Redweek ripoff "verify and protected" payment scam

[robleland]

My point is though, you are really competing against other Verified and Protected listings. The 10% fee is getting added to all of them. If you are pricing your Verified and Protected to somehow compete against DIY, then in effect you are the one paying the 10% fee out of the lower rental proceeds. Your V&P listing isn't necessarily above market. There is a market out there that wants to rent Protected listings and they are willing to pay more for it. They may also be willing to pay more for online booking and the ability to use a credit card directly with Redweek. That is what the renter is paying for. If you are willing to pay that instead by reducing your V&P listing to compete on price of DIY then you are undercutting yourself. I do agree that it would be good if Redweek disclosed the fee to the owners.

All that said, it may not be the 10% fee that is making your rentals not move. 2024 is a different kind of rental year. There is a lot more competition with many more listings out there. Then there is also the consumer that is past the post covid travel high. Rentals just aren't moving like they did the past couple years.

Thanks. I agree - i have a renter that said he will only rent if V&P. I can't really blame him since some people get cheated. I had a friend get burned by a fake ABnB rental in Paris during the olympics! though ABnb at least quickly refunded him. I've rented Marriott Maui for about 15 years now and had no problem, but the new let's say $500 fee is rather painful, especially since they have been increasing the maintenance fees substantially. I still hope all of you will complain to Redweek, at least ask them for full disclosure. I think i can convince people i own the week by having the reservation confirmation email and a snapshot of week ownership. We'll see.

 

[davidvel]

Not sure what your problem is. @rickandcindy23 disclosed openly on the forum that she f'ed up (not her words, but mine). She said "I received a much deserved reprimand".

YET you felt it necessary to call her out a month later.

It must be great to be perfect. I have never personally met Cindy, but anyone who can look at the facts, and acknowledge that they were wrong, are OK in my books.

No problem at all, and far from perfect. I called her out in the other thread the same day she made the comment that she was hurt they sent her TWO emails when they caught her trying to go around them.

In this thread she claimed I said she was whining that RW was making money and she wasn't, which I never said. So I responded here about that.

 

[travelove]

I posted my week for rent the first time on Redweek. In one month I haven't received even one inquiry. Yesterday I posted on Koala. I was so happy to see transparency on their site and I chose my price accordingly. If I never read posting on this site I would not know how much Redweek charge. How is this possible now days? Why it's not being disclosed while I was making posting? I really hope I'll get interest from Koala. If not I will go myself but I did not see it coming that it would be hard to rent winter week in Lake Tahoe, unfortunately. Thank you TUG!

 

[rickandcindy23]

Suddenly, the verify/ protect is becoming an issue for me because I keep being asked how to rent it with Redweek directly for my rentals. I tell them it costs more for both renter and owner to list verify/ protect, and they just do not want to rent through me, even through Paypal.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

they just do not want to rent through me, even through Paypal.

the moment Redweek's strategy becomes painfully clear. And now, RW will just keep marketing that "protection" is a more & more valuable piece of the entire pie

 

[WaikikiFirst]

I will ask again: is Redwk, or are owners of HiltonHV weeks, warning renters that there is a strike going on?
Either upfront or in any way behind the scenes?

 

[robleland]

Suddenly, the verify/ protect is becoming an issue for me because I keep being asked how to rent it with Redweek directly for my rentals. I tell them it costs more for both renter and owner to list verify/ protect, and they just do not want to rent through me, even through Paypal.

I think a solution is to show the renter that the verify and protect asks you only for the RSVP confirmation. Best to find that as a direct email from redweek. (maybe i have one). So if you show a renter that you have the vacation club RSVP with the confirmation code, that should help. But 10%, on top of 10% increase in maintenance fees makes the properties getting closer and closer to worthless.

 

[dioxide45]

Suddenly, the verify/ protect is becoming an issue for me because I keep being asked how to rent it with Redweek directly for my rentals. I tell them it costs more for both renter and owner to list verify/ protect, and they just do not want to rent through me, even through Paypal.

I suspect renters want it at the DIY price without the extra 10% fee but with protection?

 

[rickandcindy23]

It's ridiculous to think that RW has become a site that requires owners to use the more expensive option "because everyone else is doing it."

 

[dioxide45]

It's ridiculous to think that RW has become a site that requires owners to use the more expensive option "because everyone else is doing it."

The full DIY option still exists. The problem is that consumers don't understand the difference. How much additional risk is there with renting from a DIY owner? 1%? Is it worth the extra 10%? That extra 10% isn't even insurance. Just provides assurance that you get what the owner says you are getting. If you can't travel, it doesn't help you.

Perhaps another website will come along to provide some extra competition for Redweek.

 

[rickandcindy23]

The full DIY option still exists. The problem is that consumers don't understand the difference. How much additional risk is there with renting from a DIY owner? 1%? Is it worth the extra 10%? That extra 10% isn't even insurance. Just provides assurance that you get what the owner says you are getting. If you can't travel, it doesn't help you.

Perhaps another website will come along to provide some extra competition for Redweek.

My Resort Network used to be a good option. It was a pretty busy site. Now we have Koala, which can absolutely work, except it's not really as known as RW.

 

[dioxide45]

My Resort Network used to be a good option. It was a pretty busy site. Now we have Koala, which can absolutely work, except it's not really as known as RW.

Does Redweek really advertise anywhere or is most of their traffic based on word of mouth? I don't really see ads for them but I don't spend a lot of time in the timeshare Facebook groups. Marketing is certainly one of the most important things when it comes to sites like this. The driving factor being the cost to acquire the customer. Both the owner and the renter.

