Imagine if you could take enough direct bookings to cut loose the OTAs (VRBO, AirBnb, etc.).  What would that look like for you?  How would that change the way you think about your vacation rental business?  

Imagine if you could take direct bookings and be in control of when or if you give a refund for a cancellation.  Imagine if you could decide when to keep a damage deposit for a violation to your rental agreement. 

What if you became determined to make that happen?  

#Bookdirect Myths Debunked

There are a lot of myths out there about the OTAs and the #Bookdirect movement.  In this article, I am dispelling those myths and giving you concrete examples of how you can take direct bookings  that will make your vacation rental business easier, more protected, and more profitable.

Myth – Learning how to take direct bookings is too difficult

Worry about learning “all the things” associated with taking direct bookings is the #1 reason why owners hesitate to take that first step.  And honestly, it does take some commitment.  

But it’s not that difficult.  There are tons of resources available for how to take direct bookings – including on Trendy Hospitality.

The most difficult part of the process is committing the time it will take to get the initial setup completed. 

After that, you’ll most likely be spending LESS time working your business.  You won’t be dealing with the neverending OTA glitches, system changes, and unvetted guests.

For me, that was reason enough!

Use the online tools, resources, and trainings available to those wanting to learn more about social media marketing, website building, and vacation rental booking software.  

The bottom line is, if you really WANT to take direct bookings, you’ll figure out a way to make it happen.  There are a lot of owners out there who are much less tech savvy who have taught themselves how to do it using the online tools and resources.  There is no reason why you can’t learn it, too.

It’s a matter of wanting to.  Trendy Hospitality is here to help you.  Email me directly if you need some assistance.  I’m happy to get you going in the right direction.

Myth – VRBO & AirBnb will vet my guests

This is one excuse I see a lot.  Okay, maybe it’s not an excuse.  Perhaps owners are just naive.  

Truth – VRBO and AirBnb do not vet guests in a way that satisfies most seasoned vacation rental owners.  

First of all, VRBO does not require a photo ID or a government issued ID.  If you require this as part of your booking process, you must ask the guest to provide it directly to you.

AirBnb has the option for owners to require a photo ID or a government issued ID.  The guest uploads the photo and the host never has access to that photo or its information.  In fact, there have been instances where the “photo ID” was a cartoon image, or even a photo of a pet.  AirBnb does not seem to monitor, let alone verify a photo ID.  

From AirBnb’s website:

What gets shared with your host

If you’re asked for a government ID, the following may be shared with your host:

• • The first name on your ID
  • Whether your ID has been successfully added
  • Your profile photo and profile name

The following will never be shared with your host or anyone else who uses Airbnb:

• • The photo of your ID
  • The photo you take of yourself (if you’re asked to do that)

Honestly, I’m not sure what additional protection this provides to the owner, if any.  I have seen no confirmation or indication that AirBnb compares photo IDs or government issued IDs to the cardholder’s name or the name on the booking. 

Since VRBO doesn’t require any type of photo ID, so I’m quite confident there is no name confirmation between their guest emails, credit card, or booking name.

How to Vet Your Guests When Taking Direct Bookings

As owners doing a direct booking, we can require some basic information that helps to better guarantee the guests we allow into our properties. 

Verifying the Name on the Booking

• signing the rental agreement
• on the required government issued ID
• as a current photo ID
• on the email address

Other Verifications/Vetting Options

• address on the booking matches the address on government issued ID
• be leary of requests for one night rentals
• consider only allowing those 25+ years old to be the person making/responsible for the reservation
• scan social media for any red flags relating to the potential guest (i.e. planned parties during reservation date, posts about scamming other VR owners)
• be cautious of guests who incessantly inquire about cameras/surveillance or seclusion of property

In addition, owners should be communicating with their guests, either by phone or by email exchange.  Communication by phone is one of the best ways to determine if a guest is a good fit for your property. 

If your calls or emails go unanswered, this should be a warning sign.  The guest is providing insight as to what type of guest they could potentially be – irresponsible, shady, careless, etc.  Use your instincts.  

Owners should NOT be required to host unreliable guests; however, the VRBO and AirBnb platforms are not conducive to giving owners that authority over their property. 

In order to maintain autonomy, it is wise to consider a business model focused more on #bookdirect. 

Trendy Hospitality is dedicated to helping owners do just that.  If you aren’t already on our email list, I urge you to get our weekly #TrendyTips in your inbox and get our Guide to List Independence.

Myth – I won’t be able to fill the calendar with taking direct bookings on my own

This myth is what held me back from breaking away from VRBO.  I knew we had several repeat guests who knew how to find us, but I wasn’t sure I could fill the rest of the dates.

Boy, was I wrong!  I realized quickly that with a little bit more work on social media and with our local department of tourism, I could get more guests coming to our website.

I don’t advise dumping the OTAs immediately – although, that seems tempting, huh?  You’ll need to do some analysis first.

Analyze your last couple of years of guests.  If you’re getting several repeats, be sure they know how to book directly with you.  

That should be true with ANY of your guests – be sure they know how to book directly with you!  

How do you make sure they know how to #Bookdirect?  Monthly or seasonal emails should provide that information.  Your social media accounts should have links directly to your own website, NOT the OTA website.  Leave rack cards and business cards in your rentals.  Your departure or thank you email (sent through your own email address, NOT the OTA) should contain links to your website and an invitation to save money next time they book directly with you.

