You are the Winning Bidder for a Vacation Rental

You are the Winning Bidder for a Vacation Rental

You can buy almost anything on eBay and vacation rental properties are no exception. Just surfing the vacation rentals in late April, I discovered vacation homes and condos in Hawaii, California, Colorado, Tennessee, and Florida-some from folks even selling their Disney resort vacation times. These were just a few of the offerings. There are pages and pages of listings.

I have purchased and sold items on eBay and been very happy with everything I received. But buying a vacation rental for the week is not like buying a book. There is a fair amount of money involved. Vacations are anticipated and everyone going is excited. What if you are cheated out of your money and end up with no place to stay or the property is not as promised?

I am sure you can hear horror stories about any transaction, but there are a few tips to feeling confident about your purchase.

  1. E-Bay has a buyer protection plan in place. They ask you to first contact the seller and give them a chance to make things right. If that does not work, they do have customer support that can help you. Granted, this service is not 24/7, but they have reasonable hours of support.
  2. ALWAYS check the “seller info” that is listed in the upper right hand corner of the item description page. It is especially important to check the positive feedback score. This score reflects ALL their eBay activity-any feedback that was left on the person as a buyer or a seller. I would be hesitant to buy from someone who had a feedback score of 90% or less. I would also be hesitant to buy from someone who was new to eBay and did not have a track record. That may be unfair so use your own judgment.
  3. Make sure you understand exactly what your bid includes. For instance, is the bid for one night x the total number of nights you are staying or for the entire stay? Are there any other fees to be attached to the purchase price such as taxes, maintenance or cleaning fees? Will you be expected to take a timeshare presentation tour?
  4. Dates of property availability are also very important. Some property rental dates are firm; others are a bit more flexible. It is essential that any date negotiations are done before you bid, and that those terms are included in the sale. Vacation rental properties are listed both ways on eBay.
  5. Know what the refund policy is from the seller. What happens if you can’t make the trip due to illness or unexpected job loss? If this is not spelled out in the item description, be sure to ask the seller about their cancellation policy. This varies widely as you would expect. In the “seller info” box, there is a section where you can ask a question; don’t be afraid to use it to ask about anything you are unsure.
  6. Checkout any contact information in the listing. If there is a website listed, by all means pay it a visit. Don’t be afraid to call any phone numbers listed to get a feel for the place. Remember, the seller is also taking a chance on you.

Don’t forget to check out the pet policy if you are taking a four legged family member with you. If you are traveling with a baby, be sure to ask about crib rentals if you will need one. Some vacation rentals will have them, others will not.

The bottom line to successfully bidding on an enjoyable vacation rental is to do as much exploration as possible. Once you have won your bid, be sure and pay for your purchase promptly. The seller can leave feedback on your part of the transaction.

If you have never used eBay before setting up an account is easy. You may need a PayPal account too which is also easy to set up. Vacation rental auctions are set up to take PayPal or major credit cards. I personally would be very reluctant to pay by check only because you will not have the credit card company to help you with any disputes.

Once you have received all your documents and your travel is completed, be sure to leave your satisfaction score with the seller. It lets the next person buy with confidence from a seller with a great rating. Be honest about the transaction. Most folks who sell on eBay are great folks simply using an excellent e-commerce platform. Happy Bidding and good luck.

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