Lowballers

[rrlongwell]

If a person wants to - they can contact the Chaplin at a local VA facility and find a hero to give their soon to expire to.

Just a thought

Great thought.

 

[Jay_G]

I am more annoyed by those who think that you are trying to rip them off. I had an ad on ebay. 1 BR at Wyndham Bonnet Creek $550. Forget the specific dates but there was a choice of 3 or 4 weeks at that price and the note if you need other weeks or unit size please contact me. So I get an email for a 2 BR for week before Easter. (This was back in December or January and the week was somehow still available). So I price him at $1500/$1600 (cannot remember). I get an email back about how that is a total rip off, he should report me to ebay. Now the very same week on expedia was about $1000 more. Get a subsequent email that the prior year he had gotten a 2BR on ebay for $700.

This one MAY have been more ignorant than a**hole. Some people do not understand the calander. I've been known for getting "Deal" on flights, rental cars, hotels and timeshares. I've had a number of friends over the years who never understood why I could rent a convertable for $12, and fly for $67 each way, and priceline $29 hotel rooms, when I went to Florida, and they couldn't get good deals at all when they went for Easter, or Christmas or 4th of July. Then they acted like I was holding out on them when the deals I found for them were not great Christmas Vacation like the ones I found for me two weeks before Christmas?

I was in an OK hotel on Cape Cod a number of years ago, it was one of those times of year when people just don't go to Cape Cod, winter time. They had a sign out that rooms were $49 or $59 and I used a coupon for even less than that. This woman came in and tried to rent a room there for July 4th! and didn't understand why the sign said $49 and they were trying to rip her off by charging more than 400% more than what they advertised!

I'm not sure if she was an idoit or was trying to get something at 75% off?

 

[rrlongwell]

I prefer to rent from TUGGERS because I feel there is trust. I research eBay listings and maintenance fees and have found deals that are very reasonable. If the price is right, then I simply purchase. I haven't needed to bargain any advertised price, I either think it is fair or I look at the next ad.

One thing that could help with with low rentals through TUG is if the Barginan basement price would be raised to $1,500 or below (going up from the $700 dollar cap).

 

[aliikai2]

I get that all the time, advertising close start date weeks

I will take a huge discount once we get inside of 30 days, using Ebay, Craigslist, kijji, and here.
So I must get 5 or 6 emails asking for prime time reservations months into the future for this close date loser price, and yes they seem to think that this sale price should apply to every week even a year in advance.

The offering less is what I call bargaining, and I expect that , but offering $100 on a $1500 prime east coast beach week, well, let's just say that they will not be staying in any of our units.:hysterical:

Greg

I have not been doing this that long but here is my thought. I think that there are people (not all) who think that in every case that if you do not rent the unit then you are taking a loss and would rather have something than nothing. In a lot of cases that is not so. Reservations can be cancelled, points may have been pooled or can be deposited with an exchange company.

I am more annoyed by those who think that you are trying to rip them off. I had an ad on ebay. 1 BR at Wyndham Bonnet Creek $550. Forget the specific dates but there was a choice of 3 or 4 weeks at that price and the note if you need other weeks or unit size please contact me. So I get an email for a 2 BR for week before Easter. (This was back in December or January and the week was somehow still available). So I price him at $1500/$1600 (cannot remember). I get an email back about how that is a total rip off, he should report me to ebay. Now the very same week on expedia was about $1000 more. Get a subsequent email that the prior year he had gotten a 2BR on ebay for $700.

Wasn't worth my time for a rebuttal so I responded with, "wow, that was a great deal, good luck in your search".

Some people are just a-holes. Don't take it personally!

 

[PamMo]

Interesting thread with everyone's thoughts. I'm going to post in the Last Minute Rentals, and I know I'll get lowball offers. I figure I'll rent if I get my price, if not, I have a FF ticket all set to go to Maui. You see, a lot of us who rent weeks have a backup plan, and we aren't idiots when we refuse to "give away" our weeks.

I like getting a good deal as much as the next guy, so I'm not saying that trying to negotiate on price is a bad thing to do. It's all about the attitude.

 

[gandalf252002]

I can relate to this, as I have sometimes advertised rates "starting at" or "as low as" then specifically state, weekends, holidays etc are more. So then I get an offer for $400 on a week at Hershey Suites, for the July 1st week at 10 months out. When I told them the actual price, their like "but your ad says". The immense desire to say read the whole thing, and not just want you want to read.

As has been mentioned, there are some that just do not understand the rental and pricing market and don't think that they are low balling as that is what they are willing to pay. This are the same people that if you have to ask how much something costs you probably can't afford it.

