Home Owner/ Rental Agencies:
Q. Why should I choose Best Bid Vacation Rentals to list my home over other online vacation rental websites?
Best Bid Vacation Rentals gives you an option that the typical online vacation rental website doesn't. This option is the ability to list particular weeks of your vacation home in our searchable online auction. Your home will instantly be placed into our searchable database of vacation homes with set rates. Then if you choose, you can list individual weeks of your home for auction.
Q. Can I list my home on your site if my house is already listed on another site or if I have a rental management company listing my home?
Yes. The key to successfully renting out any vacation home is advertising, advertising, and more advertising. The more sites your home is listed on, the better your chances are of renting your vacation home. Just make sure that you maintain a detailed calendar for your vacation home so that you don't have duplicate rentals for the same dates. If you are using a rental manager to list your site, just make sure that it is okay with them prior to listing your vacation home and let them know that you have the ability to link to their site from your listing on Best Bid Vacation Rentals.
Q. What does a listing include?
Your listing will include the following: a section for the description of your home, up to seven lines for pricing your home; an area which will allow you to list any nearby attractions that would entice vacationers to choose your vacation home; the types and number of beds in your vacation home; the homes address; a link to any auctions for weeks of your vacation home; a link that enables a vacationer to e-mail a friend; a link that will allow potential renters to ask the homeowner questions about the vacation home; and 3 photos of your vacation home.
Q. Can I link from my listing to my own website?
Yes. There is a section on your vacation home listing that will allow you to link to your own website.
Q. How often can I update my listing?
You can update you listing as often as you want. You will be able to access your listing 24/7 through your own user name and password. Through your username and password you will be able to add/change anything on your listing page, including photos.
Q. How long will it take for my listing to appear on the listing page?
Instantly. As soon as you complete our online registration and we receive payment for your listing, it will be placed on your listing page.
Q. Does Best Bid Vacation Rentals take reservations from vacationers interested in renting my home?
No. Best Bid Vacation Rentals is strictly for advertising your vacation home. We do not get involved in taking deposits or handling any of the reservations for your home. All agreements made for the renting of your vacation home is between you and the person renting your home.
Q. Do you share my personal information with others?
All information that you provide Best Bid Vacation Rentals during the registration process is held strictly confidential. You will be able to choose what information we can provide vacationers so that they can contact you. Remember the easier you make it for potential vacationers to contact you, the more rentals you will get. Best Bid Vacation Rentals will not provide your information to anyone other than a vacationer interested in renting your vacation home.
Q. Do I have to auction weeks of my home?
No. It is your option as to whether or not you list weeks of your vacation home for auction. When you sign up your vacation home, it will automatically be listed in our searchable database of vacation homes with set prices.
Q. How much does it cost to auction weeks of my vacation home?
Free. There is no charge for members to list weeks of your vacation home for auction and you can list as many weeks as you want throughout your 1-year membership.
Q. How do I know who won the auction?
At the end of the auction period that you choose (3, 7, 10 or 14 days) you will receive an e-mail from Best Bid Vacation Rentals providing you with the highest bidder's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. This information is provided to you so that you may contact the vacationer and confirm the reservation. An e-mail is also sent to the highest bidder to advise them that they won the bid.
Q. What are the benefits to using the auction?
Using the auction allows you to get the maximum amount of money for your vacation home during peek rental periods. Normally your home is listed and the first person to pay whatever price you set for a particular week will be the person who stays at your house. By placing weeks of your home up for auction this will allow vacationers to bid for specific weeks of a house they want to stay in during a specific time period. A vacationer may be willing to pay more money for a specific week just so they can stay at your vacation home where otherwise they would have to look for another home to rent. Having the option to auction weeks of your vacation home may also help during the times when your vacation home does not typically rent. Auctioning weeks of your vacation home during this time enables you to set the price at the lowest amount you would be willing to accept, in hopes that a vacationer will pick your vacation home at this lower price.
Q. How many days is each auction listing active for?
You can choose between 3, 7, 10 or 14 days.
Q. How much does it cost to list my vacation home on Best Bid Vacation Rentals website?
There is an annual fee of $ 0.00 per home for homowners and an annual fee of $ 0.00 for rental agencies which includes an unlimited number of homes.
Q. What forms of payment do you accept?
Best Bid Vacation Rentals accepts all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover Card).
Q. Can I pay online?
Yes. Credit card payments are accepted online.
Q. How do I sign-up?
Just click on the "Agency Sign-up or Home Owner Sign-up" icon on the homepage or click on this link (Rental Agencies) click on this link (Home Owners) and follow the easy-to-use instructions.
Vacationers:
Q. Do I have to pay or become a member to search through your database of vacation homes?
No. Membership is not required and there is no fee to search through our database of vacation homes.
Q. Why do I have to register to place a bid?
Registration is required because when you win an auction, your information (name, address, phone, and e-mail address) is sent to the homeowner or property manger of the vacation home for confirmation. There is no cost to become a member.
Q. How do I know the rentals are legitimate?
Best Bid Vacation Rentals is strictly an advertising agency, comparable to one in a newspaper or magazine. Therefore it is suggested that you do some research prior to making reservations or placing any bids on a vacation home. Always have a contract signed by yourself and the homeowner or rental manager that specifies the details of your stay at the vacation home.
Q. Can I contact the owner if I have a question about the vacation home prior to booking the vacation home?
Yes. On the rental detail page there is a link to e-mail the homeowner/rental manager any questions you may have about the vacation home.
Q. How do I book a house that has a set price?
To book a house that is listed at a set price just click on the link RENT next to the duration that you wish to stay in the house. Then you will be forwarded to a page that will ask you for the dates you wish to stay in the vacation home, number of weeks, number in party, and contact information. Once submitted, this information will be sent to the homeowner or rental manager who will then contact you and confirm the reservations.
Q. How do I place a bid?
To place a bid, simply click the link next to the week of interest. The link will take you to the bid page that will list the current bid amount, bid increments, minimum bid amount, and a spot for you to place your bid. Once you type your bid, click on
�POST BID� and your bid amount will be submitted.
Q. Does it cost money to place a bid?
No. There is no charge to place a bid or to become a member.
Q. How do I know if I won the auction?
If you have the highest bid at the end of the auction period, an e-mail will be sent to you containing the owner's information so that you may contact him/her to confirm your reservation. Your information also will be sent to the homeowner/rental manager so he/she knows who won the auction.
Q. How much time do I have to respond back to the home owner or rental manager?
You have 48 hours to contact the homeowner or rental manager once you are notified that you are the highest bidder. If you do not contact the homeowner or rental manager within 48 hours, the homeowner no longer has to honor your bid.
Q. How do I keep track of which vacation homes I am bidding on or are interested in bidding on?
As a member you will have a username and password that will give you access to your own member�s page. On this page you will be able to monitor homes that you are interested in, as well as homes that you have placed bids on. You also will be able to keep track of any bids that you have won.
Q. Do you share my personal information with others?
All information that you provide Best Bid Vacation Rentals during the registration process is held strictly confidential. When renting a home or becoming the highest bidder on a home, your information is forwarded upon your request to the home owner or rental manager for confirmation purposes only. Best Bid Vacation Rentals will not provide your information to anyone other than a homeowner or rental manager.