Redweek asking for MORE info in order to list a timeshare rental

[tourproto]

I have used Redweek for several years to list my timeshare weeks that my wife and I cannot use. It has been pleasantly profitable, renting weeks for well more than the MFs.

As recently as last year, all they needed to verify my rental was a screenshot from the Vistana website, and an email from Vistana confirming my rental.

This year, they want to TALK to someone at Vistana. WTF?

Is this kosher? As anyone else dealt with this request?

TIA for any light that can be shed on this change.

 

[hurnik]

You must be doing a full service listing or a "verified and protected"?

I just avoid all that (plus the times Redweek has screwed owners during COVID, etc.) and just do the basic/DIY listing. Then you don't have to go through all that hassle

 

[AJCts411]

Is this for a standard listing or verified? When ever a company asks me to jump through unnecessary hoops, I move on. If this is a new "policy" for standard listings, probably a attempt to get one to used their verified service, aka make more money.

 

[rickandcindy23]

This is why I stopped renting my Disney points as verified/ protected at Redweek. I didn't want Disney doing a three-way call with me and a third-party seller. I list on Redweek, but I don't use the verify/ protect option.

I also list the same rental on go-koala.com and send Koala the confirmation after I list my DVC rental. I rent everything in both places, but Koala doesn't require three-way calls. If someone is hesitant about renting from me through Redweek without the verify/ protect, I tell them that I also listed the nights on go-koala.com. They can go there and book and pay for the nights. I like Koala because it's free to list. The 8% is taken off the back end after the unit rents, and payment is sent a few days after check-in.

Koala is not as well known, but it's about time Redweek gets some competition.

 

[pchung6]

Koala is not good. They can’t rent anything, but want to charge expensive fees like 8% each way from both renter and owner. Don’t waste time on Koala, they won’t rent. Just use the basic Redweek $20 ad, it’s the most efficient way in my experience. I also posted on FB rental ads and Craigslist. I used to list on eBay but stopped since they charge 12% final value fees on real estate rentals.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Koala is not good. They can’t rent anything, but want to charge expensive fees like 8% each way from both renter and owner. Don’t waste time on Koala, they won’t rent. Just use the basic Redweek $20 ad, it’s the most efficient way in my experience. I also posted on FB rental ads and Craigslist. I used to list on eBay but stopped since they charge 12% final value fees on real estate rentals.

It's $40 for the Redweek ad (do it yourself). Koala charges nothing to list. Yes, most of my rentals do come from Redweek.

$100 is what RW takes from the total amount of the rental at the end of the sale. For my $1,000 Disney rental, that's 10%+ listing fee of $59 for verified/ protect.

For a $1,000 rental (5 nights in studios Sun-Fri), Redweek verified is $159 total, Koala is $80. Redweek also makes money on the back end from the renter. They have to pay credit card fees, just like Koala.

I told this story before and will tell it again. I had a lady who contacted me to rent December dates at Old Key West that I had listed on RW without verify/ protect. I told her I also had the listing on Koala with the verify/ protect (that is all Koala offers). She rented through Koala and not through me on Redweek. She sent me an email saying she was sorry she didn't rent from me, but she liked Koala. Well, I am the same person who listed on both, but she apparently didn't get it.

People like the protection offered by RW verify/ protect. I guarantee that Koala is renting a lot of inventory, but they aren't renting as much as RW.

I like both, I advertise in both, but unless people make Koala a known entity as a timeshare rental platform, Koala will fizzle away. I don't want that to happen. RW needs competition. I also put my listing for Westin on Vacation Candy and got no hits. That doesn't mean Vacation Candy is a waste of time.

 

[pchung6]

It's $40 for the Redweek ad (do it yourself). Koala charges nothing to list. Yes, most of my rentals do come from Redweek.

I didn't realize RW has raised the fee to $40. That's not good. Koala does have free listing. I agree RW needs some competitions. I hope Koala or others can have DIY listing option so we can have more choices.

 

[AlmostRetired]

Redweek listing is $25. Redweek Listing with Verified is $40 ($15 more than a regular listing). If you are running current ads on Redweek, verified get discounted $5 it is $35. I never used Verified and Protected (V&P) so I do not know what it costs. I do know people who listed on Redweek with V&P and will never again. If you are thinking about using V&P, ask Redweek what will they do within 60 days and someone cancels, pays by CC and disputes the charge or they check in, do not like the view and disputes the charge.

