Webervations gift certificates

[Penelope]

For those of you who use webervations for gift certificates, how do you feel about the fact that a guest can't order a gift certificate in whatever denomination they choose?
According to webervations, there isn't a demand for actual amounts for gc. What do you think? Should a guest/gc purchaser be able to purchase a gc in whatever amount they want?
Here's the scenario: the gift certificate order form is only in $50 increments over $100. Is there any way to get a custom amount box?
Do anyone else have a problem with the $50 increments.
So I ask: how do you feel about it?

 

[Copperhead]

Penelope, it would be nice to have this feature I just doubt it is one of their top priorities. Having the GC purchase option on this site is nice but it is not the main reason innkeepers purchase this system. Another innmate just posted on another thread that Webervations 2.0 is to be rolled out soon. There was no other comments made. We can hope that it will have some of the improvements that we hoped for in 1.0 but never came.

 

[wendydk]

And, it is totally true for us that people buy gift certificates by the night, rather than for specific dollar amounts.

 

[egoodell]

I don't know about Webervations gift certificates - we do our own so we can control them.
Riki

 

[Copperhead]

And, it is totally true for us that people buy gift certificates by the night, rather than for specific dollar amounts..

And, it is totally true for us that people buy gift certificates by the night, rather than for specific dollar amounts.

This brings up a question... will start a new thread - maybe poll.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

It happens here all the time. People have to call to purchase the certificate because they want it for the exact room amount. This just happened last week. How does Webervations know that it's not an issue for the public??? Unless it came from innkeepers, they would have no idea why people have left the system and not purchased.

 

[Penelope]

It happens here all the time. People have to call to purchase the certificate because they want it for the exact room amount. This just happened last week. How does Webervations know that it's not an issue for the public??? Unless it came from innkeepers, they would have no idea why people have left the system and not purchased..

It happens here all the time. People have to call to purchase the certificate because they want it for the exact room amount. This just happened last week. How does Webervations know that it's not an issue for the public??? Unless it came from innkeepers, they would have no idea why people have left the system and not purchased.

See, that's what I'm saying. This is what I am curious about. How much do they care? Does it matter? The whole absence of proof, yada yada...
Hmmmm, inquiring minds want to know.

 

[JBloggs]

We have sold only a couple for dollar amounts, it is not a gift when it shows the $ vs a room or choice of rooms, I know others say dollar amount, but it always ends up being rooms for us.
What I also do is say if they select one of the two most expensive then this covers it, if they select the next choice down in price I will make sure they have a lovely bouquet of flowers from the gc giver in their room.

 

[Copperhead]

Well maybe they will see this and know that it is something worth looking into - if they can. We must keep in mind that this system was designed many years ago and for those working on the program end see things in a different light than we do on the viewing end. Some things may just be impossible to achieve with what they are working in. I was not a programer, but live with one that was in his past life and I have heard it all - some things are doable, others are just a pipe dream.
We can hope that if they are not able to make this happen in Webervations 1.0, that maybe they can incorporate it in their 2.0 version which they predict to come out by the first part of next year. (as long as things go as planned) Maybe an email to let them know it is a much needed improvement would be helpful.

 

[Proud Texan]

I've always disliked this feature of Webervations Gift Certificates. The should be as customizable as any other package. On a side note, I've never sold a gift certificate online. It's always done over the phone.

 

[gillumhouse]

And why would they EVER worry about GC for Weberv - they already are pushing bandb GCs as hard as they can. All the same company now...

 

[Copperhead]

And, it is totally true for us that people buy gift certificates by the night, rather than for specific dollar amounts..

And, it is totally true for us that people buy gift certificates by the night, rather than for specific dollar amounts.

This brings up a question... will start a new thread - maybe poll.
.

