holidayhomeads
 

How it Works - Owners FAQ

Q. What is this site all about?

Q. Explain briefly how the site works

Q. Does this mean that HolidayHomeAds.com is a 'pay-per-enquiry' site?

Q. What are the advantages of upgrading to Gold membership compared with the free Standard membership?

Q. Why is this site not completely free? Would that not be much better for advertisers?

Q. Why should I advertise my property on this site?

Q. Is it really FREE to place an ad?

Q. Are there any obligations on property owners and managers who advertise on this site?

Q. Who can advertise on this site?

Q. Can I advertise a property for Sale on this site?

Q. If it is FREE to place an ad, then what is all this about Points?

Q. What happens to my ad if my account has no points?

Q. Can my ad ever be taken off the site?

Q. How can I purchase more points?

Q. Can I place a link to my website on my ad?

Q. Is it obligatory to reply to a client enquiry?

Q. If I get an enquiry from a client, and if I want to reply to that enquiry, and if I have no points in my account, what will it cost exactly?

Q. This seems like a very complex way of advertising, can it be made more simple?

Q. This seems like an expensive way of getting clients compared with other advertising, is it?

Q. I received an enquiry, paid 25 Points (€2.50) for the contact details of the client, but received no booking. Isn't that terribly unfair?

Q. Does this site make up fake enquiries just to get owners to spend money purchasing Points or upgrading?

Q. I refuse to pay anything for client contacts via this site, what should I do?

Q. How are scam messages managed on HolidayHomeAds.com?

Q. How do enquiries come through from clients via this site?

Q. How can I advertise my property on this site?

Q. Can I use high resolution photos from my digital camera on this site?

Q. Once I place my ad on the site, will it be available to view immediately?

Q. Are there any restrictions on the content of ads?

Q. What langauge must I place my ad in?

Q. Can I advertise my property business in a free ad?

Q. Can I advertise my Hotel or B&B in a free ad?

Q. Should I advertise my Hotel or B&B on this site?

Q. Can I advertise on this site if I dont have any photos?

Q. What happens if my ad is not approved?

Q. Can I change my ad after it appears on this site?

Q. Can I use my existing availability calendar on my ad?

Q. What kind of support service is provided by this site?

Q. I don't have time to upload my ad myself, can you do it for me by copying from my website?

Q. I don't have time to amend my ad myself, can you do it for me?

Q. Can I delete my ad from the site?

Q. Can you delete my ad from the site?

Q. Can I place a Special Offer on my ad and what does that cost?

Q. What does it mean to 'Refresh' my ad?

Q. What is a Holiday Plan?

Q. What is the difference between a Holiday Plan and a Message?

Q. Will the system remind me to update my ad in the future?

Q. From which countries can I advertise properties?

Q. Are there any special terms and conditions attached to this site?

Q. Is my personal information kept private on this site?

Q. How can my ad become a Featured Ad?

Q. When I Search for ads, in what order do they appear initially?

Q. Do all ads have the same format regardless of membership type?

Q. What are ‘Business Ads’?

Q. What are the ‘Travel & Tourism Ads’ ads on the right hand side of the search results page?

Q. Can my ad appear on the ‘Travel & Tourism Ads’ section even if I am not directly involved in the property business?

Q. What is an ‘Enhanced Travel & Tourism’ Ad?

Q. What membership types are possible on this site?

Q. As a Standard Member, what do I get?

Q. If I upgrade to Gold Membership, what do I get?

Q. If I upgrade to Business Membership, what do I get?

Q. If I upgrade to Corporate Membership, what do I get?

Q. Can you show me, in a table format, the exact features and costs of each membership type?

Q. Can I use my credit card to upgrade my membership?

Q. If I upgrade my Membership and, if I subsequently sell my holiday home, can I get a refund for the remaining part of the year if I delete my ad?

Q. I am not happy with the geographical divisions of countries used in HolidayHomeAds.com, can you do something?

Q. What is this site all about?

This site is all about delivering high quality and qualified enquiries to you, the holiday property owner/manager. We allow you to upload your property ad and publish it on the site for an indefinite period - completely FREE of charge. We promote this site in all of the major search engines and in many online and offline travel and related publications. Interested clients can make enquiries directly to owners and owners can receive and respond to these enquiries via the site.

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Q. Explain briefly how the site works

To summarize, the site works as follows:

a. You register and upload an ad for your property onto the site - FREE

b. We put an opening balance of 30 Points in your account - FREE

c. If the ad is ok, we approve and publish it on the site - FREE

d. You receive & read enquiries from potential clients - FREE

e. If you cannot meet the clients requirements, you send a standard 'sorry we cannot help' reply - FREE

f. If you write your own reply to the client (making an offer), we deduct 25 Points from your account for Standard members or 10 Points for upgraded members. We then send you the client contact details to enable follow up discussions directly.

g. Once you have used up your opening balance of free Points, you can purchase additional Points in multiples of €5.00 (US$6.70) for 50 Points For further details, see below.

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Q. Does this mean that HolidayHomeAds.com is a 'pay-per-enquiry' site?

