General Help and Questions

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There doesn't seem to be too much documentation on the Wordpress Plugin. I just installed and activated the Plugin on the site. I thought it would be simple and straightforward to use but, I have to truthfully say it is all a bit overwhelming the way the documentation is presented.

The website will have multiple properties on it for several vacation destinations. The first thing a visitor should see when they come to the site is a search box where they will enter their destination, check in date, check out date and number of guests (just like you see on VRBO and Airbnb)

The Plugin should return all properties that meet that criteria. Just like VRBO and Airbnb does.

Then the visitor needs to be able to select a property where they will see all the information that goes with that property, such as the price, security deposit, if pets are accepted, etc...

I want to start with that. Can anyone tell me how I would go about using the Plugin this way? How do I even invoke the plugin? I can't seem to find any documentation on the Plugin other than how to install and activate it on the website.

Any help would be appreciated.

That seems wrong - can you write in to the Helpdesk with a specific example we can investigate?

Also, with the VRBO API, since the booking always shows pending, even on the guest side, after it's been booked, I'm assuming they can never leave a review?

Unfortunately, no, this is a known clunky bit and limitation of the Vrbo API:

https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/channel-management-api-integrations-vrbo

We're actively pursuing a better solution with Vrbo, but it's complicated and may be awhile.

I'm finding the whole VRBO API a bit awkward. I'm wondering what the best way is to send a "special offer", much like AirBnb, when someone has sent just an inquiry via VRBO. Right now, I am having them send in an actual request to book, then I can send them back an updated quote. I think that's a little weird for the guest, because it looks to them as if they are booking at the higher price than negotiated. Is there an easier way?

Our process is to send the guest check-in instructions 10 days before their arrival date as long as the booking is paid in full, a rental agreement is signed & we have an ID on file.

Currently I'm sending a manual email when the guest's final payment is received (45 days in advance of arrival) letting them know that their check-in instructions will be emailed on "this date" (10 days before the arrival date).

I'd like to automate that email confirmation but I would prefer it to have the specific date in the email instead of just saying "10 days before your arrival date".

Is it possible to create a Custom field for Arrival date + 10 days?

And, you'll probably want to set up Manual door locks.

https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/integration-manual-door-locks

easy. You schedule a trigger to be sent X days before check in at Y hour.

Hi all -

I couldn't find an answer to this exact question in the forum. I'd like to pre schedule a manual email (with unique door code) to be sent for the check in message. Is there a way to do this?

My ideal is to set up the unique door code earlier and then have the email scheduled to go at a specified time.

At this point I'm not interested in paying for RemoteLock or anything like that, I can set the code myself but would like to have the email go at a scheduled time.

Thank you!
Kate

Please submit this question to the Helpdesk, and we'll look into your specific account to see what's going on.

LOL...then why did you bring TripAdvisor up in the first place? :D

Hoping someone can help me out -

I just linked a new co-host on Airbnb. The calendar came in to block what's already booked - but I'm not getting any client info in OR. Someone just did an instant book and that hit OR, along with a message from the guest. However all my dynamic pricing isn't showing on Airbnb, nor the guest info in OR for the previous bookings. It's like there's a half sync going on, not a full.

When I go into API/Airbnb - I see the listing and it says "not synced" - but when I go to the sync tab - there's no property there. Anyone know what step I've missed?

I haven't API'd yet, too busy, but I have the proper settings on VRBO and here, anyway, I'll double check as I just blocked everything on the one property so it won't happen. Once I've had a chance to API, I'll circle back.
thx

For just the property import, though, it doesn't matter - OwnerRez is reading data on the public internet that anyone can see.

Probably - the Airbnb API cannot connect to properties you are co-hosting through your own account. You have to set up a separate API connection using the host's account:

https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/channel-management-api-integrations-airbnb-common-issues-questions#multiple-accounts

Looking to import an Airbnb listing - but I'll be co-host on this one - is there anything different I need to do either during import or day to day? Or just follow the guide walkthrough? VRBO I have to create net new listing for.

thanks

Limited mode can push minimum night stay rules and other availability rules, as I mentioned. You can see the details of what exactly is synced in each mode in setup guide for Airbnb: https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/channel-management-api-integrations-airbnb-setup-connecting#set (look at the bottom of the "Mapping properties" section).

What it can't push are the booking rules -- like booking mode, cancellation policy, check in/out time, etc.

I just added a reminder to the RTB article about the Limited mode resync issue, to clarify the process to set RTB for Limited sync: https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/instant-book-vs-request-to-book#airbnb

Now reading between the lines, you say "In Limited mode, the API doesn't have permission to set the booking mode (or any other booking rules...)..."

When you say 'booking rules'... are you saying that in limited mode it will push rates, but it won't push things such as minimum night stay rules?

