If you are a renter and you want an option to save 7 %, read this post.

Redweek Alert. If you are not aware of how Redweek now lists Rentals, it could cost renters 7 % to 15% or more on top of the Rental.

What is the Change . - Now when you go to the resort you are looking to stay and click on rentals, the default rental listing that come up are all the Featured listings. Featured listings are the Verified & Protected listings. Redweek is hiding all the verified and regular ads after the very last date of all dates in the Featured list. If you are unaware Redweek did this, you would never know to page through the complete list of Featured listing to get to the other ad options. When the default featured listing come up, you can find it on the upper right and sort by date to get all ads sorted by date. .

Verified & Protected is a renamed service offered by Redweek. – T his offering starts out with the same protection offered by a verified week. Redweek verifies that the renter owns the week at the resort. This is what is most important to the integrity of the rental for those concerned. This Verified & Protected service requires on line booking and provides the agreement to the renter to sign. Seems like a valuable service for some but it also adds a 7 % fee and in some states like Florida and South Carolina, it adds State tax that can be 8 % or more. You do not see these charges until you “request to book “ and they are on top of the rental price. On a unit you rent for $3000, it adds a minimum of $210 and in SC, it adds $500 with state tax.

Who cares, if you don’t want the service don’t take it. Here lies the problem. - In the past when you looked for rentals, the listings were sorted by date for all ads. You saw regular ads, verified ads and ads managed by Redweek for your dates of interest. . This gave you a complete view so you could compare prices and decide if you wanted to pay 15% for the managed service. Now, all you see are the verified and protected so the renter would think this is the new normal because they see no other rentals.

What can be done to give me choice again. Complain to Redweek- When the default featured listing come up when you click on rental, you can reset the sorting by date. In the upper right portion of the listing, change the sort from Featured to date. You get all the ads for the timeframe you are looking for to choose how you want to do business. If knowing what Redweek is doing, you can page through to the rest of the ads at the end of the last dated Featured ads.

I agree! It was a sneaky change of policy, announced to no one ahead of time, nor explained presently on the front page of each timeshare resort! All renters, especially previous renters, will not instinctively know of this change and will miss a number of available properties. This is a clear money grab by RedWeek. Shame on them for the practice and for the shoddy way they are treating owners and renters that have trusted them.

After renting 81 weeks on Redweek, this was a low-blow to me and the other loyal renters and owners. At the very least, they should have a notice at the top of the search page telling us to see all available listings to do a date search. I’m going to have to post ads on multiple websites now. I wondered why my Christmas weeks that usually rent in January didn’t rent until Sept this year.

Correction: I just did a date search and the full-service listings all came out on top.

I just did it for Grande Ocean and it worked correctly. So many people have already done verified and protected it is hard to find.

So, so, so beyond angry about this change by Redweek. It was done behind both the renter's and the consumers backs. As a long term renter, regularly checking on my ad's to ensure they remain a good value I couldn't find my recently posted Maui week. I immediately contacted Redweek & was notified of the "default" viewing change. After many emails, escalating several levels & finally deciding on a full refund, expressing their policy change during the middle of my contracts without notice was unlawful. I still say CLASS ACTION!

Thank you for posting! It’s so incredibly unethical to not disclose or share with us. I’m disgusted. As soon as I am done with my listings I am headed over to Koala.

Redweek is no longer trustworthy.

If you are reading this, post alternatives to Redweek please.

I have a week up for rent recently with online booking "verify and protected" . I did not know of the 7% the renter will have to pay to book my listing. I believe the fee is excessive. I just requested Redweek to cancel my listing and be refunded.

I was also unhappy about this change as well when I realize renters would mot likely not see my ad if íts not listed as "verified and protected" because my listings will be way at the bottom somewhere. Many Redweek renters will not know to sort by "Date" in order to see my lisitngs because it by default appears as those "featured" rentals, which are only "Verified and Protected" litings on tọp. You would only see my listings after scrolling through about 15 pages. Sad! Also now I find out for rental listings are "Verified and Protected", which the bookings are manged by Redweek, renters would have to pay a 7% commission to Redweek and also local and state taxes, which makes the rental becomes too costly. I was very disappointed with this change with Redweek and cancelled my listing, and asked Redweek for refunds of my membership fee and listing fee.