Not exactly, HolidayHomeAds.com do not charge anything to owners to receive and read enquiries from clients. Advertisers on HolidayHomeAds.com can receive an unlimited number of enquiries via the site completely FREE. However, we do charge owners Points to reply to client enquiries or to receive the contact details of the client. We charge Standard (free) members 25 Points or 10 Points for upgraded Members to reply to enquiries. We also allow all members to send a fixed 'Sorry we cannot help' reply to a client enquiry free - costing 0 Points.

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Q. What are the advantages of upgrading to Gold membership compared with the free Standard membership?

The main advantages of upgrading to Gold membership are as follows:

The cost in Points of doing things is less for Gold members than for Standard members and is therefore much better value

We show a link to the owners website on ads by Gold members

Gold members can place 4 ads on the site - Standard members can only place 1 ad

Gold members can advertise a property for Sale, Standard members can only advertise a property for rent

Ads from Gold members form part of our promotional campaigns thus highlighting these specific properties

Ads from Gold members form part of our promotional campaigns thus highlighting these specific properties

Gold members can receive an immediate SMS Text message on receipt of an enquiry from a client

Ads from Gold members can show multiple units within an ad

Ads from Gold members show the owners telephone number

Gold members can 'Refresh' their ads, bringing them instantly to the top of the Search results

Ads from Gold members are randomly selected as 'Featured Ads'

Gold members can place Special Offers which can be found in the main Search

Gold members get 500 Points worth €50 on upgrading

The cost of upgrading to Gold membership is just €50 per year! (around USD$64). Business and Corporate Members of HolidayHomeAds.com receive all the advantages of Gold membership plus many additional advantages. See below for details.

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Q. Why is this site not completely free? Would that not be much better for advertisers?

No. We use the revenue derived from the site to finance our ongoing marketing campaigns. If this site was completely free then we would not have the resources to market it effectively. The site would then never be found by property renters and buyers and, as a result, advertisers would not receive any enquiries or any links through to their websites. Ultimately the site would disappear if it were completely free and there would be little point in advertising.

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Q. Why should I advertise my property on this site?

There are at least 4 great reasons for advertising your property on HolidayHomeAds.com.

There is no risk involved as it is completely FREE to place and indefinitely maintain a holiday home ad on the site. Owners can register, upload an ad and have it published on the site without the need to enter any credit card details or making any other financial commitment whatsoever.

This is a completely results orientated site. If you advertise your property on HolidayHomeAds.com, we work hard to ensure that your ad gets seen by as big an audience as possible. We are investing in building a large audience for this site through the major Internet search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN, and through major international media outlets.

As a property owner, this site gives you the opportunity of selling or letting your property directly to the client without commission or advertising costs.

We have built a large and rapidly expanding Internet audience, all seeking to rent or purchase holiday properties at all locations worldwide, and to whom we offer you the opportunity to promote your property at no risk

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Q. Is it really FREE to place an ad?

Yes, it is completely FREE to place and maintain a holiday home ad on this site for an indefinite period. As a Standard member you can upload 1 property rental ad onto the site. Once approved, any user of HolidayHomeAds.com can then view your ad on the site. Although free to advertise, we charge Points for contacts made via the site. When you reply to enquiries received via the site, we deduct Points from your opening balance of FREE points we give you when signing up. If you receive and reply to enough enquiries you may, in the future, have to purchase additional Points. See below for more details.

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Q. Are there any obligations on property owners and managers who advertise on this site?

Yes. There are 2 basic obligations:

All owners and managers must READ every enquiry sent to them by a potential client - there is no cost involved. Otherwise we will assume they are inactive/not interested/property sold, etc and we will take their ad offline.

All owners and managers who advertise on this site must give their best rates available on the Net for their properties when contacted by clients of HolidayHomeAds.com.

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Q. Who can advertise on this site?

This site can be used by any property owner or manager seeking to rent, sell or exchange their holiday properties directly to clients. The site also also can be used by Real Estate Agencies, Rental Management companies, Tour Operators, Hotels and B&B's to advertise specific properties for rent or sale. Any individual or business can therefore become a Standard member of the site and place a FREE ad for a specific property. For individual owners and managers, we offer upgrades from the Standard (free) membership type - offering increased advertising exposure and more client contacts via our Gold membership type. Additionally, for businesses seeking to advertise their services to wider audiences and wishing to extend name recognition within the Travel & Tourism industries nationally amd internationally, we offer upgrades to our Business and Corporate membership types at minimal additional cost - offering a great return on investment - see below for details.

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Q. Can I advertise a property for Sale on this site?

Yes, of course. HolidayHomeAds members who upgrade to Gold, Business or Corporate membership can advertise properties for ReSale on the site. Simply click on 'Advertise' and follow the instrictions given. However, only Partner Members can advertise a New property or New Development for Sale - contact us for details. HolidayHomeAds.com has built a large audience among international holiday property owners, investors who, as advertisers, are regular visitors to the site. We also have built a much larger regular audience among renters of holiday properties - many of whom are planning to become future owners. Finally, our search engine statistics show that almost half of new visitors to HolidayHomeAds.com are seeking to purchase holiday properties at all locations worldwide and we are therefore actively seeking sellers to fulfil this increasing demand from buyers. We offer a great opportunity to owners and agents wishing to sell holiday properties directly to a highly receptive and open audience worldwide at minimal investment cost and without commission costs.