I also have had people tell me they can get a much better price, or have gotten better deals previously and kudo's to them. Like everyone else, I want to get a good deal which is why I shop around.

I have not been doing this that long but here is my thought. I think that there are people (not all) who think that in every case that if you do not rent the unit then you are taking a loss and would rather have something than nothing. In a lot of cases that is not so. Reservations can be cancelled, points may have been pooled or can be deposited with an exchange company.

I am more annoyed by those who think that you are trying to rip them off. I had an ad on ebay. 1 BR at Wyndham Bonnet Creek $550. Forget the specific dates but there was a choice of 3 or 4 weeks at that price and the note if you need other weeks or unit size please contact me. So I get an email for a 2 BR for week before Easter. (This was back in December or January and the week was somehow still available). So I price him at $1500/$1600 (cannot remember). I get an email back about how that is a total rip off, he should report me to ebay. Now the very same week on expedia was about $1000 more. Get a subsequent email that the prior year he had gotten a 2BR on ebay for $700.

Wasn't worth my time for a rebuttal so I responded with, "wow, that was a great deal, good luck in your search".

Some people are just a-holes. Don't take it personally!

 

[GeraldineT]

One thing that could help with with low rentals through TUG is if the Barginan basement price would be raised to $1,500 or below (going up from the $700 dollar cap).

I do think it should be raised a bit especially because of the larger units during a prime week. For a 3 BR during Spring Break $1200 is a bargain.

 

[DeniseM]

I would never hold a week without a deposit. I reply to everyone, and whoever sends the money via Paypal first, gets it. That avoids this situation.

However, it always pays to be nice to low-ballers, because sometimes they will come up in price - especially if you make a counter offer.

 

[PamMo]

Denise is absolutely right on both counts - get payment first before you hold a unit for someone, and be nice.

Last year, I had a rental agent offer a much lower price for one of my oceanfront Maui Westin villas, and I politely said, "No, but thank you for your offer." They were a little snarky and said I would never rent it for my price. I told them I'd just rented a unit for that price. They called back the next day and took the unit, and asked if I had another villa to rent? You never know.

 

[Ridewithme38]

I do think it should be raised a bit especially because of the larger units during a prime week. For a 3 BR during Spring Break $1200 is a bargain.

I disagree, the bargain basement area is for units within a short time frame, units that you are unable to rent anywhere else, these units essentially have Zero value, because if they did, they would have already been rented...At the very least the maximum should be much much lower, close to the motel 6 rate...at most, you guys should be happy taking ANYTHING for them like $1

At the time frame we are talking with the Bargain basement, the size of the room isn't an issue anymore as much as the person trying to rent it getting ANYTHING for it is

Low rentals are a GREAT thing for Tug, they drive people to check out the site and look in other areas, if every rental was over $1000 people wouldn't even bother looking, it would drive customers away and the available customer base would dwindle down to nothing

 

[DeniseM]

The Bargain Basement is in the TUG Marketplace (classifieds) and it's for [resale] listings of $500 or less with no time limit.

The Last Minute Rentals Forum is in the discussion forums, and it has a limit of 45 days out and $700, [and it's for rentals.]

 

[mblosser]

Rental Website

To avoid having to deal with hemming and hawing phone callers:

- Buy a domain name, lots of places rent them for $10 a year or less
- Set up a basic website. Use Wordpress and free plugins
- Set up your payment system through Paypal, use payment buttons which allow credit card payments
- Answer the phone, be helpful, answer questions -- but ultimately, suggest your customers decide for themselves and when they decide, tell them to go to the website and use the Paypal button

This way, first one with the money gets the week, you have a better chance to get your asking price, and you can track inventory and not accidentally rent a week twice

Good luck

 

[Ridewithme38]

The Bargain Basement is in the TUG Marketplace (classifieds) and it's for listings of $500 or less with no time limit.

The Last Minute Rentals Forum is in the discussion forums, and it has a limit of 45 days out and $700.

Ah, i didn't even know there WAS a Bargain basement Rental area...Is there?

 

[TUGBrian]

as someone who rents every year from TUGGERS personally, i can also say the opposite is true as well.

whenever I post up wish ads for trips, I get some INSANE offers (high)

5000 for a week in the keys? pass =)


That said, I always end up with some fantastic deals (especially to vegas)...to each his own.

 

[DeniseM]

Ah, i didn't even know there WAS a Bargain basement Rental area...Is there?

Yes, that's why I stated that there was... It is in the TUG Marketplace - red bar - top of the page.

