This information is brought to you by Shenandoah Lodging to protect you from over paying for your vacation rental and to help ensure that you have a pleasurable and relaxing stay in Luray Virginia and The Shenandoah Valley.

Many people use booking agency’s and real estate agents to find or book their vacation rental property, When doing this you spend up to 20% just to the agent and this is not including additional charges that my show up on your credit card bill. Many agencies and realtors overcharge for linens, insurance and extra adults, there are some who would even overcharge for children over the age of 12 years of age. Properties that use agencies to book their properties are usually in it for the money and not the quality of your stay. Owner Operators tend enhance their properties to a higher standard in order to compete with the real estate and growing rental agency markets. Owner operators take care of their own properties and generally give a higher quality and are willing to meet you in person if requested to ensure your stay goes well.

A rule in general: almost all website's, real estate agents and Rental agency’s who hide or refuse to supply you with the proper owners & property information or assign a property number to their listing usually charge booking fees. So be aware of these sites. If you are not able to contact the cabin or property owner directly you are generally going to pay a considerable amount more for booking that property. (Agent Fee’s, Linens, Insurance, Non-refundable deposits or only a portion will be returned), even if you have to cancel in an emergency you will still be charged for that credit card processing fee (called Processing fee’s) on top of whatever the agent or realtor decides what to keep for their trouble. Other things to look out for are extra services (damage property fees, extra cleaning fees, hot tub cleaning & water fees) these sneak up on you when you don’t expect it. When renting your vacation property do a quick inspection and write down what you find broken or damaged upon your arrival. Make sure the property is clean and to your satisfaction. By doing this you can rest assured you won’t be charged for breakages from other guest that stayed before you or for something the cleaning crew may have broken or taken from the property. (Cleaning crews are generally used by agents or realtors) Privately operated cabins mainly do their own cleaning.

(Overcharging Examples)

Rental Fees:

When renting your vacation property make sure you are paying the right price.
Beware prices that are not set or advertised on their listing. Always check and make sure of the prices you are being charged and compare it to your credit card statement if a credit card is being used for your payment. If paying by check or cash there should be no processing fees and never put more then you must as a deposit, this may not be refundable.

Example 1: ($125 to $175 per night) this means in season and off season! But to you it looks like (#@*@##&^!%# )(Ok what is the actual price?) You’re lost. You could be charged for in season prices when in actually it is off season.

Example 2: (Linens $20 and up to $40 per set) Smart thing is to bring your own!
If you know the property you are renting it will advertise how many beds and what kind they are, King, Queen, Full, Double, Twin, etc. Make sure the property you rent supplies toiletries Paper Towels, Toilet Paper, Soap Etc.

Example 3: you call an agent and enquire about a specific property. (You’re told it is full!) The agent automatically will say, well we have another property available but it is a little higher then the one you asked for (generally a lot more). This is the old switch the customer game playing on your desperation for a rental property. By switching you to a higher priced property the agent or realtor gets paid a higher fee due to the higher price. The higher price you pay when using an agent means better monies go to the agent or realtor meaning less for you and your family. Always check that properties calendar if one is available, if not check directly with the owner, if this is also unavailable keep shopping your probably being scammed or mislead.

Example 4: When looking for activities while here use our Chamber of Commerce for info and book your own adventure. When using any agency to book your adventure you are going to pay more for that canoe trip from them then if you booked it yourself. If further assistance is needed just call our office and we would be glad to help you at no fee. We can help direct you directly to the business or their website if one is available. Some of the properties listed on our site offer canoes and tubes at no extra fees but a waiver must be signed releasing the property owner from all responsibilities if you are injured.

Example 5: You’re looking for a vacation property and find one that interests you. You speak to an agent or a secretary of that agency about the property in question. Next you’re asked if you would like to have your vacation planed for you by setting up your vacation adventures. Or when you email them they send you packages stating they can book all your vacation needs. Ever hear of being bundled? Well here the agency sets up adventures for you and you end up paying twice as much for your vacation then if you had taken the time to do it yourself. Research what you plan to do on your stay, Google your adventures and contact the company yourself thus saving you monies and possibly a ruined vacation by bad planning by the agency that did it for you. If the agency is not a licensed vacation planer and you use them be prepared to be disappointed. Use a service like Trip Advisor to check that company’s reviews (Note: Some small company’s will post their own reviews posing as a client thus trying to make themselves look good in your eyes). Research the agency first before spending you money not after.

Properties who do their own bookings in general give a better and cleaner service to you the customer. Private owner operators take better pride in their rental property then the agent or realtor due to the fact that the agent or realtor is only concerned with getting a booking and your money. The unsuspecting renter is a prime candidate for being scammed and overcharged so be aware when dealing with any agency/realtor or any other website that hides the owner’s information. If you would like you can check with the County, Town, or State license Office where that property is located to ensure that property is properly licensed to operate as a vacation rental property and who the actual owner or owners are. Also when looking at the properties rental price to include 9% for your tax rate (4% state 5% Lodging = 9%)
So for example: your lodging fee is $300 it will actually be $327+ booking fees (18% to 20% and up) + linen fees + pet fees + Deposit + processing fees. You could end up staying home thus your vacation ruined before ever getting started.

Be aware that in these critical times you need to save all you can while enjoying your well earned vacation time. You don’t need to spend more then you have to when renting a vacation property. Shenandoah Lodging has been helping our clients promote their properties for ten years with great success. We do not charge booking fees nor do we have any hidden fees. By doing this we save you the customer money and time.

When browsing our site pay attention to the property you are inquiring about. Some include linens at no extra fee and many accept pets. Pet fees can range from 10 to 40 dollars per night + a deposit for the pet in case of damage, so if it is a must to bring your pet consider these charges as well. (Sometimes best to leave Spot or Fluffy home or with a sitter). Remember you are bringing your pet into the country make sure your pet is also protected from ticks and fleas and is up to date on their rabies shots. There are a lot of Squirrel, Rabbit, Fox, Raccoon, Skunk, Snakes, Black Bear, Deer and many other wild animals your pet my run into if it roams away from you or is left outside un-attended so make sure your pet is protected and is as ready as you are when you are on your adventure.

Why are we providing this information you ask?
Shenandoah Lodging takes pride in our service and those who list their property with us. All but a few properties listed on our site are privately owned and operated and we do not hide their contact information except their private email address due to spamming these have been replaced with a contact form for each customer. If a viewer can not contact the property owner directly they have the option to contact us directly and we will find out why. If a listing on our site refuses to conform to being an honest and respectful property we have the option to remove that listing or suspending it. Shenandoah Lodging would like to ensure that all customers who book their property from our site will be treated fairly and with respect. This ensures you will enjoy you stay while visiting our community.

Now that Luray Virginia has the title Cabin Capital there will be many new places popping up to compete for your business and we welcome them. But you the customer must be aware that there will be a time when you may not get the quality of service you expect. We ask you to be SMART, AWARE, and ALERT to where you book your vacation property from if at any time you have a question about a property listed on Shenandoah Lodging please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Thank You
Shenandoah Webs Inc.                                                Phone: 540-743-5507
Shenandoah Lodging                                                   Email: shenwebs@embarqmail.com