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Q. If it is FREE to place an ad, then what is all this about Points?

Although it is completely FREE to place and maintain a property ad on this site, it will cost you Points for certain events, which can happen to your ad after it is published on the site. Initially, when you register on HolidayHomeAds.com, we put 30 FREE points worth €2.50 (about US$3.50) into your account. These 30 points can be used, for example, to reply to a client inquiry (you can receive and read any number of enquiries free) or they can be used for any of the many other features we offer on the site – each of which can have a separate cost in points. In addition to your FREE allocation of Points on signup, we do not charge Points for ANY activity for your first week following registration. See below for details of what can be done and the cost in points of each of the features.

Event Standard Members Gold, Business & Corporate Members
You reply to a Client Enquiry 25 Points 10 Points
You reply to a Holiday Plan from Client 25 Points 10 Points
Ad Approval (required after changing ad) 10 Points 10 Points
You enter a Special Offer n/a 5 Points
You Refresh your Ad n/a 5 Points

NOTE: We do not charge you any Points for ANYTHING during the first 7 days following registration. To encourage advertisers to respond quickly to client enquiries, we deduct Penalty Points from your account for the following events:

Event Debit Points
UnRead Client Enquiry - nightly charge for up to 7 nights 1 Penalty Point
Offline Ad - your ad will be taken Offline if you have an UnRead Client Enquiry for 7 nights 10 Penalty Point

NOTE: If Advertisers read client enquiries on the same day it was sent, then no Penalty Points are charged. On the positive side, there are several ways you can earn additional FREE points on HolidayHomeAds.com. These are as follows:

Event Credit Points
Client links from your website to HolidayHomeAds.com 1 Point
You send an Invitation to join to a New Owner 1 Point
Promotions, Competitions & Bonus Points 25 Point

* We occasionally run Promotions and Competitions offering participating owners up to 25 Points

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Q. What happens to my ad if my account has no points?

If you have no points in your account, then your ads will still appear on our site as normal. Clients can still send you a message via the site. But, to reply to the message, you will need to have at least 25 points in your account for Standard members or 10 Points for Gold members. If you do not purchase or acquire additional points into your account you will not be able to reply to the client. Also, you MUST read all enquiry messages - there is no cost involved - but we take ads offline if they have unread messages for longer than 1 week from the date of the message being sent. This is because owners will sometimes sell their properties, discontinue email addresses or discontinue renting their properties - and we do not want to offer our clients unavailable properties.

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Q. Can my ad ever be taken off the site?

Yes. If a client sends you a message and if you do not read the message within 7 days then your ad will be taken Offline. Owners with unread messages will automatically receive nightly reminders of this for seven consequesive nights after which the ad will be taken offline. If and when the owner re-connects to the site and views the enquiry message, the ad will automatically become online again instantly.

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Q. How can I purchase more points?

If your account has no points, or, if you need to do something on the site which requires more points than you have in your account, then you will need to purchase some additional points. Points can be purchased in the following amounts:

Quantity Euro Amount US$ Equivalent GBP£ Equivalent
50 Points EUR 5.00 US$ 6.70 (approx) GBP£3.50 (approx)
100 Points EUR 10.00 US$ 13.50 (approx) GBP£7.00 (approx)
200 Points EUR 20.00 US$ 27.00 (approx) GBP£14.00 (approx)
500 Points EUR 50.00 US$ 67.50 (approx) GBP£35.00 (approx)
1000 Points EUR 100.00 US$ 135.00 (approx) GBP£70.00 (approx)

All payments on the site are made using PayPal.

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Q. Can I place a link to my website on my ad?

Yes - you can but we have certain rules about this:

We only publish website links on ads by Gold, Business and Corporate members

Website links on ads by Gold members must advertise that specific property only

Website links on ads by Gold members must not be to an ad on another property advertising website

Website links on ads by Business and Corporate members can advertise a property business

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Q. Is it obligatory to reply to a client enquiry?

No, although it is very impolite not to respond to a client enquiry (especially in the hospitality industry), we do not insist that owners reply to any enquiries from clients. However, this will reflect badly on the owner as it will appear in the statistics shown on each ad - which shows the percentage of enquiries that received a reply. A single click is enough to send the standard (free) 'sorry no availability' reply from the 'view enquiry' page - so there is no excuse for not replying to every enquiry.

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Q. If I get an enquiry from a client, and if I want to reply to that enquiry, and if I have no points in my account, what will it cost exactly?

