General Help and Questions

Sort by

• Newest Reply
• Newest Topic

Hi !
Do blocked dates also have the gap rule applied? If I Block out 3 days and have a gap rule of 2 days am I also preventing bookings from the 2 days before and after the gap?
Thanks
Tracy

Thank you, I accidentally disabled the widget. I do not think any of those options can be done with this builder, bummer... :(

The problem here is that you've got a double iframe situation going on with the widget. Because of how it's set up in your page builder, the embed is an iframe that keeps the OwnerRez widget from being able to access the outside page and see the URL parameters there.

Two ways to fix this:

a) if you can have the webpage builder transfer the querystring arguments ?or_arrival=2021-10-02&or_departure=2021-10-09&or_guests=8 from the outside page into its iframe, then we'll be able to access them

OR

b) if you can change the webpage builder to render the widgets out directly on the main page vs inside an iframe, then we'd be able to access the parameters directly

Also FYI, when checking this I noticed you've got a disabled OR widget on your main Cabins page.

If I get a visitor to site from a Smokies Common Widget referral, I thought that dates /guests will be prepopulated in widget on my page? Example:
1. person searches smokymountaincabinsbyowner.com and enters Oct 2 - 9 , 2021 and 8 adults in the search widget;
2. properties with matching availability are shown
3. Guests selects my property (Appalachian Escape) and clicks on it.
4. Guest is taken to MY website property page where I have availability/book widget for my property
5.
Expected result: Widget on my property page is prepopulated with dated Oct 2 -9, 2021 and 8 adults
Actual result: Widget is NOT prepopulated, and guest has to enter dates and number of people again.
NOTE: I see property widget prepopulating for one of Alliance partners, example: https://rentalcabinsingatlinburg.com/star-dancer-cabin/?or_arrival=2021-10-02&or_departure=2021-10-09&or_guests=8

Is there something wrong with widget set up under my property??? TIA

I know there are Changeover Restrictions to prevent a check-in or a check-out on specific days (like Christmas). While I don't care if guests check in or out on these days, I would like to prevent a flip so my cleaning crew does not have to come in on holidays.
Is there a way to set this?

Relatedly, is there a way to set a Changeover Cushion? What I mean is: I would like to ensure some bookings have at least one night between them (again, to give my cleaning crew extra time during certain seasons or around specific dates such as Christmas). I can't find anything like this, but I'd be surprised if there isn't a work-around.

Thanks!

It's certainly recommended that you do. Normally you can import the property listing data using this tool:

https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/listing-content-import

Working through this checklist will help bring in your booking data as well:

https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/setup-checklist

Hi I’m on a free trial, if I already have a website, vrbo, Airbnb and trip advisor listing do I need to fill all the content info in etc?

It does that by default. What are you seeing that would suggest otherwise? Please send the information in to the Helpdesk so we can investigate privately.

Is it possible for OwnerRez to pull full AVS data and card security code match data from authorize.net?

Got it, thanks Ken! I must have completely misunderstood what that setting was for lol

That's because you set your Arrival Restrictions in the API settings to only allow bookings that end within a few days from now, which blocks off the rest of your calendar.

All of the sudden today all 3 of my ABB and VRBO listings are showing the entire calendar unavailable. I have API with both sites and my OR calendar is accurate. I've just done a full sync and that didn't help. Any suggestions...?

You'd want to do both - you can remove it from your Vrbo account using their control panel, and then also disable it from your API in OwnerRez, which will allow you to disable the property entirely and stop paying us for it. :-)

How do I remove it from VRBO? Do I remove it on VRBO side or just disable on OR side? Thanks

You can send them to the email addresses listed here:

https://app.ownerrez.com/inquiries/instructions

If you format the fields correctly, OwnerRez can parse them into an inquiry:

https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/inquiry-parsing-for-custom-emails

Really interested in this as well. I thought I saw it somewhere in help/support but, apologies, cannot locate it either.

Yes, Airbnb does remove all URLs from their internal messages - but only for guests who have not yet booked. Once a guest has booked, the URLs aren't removed, so you can use the link to get the Rental Agreement signed at that time.

