\/strong><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a new one: The new rules make it nearly impossible for owners to offer deals or special discounts, including senior discounts or military discounts. Owners have reported that, if the online messaging\/rate system catches us trying to give you a deal, the site will simply increase the service fee and bring the total back to the original amount. It\u2019s lose-lose, at least for you and me.<\/p>\n The big booking platforms would like you to think their 24\/7 customer service is worth up to $499.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t think it is. The booking process is automated, so unless you have an unusual problem there, you won\u2019t need to contact the booking platform. And when it comes to staying in a home, how can customer service reps, located across the ocean and who have never been to my vacation rental, help you figure out the DVD player, or recommend the island\u2019s best restaurants, or direct you to that beach you read about? They can\u2019t.<\/p>\n Good owners, myself included, are already available to you. When you book with us, you have our phone numbers (or our property manager\u2019s phone numbers). At Jamaica Ocean View Villa<\/a>, there\u2019s an entire staff on-call; you\u2019ll never need to call Customer Service<\/strong>.<\/p>\n So that\u2019s the long and the short of it: You\u2019re now paying more<\/strong> to book vacation rentals on the big booking sites.<\/p>\n Save<\/span>Save<\/span><\/p>\n Save<\/span>Save<\/span> [av_hr class=’default’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’50’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-23a0yu’]<\/p>\n [av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-khtqps34′ admin_preview_bg=”]<\/p>\n \n We’re here to help you understand the alternative options available! You can book securely and safely, directly with a vacation rental owner. Preferably on an owner’s Secure Certified Website<\/u><\/strong><\/a> or on a No-Fee Vacation Rental website<\/u><\/strong><\/a>. You’re sending thousands of dollars to a complete stranger to secure your dream Jamaica villa vacation so it’s wise to do a little research before handing over your money for the reservation. We’ve put together some quick tips on how to research a legitimate vacation rental owner.<\/span><\/p>\n \n Look for the HTTPS:\/\/<\/strong> in front of the website address, this means the website has a security certification.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Look for social proof. Is the owner ready to tell you who they are on the ‘About Us<\/strong>‘ page? if you Google their name do they show up on professional websites like Linkedin? Have they been on Facebook for a lengthy period of time? Do their faces and names match?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Read reviews. The abundance of reviews will be an indicator of what kind of service you will get by booking directly with an owner in addition to how long they have been in business.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Google the name of the “house”. If you search up “Villa Serenity or Jamaica Ocean View Villa<\/u><\/strong><\/a>” as an example, you can instantly find all the locations where this property is listed and any press related to the villa or the owner.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Call the owner directly to ask questions. A legitimate property owner will be able to quickly and easily tell you their name, how long they have owned the house, locations of the nearest restaurants, hospitals, or any other question you may want to throw at them. If they can’t easily answer you they may be a scammer posing as an owner.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Use a secure payment platform when handing over money to an owner. Credit cards are a great way to ensure your payment is secure and protected against fraud (check your credit card details before paying to ensure you have proper coverage should something go awry. Wiring money in our opinion is not a good idea. It can’t be traced or returned.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n If you are still not sure, ask for references of past guests. Any professional vacation rental owner will be able to put you into contact quickly with past guests.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n If a vacation rental looks like an incredibly low price compared to what the property offers it may be another red flag. Scammers try to lure travelers into booking before they are found out and shut down. Advertising ridiculously low prices is a red flag that something isn’t right.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ask for and carefully read the rental contract. If an owner doesn’t have one, this is another red flag. Respected owners want to minimize risk and to do this a detailed rental contract is a legal document that ensures the renter and owner understand exactly what rules to follow and what risks are evident. An owner who has a poorly written rental contract with grammatical errors could be a sign that you are communicating with a scammer.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n If you believe that you have been scammed it’s a great idea to report it to the government below to lodge a complaint. It’s also a good idea to contact the advertising platform to inform them of the fraud so that they can take the appropriate steps to remove the listing and cooperate with the authorities if necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov\/#crnt&panel1-1<\/u><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \n Save<\/span>Save<\/span><\/p>\n Save<\/span>Save<\/span> [av_hr class=’default’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’50’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-23a0yu’]<\/p>\n [av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-khtqps34′ admin_preview_bg=”]<\/p>\n So let’s have some fun and imagine what you could do by saving this amount of money on your next vacation? <\/span><\/p>\n We’ve come up with a fun list of things like horseback riding, parasailing, chartering a boat, enjoying a tour, catamaran cruise, or zip-lining, and more. <\/span><\/p>\n This type of money could even be used to buy your groceries. How about a little shopping spree? Enough talking, let’s do it.<\/span><\/p>\n Save<\/span>Save<\/span><\/p>\n Save<\/span>Save<\/span> [av_hr class=’default’ icon_select=’yes’ icon=’ue808′ position=’center’ shadow=’no-shadow’ height=’50’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ custom_border_color=” custom_icon_color=” av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-23a0yu’]<\/p>\n [av_textblock size=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-khtqn328′ admin_preview_bg=”]<\/p>\n Okay, so you know you don\u2019t want to pay a booking fee. You know you want to talk with an owner before you book. How do you go about that?<\/p>\n
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\nFirst things first: Yes, you can easily save up to 15% (up to $499) on your next vacation rental<\/strong>.<\/p>\nFrom Listing to Booking<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. You\u2019re Now Paying up to $499, Per Booking, in Service Fees<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. They Hide Your Contact Information<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. No Discounts Allowed<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Customer Service Isn\u2019t What You Think<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n[\/av_textblock]<\/p>\nHow to Safely Book a Vacation Rental Directly with an Owner<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\n[\/av_textblock]<\/p>\nWhat You Can Do with Traveler Service Fee Savings<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n[\/av_textblock]<\/p>\n.#BookDirect<\/a> Day ~ Special Promotion<\/h2>\n
How to Save Money (and Have a Better Experience) <\/strong><\/h3>\n
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