All members of HolidayHomeAds.com can read enquiries from clients costing 0 Points - FREE. Members can also send a standard (unchangeable) 'Sorry we cannot help' reply to the client also completely FREE (costing 0 Points). For members who wish to send a specific offer to the client, Points will be deducted from their account when sending a reply. For Standard members, the cost of replying is 25 points, so it would cost €2.50 (about $3.00) for Standard members to reply if they have no points in their account. For Gold, Business and Corporate members, the cost is 10 points, so it would cost €1.00 to reply to the enquiry message for these members. As this is a quarter of the cost of that for Standard Members, upgrading to Gold Membership is therefore much more economical in the longer term. Also, as Gold, Business and Corprate members receive 500, 1000 and 2000 points respectively at the time of upgrading, it is unlikely that additional points would need to be purchased to read and reply to messages. There is no additional cost in Points to read or reply to messages for a second or subsequent time. After replying to a message, owners will receive the contact details of the client by email allowing further direct communications between you and the client.

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Q. This seems like a very complex way of advertising, can it be made more simple?

Although we do charge and credit owners accounts with Points for various activities, and while some may find it a little complex at first, HolidayHomeAds.com is actually a very easy system to understand and simple to use. Systems using Points, Credits or Tokens are widely used today in millions of websites, loyalty schemes, mobile phones, etc. Most owners who are familiar with using the Internet, or with any computer system or simple spreadsheets will understand immediatly how our site works. For some owners who find our Points system a little confusing or hard to follow at first, there is a very simple solution - UPGRADE YOUR ACCOUNT to Gold, Business or Corporate membership! Upgraded accounts will normally have more than enough Points for an entire year of membership and so owners will then not need to be concerned about Points for a full year. In fact, as owners come to realise, our Points charging system is designed for those owners who would prefer to 'pay as you use' rather than the simpler and more traditional approach of 'paying to advertise' found on most advertising websites. But, of course, any owner is most welcome to 'pay to advertise' on HolidayHomeAds.com by simply upgrading their account - just like so many other websites. This will simplify how the site works for an entire year - if the need is believed to be necessary.

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Q. This seems like an expensive way of getting clients compared with other advertising, is it?

No, this is probably the best value way of getting clients you will find anywhere on the Internet. We provide you with serious, qualified enquiries completly FREE - with minimal cost of replying to those enquiries. We can only do this due to the large numbers of property owners and managers who advertise with us - only some of whom will purchase points or upgrade their membership. This revenue helps fund our online and offline advertising campaigns - finding yet more new clients for you. Finally, if you receive no enquiries it will cost you absolutely nothing. You will not find a better advertising opportunity anywhere on the Internet.

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Q. I received an enquiry, paid 25 Points (€2.50) for the contact details of the client, but received no booking. Isn't that terribly unfair?

No, obviously we cannot guarantee that every enquiry you receive will eventually become a booking. If we could, then we would be charging a lot more than €2.50! (Typically, for a confirmed booking, a booking agent or property management company would charge between 10% and 30% of the accommodation costs.) As you only pay Points to reply to enquiries for which you already have availability then your chances of getting a booking are reasonable but, sadly, NOT guaranteed. However, as the season progresses, and under normal circumstances, you will find that some of your enquiries will progress into confirmed bookings. Finally, if you upgrade your membership, the cost of replying to an enquiry is reduced to just €1.00 !

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Q. Does this site make up fake enquiries just to get owners to spend money purchasing Points or upgrading?

Absolutely not! We have spent a lot of money developing the site and we continue to spend a lot money on a ongoing basis advertising the site in order to generate a continuous stream of clients for our advertisers. Under no circimstances would we jeopardise this large investment and the future of this site simply to fiddle small sums from our advertisers. Although other sites may do this, we never have and never will.

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Q. I refuse to pay anything for client contacts via this site, what should I do?

If you are not 100% certain of the benefits of advertising with us then please do NOT place an ad for your property on this site - unless and until you are fully convinced. Please read through our 'How it Works' page and ensure you fully understand how this site works BEFORE placing your ad. Only then - if you are convinced that you will receive a stream of client enquiries from all over the world FREE and that, at some point, you will probably need to pay the minimal amounts required to reply to those clients who are interested in booking your available dates - only then should you begin placing your ad with us. Owners who are unwilling to pay, what is equivalent to the cost of returning a phone call to prospective clients interested in booking dates which are already available, are strongly advised NOT to advertise on this site. We do NOT wish to promote the properties of owners who have no intention of responding to any client enquiries. Owners who behave in this way are simply wasting clients time and damaging their reputation among potential guests.

Our site is designed to attract a network of professional and enthusiastic property owners and managers who are interested in working with us to expand their client base nationally and internationally. Our large and expanding database of professional advertisers is one of the key features of HolidayHomeAds.com and is one of the many reasons why users return again and again to our site seeking holiday accommmodation.

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Q. How are scam messages managed on HolidayHomeAds.com?

Almost all owners of rental properties get scam messages from 'clients' offering more than the required rent for the intended period of stay. They then seek an immediate refund for the overpayment - usually via Western Union. We filter out and blacklist these scam messages at an early stage - usually even before the owners sees them. We also change the message title to 'Scam Message' and mark the message as 'Read' to highlight the message as a scam.

