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Homeaway Features and Benefits
HomeAway, now known as Vrbo, is a leading vacation rental website with several key features and benefits:
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Outstanding Customer Service: HomeAway offers excellent customer service and support to ensure that every part of the booking process runs smoothly.
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Book with Confidence Guarantee: This feature offers a basic rental guarantee, protecting payments, deposits, and rental fees.
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Unique Selection of Homes: HomeAway boasts a unique selection of over 2 million bookable whole homes around the world.
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More Space and Privacy: Compared to hotel rooms, HomeAway properties offer more space and privacy. This includes living areas and the added advantage of being a more economical option for people.
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24/7 Customer Support: HomeAway provides round-the-clock customer service and support, and provides a direct phone number for urgent issues.
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Exposure: HomeAway draws 44 million visitors per month, providing great exposure and amazing opportunities for drawing travelers to various listings.
Remember, these features and benefits can vary depending on the specific property and the host's policies.
Homeaway Pricing
HomeAway, now known as Vrbo, offers two different payment options for hosts.
The first option is the Annual Subscription. When hosts choose to pay the annual subscription fee, they can enjoy unlimited bookings for their business for a whole year. There are two different prices for the annual subscription, depending on whether hosts have online reservations enabled. For properties with online booking active, the cost is set at $349 for the year. Without an online reservation, this charge increases to $499.
The second option is Pay-Per-Booking. Hosts have the option to pay per booking they receive on their profile, which can be more suitable for some vacation rental owners. In paying per booking, hosts avoid paying anything upfront. They will instead pay a minimum of 8% commission on each reservation they take using the platform. Paying per booking can be a better option for those users who only rent their home out at certain times of the year or who only let it for special events like weddings. It’s recommended for users who take less than three bookings each year.
For guests wanting to book accommodation on HomeAway/Vrbo websites, bear in mind that the company charges a service fee. This payment helps out with the cost of providing 24/7 customer service support, enhanced site and mobile features for guests and hosts alike, plus broader marketing efforts to create more visibility in international audiences. Any bookings made through HomeAway or VRBO websites are subject to a service fee when guests pay for their accommodation by credit card. Once the reservation has been accepted, the service fee is charged to the booker’s payment card. There is not one set price or percentage for this fee: it varies from 4% to 9% of the total rental cost, excluding any deposit or taxes. Guests have to pay the traveler service fee directly to HomeAway – there are no two ways about it.
Payment Method
The payment method on HomeAway.com, now known as VRBO, is called HomeAway Payments. This is the safest way for guests to pay for a reservation on the website. Owners and managers can either provide instant online reservation capability or they can send their request for payment directly to the guest. Then, using HomeAway Payments, guests can pay immediately using a number of online methods, e.g. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover cards, or eChecks (only available for United States residents). All payments are protected against any type of internet fraud. Depending on the situation, guests can pay in different currencies for properties, such as EUR, USD, GBP or CAD. Hosts can also choose whether to accept the local currency or if they prefer, be paid in USD, EUR, or GBP. There are many advantages of using the HomeAway Payments system for your vacation rental listed on the site. There are no extra fees involved in setting up or ending your Payments account, nor are there any monthly payments to be made. Fees for processing payments start from 2.9% for cards like Visa and MasterCard, and eChecks will incur no additional cost. It’s quick, simple and easy for travelers to pay for their online reservation using credit cards and eChecks. Based on your payment schedule, funds will be released to you and your calendar will be updated. You can manage all Payments direct from your dashboard, as well as use reminders and automated payment requests. Guests love the convenience of paying online before their trip, so why not give them what they want? HomeAway and VRBO listings that use HomeAway Payments get more interest than those without. When you use their Payments system, you can activate Property Damage Protection. This means guests can pay a small fee upfront for a protection policy, or they can pay a refundable damage deposit. Your rentals will be protected no matter what. Protected Payments Though guests love the convenience of online bookings, they can be a bit wary when it comes down to it. Using HomeAway Payments guarantees the guest’s payment is automatically protected through the Book with Confidence Guarantee ™. They’ll feel reassured that their payment is going directly to you through their Payment service.
Homeaway FAQs
Homeaway Alternatives
Here are the top 10 alternatives to HomeAway.com, now known as VRBO:
- Airbnb
- Booking.com
- Flipkey
- Homestay Technologies Limited
- Onefinestay
- Tripping
- Outdoorsy
- Hotels.com
- Hometogo
- Trivago
These platforms offer similar services and are popular choices for vacation rentals. They provide a variety of options for travelers looking for unique accommodations around the world. Each platform has its own features and benefits, so it's worth exploring each one to find the best fit for your needs. Enjoy planning your next trip!
How To Open A Homeaway Account?
To open an account on HomeAway.com, now known as VRBO, follow these steps:
- Visit the official website of VRBO.
- Click on the Sign Up button located at the top right corner of the homepage.
- You will be prompted to sign up via signing in through your Google or Facebook accounts. Alternatively, you can sign up by using your email.
- If you choose to sign up with your email, enter your email address in the provided field and click on Get Started.
- You will be asked to create a password for your account. Enter a strong password and click on Sign Up.
- Complete the two-factor authentication if requested.
Once these steps are completed, your account will be created and you can start exploring the services offered by VRBO. Remember, your VRBO account also gives you access to other platforms like Expedia and Hotels.com. Enjoy your travels!
Homeaway Return Policy?
The return policy of HomeAway.com, now known as VRBO, is as follows:
Guests can have payments and fees refunded for a variety of reasons; each refund type has its own rules and conditions.
Cancellation refunds are based on the cancellation policy set up within the Rules & Policies section of the host's account. If the host decides to refund more than the cancellation policy allows, they can process the refund in their Reservation Manager.
Service fee refunds are given if the guest is within the window to receive a 100% refund window and the host has refunded the full amount.
Damage deposit refunds are held for seven or 14 days after check-out, depending on the option the host has selected for the property. If damage occurs during a stay, the host has seven or 14 days to claim all or a portion of the refundable damage deposit. The amount due back to the guest is automatically refunded after that time.
If the host requires both property damage protection and a refundable damage deposit, and there’s a pending eClaim with Generali, the refundable damage deposit is held until the eClaim is finalized. After a final decision is made on the eClaim, the host will then need to take action to either refund or withhold funds.
If the host requires guests to purchase damage protection, their premiums are refunded automatically after the cancellation. If the guest purchased trip protection after booking the trip, they must contact their insurer directly to determine if they’re eligible for a refund.
If a booking was charged in a different currency, the payment and refund totals might vary based on currency exchange rates and bank-issued exchange fees.
Please note that the host may choose to offer no refund for any cancellations of any kind.
For more detailed information, please visit the official website of VRBO.
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