Redweek Rentals - Full Service vs Verified vs On Your Own

[TravelTime]

I put them on Redweek just over two weeks ago. Two for the first week of November, two for the second week of November.

@dsrmp - I'm not a big time renter, so payment by check keeps things simple and easy. So far, I've never had a problem, but I've always had plenty of time to make sure the check clears. I've taken PayPal payments twice. I just prefer to save all parties the extra costs/fees.

If you just put them up two weeks ago for November and they are all rented, then I’d say all options in your experiment worked.

 

[PamMo]

Yes, I am very happy with Redweek, @TravelTime!

 

[gprince]

This thread is helpful. I am considering listing a dec saratoga springs reservation on redweek. Thanks,

 

[dsmrp]

Yes very helpful thread. I will list my Feb week in Redweek next month or so. Thx @PamMo !

 

[PamMo]

I think helping each other is what TUG is all about!

 

[theo]

Fwiw, when I've rented out weeks we can't use (including 5 weeks in winter / early Spring 2021), I have simultaneously posted the exact same ads on TUG and on RedWeek.
I would never want RedWeek personnel handling any aspect of my rentals (beyond merely posting my paid ad), but I always pay the extra $14.95 to be "RedWeek Verified".
Personally, I don't want to spend a single moment "proving" my ownership to prospective renters, so I regard that paltry $14.95 to be "RedWeek Verified" as money well spent.

Without exception, my RedWeek ads have always promptly yielded renters who accept both my price and my (self-prepared) contract and its' terms. Otoh, I cannot recall receiving many (if any) inquiries from the identical ads which I simultaneously posted in the TUG classifieds --- not a criticism, just a personal observation on actual results.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

Fwiw, when I've rented out weeks we can't use (including 5 weeks in winter / early Spring 2021), I have simultaneously posted the exact same ads on TUG and on RedWeek.
I would never want RedWeek personnel handling any aspect of my rentals (beyond merely posting my paid ad), but I always pay the extra $14.95 to be "RedWeek Verified".
Personally, I don't want to spend a single moment "proving" my ownership to prospective renters, so I regard that paltry $14.95 to be "RedWeek Verified" as money well spent.

Without exception, my RedWeek ads have always promptly yielded renters who accept both my price and my (self-prepared) contract and its' terms. Otoh, I cannot recall receiving many (if any) inquiries from the identical ads which I simultaneously posted in the TUG classifieds --- not a criticism, just a personal observation on actual results.

I'll most likely be listing a ski week I'm in the process of acquiring and leaning towards using Redweek for cost/simplicity and it appears they have a good amount of rental activity. What terms of the Redweek Rental Agreement aren't you comfortable with?

 

[echino]

I'll most likely be listing a ski week I'm in the process of acquiring and leaning towards using Redweek for cost/simplicity and it appears they have a good amount of rental activity. What terms of the Redweek Rental Agreement aren't you comfortable with?

"If the Unit is uninhabitable or inaccessible on the day the Rental Period commences by reason of flood, fire, storm, force majeure, or other natural disaster, and a satisfactory substitute is not made available, the total Rent Payment will be refunded to the Renter. "

Redweek used that clause to refund non-refundable payments during Covid when the resort was open and accepting check ins. Not only that, but Redweek actively encouraged guests to request refunds if they were uncomfortable traveling during Covid, and then proceeded with the refunds, without giving the owners an opportunity to reschedule. By screwing owners and doing that, Redweek got a lot of positive goodwill from the guests, as Redweek is now viewed to always stand up for the guests. As an owner, you should be aware of that, and be prepared that Redweek can scam you out of your payment at any time.