 

[dioxide45]

Redweek listing is $25. Redweek Listing with Verified is $40 ($15 more than a regular listing). If you are running current ads on Redweek, verified get discounted $5 it is $35. I never used Verified and Protected (V&P) so I do not know what it costs. I do know people who listed on Redweek with V&P and will never again. If you are thinking about using V&P, ask Redweek what will they do within 60 days and someone cancels, pays by CC and disputes the charge or they check in, do not like the view and disputes the charge.

Redweek recently increased their DIY fee to $39.99. I don't think there is an extra fee anymore for protected above just verified. Protected has Redweek charing the renter a large booking fee.

I know many people are able to reuse DIY listings multiple times if they rent before the 6 month term is up.

 

[dlpearson]

Redweek listing is $25. Redweek Listing with Verified is $40 ($15 more than a regular listing). If you are running current ads on Redweek, verified get discounted $5 it is $35. I never used Verified and Protected (V&P) so I do not know what it costs. I do know people who listed on Redweek with V&P and will never again. If you are thinking about using V&P, ask Redweek what will they do within 60 days and someone cancels, pays by CC and disputes the charge or they check in, do not like the view and disputes the charge.

AlmostRetired: your pricing is quite old/outdated. Basic listing went up a month or so ago to $39.99 (I think it was $29.99 before the $10 increase). Verified & Protected is $49.99, and "full service" is normally $79.99 (currently "on sale" for $59.99). Here's a snapshot of the pricing (taken 2 minutes ago) from the Redweek website:

 

[tourproto]

Thanks for the replies, and yes I was listing as "verified" as I had done in the past, as I believe that potential renters feel more confident about rentals with the "verified" tag. What I don't understand is why RW now wants to talk to Vistana and not accept the email verification FROM Vistana about the timeshare rental.

 

[dioxide45]

I didn't realize RW has raised the fee to $40. That's not good. Koala does have free listing. I agree RW needs some competitions. I hope Koala or others can have DIY listing option so we can have more choices.

You recently replied in this thread that was talking about the increase in the fee to $40. You also mentioned how you paid $49 for your listing.

 

[dioxide45]

AlmostRetired: your pricing is quite old/outdated. Basic listing went up a month or so ago to $39.99 (I think it was $29.99 before the $10 increase). Verified & Protected is $49.99, and "full service" is normally $79.99 (currently "on sale" for $59.99). Here's a snapshot of the pricing (taken 2 minutes ago) from the Redweek website:


View attachment 85760

THe fee hasn't been $25 since 2016. This link goes to a post where I posted a timeline showing approximate dates of their price increases.

Did Redweek just increase DIY rental ads from $30 to $40? [ + a link to COMPLAIN ]

Did Redweek just increase DIY rental ads from $30 to $40?

tugbbs.com

 

[rickandcindy23]

Koala is free. Just sayin'. They do verify and they collect the money for you, giving your renter a place to rent that gives them that extra protection, but they do charge 8% on the back end.

You get your money after the guest checks in. To me, that is better. If I own 10 weeks at a single resort, I can list it 10 times on RW and pay the fees for each listing. I tend to list a few of my 10, and I put in the text of my listing that I have other dates, and I list other dates. OR I can list all ten on Koala and not pay a penny to list.

 

[DRH90277]

Redweek - I use the Do It Yourself (DIY) for everything. I have never had a problem and like the idea of Redweek collecting the rent and holding it until after the guest has checked in. They also charge the renter for local taxes and resort tax for OceanWatch - a real help for me.

If someone knows of a better alternative, share it. The Redweek DIY price is fair and uncluttered with back end fees.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Redweek - I use the Do It Yourself for everything. I have never had a problem and like the idea of Redweek collecting the rent and holding it until after the guest has checked in.

If someone knows of a better alternative, share it. The Redweek price is fair.

That is not the do-it-yourself, if RW is collecting the money. RW pricing is fair, absolutely.

 

[dioxide45]

That is not the do-it-yourself, if RW is collecting the money. RW pricing is fair, absolutely.

It sounds like the middle option in both screen shots provided in this thread. It is called DIY - Verified & Protected.

 

[DRH90277]

That is not the do-it-yourself, if RW is collecting the money. RW pricing is fair, absolutely.

Thanks. I fixed my listing to add the "Verified and Protected" following DO-IT-Yourself. That's the one and it's $49.99 pre discount.

