My husband and I bid on a package for landscaping, and another one for outdoor maintenance at a charity auction. Despite playing out several hundred dollars for each, we were never able to collect as the owner of the company donating the services wouldn’t return our phone calls. It’s the last time I will ever bid on a service type item. If it’s not a tangible item right there to take home, I won’t bid on it.
Thanks everyone for your feedback. We’ve decided not to donate (or give away) any nights. Instead, my partner, who is also a massage therapist, will donate a free massage as an auction item. It’s a similar service-based product like hospitality, and he stands to benefit more from a returning client.
I have bid on other destination-based packages at these kinds of events, but not to my own community. I’m not sure many people will immediately appreciate the value of having a place to spend the night in our own community - until they realize there’s a dearth of STRs and need a place to stay for family or friends. But that’s not my problem to worry about.
Plus, it might help prevent others from getting the idea to become hosts and create their own listing. Not that I don’t encourage others to become hosts and host the guests we can’t accommodate, but why create more competition?
This is the state capital, which in Alaska means that most people coming here during legislative sessions are here to talk to legislators. 20 years ago, a friend running a B&B (this was before Air) offered a reduced rate to citizens coming to lobby legislators for environmental causes. It actually got her some bookings during what is normally a slow season, not all of them at the reduced rate. Last winter I got one farmer coming to lobby for funding for the state farm board.