Since some states do not allow expiry dates on purchased (not donated) GC's what do YOU do to handle cost differences if you have raised your rates from the time the GC was purchased and the time used?
I was going to do a poll but found a previous thread with a great answer.
Egoodell stated (from node 6095)
Our gift certificates are numbered and have no expiration date. They state that they are not redeemable for cash, not transferrable. The value of the gift certificate is good against any price increase for one year. They are dated.
This way if they show up with one that is years old we can charge the difference, and when we do sell we can show the value of the ones outstanding.
Very interested in what others do as well.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

And why would they EVER worry about GC for Weberv - they already are pushing bandb GCs as hard as they can. All the same company now....

And why would they EVER worry about GC for Weberv - they already are pushing bandb GCs as hard as they can. All the same company now...

Good point, Kathleen!!

 

[Breakfast Diva]

And, it is totally true for us that people buy gift certificates by the night, rather than for specific dollar amounts..

And, it is totally true for us that people buy gift certificates by the night, rather than for specific dollar amounts.

This brings up a question... will start a new thread - maybe poll.
.

Since some states do not allow expiry dates on purchased (not donated) GC's what do YOU do to handle cost differences if you have raised your rates from the time the GC was purchased and the time used?
I was going to do a poll but found a previous thread with a great answer.
Egoodell stated (from node 6095)
Our gift certificates are numbered and have no expiration date. They state that they are not redeemable for cash, not transferrable. The value of the gift certificate is good against any price increase for one year. They are dated.
This way if they show up with one that is years old we can charge the difference, and when we do sell we can show the value of the ones outstanding.
Very interested in what others do as well.
.

Ours have a 1 year expiration (legal in our state) and are for the dollar amount only. I don't think it's such a big deal any more to have the dollar amount known. If they received a gift card for any store, the dollar amount is known. Why not a b&b?

 

[Copperhead]

And, it is totally true for us that people buy gift certificates by the night, rather than for specific dollar amounts..

And, it is totally true for us that people buy gift certificates by the night, rather than for specific dollar amounts.

This brings up a question... will start a new thread - maybe poll.
.

Since some states do not allow expiry dates on purchased (not donated) GC's what do YOU do to handle cost differences if you have raised your rates from the time the GC was purchased and the time used?
I was going to do a poll but found a previous thread with a great answer.
Egoodell stated (from node 6095)
Our gift certificates are numbered and have no expiration date. They state that they are not redeemable for cash, not transferrable. The value of the gift certificate is good against any price increase for one year. They are dated.
This way if they show up with one that is years old we can charge the difference, and when we do sell we can show the value of the ones outstanding.
Very interested in what others do as well.
.

Ours have a 1 year expiration (legal in our state) and are for the dollar amount only. I don't think it's such a big deal any more to have the dollar amount known. If they received a gift card for any store, the dollar amount is known. Why not a b&b?
.

Breakfast Diva wrote: I don't think it's such a big deal any more to have the dollar amount known. If they received a gift card for any store, the dollar amount is known. Why not a b&b?
You are correct, it is not like they can't find out the value if they really want to know.

 

[gillumhouse]

I have always sold mine as a room or package - usually a package. They do not have an expire if paid for, and yes, I have had some come back a few years later after increases. I look at that this way: I got the cash when I REALLY needed it and the cash is long ago spent. I treat this as if it was a donated freebie - no money now but it DID give me money when in need. Bless their hearts for taking it off the books. One GC had been lost in a fire just months after it had been received as a wedding gift. I discovered this at a Conference where I was playing vendor in a conversation with the wife of the organizer. "We got a GC for a B & B but since we had a fire that destroyed everything just 3 months after our wedding, I figured it was lost." When I relaized her name, I told her I knew which B & B - it was mine and her co-workers had given it to them. She was amazed that I knew her co-workers had given it, she did not at this point remember the name of the B & B. They did come later that summer.

 

[Don Draper]

We have been much, much happier since only allowing a flat dollar amount and not doing the amount for a specific room. This way they never expire, when we did the specific cost we'd have to expire them because our rates change yearly or every other year. We sell many GC's using our Webervations system...also a happy, happy surprise when you wake up and find an order for one sitting there!