 

[TUGBrian]

Ah, i didn't even know there WAS a Bargain basement Rental area...Is there?

no, but you can query for it...

for example, here is the last minute rental query for the TUG MARKETPLACE:

http://tug2.com/timesharemarketplace/ClassifiedSearchResultsDetails.aspx?LastMinuteRentals=true


This query would return all rentals listed for under $500 (roughly 300 of them)

http://tug2.com/timesharemarketplac...roomsMin=&BathroomsMax=&SleepsMin=&SleepsMax=


anyone can use the MARKETPLACE SEARCH feature here to query all marketplace ads using nearly any criteria you wish:

http://tug2.com/timesharemarketplace/ClassifiedSearch.aspx

 

[DeniseM]

Oppsss - I missed the word "rental" in Ride's question - it's for resales.

What I was trying to say (and doing a bad job of it) is that "Bargain Deals" and the "Last Minute Rental Forum," are entirely different places.

 

[am1]

I disagree, the bargain basement area is for units within a short time frame, units that you are unable to rent anywhere else, these units essentially have Zero value, because if they did, they would have already been rented...At the very least the maximum should be much much lower, close to the motel 6 rate...at most, you guys should be happy taking ANYTHING for them like $1

At the time frame we are talking with the Bargain basement, the size of the room isn't an issue anymore as much as the person trying to rent it getting ANYTHING for it is

Not the case at all. I do my best business inside 45 days to check in. People know to wait. Sometimes I do not get inventory till 20 days to check in and rent it in a few days for more than twice the last minute rental board maximum.

 

[eal]

One thing that could help with with low rentals through TUG is if the Barginan basement price would be raised to $1,500 or below (going up from the $700 dollar cap).

I would like to see the top price on the last-minute rentals board raised to something higher than $700 as well. Most of us pay more than $700 in mf's and we should at least be able to try to get those back. Even $1000 would be an improvement.

 

[DeniseM]

I would like to see the top price on the last-minute rentals board raised to something higher than $700 as well. Most of us pay more than $700 in mf's and we should at least be able to try to get those back. Even $1000 would be an improvement.

This has been discussed extensively, and the LMR forum is not meant to be the primary site on TUG for profitable rentals. We already have the Marketplace for that. It is intended to be a Last Minute effort to rent a TS that you can't use or rent, and that you are willing to let go for $700, to recoup some of your fees.

 

[Timeshare Von]

Technically - Not $700

The LMR area is actually for rentals that are less than $100/night as I recall. Therefore, yes, it could be 7 nights = $700 but often there are short stays/long weekends for less than $700.

 

[ampaholic]

I would never hold a week without a deposit. I reply to everyone, and whoever sends the money via Paypal first, gets it. That avoids this situation.

However, it always pays to be nice to low-ballers, because sometimes they will come up in price - especially if you make a counter offer.

Actually a very good tactic I used often when I was more active selling Real Estate was this:

Ask the lowballer if they are offering so low low low because they are just too poor to afford the unit?

Usually they will respond that "why, of course" they can afford it.

You can then couch a counteroffer with "well, you took a shot - good for you - my price is $xxx."

I have reeled in several really decent (over 98% of list) offers with this technique - it really does work, remember they wouldn't have inquired if there wasn't some desire there.

 

[stevedmatt]

In a rental situation, I think my lowest offer would be to cover maintenance fees and I wouldn't even attempt it until 30-45 days out.

I have a rental condo and will rent only to a low ball offer in a very short time frame depending on the season. I tell them to contact me again in that time frame and if it's still available, I will rent it to them. My thought is something is better than nothing. I usually don't have that situation arise because my pricing is competitive and I advertise through multiple venues.

I have made what could be considered low ball offers to purchase, but never to rent. My low ball purchase offer was I'll pay all closing fees but no cash when the 2 sellers was asking for $1000 and $2500 plus costs respectively. I don't think these were truly low ball offers, but the seller was offended in both situations. I offered what I thought it was worth.

Does anyone who doesn't want lower offers use the word "firm" anymore?

 

[DeniseM]

The LMR area is actually for rentals that are less than $100/night as I recall. Therefore, yes, it could be 7 nights = $700 but often there are short stays/long weekends for less than $700.

Actually, $100 per night, or less.

 

[funtime]

Attitude is important

It also depends on attitude. I turned down a low ball offer. It was not an awful amount on a rental. Unfortunately that unit now may now sit vacant. I will try to be better in the future and not "personalize things" but the low baller was not nice about it. He stated that he would only pay x amount and not a penny more and would rent somewhere else if we refused. We were only 50 dollars apart after I had come down some more. However, I felt he was high handed and refused his lowball offer as I did not feel that he "deserved" my unit. I guess that separates me as a timeshare lover from a true rental agent - you have to deserve to rent my timeshare.