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Q. How do enquiries come through from clients via this site?

When a message is sent by a client to an owner via our messaging system, the owner is alerted by email of a new message for them on the site. Gold, Business and Corporate members will additionally receive an SMS Text alert when a new enquiry is received. The owner can then view the message by connecting to the site and viewing 'New Messages' from the link shown on the Account Summary panel of the Home Page.

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Q. How can I advertise my property on this site?

It is a very simple 3 stage process to advertise your property on this site and can be done in less than 15 minutes. If you are not a member of the site then you must first Register to become a Standard member. After that you need to follow the simple steps involved in placing an ad - by following the instructions given. The process for placing an ad begins when you click on the link to ‘Advertise’ on the top right of every page.

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Q. Can I use high resolution photos from my digital camera on this site?

Yes and No! If you upload a high-resolution photo from a digital camera, our software will automatically reduces the resolution of your picture. This is necessary because if a high-resolution photo were to be placed directly on your ad, it would be very slow for our clients to download and view these pictures. However, our server will timeout if you try to upload a file larger than 2MB. Therefore, if your photo is larger than 2MB then you will need to reduce its size before uploading it. This can be done very easily using the Paint program on Windows.

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Q. Once I place my ad on the site, will it be available to view immediately?

No, your ad will first need to be manually approved by us before it becomes visible to users of the site. This procedure will take no longer that 24 hours but should be done within 8 hours. Unfortunately, this procedure is necessary in order to control the quality of ads and to eliminate the possibility of hoax ads, illegal, obscene or scam ads.

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Q. Are there any restrictions on the content of ads?

Yes, apart from observing accepted standards of decency and libel, we do not permit ads to contain contact details including website addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, company names or business names - except in the designated places for this information. While placing an ad, there are well defined fields in which these exact pieces of information can be entered and which will then be displayed appropriately on your ad. Secondly, all ads must be for specific properties only and should not advertise the general services of a company. Companies wishing to advertise their services can upgrade to Business or Corporate memberships which allow for seperate 'Business' and 'Travel & Tourism' ads on the site.

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Q. What langauge must I place my ad in?

You can place you ad in any language you like. Your can also place a single ad in multiple languages if you prefer - within the allowed space limitations. However, the site currently is in English only so that all prompts and captions are in English only. Also, the automatic translations of ads provided by Google and Yahoo (the links at the top of each page) assume that they are translating English ads into the selected language - so if you enter your ad in a different language then these translations will not work. It is therefore best to enter you ad in English, if possible.

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Q. Can I advertise my property business in a free ad?

o. Apart from the exceptions listed below, all ads must be for specific properties only. To advertise a business of any kind, you need to upgrade to Business or Corporate membership - which allows you to place a 'Business Ad' or a 'Travel & Tourism Ad' as seen on the site.

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Q. Can I advertise my Hotel or B&B in a free ad?

Yes. If the business is the property itself then free ads are allowed. This rule applies to Hotels and Bed & Breakfasts as well as to Caravan & Camping sites and other holiday accommodation parks. In these cases, the business name is the property name and can therefore be advertised free.

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Q. Should I advertise my Hotel or B&B on this site?

If your Hotel or B&B caters for tourists of any kind then you should advertise on this site. Whether for city breaks, rural breaks, spa hotels, resorts or any tourist accommodation provider at any holiday destination, our Internet users will be interested in viewing your property details and will make enquiries, hopefully, with a view to bookings. Although the primary focus of HolidayHomeAds.com continues to be Self Catering, many of our users will equally consider Serviced accommodations at their chosen holiday destinations. However, if your property is primarily geared toward the business travel market then this site may not be for you.

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Q. Can I advertise on this site if I dont have any photos?

No. All ads must have at least 1 photo clearly showing the exterior of the actual property itself.

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Q. What happens if my ad is not approved?

The description must be at least 6 FULL lines of text. The ad must contain 5 bullet points.

You must upload at least 1 photo of the property EXTERIOR.

The ad must not contain your website address, email address or any other contact details outside the designated areas.

The ad must not contain your company name or business name anywhere within the ad.

The ad must contain prices for the coming 12 month period.

The photos must not contain website or email addresses within any of the pictures.

If we reject your ad, we will email you the reasons why it has been rejected. If you follow the instructions given in this reply email, and make the necessary changes we suggest, we promise that your ad will get published on the site .

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Q. Can I change my ad after it appears on this site?

es, you can edit your ad at any time through a very simple process. From the Account Summary panel on the Home Page, click on ‘1 Property for Rent’ to get to the page listing of your ads. Then click on ‘Edit’. This allows you to change all details of your ad including the descriptions, prices and photos. You will need to do at least this once every 12 months in order to keep your ad visible on our site. However, we recommend that ads should be updated at least once every 3 months. As it is a manual procedure, there is a charge of 10 points for each subsequent Ad Approval after the first. Once the changes to your ad have been approved by us, your ad will become visible on the site once again. Your updated ad will then appear at the top of the search results until another member’s ad is approved or refreshed or until a new ad is posted on the site.

