What web browsers does Bookabach/Bookastay support?

This article is for: Managers Renters

We do our best to ensure that Bookabach works best across popular web browsers and operating systems.  However, given our finite development resources,  it’s not possible for us to test and support all browsers and maintain backwards compatibility to old browsers.  Here’s a list of the browsers we support (with links to download current version):

* Microsoft Internet Explorer: Version 8.x and above - Download latest
* Mozilla Firefox: Version 3.6 and above - Download latest
* Google Chrome: All versions - Download latest
* Apple Safari (for Mac and PC): Version 5.0 and above - Download latest
* Opera: Not tested - Download latest

We do show an alert on the website if your browser is too out of date for the site to function effectively.  Sorry, we can’t offer specific recommendations on browsers (but most of us at Bookabach are Firefox or Chrome users).

Still on Microsoft IE 6? See the IE 6 countdown page from Microsoft.

Will Bookabach/Bookastay ever ask me for my password? (Warning related to Phishing)

This article is for: Managers Renters

Nobody at Bookabach will ever ask you for your password - either by phone or via an email. So, be immediately suspicious if anyone claiming to be us asks for it.  It could be “phishing”.

Phishing is the act of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. The most common approach is via a “spoof” email or text message which directs a users to enter details at a fake website whose look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate one.

Please be cautious: Don’t disclose your password to anyone.   If you follow a link in any email claiming to be from Bookabach please check that it goes to bookabach.co.nz - or a sub-domain (e.g. manage.*, secure.*).  Even if the page looks like Bookabach - don’t trust it!

Lastly, if you receive any email, supposedly from Bookabach, requesting you to either supply or re-enter your username/password then please contact our Support Desk straight away.

References:
Read the Wiki article on Phishing

How do Bookabach Gift Vouchers work? (for guests)

This article is for: Renters

Bookabach Gift Vouchers provide a way to pre-purchase accommodation on Bookabach (not currently available on Bookastay Australia or Pacifica websites).  Vouchers are paid for by credit card and can be sent by email as a PDF attachment, or printed out and gifted.

To purchase a gift voucher

You’ll find a link to Buy a Gift Voucher in the footer of each page on http://www.bookabach.co.nz.  Or, click here to be taken to this page.

The funds associated with voucher payments are held in our Commercial Trust Account (Safepay) and only paid to the property owner/manager after the stay has completed.  A 2% Safepay service fee applies at time of voucher purchase.

To redeem a gift voucher

1) Make a booking request via the Bookabach website as usual.

Once your booking has been accepted and the owner/manager has indicated what is owed (the Charge):

2) Go to My Bookabach > Bookings and use the Make a payment button.

3) Choose the Pay by Gift Voucher option and then enter the code that appears on your voucher.

It doesn’t cost an owner/manager anything to accept Bookabach Gift Vouchers.  Funds associated with the voucher are shown in their Trust Account and are available to them for drawdown after your stay has completed.

Refer to the Gift Voucher Terms of Use which appear on your voucher.

What is a Mate’s Rates discount?

This article is for: Renters

At the conclusion of your stay on a Bookabach property we prompt the owner/manager of the property to give feedback on you as a rental guest.  This feedback becomes part of your publicly viewable profile on Bookabach.  We use a simple star rating system whereby you receive a “star” for each item of good feedback you receive. Your good feedback enables you to receive Mate’s Rates discounts on some properties. 

Many owners/managers understand the value of receiving a booking request from someone with proven good rental history so they are willing to provide a percentage discount to Bookabach member with a certain number of “stars”.

How do I pay on a “Safepay” property?

This article is for: Renters

**NOTE: Safepay is currently only available on Bookabach NZ and not offered on all properties**

When you pay for your stay using credit card on a “Safepay” property your funds are held in the Bookabach Commercial Trust Account.  These funds only become available to a property owner/manager after your stay has completed.  Paying by credit card has the additional advantage in that your booking is instantly confirmed on payment.

If you cancel your booking, Bookabach will process your cancellation and refund you any amounts due (not the owner/manager).  Also, if for any reason beyond your control the accommodation is not made available to you, then Bookabach will refund you your money.

Note that a 2% Safepay service fee applies to any credit card payments.

To make a credit card payment:

1) Make a booking request via the Bookabach website as usual.

Once your booking has been accepted and the owner/manager has indicated what is owed (the Charge):

2) Go to My Bookabach > Bookings and use the Make a payment button.

3) Choose the credit card option and enter the required details.

See also:
How do I pay on a “Deal Direct” property?
How do I pay on a “Professionally Managed” property?

How do I pay on a “Professionally Managed” property?

This article is for: Renters

***NOTE: Credit card facilities for Professionally Managed properties are currently only available on Bookabach NZ ***

Professionally Managed properties on Bookabach accept payments by credit card, internet banking and possibly cash or personal cheque.  If you pay by credit card your payments go into the Property Manager’s Commercial Trust Account. We know this because we provide them with the payment facility (our Hosted Payments product).

