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information to all vacation cabin customers.
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 agencies and real estate agents to find
or book their vacation rental property,Owners pay a commission
to agencies and additional charges for the rental may include charges
for linens, insurance, extra adults and some also charge for children
over the age of 12 years of age. It’s not just agencies that
have those additional charges; some private owners may also charge
for extra adults/children/pets….Properties that use agencies
to book their properties may be because owners live out of the
area or state. Owner Operators may enhance their properties to
a higher
standard in order to compete with the real estate and growing rental
agency markets. Many owner operators take care of their own properties
and may
give a higher quality or be willing to meet you in person if requested
to ensure your stay goes well. Some owners rent their own properties
but
are not in the area. If you reserve a property from them, make
sure you have a local contact in case you are lost or have concerns
about your rental when you arrive. Agencies may look after the
properties that are not operated by nearby owners as well as those
that are operated by nearby owners, but each agency
has its own standards of operation and customer relations. Agencies
may also offer Travel Insurance to insure you can receive a refund
for a
covered peril. If you use an agency, be sure they have a Real Estate
license, which insures the safety of your lodging funds. A licensed
agent must hold funds in a trust before forwarding funds to the
owner prior to check out. A private owner or unlicensed agent is
not required to do that by law which could leave you fighting for
your refunds.
A
rule in general: almost all web site's, real estate
agents and Rental agency’s who hide or refuse to supply you with
the proper owners names & 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 service
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. Make sure their in season and off season dates are
posted for you to understand.
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 of beds are in the rental property,
King, Queen, Full, Double, Twin, etc.
Make sure the property you rent supplies toiletries Paper
Towels, Toilet Paper, Soap Etc. Although, many owners and agencies
have linens included in the rental. Linens are usually not included
in those
properties
without a washer and dryer.
Example 3: You call an agent and enquire
about a specific property. (You’re told it is
not available). A good agency will offer you something
comparable in price and amenities. Other agencies may
automatically say, well we have another property available
but it
is a little higher than 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 beware of 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 a little more for that canoe
trip from them than if you booked it yourself. However,
it may offer you the convenience of making your lodging
reservation and adventure package all at one place, as
well as paying for it all at once for greater convenience.
If you would like further assistance, 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 may pay more
for your vacation then if you had taken the time to do
it yourself. Of course time is the issue here. Research
what
you plan to do on your stay, Google your adventures and
contact the company yourself. You will save money if you
are willing to invest the time and effort. If an agency
is not a licensed vacation planner and you use them, you
may be disappointed. Use a service like Trip Advisor to
check that company’s reviews (Note: Some small companies
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 may give
a better and cleaner service to you the
customer. Renter beware as you may be prime candidate for
being scammed or overcharged so be
aware of who you are dealing with. It may be in your best
interest to pay for your reservations with a credit card
so that if something does go wrong, you can dispute it.
If they insist you pay cash, check or money order, it may
not be in your best interest. 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.
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
and from our local competitor from collecting emails for malicious
use. These email addresses 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 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
Phone: 540-743-5507
Shenandoah Lodging
Note to our readers: This information provided
is for informational purposes and in no way reflects on any specific
business.
This
information is
to make you aware that Shenandoah Lodging is proud of what we do
and is solely owner operated. Shenandoah Lodging makes no profit
from booking fees
or by charging
our customers for changes to their listing. Listing a property
on Shenandoah Lodging is always a Win-Win situation for our clients.
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Luray Caverns
Virginia, Skyline Drive Virginia, The Shenandoah River, George Washington
National Forest, Luray Zoo, 18 Hole Golf Course, Hiking, Fishing, Tubing,
Canoeing, Hunting, Lake Arrowhead |
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