Just to add another perspective as to why there is now increased focus on bookable online postings:

We have always had to monitor and try to eliminate scammers from the website, and unfortunately we have had renters who engaged in private transactions and lost all the rental money they paid.

Many owners don't realize they are also the targets of scammers just as often as renters. We have seen many cases where an owner's personal email is hacked, and the scammer will impersonate the owner and intercept rental funds intended for the owner. We are coming into the season where we see the majority of that type of activity. Our management team had to weigh all sides of the matter with the goal of safety for owners and renters alike.

When we started RedWeek online booking, it soon became apparent that it is the only safe manner for a renter to conduct a transaction and is also the only manner to eliminate scammers from our website. We have seen more and more renters opt for online bookings, and most do not mind paying the service fee, knowing their payment (sometimes substantial) is safe until they check in to the resort. The safety of our members has always been one of our main concerns, and online booking has been a means to achieve that.

Deleted - Replied to Redweek.

Redweek Wrote - "We have always had to monitor and try to eliminate scammers from the website, and unfortunately we have had renters who engaged in private transactions and lost all the rental money they paid."

Are you telling me that with Verify & Protect - on the renters side, Redweek takes responsibility and is liable for complete refunds of rent and travel expenses if a renter rents from an owner who uses online services and is scammed?

What do you do to qualify the renter?

As an owner, since you qualified the renter, if I use this service, are you telling me that Redweek is liable for damages to my unit by the renter or do you feel it is not your responsibly since you stated in the T&C of you agreement the renter is?

Are you saying that verify (only) doesn't offer the safety renter need, and you had a significant enough number of renters that used verify only and were still scammed and lost money?

If you believe renters don't value Verify than please let me know. No sense paying for this option if renters don't value it?

If renters do value it as a level of protection, why not put them with verify & protected and let the renters have the option side by side without you deciding for them?

1. Are you telling me that with Verify & Protect - on the renters side, Redweek takes responsibility and is liable for complete refunds of rent and travel expenses if a renter rents from an owner who uses online services and is scammed?

If the renter uses RedWeek Online Booking, the rental payment goes directly to RedWeek and the money is not disbursed to the owner until two business days after the renter has checked in to the resort. It is not possible for a scammer to make any money with the online booking process.

2. As an owner, since you qualified the renter, if I use this service, you are telling me that Redweek is liable for damages to my unit by the renter?

The Online Booking rental agreement, which is signed by both renter and owner, states: Renter agrees to maintain the Unit in the same condition as it was at the start of the Rental Period. Renter will pay for all repairs, replacement, and damages resulting from the act of neglect of Renter and guests. If requested at time of check-in, Renter will provide a credit card to the resort to secure payment for any such deposit, repairs, replacements, or damages.

3. Are you saying that verify (only) doesn't offer the safety renter need, and you had a significant enough number of renters that used verify only and were still scammed and lost money?

The verify option indicates we have verified all the key details of the rental with the resort. However, unless the posting is also Protected, the transaction goes through the owner. RedWeek has no control if a scammer hacks into the owner's account and takes the renter's payment, or if the owner/agent changes the name on the reservation. When the renter pays the owner directly, RedWeek has no control over the transaction nor do we have the ability to force an owner to return the payment to the renter.

We find some renters feel comfortable if they know RedWeek has verified the basic details of the posting with the resort, while other renters are looking only for rentals where the payment goes through RedWeek.

I do appreciate your responses.

Redweek wrote We find some renters feel comfortable if they know RedWeek has verified the basic details of the posting with the resort, while other renters are looking only for rentals where the payment goes through RedWeek.

