VRBO Inquiries

Sorry I'm new.  I don't understand VRBO inquiries. When a guest inquires, do I have to send a quote or can they instant book. Also, the amount shown on VRBO do not match what is on the OR quote. None of this makes sense to me. I'm just used to guests booking and that's it.

If you are integrated, you cannot send a quote to VRBO in response to an inquiry. You can only send a verbal response. Guests can still book on vrbo and booking will flow into OR, "that's all".  The amount not matching could be: 1) because Vrbo adds a service fee to the amount that the guest sees on the Vrbo side; 2) if you have a rate adjustment on vrbo channel setting ( ex: "Increase/decrease VRBO rates by X%").  

When you integrate with Vrbo via their API, they then act as a listing site & passing the rest of the booking details to you. However, they take precautions to keep guest inquiries within the Vrbo system to prevent off-platform bookings. Notably, Vrbo "inquiries" cannot be directly converted into bookings. Guests can use instant booking after their questions are answered through the inquiry process.

The quote and pre-approve buttons in your Vrbo dashboard are non-functional.

When you import an inquiry into OwnerRez, it may appear that you can send quotes and edit charges, but guests cannot accept the quote directly within the inquiry. They can respond to your messages and agree to changes, but Vrbo will block any live links that would allow the quote to be accepted and converted into a booking.

Here are a few strategies for adjusting pricing for a guest:

(Note: The Vrbo ~15% booking fee will not be reduced in amount if you adjust the price down on OwnerRez after the guest books.)

1. Discuss and Refund: You can discuss a discount with the guest (via the Vrbo inbox or a quote). They book at the original price, and you adjust the charges and refund the difference if they paid 100% upfront. The downsides are that guests might be wary of not receiving the refund, and you could incur credit card fees on the refunded amount if you use Stripe or if the adjustment occurs after daily settlement by your payment processor.
2. Adjust Rates and Min Nights: Agree on a price with the guest, then adjust the rates and minimum nights for the booking period in your settings. The risk here is that once the new rates sync, anyone could book those dates. You and the guest must be online simultaneously; you make the changes, let the changes sync (10-15 minutes), and the guest books immediately. Note that if you use dynamic pricing, these manual adjustments will be overwritten during the next sync. This approach requires quick coordination between you and the guest.
3. Instant Book Adjustment: If you use "Instant Book," temporarily change your property rules to create a "pending" status. This allows you to process the price adjustments and then revert your booking rules back to their original settings

Or, if you are Request to Book: If you use the "Request to Book" feature, you can adjust the pricing on a booking request before confirming it. You and the guest agree on a price within the Vrbo inbox to make the guest comfortable with the request, then adjust the charges before confirming the booking.