$49 processing fee to rent a condo???

[jjjmranch]

$49 processing fee to rent a condo???
So I've been searching for a condo for sometime in May. Found a potentially good one in Windsor Hills using VRBO. Checked on the rates and found not only the cleaning fee and the 13% tax (expected) but a $49 processing fee. When I emailed the owner (who has 4 condos in WH) I asked what it was for. He said for paperwork and processing my credit card. Wow. I've rented from other owners and never had a "processing fee" added to my bill. Sorry, that just blew it for me. There are plenty other condos out there w/o that added on to the bill!

 

[twooley2]

I think it that each owner has their own set of fees. Possibly this ones rates are lower overall making up for the fee part. I have found that a good rate does not necessarily equate to a good final amount. One must be careful renting a condo, house or resort or even hotel. There are many hidden fees that can negate a great rate.

 

[Detailor]

Looking at it another way...

Visa and Mastercard (and the other credit card organizations) charge a fee to vendors that use their processing systems. Why shouldn't an owner charge a renter to recoup those fees? As the PP mentioned, some owners hide those fee charges in their over-all rates just like Target does as part of their product pricing structure. However, this owner has decided to be transparent and has a pricing structure that's more like the airlines with their extra fees for baggage or seat upgrades. I don't happen to think that either of these pricing methodologies is "wrong."

If you liked this house and the pricing looks good, do you really want to have to continue to go through the research-decision-negotiation process over a $49 fee?

Dick Taylor

 

[brucerob62]

$49 processing fee to rent a condo???
So I've been searching for a condo for sometime in May. Found a potentially good one in Windsor Hills using VRBO. Checked on the rates and found not only the cleaning fee and the 13% tax (expected) but a $49 processing fee. When I emailed the owner (who has 4 condos in WH) I asked what it was for. He said for paperwork and processing my credit card. Wow. I've rented from other owners and never had a "processing fee" added to my bill. Sorry, that just blew it for me. There are plenty other condos out there w/o that added on to the bill!

dont tolerate it..I have never and will never pay that...go somewhere else..I prefer Bonnet creek wyndham...go to vacationstrategy.com..great people..great price..and no extra charges..added on.. got a 2 bd for $400 for 5 nites..right on disney property...Dont care what anyone says..That fee is ridiculous..you have a choice..have a great time..no matter where you choose to stay.

 

[jjjmranch]

I agree with brucerob62. A hotel does not charge you a processing fee or a cleaning fee if you stay under seven nights. @ Detailor - what if I wanted to pay by check? That is still an acceptable payment and the owner doesn't have to recoup the credit card charge, yet still is asking for the $49 processing fee for paperwork. Not acceptable in my book.

 

[Detailor]

Detailor - what if I wanted to pay by check? That is still an acceptable payment and the owner doesn't have to recoup the credit card charge, yet still is asking for the $49 processing fee for paperwork. Not acceptable in my book.

Yep, I agree with you in that circumstance. Since the owner told you that the fee covered "paperwork and processing my credit card," why should you have to pay a fee that generates nothing more than additional profit? I'm surprised that the owner didn't cut you a break from those fees when you offered to pay by check. I can't imagine how he justifies that charge after disclosing what the fee was for. His cost for doing "paperwork" is nothing more than business record keeping that he has to do anyway, assuming he's reporting his income properly to the IRS.

Dick Taylor

 

[twooley2]

I agree with brucerob62. A hotel does not charge you a processing fee or a cleaning fee if you stay under seven nights. @ Detailor - what if I wanted to pay by check? That is still an acceptable payment and the owner doesn't have to recoup the credit card charge, yet still is asking for the $49 processing fee for paperwork. Not acceptable in my book.

Some hotels/resorts do charge extra fees for cleaning check out Orlando World quest or some of Holiday Inn's 11.95 fee per night or even some of the others.

 

[twooley2]

dont tolerate it..I have never and will never pay that...go somewhere else..I prefer Bonnet creek wyndham...go to vacationstrategy.com..great people..great price..and no extra charges..added on.. got a 2 bd for $400 for 5 nites..right on disney property...Dont care what anyone says..That fee is ridiculous..you have a choice..have a great time..no matter where you choose to stay.

vacationupgrades that rents bonnet creek charges a booking fee for under 7 nights. FYI and the farther out one books the more it is and the lower prices are based on availability at 90 days out, so its a luck of the draw to wait that long or pay more to secure earlier. I say its the owners property either go with their terms or move on.

 

[sjanus]

I agree with you, although I see many adding these fees for processing. I personally try not rent from anyone charging me for use of my credit card or processingl. That's just me, I feel it should be included.

With short term rentals almost all with stays less than 7 days will add an exit clean fee as owners cannot afford to waive this for short stays. It varies depending on the size of the condo, townhome, home, etc. I see some though that add the exit clean fee to all no matter how long the stay. We rented a place in Arizona in February and they added an exit clean for a 19 night stay. It was pretty much typical there throughout any rental we considered though. It also seems to be this way at the beach.

Good luck in your decision. If you really like the unit and the overall cost seems fair, you may want to just look at it like the overall package.

Sandy

 

[shalom]

just look at it like the overall package.

This is what I do. I've paid the $50 processing fee a number of times because the overall price was considerably lower than most owners paid for that time. One guy I rent from (non-Disney) charges a very low price per point, plus the processing fee -- the only time it wasn't a better deal than than most owners get, I was only planning on staying a couple of days offseason. And even then, it was a competitive price.

 

[timeos2]

Looking at it another way...

Visa and Mastercard (and the other credit card organizations) charge a fee to vendors that use their processing systems. Why shouldn't an owner charge a renter to recoup those fees? As the PP mentioned, some owners hide those fee charges in their over-all rates just like Target does as part of their product pricing structure. However, this owner has decided to be transparent and has a pricing structure that's more like the airlines with their extra fees for baggage or seat upgrades. I don't happen to think that either of these pricing methodologies is "wrong."

If you liked this house and the pricing looks good, do you really want to have to continue to go through the research-decision-negotiation process over a $49 fee?

Dick Taylor

Because this isn't an airline with baggage fees, seat fees and air fees! The rate should cover their costs & only tax will be added. It is advertising a false low rate then raise it with bogus "fees".

 

[Detailor]

Because this isn't an airline with baggage fees, seat fees and air fees! The rate should cover their costs & only tax will be added. It is advertising a false low rate then raise it with bogus "fees".

Well, sure, a house rental isn't air transportation. Good point.

But, in my opinion, the analogy holds up.

It's a long-standing and accepted practice for vacation home owners to charge a rate for lodging with additional optional or set fees for pool heat, cleaning, damage deposit and such. This is just another fee and one that most likely is intended to cover the cost of their acceptance of credit cards as a form of payment. Is that fee bogus or transparent? I think it's transparent. Is that fee creating a false advertisement? No more so than an airline offering an $89 (one-way) fare and then adding on fees for seat selection (or upgrading), charging for checking a piece of luggage or a snack during the flight. As I recall all of those things were, not long ago, part of the airlines' base rates but breaking them out to make them more transparent is an accepted practice. Perhaps not what one would expect in the timeshare rental game that I'm more accustomed to but not, in my opinion, a bogus fee that would suggest that the fee is solely intended to raise the profit margin.

Dick Taylor