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Covid-19 update

It’s been a tough few days for all of us I’m sure.

We all face uncertainty.

I’ve been hitting the cancellation button constantly, which is a strange feeling as I only hit it for the first time in 10 years on Monday. I have enjoyed hosting families here in Caister for all that time and boosting local businesses by bringing quality tourism to the village. Thank you to my previous guests, most of you I really enjoyed chatting with 😂 So I hope to be here in future years to welcome returning and new guests but bills have to be paid somehow. When I figure it out I’ll let you all know how...

With the future being so hard to predict and in order to protect my local community I have decided to close the cottage until the 30th April. This date will be moved in line with government advice but I don’t want to be responsible for bringing covid-19 to my neighbours, friends and residents of our fine village.

Despite the financial issues this will create I have decided to refund all guests booked to 30th April in full and will continue to do so as needed. Although my terms clearly state there are no refunds we are all in trouble at this time and my overdraft should cover all outstanding bookings 🤨 It’s not our fault that we are in this situation and we need to look after each other.

#bekind

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#bookdirect at Caister Beach

Save up to 20% on your next holiday

Many travel sites like AirBnB, HomeAway, and TripAdvisor have booking fees when you reserve a holiday home online. These fees do NOT go to the owners but rather to the parent companies! By booking direct with the owner you can avoid these large fees and use the saved cash for activities or meals.

So how do you book direct and save yourself hundreds of pounds?

  1. Find the property that you are interested in
  2. Look for clues to the name of their company or their business, for example “One Coastguard Cottage, Caister” or “Another Day in Paradise Chincoteague.” This can lead you to their Google listing, their own website or the property’s Facebook page. Also, if you Google the owner’s name, their contact information is often readily available on the web
  3. Send the owner a message direct through email, telephone, FaceBook or visit their website
  4. Owners may not respond to requests to sent through the larger firms, due to them being de-listed if they suggest an option outside of the terms & conditions
  5. Proceed with booking direct through the owner.

Book Direct image | Caister Beach

How to rent safely:

  1. Check the owner’s online reviews. Also, try to determine ownership if possible. Google search the owner’s name, the property name, and any other information you may have gathered about the owner. This will help you to rent safely.
  2. Ask for a rental agreement. Many owners will also allow you to pay by credit/debit card or PayPal. Ask to do that if paying by check/bank transfer makes you uncomfortable.
  3. Now you have the owners details, have a phone conversation with them. It really helps you get a feel for what kind of person you are doing business with. Most owners are happy to do that – especially since they can also get an understanding of what type of guest you may be.
  4. For example; One Coastguard Cottage has about 30 reviews on HomeAway, 12 on Tripadvisor and 30 on Facebook and all are 4 or 5 star. My Facebook page has been in existence for 8 years and I post fairly regularly. My phone number is freely available online and I’m happy to chat about the cottage and area. Finally I have a business account, a merchant account and am registered for business rates. All this info should add up to a comfortable direct booking.

The travel sites make a big deal about customer protection, but ultimately they cannot provide you with another booking when its needed. So why take that risk? If you contact the owner direct, you can pay by secure routes, providing you with the same level of security on your booking, but you will have spoken to the owner and will not just be a number.

Save money and #bookdirect

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