I agree and this is exactly my point. Some renters are comfortable with each service offered by Redweek. Some renting owners are also comfortable with each service. The question I have rattling in my brain as an owner comfortable with Verified , why would Redweek take a service it offers (Verified), recognizing that some renters are comfortable with and make it more difficult for a renter to find what they are comfortable with. This is the reason I believe it should be featured together.

If the goal is to 100% eliminate scams, then Verify & Protection is the only service that should be offered.

If you recognize Verified as a service renters are comfortable with you should make it easy to find, not harder.

When you have two services that are of value to different renters and owners such that you keep both as a service in your portfolio, yet you give preference to the one that makes you the most money, it jumps out that it is about making money. If it is about scam protection, and not about the money, eliminate Verified.

Right now you are deciding for renters and owners. I personally belong to an Marriott Facebook groups for Aruba, Hilton Head, Marriott Vacation Club (MVC) Rent or Sale, MVC Private Rentals, Marriott, and Vistana/Starwood Rent, Trade and Sale. I can only speak for the Marriott Facebook groups that I am a part of, but I think you are underestimating the groundswell. Many Facebook groups are leveraging your changes. Most people feel as comfortable with Facebook as they do with Redweek. I have a couple more weeks I am renting and they are being done on facebook. At some point I may put it on Redweek Verified.

I thank you for listening. If you can reply, I would appreciate it. I know Redweek will not back off the default option Change of favoring only Verified & Protected until it impacts business..

Some renters are also comfortable with renting a posting that is not verified, while other renters want the posting to at least be verified by RedWeek, and we are finding more and more renters are searching for and only want bookable online postings.

Our goal is not to take any options away from renters if they feel comfortable doing a private transaction with the owner or agent. However, we also want our website to be as safe as possible for both renters and owners, and online booking is a way to achieve that purpose.

We certainly appreciate your feedback and questions and hope the information we have provided is helpful.

Redweek, I am debating if I want to use Verify and Protect instead of Verify which is what I use now. I have no doubt that you offer protection for the renter but I do have some questions on protection for the owner and what responsibility or position does Redweek take since you own the relationship with the renter. I guess bigger picture and the reason why many like using CC is the ability to file a dispute of any reasons, even the most harmless because they can. Here are two scenarios. In 25 years of ownership I have seen many issues and the difference between minor and major is not the issue but the person who has the issue. How would Redweek handle the following and any of these are valid real life examples.

1 - Within 60 days of check in, the renter needs to back out for a valid reason such an illness or it could be for a reason that is not valid like they changed their minds. The renter disputes this with the Credit Card company (CCC) and now the investigation by the CCC happens. Do you pay the owner and this becomes your issue or do you hold up payment to the owner?

2 - The owner doesn't like the actual view from the room (tree in front, parking lot view), by an elevator, by a garbage disposal, the hot water isn't hot enough . They call you up within the 2 days and complain to you. Do you pay the owner and resolve the dispute on your own. Do you hold up payment and leave it up to the owner to resolve the dispute. What do you if they call the credit card company and dispute the whole charge?

If you refer to the contract as proof to the CCC that the charge is valid (like the 60 day no refund), what do you do with the money owned to the owner because it could take months even if the renter is 100% wrong.

Thanks

When a chargeback is filed for a booking, we always handle them on a case-by-case basis. We are not able to speculate, because each one is different. The disbursement will only be delayed if the renter’s dispute is valid and warranted. However, we fight each one and have an excellent win record. It’s very rare for chargebacks to take months to resolve. We typically know the outcome within 10 days of submitting the rebuttal.

After being a Redweek member for 10 years I am appalled at this change. I just discovered it 12/10 after not being able to find my listing and contacting customer service There's no way a renter will find it. I was going to change the rental dates since there were already 3 units listed under verified and protected and my add was no where to be found. I have never had an issue being scammed on this site. I stopped advertising on VRBO because their fees made it uncompetitive to rent and now this once great site is going the same way. At least show the listings by date after the verified and protected. and the time I have spent on this is so frustrating. Thank you for the info on the facebook sites that will be my next stop