BnBFinder - Unauthorized Listings & Gift Cards

[MtnKeeper]

Just spent half an hour with an irate guest who booked us because he saw us on BnBfinder and had one of their gift cards. I am not a member but like many of you they copied my information and put me on their website hoping I would join. This guy was insisting that I take the card an honor his reservation. I explained that they added me without permission (should be illegal) and that I was not joining them so I’d be happy to cancel his reservation. He was still mad at me, which is not what I needed today having had a death in the family this week. So pissed at BnbFinder right now and left a lovely message - I hope Tim Wilson gets the message and they remove me immediately or I’ll be calling every day until they do since I was bothered at 8pm at night by this guy and had to defend my property and right to not join this group.
just wait - they’ll get everyone to spend thousands on Diamond Properties like I did and then sell out to the highest bidder like last time and then everyone will be required to pay an 18% commisssion to get a booking!!!

 

[Morticia]

Egads! I had no idea they did that. I know it used to be hell on bedandbreakfast explaining to guests that we did not accept their gift card program and having people argue we had to because we were listed on their site.
Sorry about your family member.

 

[MtnKeeper]

Egads! I had no idea they did that. I know it used to be hell on bedandbreakfast explaining to guests that we did not accept their gift card program and having people argue we had to because we were listed on their site.
Sorry about your family member..

Thanks, everyone should check to see if your listing is up there — if you search by your town you come up without a picture but there’s a link to your site. The guests don’t bother to go to the gift card section and then scroll down to find participating properties - they believe that if you’re on there then you belong to the site and take the cards. Then we’re left explaining how BnBFinder is fraudulently putting us up there - this guy didn’t think highly of them when I was done explaining their business practices - and his wife was so sad because our property is so nice she really wanted to stay but they have to use the gift card!
and if I were a paying member I’d be really mad that guests are linking to sites that aren’t paying $49 a month to belong — maybe I should be quiet and take the free bookings from those without a gift card - sounds like a good deal to me and not so good for their members!

 

[Morticia]

Egads! I had no idea they did that. I know it used to be hell on bedandbreakfast explaining to guests that we did not accept their gift card program and having people argue we had to because we were listed on their site.
Sorry about your family member..

Thanks, everyone should check to see if your listing is up there — if you search by your town you come up without a picture but there’s a link to your site. The guests don’t bother to go to the gift card section and then scroll down to find participating properties - they believe that if you’re on there then you belong to the site and take the cards. Then we’re left explaining how BnBFinder is fraudulently putting us up there - this guy didn’t think highly of them when I was done explaining their business practices - and his wife was so sad because our property is so nice she really wanted to stay but they have to use the gift card!
and if I were a paying member I’d be really mad that guests are linking to sites that aren’t paying $49 a month to belong — maybe I should be quiet and take the free bookings from those without a gift card - sounds like a good deal to me and not so good for their members!
.

I just went to check. There are 5 B&B's listed in my town. 1 of them is paid (mine), the others are not. 1 of them has been out of business for 7-8 years. So, yeah, they scraped the info from the old site(s). And, yes, you can click thru to the unpaid listing websites.
I paid for a year membership, but I see they are right back to where they were before when it was bedandbreakfast dot com. When my membership expires I'm done. I checked to see if I had a credit card on file with them, but I don't. I will still keep an eye out for charges when my year is up.