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Q. Can I use my existing availability calendar on my ad?

As a Standard member of HolidayHomeAds.com you can maintain your own availability calendar on this site. This can be done from the 'Manage Bookings' option on the page listing your properties. However, if you upgrade to Gold, Business or Corporate then you can use your existing calendar on HomeAwayConnect (formerly Rentors.org). Certain other neutral availability calendars can be also shown on ads from Gold member - contact for details.

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Q. What kind of support service is provided by this site?

We provide a (normally) fast response to all genuine support emails received. However, we do not normally respond to:

Requests to make changes to ads (Owners must make ALL changes).

Requests to create ads from owners website (Unless accompanied by payment as indicated below).

Requests to delete ads (Must be done by the advertiser).

Requests for free Points (Unless accompanied by a very good reason!).

Requests to pass on messages to clients (Get real! This is what the site is all about - use the reply facility provided!).

Requests to disable reminders of unread client enquiries (You signed up for it - so READ the friggin' enquiry message!).

Threats of violence, highly abusive, insulting or grossly offensive emails (Yes we do get all of these!).

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Q. I don't have time to upload my ad myself, can you do it for me by copying from my website?

Yes. Once you register on the site we can take the details from your website and create an ad for you. The cost of this is €60 - which includes 1 years Gold Membership worth €50. Please fill in the appropriate form giving us instructions. Advance payment on PayPal is required.

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Q. I don't have time to amend my ad myself, can you do it for me?

No. Our site only allows for the account holder to make any and all changes to ads including deletion.

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Q. Can I delete my ad from the site?

Yes, you can delete your ad from this site at any time. Simply click on 'Delete' on the listing of your ads. You are also free to delete your account if you wish.

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Q. Can you delete my ad from the site?

No. Our site only allows for the account holder to make any and all changes to ads including deletion.

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Q. Can I place a Special Offer on my ad and what does that cost?

Yes, it is a very simple procedure to enter a Special Offer for your property. Simply go to the page listing your ads and press ‘Add’ in the ‘Special Offer’ column. Special Offers will remain on your ad for 30 days and will automatically disappear after that unless renewed. The cost of placing a Special Offer is 5 points and is available only to Gold, Business and Corporate members.

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Q. What does it mean to 'Refresh' my ad?

Refeshing your ad brings your ad immediately to the top of the search results. As the default order of the search results is by date of last update, your refreshed ad will have the current date and time as the date of last change and therefore appear at the top of the list. Your ad will remain at the top of the search results until an ad from another member is refreshed or changed / approved or until a new ad is posted on the site. The cost of refreshing your ad is 5 points and is available only to Gold, Business and Corporate members.

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Q. What is a Holiday Plan?

We encourage potential clients to enter their holiday plans onto the site. Holiday Plans are not directed at any individual property but are the an indication by their client of the intended holiday destination for the given dates and duration. To enter a Holiday Plan, clients must indicate their intended holiday destination, date and duration of stay, their accommodation requirements and travel budget. Once we receive a verified Holiday Plan from a client we will alert members who have properties in the holiday destination indicated in the Holiday Plan. Members can then connect to the site, view and reply to the Holiday Plan – directly to the client – normally providing a quote to the client for their needs. All Holiday Plans have an expiry date, set by the client, and replies from owners must be returned to the client before that date - as the Holiday Plan will be automatically removed from the site after that date.

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Q. What is the difference between a Holiday Plan and a Message?

A client can choose to either send a Message to an particular advertiser or to enter a Holiday Plan. The main differences are as follows:

A Message is directed to a specific owner for a specific property. A Holiday Plan is directed to ALL owners in the location selected by the client.

An owner MUST read a Message - otherwise the ad will be taken offline if unread after 7 days. However, there is no obligation on owners to read or reply to a Holiday Plan.

Following the initial notification of a new Message, we send nightly reminders to owners to read unread Messages. However, we send just one notification to owners of a new Holiday Plan.

We send an IMMEDIATE notification to owners of a new Message from a client. However, we notify owners of a new Holiday Plan only after the plan has been verified by the client and after manually checking for scams. As some Holiday Plans are never verified by the client, there will sometimes be Holiday Plans in the owners account which they have not been notified of.

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Q. Will the system remind me to update my ad in the future?

Yes, when you confirm your ad, you will be asked when you would like to be reminded to update it. You can select anything from 1 month to 12 months ahead. When that time comes, we will sent you an automatic reminder and again on each subsequent 7 days - until you update your ad again. If your ad is not updated after 12 months it will be taken offline and thus invisible to users.

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Q. From which countries can I advertise properties?

Properties can be advertised from any country in the world. If your country is not listed, then please Contact Us

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Q. Are there any special terms and conditions attached to this site?

No, by placing your ad on the site, you are agreeing to allow us to promote your ad on this site. You are free to remove your ad at any time. Please read the full Terms and Conditions for further information. We retain the right to change our Terms and Conditions at any time without notice.

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Q. Is my personal information kept private on this site?