 

[jwalk03]

Does Redweek really advertise anywhere or is most of their traffic based on word of mouth? I don't really see ads for them but I don't spend a lot of time in the timeshare Facebook groups. Marketing is certainly one of the most important things when it comes to sites like this. The driving factor being the cost to acquire the customer. Both the owner and the renter.

I never see ads for Redweek. I learned about it here. But I have had lots of rental success with it, and zero success with koala. Though I do about half my rentals from facebook these days as well.

 

[dioxide45]

I never see ads for Redweek. I learned about it here. But I have had lots of rental success with it, and zero success with koala. Though I do about half my rentals from facebook these days as well.

So I wonder, how does the average consumer/renter learn about Redweek?

 

[WaikikiFirst]

"because everyone else is doing it."

makes the world go round ... one of the fundamental categories of marketing. People have to learn to not let the ball get rolling. Fat chance of that

 

[pchung6]

Redweek is not working for me anymore. It used to be working great and I could rent it out unused weeks with profits. Since this year, nothing works. I have to undercut the price significantly and even it is rented, it's only few days/weeks before check in. I don't mind to pay higher price if it is working. Now it is not working and i have to pay higher price. I will be looking for other options for my rentals next year.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Redweek is not working for me anymore. It used to be working great and I could rent it out unused weeks with profits. Since this year, nothing works. I have to undercut the price significantly and even it is rented, it's only few days/weeks before check in. I don't mind to pay higher price if it is working. Now it is not working and i have to pay higher price. I will be looking for other options for my rentals next year.

I hope you still list with Koala. It's free to list. The only thing that is a slight hiccup is the process for registering for the payout service they use. Once it's done, it's great. Listing is super simple. Koala verifies very quickly as well.

It's probably not really Redweek's fault that rentals are down, and a simple peruse of any resort's listings will tell you that it's a universal problem and likely not just the resort or weeks you are hoping to rent. The economy is suffering currently with higher prices, and vacations are a luxury item. I am just saying what others have said to me.

I rented 2 of the 3 at Westin that I wanted to rent for this year. I have to look into cancelling one of my reservations as the time gets closer and it's not renting. I am new to Staroptions and that is not in my wheelhouse. I think my brain is too full of timeshare information and cannot take any more. Even if I read what I must do and by when, I may not absorb the info.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I think a simple Google search for any resort would result in Redweek showing up at the top of the search results. RCI shows up in a lot of my searches. I guess RW and RCI show up because I already use both. Koala does show up as well but not at the top.

 

[montygz]

Does Redweek really advertise anywhere or is most of their traffic based on word of mouth? I don't really see ads for them but I don't spend a lot of time in the timeshare Facebook groups. Marketing is certainly one of the most important things when it comes to sites like this. The driving factor being the cost to acquire the customer. Both the owner and the renter.

I see ads for Redweek on YouTube TV

 

[vail]

I booked a week on redweek.com last week--verified and protected.
They charged my credit card.
One week later I get an email saying the owner of the week decided not to rent it out.
They said they will refund my cc in 5-7 business days.
No other comment or statement.
I do not feel protected......

 

[davidvel]

I posted my week for rent the first time on Redweek. In one month I haven't received even one inquiry. Yesterday I posted on Koala. I was so happy to see transparency on their site and I chose my price accordingly. If I never read posting on this site I would not know how much Redweek charge. How is this possible now days? Why it's not being disclosed while I was making posting? I really hope I'll get interest from Koala. If not I will go myself but I did not see it coming that it would be hard to rent winter week in Lake Tahoe, unfortunately. Thank you TUG!

I presume you are talking about David Walley's Resort? It is not in Tahoe (even if II says it is). A good hour+ in snow with traffic to get to Stagecoach/Boulder with 4WD. I can't imagine skiers/boarders staying here if there were any alternative. Have you ever tried to rent this week for winter? What month is the reservation? There are always weeks available during ski season at Ridge, which is a short walk to the lift.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I still think we as timeshare owners are being targeted by Redweek ads. I get Koala ads sometimes on Words with Friends.

 

[WorldT]

I booked a week on redweek.com last week--verified and protected.
They charged my credit card.
One week later I get an email saying the owner of the week decided not to rent it out.
They said they will refund my cc in 5-7 business days.
No other comment or statement.
I do not feel protected......

Wouldn't the refund be called protection? Your compensation is only limited to your loss. I am sure buried somewhere in the terms and conditions is something saying your loss is capped at the amount you paid for the rental.

 

[dioxide45]

Wouldn't the refund be called protection? Your compensation is only limited to your loss. I am sure buried somewhere in the terms and conditions is something saying your loss is capped at the amount you paid for the rental.

Exactly. Redweek still needed to verify the owner could transfer the reservation to the renter. It is only verified at the time the owner creates the listing. It is possible that the owner planned to use it themselves or rented it out through a different channel and didn't remove their Redweek listing. In this case the renter got all their money back. Had it been DIY and they paid, there is a chance the owner walked away with their money.

 

[travelove]

I presume you are talking about David Walley's Resort? It is not in Tahoe (even if II says it is). A good hour+ in snow with traffic to get to Stagecoach/Boulder with 4WD. I can't imagine skiers/boarders staying here if there were any alternative. Have you ever tried to rent this week for winter? What month is the reservation? There are always weeks available during ski season at Ridge, which is a short walk to the lift.

Hi Davidvel, I’m actually talking about Marriott Timberlodge in December 3 bedroom. I would not be surprised if it was with David Walley.
I still haven’t rented it. I guess it’s too early for “last minute” rental. I need to update my profile and add Timber Lodge to my resorts.