These are just a few of the ways to ensure your guests have the information they need to contact you directly.

Once you get a comfortable percentage of guests booking direct, you can begin to weed out the OTAs where you are listed.  Perhaps you’re on several – TripAdvisor, Booking.com, VRBO, AirBnb, Expedia, HometoGo, etc. 

Start by eliminating the sites that are bringing in the least amount of bookings.  Then, work your way down the list until you’re completely listing independent.

Direct Booking Income

Here’s another thing to consider.  When you take direct bookings, you have the option to raise your rates to a level of what the OTA was charging.  Some owners say since the guest is willing to pay what the OTA charges, why wouldn’t they pay the same amount from your website?

We know guests do not like the added fees and some do complain.  However, when that extra amount is included in your overall nightly rate, there is no fee stigma for the guest.  

The alternative is to give your #bookdirect guests a discount by not passing that fee into the nightly rate.  This can be used as a way to entice more guests to book direct with you instead of through the OTA.

Myth – I am more protected with VRBO & AirBnb

Completely FALSE!  

Here’s what VRBO says about Owner’s protections:

First, House Rules

– this means nothing as it relates to protections from VRBO.  Of course, you can set your house rules.  That doesn’t mean VRBO will back you up if there is a problem and you need to evict a guest.  Quite the contrary.  (See Reporting Misconduct below) 

When you are taking a direct booking, you will still be sending your vacation rental agreement to your guest for a signature.  The difference here is that YOU will be able to make a decision regarding eviction, refund, occupancy violations, extra cleaning charges, etc. 

As you have probably seen, VRBO and AirBnb have total control over whether damage deposits, unused nights, or out-of-time cancellations are refunded.  By booking direct, YOU have control over your money.

Next, Traveler Reviews

– currently VRBO and AirBnb have no means of vetting guests who have received horrible reviews or even been banned from the site.  These guests frequently create a new account through the platform and continue to book rentals.  

In addition, owners can be reluctant to leave a bad review in fear of guest retaliation on social media.  Therefore, your guest may have a 5 star OTA review, or no review at all, even though they completely trashed the last house they rented.  

In summary, the reviews can be helpful, but they are in no way fool-proof.  Proceed with caution.

Last, Reporting Misconduct

– VRBO and AirBnb in no way guarantees the owner they will uphold your rental agreement.  I would never wait on an OTA to “investigate” in order to resolve an issue where a guest is making me feel unsafe.  

When you take direct bookings, you’re in control of the situation. 

You don’t have to worry about an unwarranted bad review knocking you down the listing site.  Most vacation rental website software will allow you to manually remove any reviews or to not accept it onto your website.  You’re in control of your reviews.

You’re also in control of your money.  If a guest violates your policies or cancels outside of the cancelation window, you have control over whether you issue a refund or charge extra for the policy violations.  You won’t have to ask VRBO or AirBnb for “permission” to cancel a booking, hold a damage deposit, or charge additional policy violation fees.

Myth – My guests are more protected with VRBO & AirBnb

It’s true, VRBO and AirBnb typically side with their guests on most of the issues.  But do you really want your guests “protected” when the guests are known scammers?

Nearly every vacation rental owner is fair and reasonable when it comes to offering refunds to guests.  The problems arise when guests try to nickel and dime the owner for a dust bunny or a crumb under a sofa.  

Scam artists are plentiful in this business.  Guests frequently hold owners hostage by threatening a bad review if they don’t get a refund.  (If that happens to you, try to get the guest to put it in writing!  Sometimes you can win your OTA case with that proof of extortion.) 

Unfortunately, owners are often held hostage by the OTAs when they cancel a reservation or get a less than 5 star review.  Listings are then punished by being pushed further down the list, buried in the sea of competitors.  AirBnb owners bear the brunt of those reviews and cancellations by losing “Super Host” status.

Perceived Guest Protections

Let’s look at the perceived guest protections offered by these OTAs.  This is a screenshot from the VRBO website regarding traveler trust.

The Book with Confidence Guarantee™ does nothing more for your guests than what most vacation rental owners are already offering.  Here’s what VRBO offers during the guest’s stay…it’s comical, really.

Answer this… Is VRBO really going to “answer any questions” that come up during your guest’s stay?  Seriously.  What does VRBO know about your TV’s cable system or your keyless entry lock?  Absolutely nothing.  They are just going to tell the guest to call YOU!

Aren’t you already helping your guest find another accomodation if your AC unit goes out during 112 degree temperatures?  I hope so!  If not, consider joining a local vacation rental owner’s group or know the number of your department of tourism who can assist in finding another accomodation. 

Don’t be fooled.  VRBO does NOT guarantee they will find your guest another place to stay – it says they will “try to find” something.  And I’m guessing you already do that before VRBO even gets involved.

Why You Should Take Direct Bookings (#Bookdirect)

YOU have more control over your property!

YOU have more control over your money!

And YOU have more control over your guests!

If you want to learn more about how to take your vacation rental from OTA hostage to listing independence, download this checklist and get on our email list.  You’ll get weekly tips in your inbox relating to managing and marketing your vacation rental business.