Are OTA’s – Online Travel Agents – necessary?
After the usual summer tourist season ending in the Easter peak over-booking panic issues created by OTA’s (Online Travel Agents), the following is for ANZAC weekend reading… You might need to make a strong cup of tea first as this has to be read right to the end… If it is too long to read then scroll down and listen to the opinion from entrprenuer Dick Smith. He does not have to be polite like us…
We recently received another Q&A request list from an OTA (Online Travel Agent). They insisted on our cooperation in answering a list of questions or threatened to remove TRM from their listings. Sadly, not surprisingly, all my replies were negative.
In anticipation of them removing TRM from their listing, by advertising we are no longer in business, as they did last time, our reaction is to respond first.
Since then they phoned to insist that we must do our duty to answer all their probing questions on our business. We advised them that we have owned and operated this friendly little motel for over 20 years. For the first decade after 2004, we somehow managed more successfully without them. Then, without any consideration, they appeared all over the net and claimed commission for every booking on the web that linked with them. They increased motel rates for guests everywhere. It was a rip-off.
To make it worse, the photos they used to promote TRM were of the Waihohonu tramping hut on Ruapehu, misleading prospective guests offering shared kitchen and bunks etc. (see below) They had taken the photos off our blog. When they would not remove them, we cancelled TRM from their listing. Their reaction was to continue to list us but advised we were no longer in business. What nice people! Yet prospective guests still rely on them to make their bookings…
Below is TRM’s previous blog to correct their listing on
SWMBO apologises…
Above is the real Tongariro River Motel (TRM). Their photos below were not. SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed manages everything in the Central Plateau Tongariro National Parks region) needs to explain…
Their photos were always headed by the image above of the neglected empty DOC tramping hut located at Waihohonu on the Tongariro Northern Circuit track.
SWMBO apologised to all prospective guests turned off by the photos mistakenly placed on TRM website booking engines – such as Booking-dot-com, Expedia, etc. to illustrate what TRM is supposed to look like?
TRM discovered (in 2016) the photos placed on TRM’s website listings were DOC tramping huts…???
But it got worse. The hut had been replaced with DOC’s “Tongariro Hilton” and features some interior images which suggest TRM resembled a backpackers camp.
This Tongariro Hilton is almost ridiculous compared to other huts throughout the National Park.
Then, finally, to indicate how obsolete TRM is, they added another. This was the original 1904 historic Waihohonu hut which was an overnight stop for the horse-drawn stagecoach wagon on the way from Tokaanu in those days to link to the Wanganui River steamer.
So SWMBO apologises for misleading you into thinking that the motel was similar to a remote tramping hut.
Remember, many tourists rely totally on these OTA’s to select their holiday accommodation…
Then we discovered we were not alone in complaining. A video produced by Australian entrepreneur, Dick Smith, attracted 2.5 million hits in the first week. The video, an eight-minute expose of the practices of giant US-based online travel agents (OTAs), struck a chord and created unprecedented interest in an issue which has long plagued the industry.
His standard response was ‘Dick, we had no idea that this was happening and we’re never going to book through one of these organisations again‘.
In the video, Smith explains in layman’s terms how motels and hotels are charged commissions of up to 30 percent for bookings made through the agencies but are contractually prevented from advertising their own rates cheaper online if they list with the bookings giants.
Then we remembered TRM’s 2024 blog about this same issue.
Make sure you read it to the end!
TRM sacked by Booking-dot-com?
This blog was prepared back in January, but was deliberately held back waiting to review the banning threat from the OTA. Since then TRM have experienced several other instances where they have confirmed their attitude in dealing with tourists. Turangi’s largest tourist accommodation supplier had cancelled any involvement with them. We can understand why…
Recently we received a phone call from Europe by an upset prospective guest who booked through the same OTA. We cancelled his booking as there were already our clients in the unit they had allocated and all other units were booked up. They still booked him in to try to claim the commission. That is not the first time! So after reviewing their lack of consideration, TRM has decided to post the following originally composed in January…
Today we have good news and other scams.
First the good news:
| Great job, you got a new 5-star review |
| Lovely couple who own this place. They are friendly and make you feel welcome. Thank you for your…etc. |
Many thanks to the guests who sent it as we needed cheering up after receiving the following…
Now the “bad” news (?) from the OTA…
Dear Colleagues,
Unfortunately, we have to inform you that your property is in breach of our platform rules and policies. As such, we have taken the decision to temporarily remove your property from registration and booking on our platform in the near future.
Should you wish to examine the infringements associated with your property and contest this decision, we strongly advise you to access your Extranet account and complete the designated form to lodge your appeal within the provided timeframe.
It is important to bear in mind that a failure to comply with the platform’s rules and regulations may lead to additional suspensions or the permanent delisting of your property. We urge you to capitalize on this opportunity to settle any outstanding matters and adhere to our guidelines for the betterment of your property and its guests.
King regards,
The Booking Service
We could not view their complaint as the page was blocked.
Below is our background experience of our first previous contact with these OTA’s to indicate what tourist accommodation providers have to endure…
The problem was that their photos of TRM were not of this motel but taken from our blog of the Waihohonu Hut up on Ruapehu.
The bedrooms contained a row of bunks. The shared kitchen contained a row of stainless steel sinks. Someone had lifted (copy & paste?) our photos from a blog we had posted, imagining it must represent the motel. It may be the best tramping hut in NZ – built in 2010 with 28 bunks and flushing loos – but it is not quite up to TRM standards.
We complained several times, but they would not remove the photos, so we asked them to remove TRM from their listings. Then they still featured TRM but advised prospective guests that TRM were “no longer in business”. So we had to register back reluctantly. What nice people…
Much of the information provided by them and other OTA’s had been contrived by them without our knowledge or permission. This was all nonsense; it did not even make sense, but when TRM tried to correct it, we were ignored. We have never been consulted to approve any of their descriptions or prices. They imagined they could decide on our allocation of $ room rates for different age groups…
Then we had a squiz at the website for complaints. This is where unhappy customers shared their experiences with properties and their owners or guests (unhappy owners also). Read how long – up to six months if at all – their prospective clients have to wait to get their deposits back.
Booking.com Complaints Summary
Unresolved complaints: 1517 (92%)
To avoid any disappointment, we strongly advise any prospective tourist guests to always book direct (i.e.- email ross@tongarirorivermotel.co.nz) as the best booking method so you are in direct contact with the motel operators and can keep a record of the booking. Then you know the accommodation and number of beds etc. will fit your requirements.
Suppose you have any doubts about the deliberate duplicity by foreign online booking sites. In that case, you might enjoy the rave by the Australian entrepreneur, Dick Smith – posted a few years ago, but is just as relevant today.
Then, after all that, we consulted a friend who is more familiar with this computer language, to check it out.
She immediately twigged onto it and replied the complaint and deregistration threat was all a scam!
Oh Dear… We should have realised when they signed off their letter “King regards”.
Perhaps it is time we gave up…