 

[pacman777]

"If the Unit is uninhabitable or inaccessible on the day the Rental Period commences by reason of flood, fire, storm, force majeure, or other natural disaster, and a satisfactory substitute is not made available, the total Rent Payment will be refunded to the Renter. "

Redweek used that clause to refund non-refundable payments during Covid when the resort was open and accepting check ins. Not only that, but Redweek actively encouraged guests to request refunds if they were uncomfortable traveling during Covid, and then proceeded with the refunds, without giving the owners an opportunity to reschedule. By screwing owners and doing that, Redweek got a lot of positive goodwill from the guests, as Redweek is now viewed to always stand up for the guests. As an owner, you should be aware of that, and be prepared that Redweek can scam you out of your payment at any time.

yup I can attest to being one of the many owners getting screwed by RedWeek more than $2k. They didn’t even inform me via email until a day after the guest was suppose to check in so I couldn’t even cancel and change or bank my reservation. F- them, but I still use them but only for listing and not any of the so called full service bull$hit. Unfortunately for timeshare rentals they got owners by the balls since they are tops for that market.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

yup I can attest to being one of the many owners getting screwed by RedWeek more than $2k. They didn’t even inform me via email until a day after the guest was suppose to check in so I couldn’t even cancel and change or bank my reservation. F- them, but I still use them but only for listing and not any of the so called full service bull$hit. Unfortunately for timeshare rentals they got owners by the balls since they are tops for that market.

Thanks. What I'm hoping happens is that I can find someone that wants to rent it EOY (as that's all I'll have) and I don't have to constantly cycle through new people. I know when I found a rental on VRBO for I was able to contact the Owner directly and negotiated everything away their platform. The cost for the Verified Rental Option on Redweek seems reasonable and reduces some risks with unknown parties.

 

[theo]

The cost for the Verified Rental Option on Redweek seems reasonable and reduces some risks with unknown parties.

In truth, "RedWeek verified" simply provides advance assurance that the person advertising is in fact the "verified" (by RedWeek personnel) owner of what is being advertised. Presumably, that "verification" provides some measure of additional confidence for skittish or inexperienced prospective tenants and / or those just fearful of being scammed.
It also saves the owner / advertiser from wasting time having to "prove" their ownership to multiple prospective tenants, a time wasting exercise I very much want to avoid.

 

[vacationtime1]

yup I can attest to being one of the many owners getting screwed by RedWeek more than $2k. They didn’t even inform me via email until a day after the guest was suppose to check in so I couldn’t even cancel and change or bank my reservation. F- them, but I still use them but only for listing and not any of the so called full service bull$hit. Unfortunately for timeshare rentals they got owners by the balls since they are tops for that market.

^^^^^^^ This is why an owner should NEVER give a third party control over rent payments.

Redweek is fine as an advertising platform, but it has demonstrated that it cannot be trusted with your money.

 

[csodjd]

Fwiw, when I've rented out weeks we can't use (including 5 weeks in winter / early Spring 2021), I have simultaneously posted the exact same ads on TUG and on RedWeek.
I would never want RedWeek personnel handling any aspect of my rentals (beyond merely posting my paid ad), but I always pay the extra $14.95 to be "RedWeek Verified".
Personally, I don't want to spend a single moment "proving" my ownership to prospective renters, so I regard that paltry $14.95 to be "RedWeek Verified" as money well spent.

Without exception, my RedWeek ads have always promptly yielded renters who accept both my price and my (self-prepared) contract and its' terms. Otoh, I cannot recall receiving many (if any) inquiries from the identical ads which I simultaneously posted in the TUG classifieds --- not a criticism, just a personal observation on actual results.

I’ve not rented my places, but I have two weeks in Hawaii reserved for next year (oceanfront at Marriott Maui and ocean view at Lagoon Tower) that I’m going to rent and was thinking of being lazy and just using RW full-service. Now I’m leaning more toward RW Verified based on this thread. My question is about your self-prepared rental agreement and the process. Is this something you’re willing to share? Can you walk through the process? Assuming you advertise on RW as a verified listing, what happens next? What’s the step-by-step process through the end of the rented week?

 

[byeloe]

There are sample rental agreements on Tug, some where, I have used them.

As far as Redweek process. You pay the verification fee and send your proof of reservation to them. Redweek checks it out and then puts the green verified next to your ad.
Then you wait for prospective renters to contact you.
Once you have an interested party, I send them the rental agreement and ask for a deposit.
Then I make the name change, send them the confirmation and request final payment.