They call both Do It Yourself for the differing options at $39.99 and $49.99. The difference being the "Verified and Protected" for the $49.99.

 

[AlmostRetired]

AlmostRetired: your pricing is quite old/outdated. Basic listing went up a month or so ago to $39.99 (I think it was $29.99 before the $10 increase). Verified & Protected is $49.99, and "full service" is normally $79.99 (currently "on sale" for $59.99). Here's a snapshot of the pricing (taken 2 minutes ago) from the Redweek website:


View attachment 85760

Boy to I feel stupid. I have a number of ads running and I didn’t pay attention to what I paid

 

[AlmostRetired]

Redweek recently increased their DIY fee to $39.99. I don't think there is an extra fee anymore for protected above just verified. Protected has Redweek charing the renter a large booking fee.
View attachment 85759

I know many people are able to reuse DIY listings multiple times if they rent before the 6 month term is up.

Though I screwed up with the price, whenever I used the same ad, it must be at the same resort. I believe a resort name change brings you to full price. On a reuse of the same resort ad, you can still add verified.

 

[chapjim]

I've mentioned this on other threads but will bring it up here because I think it is important.

If you are renting Florida resorts, RedWeek V&P will file and pay Florida's Sales and Use Tax on short-term rentals. If you have obtained "permission" from Florida Revenue to pay the S&U tax, you know how much of a pain it is. Florida has a tax rate and many counties also have a tax rate that is added to the Florida rate. Not all of the county rates are the same. If you rent at more than one "partner" resort, that's more filings. In my "renting days," I could easily have had rentals at as many as ten Florida resorts in a single month.

You have to file every month regardless of whether you had any rentals at any "partner" resorts in that month. I had one rental last spring, paid the tax, and have been filing $0.00 reports monthly since then.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

I've mentioned this on other threads but will bring it up here because I think it is important.

If you are renting Florida resorts, RedWeek V&P will file and pay Florida's Sales and Use Tax on short-term rentals. If you have obtained "permission" from Florida Revenue to pay the S&U tax, you know how much of a pain it is. Florida has a tax rate and many counties also have a tax rate that is added to the Florida rate. Not all of the county rates are the same. If you rent at more than one "partner" resort, that's more filings. In my "renting days," I could easily have had rentals at as many as ten Florida resorts in a single month.

You have to file every month regardless of whether you had any rentals at any "partner" resorts in that month. I had one rental last spring, paid the tax, and have been filing $0.00 reports monthly since then.

Filing every month is a PITA.......





.

 

[chapjim]

Filing every month is a PIA.......





.

And if you have several "partner" resorts, you have to file monthly for all of them, rental or not.

 

[dioxide45]

I've mentioned this on other threads but will bring it up here because I think it is important.

If you are renting Florida resorts, RedWeek V&P will file and pay Florida's Sales and Use Tax on short-term rentals. If you have obtained "permission" from Florida Revenue to pay the S&U tax, you know how much of a pain it is. Florida has a tax rate and many counties also have a tax rate that is added to the Florida rate. Not all of the county rates are the same. If you rent at more than one "partner" resort, that's more filings. In my "renting days," I could easily have had rentals at as many as ten Florida resorts in a single month.

You have to file every month regardless of whether you had any rentals at any "partner" resorts in that month. I had one rental last spring, paid the tax, and have been filing $0.00 reports monthly since then.

Odd that you didn't start out having to only pay quarterly. When you signed up, did you provide them with a fairly high projected sales volume? I would think after a year of data, they should switch you over to quarterly or every 6 months.

 

[chapjim]

Odd that you didn't start out having to only pay quarterly. When you signed up, did you provide them with a fairly high projected sales volume? I would think after a year of data, they should switch you over to quarterly or every 6 months.

When I first registered with Florida Revenue, I thought I had picked annual filings, not expecting to do much renting at all. Then I got an email saying I owed a penalty for late filing. They let me go without any penalty since I was a newbie to the system.

Most of what I used to rent were Wyndham resorts but I don't do that anymore. Right now, The Resort on Cocoa Beach is my only "partner" but I sold two of the four weeks I had there and we'll use the other two for the foreseeable future. I have a V&P listing on RedWeek.com for my home week at HGVC Tuscany Village. I'm not listing it anywhere else.

But thanks for the suggestion. Quarterly would be better than monthly (but not as good as annually). I'm oh-so-close to canceling my account with Florida Revenue.