Ownersdirect Reviews 15

OD had the worst rating of any company in the world on Trust Pilot until they changed the web address and the reviews on here stopped showing up!

It looks like all the latest reviews are no better. This is what happens when expedia buy a company and have a shell company taking the payments (they deny this) and charge you commission every step of the way.

I have a couple of properties advertised via their site. It doesn't work well for me as an owner and it doesn't work well for holidaymakers. Better to book direct with the owner.

OwnersDirect HomeAway have a model where they get in the middle of owner and holidaymaker and prevent the free flow of information without adding any value. It can result in heartache for holidaymakers who are being pushed to pay a deposit before they have the full facts on what they're booking and who the owner is.

For owners looking to advertise their sites directly to holidaymakers, there are better options these days such as simplyowners.net everystay.com and sawdays.co.uk

As a holidaymaker don't be fleeced by owners direct, homeaway etc and as an owner remember you don't need to accept their greed and arrogance or take it from them. Without your property on their books, they are nothing.

My properties are at:
alladino.com
elmontebajo.com

It seems H/A and O/D have also been playing silly devils here in U.K
Have just found out IF you subscribe to H/A your properties are posted on ALL their other sites F.O.C including O/D. For the last two years, i have advertised on BOTH being charged separately on both sites. Have asked for a refund on one of them and i await their comments.
I wonder how many other property owners have been advertising and paying on both of these sites.It seems H/A and O/D have also been playing silly devils here in U.K
Have just found out IF you subscribe to H/A your properties are posted on ALL their other sites F.O.C including O/D. For the last two years, i have advertised on BOTH being charged separately on both sites. Have asked for a refund on one of them and i await their comments.
I wonder how many other property owners have been advertising and paying on both of these sites.

I notice that OD has now even stopped bothering to write its ridiculous standard replies to all the adverse reviews it gets.....

Owners Direct/ Home Away ask for Title Deeds to properties.
Since this (below), and other similar emails, I asked that they eliminate all contact and other information connected with me. They said they would. Evidently they did not, as now they email again asking for my business!
It is not safe to send Title Deeds to properties to anyone.
Below is a copy of their requests for private information:

From - Owners Direct Customer Support support hyphen cs at ownersdirect dot co dot uk
Dear ,(NAME REMOVED FOR SECURITY)
Thank you for choosing Owners Direct!
As part of our standard quality control procedures, your account has been selected for further review. Before we can proceed with publishing your listing, we will need a bit more information from you.

If you are the owner of the property, we ask that you please provide us with the following information:

1. A copy of your photo ID (both sides of your driver's license or passport)
2. A copy of a deed of sale and title deed

If you manage or represent this property on behalf of the owner, we ask that you please provide us with the following information:

* Full company name
* Registration # or VAT ID or if a sole trader a faxed copy of identification of a named key contact
* List of the key contacts within the organisation
* A signed letter from the key contact outlining they have the right to market the properties on behalf of the owner.
* A copy of the lease agreement you have signed with the owner(s).

Please make sure that all information is clear and legible. Proof of ownership and/or authorisation to rent, along with photo ID, may be included as an attachment in reply to this email. Please include your property number XXXXXXX (DELETED FOR SECURITY).

Why is Owners Direct reviewing my account?
This additional step is essential to ensure a quality experience for our travellers, thus benefiting you and all of our other members. We collect the proof of id & ownership in order to verify the legitimacy of the listing.

How long will this review take?
Upon receipt of the requested documents, if they are in compliance with our request, it will take up to 48 business hours (2 working days) to make your listing live on our site. You will receive an email confirmation once your listing is online and available for travellers to see.

If I don’t provide these documents?
We understand you may have privacy concerns about sharing this information. However, it is important for you to know that Owners Direct collects the proof of ID and ownership as part of our security process. Our responsibility is to provide travellers with a safe and secure environment in which to search for holiday accommodation. The steps that we take are designed to enhance our travellers’ experiences, which in turn benefits all of our members.

If you don’t want to provide these documents, unfortunately we won’t be able to publish your listing.

How do you protect my personal information once you have it?
Please rest assured that this request is purely for administrative and security purposes and the information is not passed onto any third parties. The documents are used to verify owner legitimacy prior to publishing a listing, and are then removed from our system and stored on our highly secure servers. Our company takes data protection very seriously and we can certify that all the necessary measures are taken to preserve your privacy.

For more information you can also consult our Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Policy by following the links below:

Owners Direct Terms and Conditions: LINK REMOVED
Owners Direct Privacy Policy:LINK REMOVED

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to reply to this email; we're happy to help!