Others may operate differently, but name changes are free and easy to do online with my Westin Lagunamar units.

 

[theo]

My question is about your self-prepared rental agreement and the process. Is this something you’re willing to share? Can you walk through the process? Assuming you advertise on RW as a verified listing, what happens next? What’s the step-by-step process through the end of the rented week?

I decline to post or share my self-tailored rental agreement, but I'm sure that it's not much different from most other (easily found) rental agreements in many respects.
That being said, I will mention salient points that I consider to be important within a rental agreement (many, maybe most of them, not actually addressed at all within the overly simplistic and much too generic rental agreement that RedWeek employs).

First, bear in mind that all of our weeks are fixed units / weeks at specific resorts, so no option ever exists to offer "alternatives" to the specific week and / or unit identified in the rental contract in the event of tenant cancellation (however, if the resort gets closed for any reason, I guarantee immediate 100% refund). I offer no refund in any amount in the event of tenant cancellation for any other reason, so I strongly recommend, in writing right within the contract, that the tenant obtain trip cancellation or travel insurance to protect themselves in the event of unexpected inability to use the week which they have rented. Full payment is required within 60 days of the check in date. When payment "clears", I then notify the resort in writing of the identity of the person(s) authorized to occupy our unit / week, with cc: of that notification also provided to the tenant.

I specify that the contract signatory must be at least 25 years old. Our weeks are late winter / early spring, when some college students are on "break". I close the door in advance on any possibility of renting to "Spring Breakers", whose irresponsible and juvenile behavior I refuse to foist upon fellow owners at our (small, independent) resorts.

To avoid any unwelcome surprises or misunderstandings, within the rental agreement I clearly identify and enumerate resort-imposed rules (such as check-in and check out times, strictly enforced unit occupancy limits, no smoking permitted anywhere on the resort property, credit card in tenant name to be provided at check-in as security deposit measure, parking provided and available for only one vehicle, no pets allowed on the property, etc. ). I always seek to fully inform my tenants, and well in advance.

I hope that some of this is of use and / or interest to you. If not, I will cheerfully refund 100% of what you've just paid me to prepare and post it.

 

[klpca]

Yup! You got that right, @sng85. Redweek is taking a bite of that rental pie from the owner and the renter!

Based upon your thread, I tried renting a couple of our weeks for the first time this year. One has already rented (Labor Day week at the beach) and one is still pending and I may just deposit it soon as I can use the exchange week for the same location next summer. I set up both using "verified and protected" which allows the renter to use a credit card for a "small fee". Both of my listings elicited the same response from interested parties - why is there a service fee. and can it be removed? That's when I discovered that the small fee was actually 6%! So when a renter clicks through to rent the week, all of the sudden the price goes up 6%. I went ahead and took that option off of the ad and just mentioned that you could pay with a check or credit card + the Redweek fee. It removes the "protected" part of the flag but I can live with that. I was mostly ticked that the small fee wasn't so small. In the future I won't add that option, but will mention it in the ad since it can be added later in the process.

 

[rickandcindy23]

This thread is helpful. I am considering listing a dec saratoga springs reservation on redweek. Thanks,

I listed mine on Koala and rented it for $17.50 per point, the most I have ever gotten for a rental. Redweek has a lot of RCI exchanges of one bedrooms listed for rent, and that makes my rentals look very expensive.

 

[gprince]

I listed mine on Koala and rented it for $17.50 per point, the most I have ever gotten for a rental. Redweek has a lot of RCI exchanges of one bedrooms listed for rent, and that makes my rentals look very expensive.

I listed my Dec SSR reservation a couple months ago, but so far no one has responded. I may be too high, but I was basing my price off what Disney charges to rent the same resort during the same time of year. I am nearly $150/night less. Plus. Disney has no availability at my resort during this time. Most all resorts have been sold out for a couple months now.