However, generally we recommend using the email method as well, just to make sure.

I have a question regarding using the CRM (specifically with the AirBnB channel but perhaps others as well). Perhaps someone has a work around or can advise me on a better approach.

Since going with the full API for my listing sites I am really enjoying the channel communications through CRM. Back in the day, when a booking was imported from AirBnB, I sent out regular emails for things like instructions, rental agreement link, etc. Some guests had trouble with the regular email. I like that we can create templates and use them in the AirBnB CRM now and that this goes through AirBnB messaging. However AirBnB removes all URLs from the message. Case in point, my standard "Please sign Rental Agreement" gets the OR link to the rental agreement blocked.

As anyone determined an approach to use CRM (with AirBnB.. or others) that preserve the links? Or are will still relegated to email for this approach.

Glenn

Yes, we've had this ability for a few months now:

https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/property-availability-rules#changeover

Has any progress been made for this? I am inquiring if it was developed yet or it is still in the works. Perhaps I missed an update there. It would be very helpful. Some hosts manage multiple units, therefore, manually blocking can become troublesome and human error can happen (causing a same day turn around). Thank you.

That seems a bit on the high side for Ascent, from our experience. Perhaps there are financial issues that raise your rates - have you asked Ascent why their rates are so high, point-blank? They're usually willing to negotiate, or at least explain.

Failing that, we support a great many other processors that you can talk to:

https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/payment-processing-gateways-recommended

https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/payment-processing-gateways-list

And in most cases, changing processors is not terribly hard:

https://www.ownerrez.com/support/articles/payment-processing-gateways-changing

Hello all, I've been using Ascent now for a few months (simply at the recommendation of OR), and have been less than impressed with them, mainly (but not solely) due to the fees they charge. After all is said and done they are keeping over 4% of my total transaction amounts each month. It is my understanding that Stripe charges only a 3% flat fee... can anyone using either Stripe or Ascent chime in and let me know if your experiences have been similar?

The 3rd party alerts and CRM list can only display whatever data is available to OwnerRez. If you are just using iCal calendar imports from Vrbo and Airbnb, the first name is all you get (and not always that much.)

You can get the rest of the data by running Channel Bridge manually, but of course by then the 3rd party alerts will have already been sent.

The only way to really fix this issue, is to use our API connections. That way, you get all the data upfront, to be included everywhere it's useful right away.

Whenever we receive a booking, the 3rd party alert and CRM list only includes a first name. Is there a way to make sure the last name is included on the 3rd party alert and CRM list?

Not shot down exactly, but there's no easy way to do it, so I wouldn't anticipate it anytime soon.

This might be happening because OwnerRez is adding whatever payments are in OwnerRez to the invoice which in turn pays off the invoice and removes the payment options on the QB side. But that would only happen if you had already entered payments in OwnerRez. If the booking has no payments in OwnerRez, then no payment data would be going across. Can you provide a screenshot of what the invoice looks like with/without being synced from OwnerRez?

Appreciate the heads up. Will do my best to make it clear with the guest. Is this on the table/horizon with VRBO or has been shot down by them already ?

Thanks Ken, I'll follow up via email

I'd double-check on that with them. We don't have any specific integration, but that doesn't mean they can't be used - we integrate with Authorize.net which is used by thousands of banks.

My concern is, our interface doesn't support that type of "surcharging." If they add the fee to the client, then there isn't any way for it to be displayed or disclosed to the client. If you tell them the price is $1000, you'll charge $1,000, and OwnerRez will send them a receipt for $1,000 - but their credit card bill will show a charge for $1,050 because the processor tacked their fees on top. This might lead to issues down the road.

Clear View Merchant Consulting came to see us yesterday with a unique CC processing system. They offered to charge us a flat fee of $45/month for processing. The actual CC fee is passed on to the card holder as a fee (convenience, processing, reservations, etc.). When I asked what is the percentage being passed on they said about 5% (kinda high). They also said they integrate with OwnerRez but I didn't see ClearView as an integrated payment processor. Anyone have experience with ClearView or a similar system. TIA!