Say No to Booking Fees
Don't pay unnecessary booking fees!
A disturbing new trend in vacation rental bookings
Did you know? The "big" vacation rental companies now add mandatory booking/service fees to your bill, which you must pay as soon as the booking is accepted. These new fees are in addition to the typical tax and service charges that most condo resorts already charge! These new fees are not quoted in your initial search, and are only displayed once you start to book the unit. Even then, these fees are often hidden or listed simply as "service fees", so many probably don't even realize they are paying the fees. Even worse, these fees are 100% non refundable if you later have to change or cancel your reservation.
| VRBO: | Now adds up to 9% in booking fees! |
| HomeAway: | Now adds up to 10% in booking fees! |
| AirBnB: | Now adds up to 12% in booking fees! |
| Trip Advisor/FlipKey: | Now adds up to 14½% in booking fees! |
Flip Key states: "The booking fee helps us run our secure platform, provide you with 24-hour customer support and the peace of mind that your transaction is safe. Unless the Owner cancels the booking, this fee is non-refundable."
AirBnB states: "To help cover the costs of running Airbnb, we charge guests a service fee every time a reservation is confirmed."
VRBO states: "The service fee will not exceed $499. The service fee helps cover the cost of running the HomeAway websites, including features such as 24/7 customer support and marketing efforts to ensure a quality experience on our sites for both travelers and owners."
Reading the Consumer Affairs VRBO complaint page is enlightening. There are thousands of complaints from owners and users alike about these recent changes. Their supposed "Support" seems almost non-existant as well.
Frankly, its insane...
These fees are totally unnecessary! Think twice before booking with any of these "big" companies.
At CaymanVacations.com, we specialize in rentals in the Cayman Islands, and only in the Cayman Islands. We do not sell other destinations, and our web site is designed to make finding an available condo that fits your needs as easy as possible. In most cases, due to the way our site and booking system is organized, you can find an available condo unit and reserve it instantly in a fraction of the time you'd use searcing through the mish mash of rental units on one of the big rental sites.
We've been renting out condos in the Cayman Islands since 1999, and have offered secure online resesrvations that entire time. We also provide impeccable customer service, have NEVER had a single instance of suspected fraud and have stepped in on behalf of our customers when they have had an issue with the management company of the rental unit they were staying in. The managers and office staff of each resort all know CaymanVacations.com and we have a good working relationship with each of them.
We will never charge extra fees for our service!
Book with CaymanVacations.com / CayDirect.com and save yourself up to 14½% compared to booking with the major vacation rental sites! Why pay more than you need to?
We are here to help you if you need to make a change or even cancel your reservation before your trip. Once on island, if you need help in resolving an issue with property management, we can also listen to both sides and help resolve the issue.
We'll never charge extra fees! Why book anywhere else?