Post reply

Re: Now Offering Full-Service Rentals! (by Kristina A.):

Redweek is advertising to us how they are better for owner rentals than Airbnb at the very moment they burying our ads so they will never be seen. Also saying they are much cheaper in fees for renters while burying the service fees instead of stating them upfront. https://www.redweek.com/blog/2022/09/12/redweek-vs-airbnbutm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=September_owner_2022&utm_content=redweek_vs_airbnb_button&vgo_ee=XIWgExa%2Fc0JggXYMcEZNLzpxdzkQNl9LgdxZ9pnzLRY%3D

You keep encourging owners to "enable online booking" but you do not mention the fees it charges renters. You tell us selecting Verified & Protected (online booking) costs only $15 Or Full Service costs $59.99 + $99 at rental but never mention the Renter ends up paying a 7% (!!!) booking fee for that service!! It is unethical NOT to state the extra fees the renter must incur to use this service. It also makes it not competitive when they don't find out that added fee until the end of booking. Airbnb is very upfront with service fees. Plus, last month I checked a RedWeek Verified & Protected ad and the service fee was 6% (or 6.5?). Today it is 7%!!

Today, I renew my membership, renew the first listing of several planned, my account says it's active and I CANNOT FIND IT ANYWHERE!! Why? I searched, refreshed, waited, went back and nothing. Only after reading this Forum posting did I discover that after 18 years using Redweek, they have added a Bait and Switch tactic which buries any ads by owners who don't use one of the two RedWeek add-on services. If you don't change the sort feature, you have to scroll through the entire next year of 2023 in order to see the current Oct 2022 and forward listings by owners. UNBELIEVEABLE!! How would I (or any renter) ever figure out to page through the entire 2023 year to find a Jan. 7th, 2023 listing?

THIS IS UNETHICAL and DECEITFUL!! Owners and renters who have come to your site for years do not know they have to change the SORT feature of their search in order to view ALL LISTINGS by date! I thought something looked very fishy when 9/10 ads were Verified and Protected but there was at least 1 out of each screen that was owner listed. I think that is ON PURPOSE to keep us from realizing what is going on. Is this tactic to force all owners to use Redweek add-on services?

If Redweek doesn't change this quickly, we will have to find a new place to rent our units. RedWeek thinks they can compete with Airbnb by charging huge service fees and handling entire rentals start to finish. But Airbnb still gives me the opportunity to direct message the owner. Why did you remove that? I like talking to my renters, texting and building relationships. Many repeat customers are made that way. I don't like the "BOT" type of response you get when Redweek is listing ads. I've had renters choose me over a cheaper Redweek ad since they couldn't get a response and needed to book airfare that day. I agree with everything listed by owner David S. above on 10/3/22 and that is why I haven't used Verified & Protected even when it was offered as complimentary: taking 4 days to respond to potential renters--that can be 100's of $$ in airfare price changes, the ridiculous late payments to owners of 2 days after check in--nothing as a deposit ahead of time? And I heard the horror stories of units not used, but not communicated to owners so they could be deposited, instead money returned to renters when Covid broke in late March 2020. I had 4 rentals early April 2020 and was able to turn in all 4 and have been able to rebook something workable for 3 of them.

In addition, Redweek booking does things that DON'T MAKE SENSE like list a unit on Lahaina Tower with an ISLAND VIEW. That is a NAPILI or original towers unit if it's Island view (the crappy Island Wing). But it's not stated in the ad. I emailed to ask and they never responded. In any Lahaina Tower listing it says "Unit may be located in the Lahaina or Napili Tower. If owner owns a fixed tower, it will be noted on the posting." ALL OWNERS own a fixed tower. They don't sell "unassigned." That would only happen if you traded with Interval International, which is illegal to rent-and still you can call to find out the tower. Anything booked with Marriott directly has a specific tower. I'm pretty certain if you book with points, you know exactly what tower you get, too. SO, this is why they shouldn't make us post Lahaina and Napili listings separately --they should be under one site so you can list them with one ad. It would have been nice if they kept them ALL in Marriott Maui Ocean Club. But by splitting them up they force owners to consider multiple listings. Also, saying that some Original Tower one bedroom units "May have 1 or 2 bathrooms" is false. The only units with one bathroom are studios with the possible exception of Island Wing --2nd floor overlooking the parking lot. SO to put that on every listing as a disclaimer that we cannot remove is another error. Last month, the original tower rentals showed a picture of Lahaina Tower. ??? Why would I want to let Redweek take over my rental when they get so many things incorrect? Years past I've had to ask pictures be removed when they showed the wrong units.

Redweek, you need to return things to how they were. People who want the Verified units will still rent them. But you don't want to drive away all the owners who like to DIY. If not, we will have to find somewhere else to rent our units if this is how they treat owners who've supported their business for some 5, 10, 15 and 20 years plus.

Owners please write to Support@redweek.com to complain.

Disappointed and disgruntled,

Kristina Adad