Owners Direct slammed for ‘greedy’ booking fee
Holiday home rental giant Owners Direct is facing a backlash from property owners after its decision to impose a booking fee for customers.
The company, which is part of the Expedia Group, is now charging a 4% to 8% ‘service fee’ to customers who book accommodation through the site, but is still charging property owners the same annual fee to advertise.
Owners Direct, part of HomeAway, claims the extra money generated will be used to invest in brand marketing, build customer confidence and improve technology.
It claims the fee comes with a ‘Book with Confidence Guarantee’, but owners say customers who pay by credit card are protected anyway.
They have accused the company of simply being greedy and say the move will put off customers.
Many have voiced their anger on review site Trustpilot, arguing that when they renewed their annual subscription they were not informed of the changes, nor consulted about them.
Some say they have already seen a sharp drop in enquiries since the fee was introduced this month, while others are worried that guests will believe the fee is being added on by owners themselves.
One said the service fee was ‘a disgrace and is destroying the Owners Direct brand overnight’.
Another accused Owners Direct of dictating to its advertisers and called for an online petition.
A Facebook page has been set up calling for people to reject the fee.
"This is outright greed, brought about by HomeAway who have now sold out to Expedia.com," the page says. "This is called double dipping."
Property owner Paul Stephenson said: "I’ve owned a holiday home in France for many years and was very happy with the service from Owners Direct, but recent changes have caused confusion and dismay amongst owners and have led to guests paying more than they need to."
Stephenson was so concerned, he has become a partner in smaller holiday home rental site gites.co.uk, which focusses purely on France and has pledged never to impose a booking fee.
A spokeswoman for Owners Direct said research with travellers showed they are ‘more than happy’ to pay a service fee ‘if this helps to make our market place their preferred online accommodation booking partner’.
She claimed the fee is the lowest in the market and is mainly used to ‘protect customers even more against all potential risks’ of fraud.
"We are very happy that we are able to increase our services significantly by charging the lowest service fee in the market," she said.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps