pablosho

Hi Savannah-boy,

Have you not tried any of the agents in and around the Chiclana area to find out what their costs are?
Unfortunately we pulled out of that area a few years ago but we have never had any problems with spanish clients not wanting to pay a deposit!
We take a 25% deposit at the time of booking and the rest is paid on arrival. We also take a deposit to cover breakages and also have the client send us a copy of their DNI / Passport and never had anyone refuse!

Try Niumba, it's a free site, although you can upgrade and pay for premium listing.

Good luck

savannah_boy

I think when people want a property for a week or more it is normal to put down a deposit. If we are talking about just one night at a B&B (where there are a lot more on the spot enquiries) then that is a different story.

agoreira

I'm with you, especially a non returnable deposit. We're looking at the moment, and sorted out a property we really fancied, until I saw 50% non returnable deposit, so we're one customer they won't be seeing.

battlezone123

I have used owners direct twice before with no problems. The problem I have is with owners. I do not mind paying a deposit - it confirms to them that I will be coming - but when it comes to a breakages deposit this is where I get wound up. No probs paying a breakages deposit if someone is there to great you and go through the inventory and then on your departure to recheck that nothing is broken etc and to have your deposit returned. I have seen numerous owners saying that the deposit is returned in a couple of weeks once everything has been checked - yeah right.

agoreira

I have been holidaying for over 25 years and have never paid any such deposit, I simply refuse to. We always have decent rentals and I find most of them don't bother with this deposit, or if they do, I walk away. In all the years, we have broken one ash tray, which we replaced, and the owner chastised us for doing it, saying there was no need to replace it. Most just want to know so they can replace it. Spanish friends of ours run an extremely successful rental business and they certainly never charge, perhaps that's one reason why they are successful. Equally, I never book anything that charges for extra add ons like final clean, electricity, A/C, heating etc, I want to know the sum I pay covers everything. There are plenty of good renters out there that don't bother with all that rubbish.

battlezone123

We are going back to the same place as last year. They require a breakages deposit on arrival but they just do a manual swipe of the card. Then at the end of the stay someone comes to inspect the apartment. We told her we had broken a drinking glass, which we had reported to the office, but she said don't worry. If they had taken the money for the glass it would only have cost us 20cents anyway.

I found that there is no such thing as a good bargin with alot of owners even if you are booking last minute and last year was no different.
The amount of times I found an apartment that was right for our needs, but the owners would not budge on price even though we were late bookers. If you had an apartment for rent for £800 a week and the first two weeks in September were empty and someone came along and offered £600 for each week you would take the money surely - no they would let the apartment remain empty.

This year is our 2nd visit to this apartment and we are arriving on 30 June for two weeks. They offered the two week rate at the June prices (and not the higher July price) and also gave us an extra 10% off.

SpanishAngel

All depends on circumstances. Not everyone is desparate for money. Why do some people think that advertised prices are the basis for negotiation? If you see your flight is £100 do you phone Easyjet and offer £80?

Fredbargate

Because very often they are.

SpanishAngel

Dream on.

agoreira

Things like flights are not negotiable, but many, many things are. I always ask, sometimes they say no, but in my experience many are prepared to haggle. I always feel a sense of huge disappointment if I have to pay the quoted price.
Just got an e-mail back from hotel I asked for their best price, and they tell me they are full, so nothing doing this time, but many times I have paid well under the quoted price. Sometimes it might only be free breakfasts thrown in, but I have to try it, it's all part of the game. Anyone that doesn't negotiate on say buying a car needs their head read, you can haggle hundreds off the price. So why not accommodation? You might not be prepared to haggle, but many are. Had £80 knocked off my car insurance, recently told my ISP I was off, suddenly a much better cheaper deal appeared. Mobile phones, electricity deals, internet suppliers, I've had deals from all of them.

Fredbargate

Try it and reduce your cost of living.

Palmera

Spanish Angel, as the other said, give it a go. We are just back from a great break in the algarve. i saw the villa advertised on booking.com (and TR) at 315euros for the week. i phoned the complex direct and offered them 100euros max..they let me have it for 98 euros..payable on arrival!

I have booked a uk 4 week holiday cottage, advertised at 795pounds a week. i offered 300 pounds a week and was accepted. (30% deposit paid).

I see no harm in asking. More times my offer is accepted than declined, even if my husband feels morto if i try to barter in front of him!

Give it a go i say, i think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

agoreira

Well done you, you've beaten me! I did have a £600+ a week place for nothing for photographing their properties, and a few free nights in a hotel near Ronda for some photos. We were always a bit shy to ask, but as you say, many are prepared to do a deal, they can only say no. We've just had 2 nights in a 4* star hotel, normal cost £300, we paid £99 including fantastic breakfasts. Common sense says it's surely better to let say a £600 a week accommodation for £400 than have it empty. We're in UK and we are looking for a few days in UK this coming week, and I'm amazed how many places are fully booked, we're struggling to find a deal! We live in a tourist area and already I'm amazed at how many visitors are about, it's heaving with them. Crisis? What crisis?

battlezone123

Haggling is a fact if life. I would find it very difficult to believe that you have never haggled, whether it be over holiday accommodation, price of a car or the price of a pair jeans at your local market.

If I find people will not budge on price I just say "thanks for your time" and then move on to the next accommodation on my list of possibilities. If someone can afford to lose £1200 by not haggling and having their apartment booked then good luck to them. I do sometimes get emails back saying that they have changed their minds and that I can have the apartment at the discounted rate but my response is always "too late".

amideislas

I don't know about other areas of Spain, but we have a number of friends who rent holiday accommodation, and they all use some form of major online booking site like homeaway, ownersdirect, 9flats, etc.

Since you have to be pretty price-competitive these days, everyone we know offers their best possible price up front and aren't willing to "haggle". Besides, none of the major booking sites offer the facility to "haggle" on the price.

I'd reckon for those who choose not to use a booking agent and self-market their property, only accepting direct contact and bookings with the guests, then it would be easier to "haggle" on the price.

But that's not a very professional or successful way to get bookings.