Please make sure that all information is clear and legible and that you provide us with the requested documentation via reply to this email

We look forward to hearing from you and to working with you to advertise your rental property.

Best Regards,

Deborah | HomeAway UK Trust & Security Specialist
Legal Information HomeAway UK Ltd.
Address:Portland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5BH, UK
Company registration number:03152676 (England & Wales)
Vat number:GB 673 2533 34

13 years of advertising with OWNERS DIRECT. But as it has become NOT OWNERS DIRECT I am moving to a new company who's model is based on what Owners Direct used to be before being ruined by corporate greed.
Good riddance. Hello S.O

One star is too good a rating for this bunch in their current form. What a shame they have ruined their business model. We have been with Owners Direct (OD) for many years when it effectively allowed holiday makers to interact directly with vacation property owners. But no longer. They now charge booking fees, restrict communication between customers and owners and to remain competitive we have had to lower our rates so that the cost of the fees in economic terms falls on us. Moreover, OD now sit on our money for lengthy periods of time. We will not be renewing our subscription and expect that OD will eventually wither away - certainly they deserve to for having so radically changed the deal. Will probably move to Simply Owners and Independent Cottages who seem to have spotted the gap left in the market by OD's greed and have set up on the old (ie prior to the takeover of OD by Expedia) OD business model ie no booking fees and direct contact between the parties. OD no longer provide the service we want.

I have advertised my property in Algarve for many years on Owners Direct and HomeAway and was very satisfied with the bookings generated through these sites. Direct contact with interested clients is vital as I always give them a very personalised service and contacting them directly from the time of their booking to their arrival ensures their peace of mind.
Since OD were bought up by a large company and have taken away my direct contact with prospective clients, are charging them a service fee and additionally also deducting a further fee from me, this booking site is no longer in the interest of prospective renters. Luckily I have many clients who have rented from me over many years, and were it not for these returning clients with whom I can communicate directly, my bookings would have been down around 70% this year. I now also advertise on SimplyOwners and Holiday Lets and I will not renew my subscription with OD when it expires as I feel they are using us for their own profit.

No customer service for the owners or the renters.
This company used to be the world leader in holiday lettings but not any more. They are a total disgrace and so, so greedy! The want a slice of everyone's pie, well not mine, I have cancelled my agreement with them and gone to "Simply Owners" who are giving me the type of service once given by OD. I urge all renters and owners to boycott this company and look at "Simply Owners" (It would be great to see OD go bust)!

Please can the villa owners on this site set up a webpage with the same title as their owners direct title so I can google you and buy direct.

every year they change their policy ignoring us completely.
They use our properties as they decide .
I have bought years ago a different product and now they want to give me something else without alternative.
Was owners direct when guests could interact straight with the owner.
I do not mind subscription but I chose them for the "direct"
Their new policy Absolutely unacceptable !!!
If their ambition was to become agents they should be renamed ,otherwise they are misleading.

Never again.

Advertised successfully for a number of years on Owner's Direct until the takeover and demise. Site views for our property are down 87% year on year with no increase in price etc. The introduction of a booking fee for guests (€300) is not popular and we are now seeking alternative means of advertising. Also, when there is a problem, the website interface is flakey, it is virtually impossible to get through to their help line....

A rapid decline from a top business to money grabbing, faceless, corporate greed.... shame.

To all potential users of the Owners Direct holiday booking system, be very clear that it is nothing of the sort. The company (which in the dim and distant past used to provide a great means for vacation seekers and holiday home owners to get together inexpensively) is now owned by one of The Big Boys and their charges/fees are astronomical!

I advertised my villa in France on the original O D successfully for 10 years, then O D was taken over by the American company Homeaway, only the name Ownersdirect remained, the rapid decline started as they were only interested in making money! Like many home owners, I have now moved to simplyowners, which started a couple of months ago, I recommend everyone to do the same (they are just like the original O D), holiday makers can contact the home owners direct, there are no extra charges to the owners or holiday makers and you can speak to someone who is polite and efficient on the phone and they quickly reply to emails.

Until a few years ago Owners Direct website was excellent and this resulted in a good number of lets for my property. Over the last few years everything on their website has become more difficult with increased controls, new gimmicks and communication with potential guests forbidden. Furthermore their new scheme of demanding a service charge from renters is monstrous considering the owners pay a large annual subscription. This year I have had very few hits on my property and no bookings, irrespective of previously having had nothing but five star reviews. I am certainly not renewing my subscription with Owners Direct and would much appreciate hearing from any owner who can recommend a good alternative. Frederick Sirmoor.