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OK, having been marked down on location for the second time in a few weeks I’m getting a bit fed up. I think I make it clear in the listing that we are NOT in the town centre and that although we are only 3 kilometres from the beach, we’re not on public transport, and I do say that we strongly reccomend renting a car. This is particularly so because most of our guests stay between one and two weeks and often want to make visits further afield in Andalusia.
Of the 5 sets of guests who haven’t hired cars, 3 have been fine about it and have managed perfectly well with the minibus service on the estate and, I’m afraid, me as a taxi service. Two though have given glowing reviews but lower stars for location (ONE star from one guy whom I’ll never forgive!).
It’s got so that I dread the people coming who are not going to rent a car, not just because of reviews and stars but also, I really don’t like it if I feel people are not enjoying their holiday and on the other hand I don’t like feeling so sorry for them that I run a taxi service!
We’ve been well booked this season (we only run May-September) and I’m seriously wondering if next year we should ONLY accept people who are going to be hiring a car. I’m not sure how I can do this - whether to put it in the listing or in the reply to enquiries, and whether it would seem a legitimate excuse for delining someone. I particularly don’t want to seem as if I’m discriminating against younger, poorer guests!
The same happens to me for location. Its outside the city centre but I’m in a very safe and quiet location and next to a beach. No idea what they’re basing it on.
I put “you must have a car”, Twice, in my listing. I don’t want to be chauffeuring them around. Once was enough. I was dinged once after taking them every where.
Happens to me too, I live in a driving city and quite honestly 90% of people have cars. To locals I’m considered inner city, to visitors I may as well live on the moon. I’m about 20 minutes driving/transit from anything to see/do in the city and I charge suburb rates. I also include the driving times in my listing so really?
Change your suggestion of renting a car to something stronger, like there is no public transportation available, so unless you like very very long walks, bring a car.
Thanks all, going to take your advice and make it stronger! Of course, I’ll still get enquiries aslking “Are you near Public transport …” The good news however, is that I’ve just seen that our local Town Hall are “considering” running a bus from here to the city centre … it’ll probably take years but it’s an advance on their saying for years that everyone here has at least two cars so we don’t need a bus!
Under “Getting around” in my listing I say There is no public transportation in the area, so your own car is a necessity. There is absolutely nothing in walking distance from my house - the neighborhood doesn’t even have sidewalks. I tell people all this but yet, there is always someone who thinks I am exaggerating.
I also added this to my house rules You MUST have transportation. No standing at the foot of the driveway waiting for rides or cabs.
All it took was one idiot who refused to rent a car (we had three separate exchanges about it before she even arrived). I had to drive her to work almost every day because cabs ended up being too expensive. The few times a co-worker picked her up, he insisted that she be outside waiting for him so there she is at the foot of my driveway, getting the full attention of all my nosy neighbors and dog walkers.
Edited to add: and of course she marked me down on location. Bimbo!
We have the same issue with no Air Conditioning. Old house and its been a hot summer, but the listing does not state Air conditioning. We have had a hot summer and everyone has marked us down for it.
Hard to insist that someone must have a car to book, so I would emphasize in no uncertain terms that it is indeed important, because of its location. Perhaps find the ways to facilitate they getting transportation easily; perhaps get to know a hungry local driver, etc. However, renting your place, which I am asuming is cheaper than staying ‘downtown’, and then causing you to drive them for free because they can’t afford taking taxis is definitely ‘No Bueno’.
This is under “getting around” in my listing. “We highly recommend that you rent a car and/or use Uber to get around. Los Angeles is spread out and public transportation is inefficient.” We still get people who don’t rent a car, don’t want to pay for transportation and mark us down for location.
Hi Mearns,
The deep irony of the situation is that this one guest was working someplace “close” to us. In Houston, a half-hour commute by car is considered short. If someone told me they were working downtown or the Galleria area I would actually decline them. That’s a miserable commute (I only do it rarely and avoid it when possible). Sometimes I even decline or discourage people who are doing something in The Woodlands which is still a 45-minute drive (one lady athlete in the Ironman wanted to ride her bike there, for crying out loud!)
BTW, I did charge her $10 per trip, which was a lot less than the $25 the cab was costing.
Hilarious! You spell it all out for them yet they complain! So let them complain. Your place sounds so ideal for me, but of course I’m not normal I’m baffled also by my 4s and probably a 3 for location. I’m minutes away from buses. Uber will be here in 3 minutes. There’s a Starbucks 2 minutes away as is a sushi restaurant, fast food burger place and super market; and the Pacific Ocean is 10 minutes walk away. I’m booked pretty solid most days so I make it a point to ignore ratings.
While on the subject: I am beginning to grasp just how absurd the location category is in the ratings because for starters it is a pre-condition, a matter of fact before someone even books. Besides the merits of the location of a host shouldn’t be dependent on what the guest is personally interested in, or whimsically feels like doing once they arrive, that is their personal business and decision which the host has zero control of. Finding out and determining if its a good enough match between the location and what the guest wants to personally do (not to get a low star), shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of the host.
Absolutely a dumb category which should be replaced with something more relevant and informative.
What I’m not sure about is how this is presented to the guest. Does it just give them a one word prompt: " location"? Are there any criteria given? A suggestion pop up or something?
I’m baffled also by my 4s and probably a 3 for location. I’m minutes away from buses. Uber will be here in 3 minutes. There’s a Starbucks 2 minutes away as is a sushi restaurant, fast food burger place and super market; and the Pacific Ocean is 10 minutes walk away. I’m booked pretty solid most days so I make it a point to ignore ratings.