 

[dioxide45]

I listed my Dec SSR reservation a couple months ago, but so far no one has responded. I may be too high, but I was basing my price off what Disney charges to rent the same resort during the same time of year. I am nearly $150/night less. Plus. Disney has no availability at my resort during this time. Most all resorts have been sold out for a couple months now.

What Disney can get is irrelevant. You need to look at other owner listings and what they are charging per point, which is usually in the $15-$19 range.

 

[gprince]

What Disney can get is irrelevant. You need to look at other owner listings and what they are charging per point, which is usually in the $15-$19 range.

It's hard to believe its irrelevant, but the fact that it has not rented is proof you are correct. Our family plans to go if it does not rent for close to my price, so all is well either way. BTW, love the boat in your PIC. What model is it?

 

[rickandcindy23]

It's hard to believe its irrelevant, but the fact that it has not rented is proof you are correct. Our family plans to go if it does not rent for close to my price, so all is well either way. BTW, love the boat in your PIC. What model is it?

If you have something for the fall, it would be very rentable. Fall-Christmas is very easy to rent right now.

If you are advertising on Redweek, keep in mind that the rentals of exchanges are in direct competition with owners that have points to rent. I have had more than one person contact me to rent my studios and asked to get the one bedrooms for the same price. Yeah, no, I cannot compete with RCI exchange rentals. I notice no such rentals on go-koala.com and rented mine for $17.50 per point net to me. That is what I was aiming to get. I will never rent at $15 per point again.

 

[gprince]

If you have something for the fall, it would be very rentable. Fall-Christmas is very easy to rent right now.

If you are advertising on Redweek, keep in mind that the rentals of exchanges are in direct competition with owners that have points to rent. I have had more than one person contact me to rent my studios and asked to get the one bedrooms for the same price. Yeah, no, I cannot compete with RCI exchange rentals. I notice no such rentals on go-koala.com and rented mine for $17.50 per point net to me. That is what I was aiming to get. I will never rent at $15 per point again.

It is a Christmas SSR studio rental. I just dropped the price, but I am still over $20 point. Do you get more than $15 point on redweek or do you offer your DVC point rentals elsewhere? I have used DVCRentalStore.com one time and got $14.50 per point.

 

[rickandcindy23]

It is a Christmas SSR studio rental. I just dropped the price, but I am still over $20 point. Do you get more than $15 point on redweek or do you offer your DVC point rentals elsewhere? I have used DVCRentalStore.com one time and got $14.50 per point.

I would use go-koala.com. All listings are verified by them, you give them the confirmation #, and after it rents, you get the information to add your guests to the confirmation. It's all very quick and easy. I would stay at $20 per point net and you can get it. There is nothing at all available for the rest of this year in more than one night in any unit type. There may still be some for September, but not Oct-Dec.

You can also use Redweek for the listing. I like Redweek too. I just don't like paying for an ad and not getting it rented. I had one ad that didn't have a single inquiry. It made me re-think paying for ads because when I told them that I didn't get a single inquiry, they didn't give me any kind of credit for it. That was disappointing.

Love my Disney points and would never sell them.

 

[tborr123]

Looks like RW has revised its Covid cancellation policy: Covid is now not unforeseen and allows renter cancellation only if the resort is shut down completely. This would seem to be a more balanced approach than what they did previously.

Sample Rental Agreement | RedWeek

Sample Rental Agreement

www.redweek.com

 

[pchung6]

Looks like RW has revised its Covid cancellation policy: Covid is now not unforeseen and allows renter cancellation only if the resort is shut down completely. This would seem to be a more balanced approach than what they did previously.

Sample Rental Agreement | RedWeek

Sample Rental Agreement

www.redweek.com

RW still allows renter to negotiate with owner to reschedule or cancellation. In the worst case, renter can still file the claim with RW and who knows what RW would decide since they hold your money.

Last year, I lost almost $10k rental because of this, and out of panic, I got scammed another $2.5k. This year, I'm being ultra careful and have tried RW, AirBNB, eBay and TUG, and able to rent all of my unused weeks. For next year, I only rent 1 reservation out so far via RW, the one makes me most worry.