Yes, we do not pass on any of your personal details to any third party. The only information we publish is the content of your ad - which is under your direct control.

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Q. How can my ad become a Featured Ad?

Featured ads are those ads shown to users returning to our home page. Our site is programmed to automatically select the best ads as Featured Ads. The featured list of ads is selected from Gold, Business and Corporate Members and is automatically changed every hour. To be eligible as a Featured Ad, your ad must have the following:

9 photos

a link to the owners web site

a full description of the property

a full description of the property

rental rates for the coming 12 months

a contact persons name

the ad must have been updated at some time within the last 3 months

If your ad has been fully completed as indicated then it likely to be selected randomly as a featured ad at various times.

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Q. When I Search for ads, in what order do they appear initially?

 When an Internet user searches for ads, the default order is by last date updated – showing the most recently updated ads first. The order of display is completely independent of the membership type of the advertiser.

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Q. Do all ads have the same format regardless of membership type?

Yes, all ads have exactly the same format with up to 9 pictures, 5 bullet points, a description, etc. However, we show a link the the owners website, brochure and virtual tour on ads by Gold, Business and Corporate members. On ads by Business and Corporate members we show a 'Business Ad' which shows the company name, company slogan and company web site address and telephone contacts details.

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Q. What are ‘Business Ads’?

Business ads are those ads which highlight a business name within the search results and which have the heading ‘Business Ad’. Business Ads are a useful tool in attracting potential clients to the company web site. A Business Ad will show the company name, company slogan, contact details, a link to other ads from the company and a link to the company web site. A Business Ad can only be placed by Business or Corporate Member of HolidayHomeAds.com – simply by entering the company name and company slogan on the Account Details page. To amend your Business Ad, go to the 'My Account' page and then click on 'Edit Account Details'.

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Q. What are the ‘Travel & Tourism Ads’ ads on the right hand side of the search results page?

These are ads from Business and Corporate members and are an ideal advertising tool for Rentals Management companies, Tour Operators, Real Estate Agencies, Hotels, B&B's and other holiday property related businesses. Similar to Google’s Adwords, Travel & Tourism ads show the company name, company slogan and website address on the right hand column of each search results page on HolidayHomeAds.com – with the information coming from the members account details. HolidayHomeAds.com shows the most specific Travel & Tourism ads possible – depending on the search done by the user. So when a user searches for properties in a particular town, county, state or country we will show Travel & Tourism ads from members who have ads at the location at the most specific level possible. So, for example, if the user searches for properties in the town of ‘Marbella’ (which is in Malaga, Andalucia, Spain) then we will randomly show Travel & Tourism ads from members who have ads in Marbella. If we don’t find 10 ads at that specific town, we will then look for ‘Travel & Tourism’ ads from members who have ads anywhere in Malaga, then anywhere in Andalucia and finally anywhere in Spain – until we have found 10 ads. Ads that are found are displayed in order of Corporate members first and then Business members. This allows Business and Corporate members to increase their advertising exposure on the site relative to Standard and Gold Members.

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Q. Can my ad appear on the ‘Travel & Tourism Ads’ section even if I am not directly involved in the property business?

Yes, any Business or Corporate member can have an ad in the ‘Travel & Tourism’ section of HolidayHomeAds.com. This allows any business in the travel & tourism industries to place ads on the site. These can be, for example, holiday activity centres, restaurants, bars and night clubs, travel insurance, flights and so on. To place a Travel & Tourism ad when you are not involved in the holiday property business, you should first place ‘Dummy’ ads at a particular town / county / state and country. Although these ‘Dummy’ ads will be rejected and will not therefore be published on the site, the ‘Travel & Tourism’ ads from those members will be published as normal – depending on the location of the Rejected ad.

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Q. What is an ‘Enhanced Travel & Tourism’ Ad?

Travel & Tourism ads from Corporate members are shown in an enhanced format. There are 3 advantages of ‘Enhanced Travel & Tourism Ads’, these are as follows:

a. An enhanced ad will show the logo of the advertiser.

b. An enhanced ad will show 2 lines (100 characters each) for the company slogan.

c. Prioritisation. As indicated, Travel & Tourism ads are randomly selected at the most specific location possible – depending on the search done by the user. However, ads from Corporate Members are always shown first on the page.

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Q. What membership types are possible on this site?

All members initially sign up as Standard Members. Subsequently, a member can upgrade to Gold, Business or Corporate Membership.

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Q. As a Standard Member, what do I get?

When you sign up initially with HolidayHomeAds.com you become a Standard Member of the site. This gives you the following features:

25 FREE Points

No Points charged for ANYTHING during the first 7 days following registration

Signup Cost = FREE

1 Rental Ad Allowed

Each ad must be for 1 property only

Use of HolidayHomeAds availability calendar

View Messages from Clients

View Holiday Plans from Clients

Reply to Messages from Clients (25 Points)

Reply to Holiday Plan from Clients (20 Points)

Link to owners website NOT shown on ads

Cost of Additional Points = €0.10

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Q. If I upgrade to Gold Membership, what do I get?

