Here are 3 reasons not to use Homeaway, VRBO or Flipkey to book a vacation rental:

 

1. CONSUMERS PAY ADDITIONAL FEES TO BOOK 

Homeaway and VRBO.com both charge service fees or traveler fees that are paid by you, the consumer.

Airbnb,  charges an additional 6–12 percent of the cost of the rental. On VRBO.com, that same fee can be  higher. According to VRBO.com, “The service fee is between 5–12 percent for most bookings but can be above or below, based on the reservation.” Renters are now realizing the fee is for doing nothing other than viewing a listing. They are savvy and are now searching the internet for the rental to book directly with the owner

 

2. THE BEST VACATION HOMES ARE NOT ON HOMEAWAY

Vacation rentals do not have to be listed on major marketplace websites. The most desirable vacation rental homes, cabins, chalets, and condos book easily, so the property managers and homeowners do not need to incur the high expense of listing these vacation rentals on channels such as Airbnb and VRBO.com. Look locally for a vacation rental. The owners will save you hundreds of dollars in fees that you would be charged by booking through Homeaway.

 

3. BOOKING DIRECTLY WITH THE PROPERTY MANAGER OR HOMEOWNER HAS MANY BENEFITS

When booking with a local or regional site the listing service has intimate knowledge of their area and can offer information the big listing sites cannot.

In addition, vacation rental listing services like CapeMayVacationRentals.co monsym have other benefits you can take advantage of such as open communication between the owner and guest. Homeaway now blocks or redacts email, phone numbers and other contact information

When shopping for a vacation rental online, here are some tips to locating the home’s original property manager or homeowner:

• Look at the photos and description for clues that mention the name of the property management company or the homeowner. Owners place branded names throughout there listing so that guests can search for their vacation rental website and book directly with the owner.
• Copy and paste the description of the property into your search engine to see other sites where the home is listed. Often you will find owners have websites where you can book directly and save money.
• Do a Google image search of photos of the home as another method of locating the source of the rental.

Renters can save hundreds of dollars and ensure a better vacation experience with just a little extra investigative work by searching for a vacation rental on Google.