Then I must have missed this nuance that I assume you pointed out in the going api instructions or webinars that I watched?

The last time we went API somebody instant booked within hours, so we turned API off. Then i'm told we can now set 'request to book' via API, and unless I had checked we would have had the same issue yet again.

I'd love to trust OR and the data, but feel I have to second guess and go looking for issues before I can

This is not an international thing or a beta issue, but a combination of Airbnb defaults and permissions.

Airbnb automatically switches listings to instant booking when API connected. Normally this is fine -- we run an update upon connection to set the booking mode according to the setting you have in OwnerRez.

However, your account is in Limited sync mode. In Limited mode, the API doesn't have permission to set the booking mode (or any other booking rules, listing data, photos etc.). In limited sync mode, the API only has permissions to set rates, availability, and availability rules).

Instead, you have to set the booking rules on the Airbnb side -- since you've done that, you're good to go.

If you switch to Everything sync mode, that will also fix the issue -- we'll start pushing the booking mode from OwnerRez and it'll update accordingly.

Yeah thanks for nothing!!!!!

To be honest, feeling really let down.

Tried to go API with airbnb 4 months ago. As soon as we did we realised that you had to be 'Instant Book' and had to quickly turn it off as that is not something we wanted.

Fast forward a few months and the rules had changed where you could select to be 'Request To Book' via API

After being burnt the first time around we made sure all our ducks were in a row. Got everything setup. Checked. Triple checked.

Turn on API

And BANG! our account is 'Instant Book'

Now I wish I could share screen shots here, but I can assure you our API connection is set up in OR as 'Request to Book', but Airbnb is ignoring that and we had to go in to Airbnb's setting to turn off instant book. My worry now is that when OR syncs back with Airbnb it will turn instant book back on even though that isn't how it's set in OR.

Is this yet another US/International thing that has fallen through the testing/beta stage? Is it just airbnb.com that is tested? and not airbnb.co.uk and all the other international sites???

As much as like ownerrez, i'm seriously feeling like a beta tester here without pay.

This is an excellent question, and one for which the answer is not fully known and ever-changing.

1. If Stripe works in your country, then that will almost certainly work with OwnerRez for you. We are fully 3DS compliant and integrated with them.

2. As you noted, several of the major interchanges have international partners or parent companies, like Authorize.net and Elavon. As far as I'm aware, we don't have any international clients that are actually using them, so I can't say for sure if they'd work. If you'd like to give it a try, we'd be glad to help work with you and find out.

We are aware that our overseas coverage is not as good as it should be, and are working to fix that. It's surprisingly hard though, as the various systems often don't play well together, even within the same corporate entity.

OR has a couple of dozen payment processors it easily connects to (or so it would suggest from the payment tab menu). However most of these are US based... which is to be expected given OR's US based roots.

But with regards to international customers like ourselves (UK Based), what are our options?

Is it possible to connect any payment processing provider to OR? If so, how do we go about integration?

If not, what about international branches of the current names listed? For example Authorize.net's European arm is Cybersource, can they connect in the same way Authorize does?... Sage in the UK is now know as Opayo (part of Elavon which is see mentioned now and again), can Opayo/Elavon connect to OR in the same way as Sage US does?

Essentially what are our options as UK based customers of OR, to connect credit/debit card processors to OR's back end system?

Cheers

I didn't say it was.

Channel Bridge doesn't support TripAdvisor the same way - it can only bring in reviews. So this will not affect it.

The plan is to go api with Airbnb, however we can’t go api with trip advisor as we don’t meet their criteria, so now wondering if the same issue may occur when channel bridging tripadvisor?

I'd recommend using the Airbnb API connection -- that will automatically update the guest counts on the booking when they change in Airbnb.

Noticed what I think is a slight hole when channel bridging Airbnb.

We’ve been importing bookings from Airbnb via channel bridge with no issue, however recently noticed that on one booking where the guests numbers changed on Airbnb, channel bridge did not pick up on this change.

Essentially it was a booking originally for 7 guests, which some weeks later they asked us to change it to 6.. all changed on Airbnb and expected it to be updated on the next channel bridge, but no, the guest number on OR stayed at 7.

In the end we deleted the booking in ownerrez, then channel bridged again and it brought the booking back in, but this time with the correct number of guests i.e. 6

Any help guys?

Note: If you have the Airbnb app installed, you have to uninstall it before you can see the option to do the calendar synch ( above ).
For some reason with the app installed, when you click on the listing to edit, it gives you a different screen with limited options. If you click on Availability, it automatically takes you to the app where you cannot see the option to do a calendar synch.
Anyone else run in to this same problem, I wonder?
* I uninstalled the app, and everything worked as you described.