If you upgrade to Gold membership, in addition to the advantages of Standard Membership listed above, you will get the following further advantages:

4 Ads Allowed of any type Reply to Messages from Clients (10 Points)

Use of HolidayHomeAds or HomeAwayConnect (formerly Rentors.org) availability calendars. Receive SMS / Text message on Receipt of Client Enquiry

Reply to Holiday Plan from Clients (10 Points):

Clients can Link to your Website (0 Points)

Clients can Link to your Virtual Tour (0 Points)

Clients can Download your Property Brochure (0 Points)

Your phone number(s) will appear on your Ad

Your Ad can become a Featured Ad (if fully completed)

Ads can advertise multiple units (suitable for holiday parks, villas for sale, etc)

Place Special Offers on your ads (5 Points)

Refresh your Ad bringing it to the top of the search results (5 Points)

500 Additional Points Credited to your Account upon Upgrading

Upgrade Cost = €50 (equal to approximately US$64)

Cost of Additional Points = €0.10

As the cost of Gold membership is the same as the cost of purchasing 500 points as a Standard member, there is effectively NO ADDITIONAL COST in upgrading to Gold membership for members who are taking full advantage of the features on HolidayHomeAds.com. Therefore, Gold members receive all of the above advantages effectively FREE relative to the benefits of Standard membership.

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Q. If I upgrade to Business Membership, what do I get?

If you upgrade to Business Membership, in addition to the advantages of Standard and Gold Membership listed above, you will get the following further advantages:

10 Ads Allowed

Clients can link to your company website (0 Points)

Business Ads

Travel & Tourism Ads

Your Company Profile is shown with your ads

1000 Additional Points Credited to your Account upon Upgrading

Upgrade Cost = €100 (equal to approximately US$128)

Cost of Additional Points = €0.10

As the cost of Business membership is the same as the cost of purchasing 1000 points as a Standard member, there is effectively NO ADDITIONAL COST in upgrading to Business membership for members who are taking full advantage of the features on HolidayHomeAds.com. Therefore, Business members receive all of the above advantages plus the advantages of Gold membership effectively FREE relative to the benefits of Standard membership.

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Q. If I upgrade to Corporate Membership, what do I get?

If you upgrade to Corporate Membership, in addition to the advantages of Standard, Gold and Business listed above, you will get the following further advantages:

25 Ads Allowed

Enhanced Travel & Tourism Ads

Your Logo on Travel & Tourism Ads

2000 Additional Points Credited to your Account upon Upgrading

Upgrade Cost = €200 (equal to approximately US$256)

ost of Additional Points = €0.10

As the cost of Corporate membership is the same as the cost of purchasing 2000 points as a Standard member, there is effectively NO ADDITIONAL COST in upgrading to Corporate membership for members who are taking full advantage of the features on HolidayHomeAds.com. Therefore, Corporate members receive all of the above advantages plus the advantages of Business and Gold membership effectively FREE relative to the benefits of Standard membership.

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Q. Can you show me, in a table format, the exact features and costs of each membership type?

Membership Type Standard Gold Business Corporate
Annual Cost FREE €50 (US$64) €100 (US$128) €200 (US$256)
Free Points 25 500 1000 2000
Number of Ads Allowed 1 4 10 25
Reply to Email Enquiry 25 Points 10 Points 5 Points 5 Points
Reply to Holiday Plan 25 Points 10 Points 5 Points 5 Points
Client links FROM your Website 1 FREE Point 1 FREE Point 1 FREE Point 1 FREE Point
You Invite new Owner to Join 1 FREE Point 1 FREE Point 1 FREE Point 1 FREE Point
Receive SMS / Text message following Client Enquiry No FREE FREE FREE
Featured Ads No Yes Yes Yes
Phone Number on Ad No Yes Yes Yes
Advertise Multiple Units No Yes Yes Yes
ReSale Ad No Yes Yes Yes
Enter Special Offer No 5 Points 5 Points 5 Points
Refresh Ad No 5 Points 5 Points 5 Points
Advertise a Business Name & Business Services No No Yes Yes
Business Ads No No Yes Yes
Company Profile No No Yes Yes
Travel & Tourism Ads No No Yes Yes - Enhanced
Logo on Travel & Tourism Ads No No No Yes

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Q. Can I use my credit card to upgrade my membership?

Yes. This site uses PayPal for all financial transactions. PayPal is one of the most widely used and secure global payment systems available on the Internet today. You do not need to be a member of PayPal in order to make a payment as you can simply enter your credit card details as instructed on the page.

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Q. If I upgrade my Membership and, if I subsequently sell my holiday home, can I get a refund for the remaining part of the year if I delete my ad?

No. ALL membership fees paid are non-refundable. Even if you delete your ad, your account will remain upgraded for the remaining part of your membership year.

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Q. I am not happy with the geographical divisions of countries used in HolidayHomeAds.com, can you do something?

Possibly, there are some things we can change and others we cannot. Contact us letting us know where you see the problem and we will get back to you after consideration.

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