If you pay by internet banking, cash or personal cheque the Property Manager should also put these funds in their Commercial Trust Account.

If you cancel your booking it is up to the Property Manager to process the cancellation and provide you with any refund due.

See also:
How do I pay on a “Safepay” property?
How do I pay on a “Deal Direct” property?

How do I pay on a “Deal Direct” property?

This article is for: Renters

With Deal Direct properties you pay the owner or property manager directly for the stay. You can pay them by internet banking, cash, and in some cases personal cheque. They may also accept credit card payments.

If you cancel your booking it is up to the owner/manager to process the cancellation and provide you with any refund due.

See also:
How do I pay on a “Safepay” property?
How do I pay on a “Professionally Managed” property?

I stayed at a property recently. When do I receive my AA Smartfuel discount?

This article is for: Renters

Bookabach offers a 10c per litre AA Smartfuel discount on properties that display the AA Smartfuel logo on their listing.  These are our Top-500 Performing Properties.  We may also offer AA Smartfuel discounts as an incentive under specific marketing campaigns that use campaign offer codes.

To qualify for your AA Smartfuel discount:
* You must have a confirmed stay at an AA Smartfuel qualifying property.  This is a property that displays the AA Smartfuel logo at the time you make your booking request, or is part of a specific campaign-based AA Smartfuel offer (with an offer code).
* You must have your AA membership number or AA Smartfuel number in your personal profile (see My Bookabach > Update my details), and it must be validated (using the validation link).

AA Smartfuel discounts are automatically allocated 7 days after your stay has completed.  This allows owners/managers to update their records with any last minute cancellations.  We’ll let you know (by email) when your AA Smartfuel discount has been credited to your AA Smartfuel card.

IMPORTANT:
We record whether or not to allocate an AA Smartfuel discount at the time you make your booking request.  This means:
* Bookings lodged prior to 11-Nov-2011 do not qualify for AA Smartfuel Discounts.  This is the date AA Smartfuel was launched on Bookabach.
* Bookings on properties displaying AA Smartfuel that where not Top-500 properties when you made your booking request do not qualify for AA Smartfuel Discounts.

How do I remove (delete) my membership?

This article is for: Managers Renters

If you want to completely remove your details from Bookabach then follow the instructions below.  Note that this is different than “unsubscribing” - which is where you opt out from receiving some or all of our marketing communications.

Renters:

1) Go to http://www.bookabach.co.nz and log into My Bookabach
2) Click the “Remove membership” link. 
3) Confirm this action by clicking the red “Remove membership” button.

Owners/Managers:

If you have recently sold a property and want to transfer your listing and booking history to the new owner see this help article.

1) Resign from, or disband any properties you are associated with by going to My Account > Properties and clicking the “Remove” link next to the property name.
2) Log into the Renter website http://www.bookabach.co.nz  (use the link at the top)
3) Under your contact details you’ll find a “Remove membership” link. 

NOTE: If you have rental bookings you have committed to in the future and cannot meet these commitments, please contact us.

I’ve made an enquiry but haven’t had response.  What do I do?

This article is for: Renters

If you’ve made a booking request but haven’t had a response from the property owner/manager here’s what to do:

Check the current status of your booking

First, log into your My Bookabach account and go to my bookabach > Bookings to check your booking request.  There’s a chance that it has been declined but the owner/manager omitted to send you an email.  By default you should receive an email from them, but they can override this and choose not to send the email.

If your booking is still showing as REQUESTED

Check the email we sent you when you first made the enquiry (booking request acknowledgement).  In this email (in most cases) you’ll find the owner/manager contact information and an indication of how quickly they typically respond.  Remember that holiday homes are not like hotels and motels, and in many cases owners are not doing this “for a living”.  So, while some commit to responding quickly, otherwise are up front in saying it may take them a few days to respond.  So, please respect this. 

Use the owner/manager contact details to contact them by phone.  You’ll find a link to their contact details next to the entry in My Bookabach > Bookings.

If you haven’t heard back in the specified time frame and the owner’s/manager’s contact details aren’t recorded, then please put in a support request and we’ll follow up for you.  If the response time isn’t specified, we’ll contact an owner/manager on your behalf if you haven’t heard back after 48 hours (excluding weekends).

I stayed at a property and want to provide feedback, how do I do this?

This article is for: Renters

We automatically send a “Request for Feedback” email notice a few days after the completion of your stay.  Use the link in that email to get through to the online feedback questionnaire.

If you haven’t received this email or you’ve lost it, or if you just want to provide feedback as soon as your stay completes, you can do this online by:

1) Going to http://www.bookabach.co.nz and logging into My Bookabach
2) Go to Past Bookings
3) Use the Give feedback link on the past booking

-OR-
1) Find the listing on http://www.bookabach.co.nz
2) Use the feedback link in the Guest Comments section.  (You’ll then be asked to log-in if you are not already).

Feedback links are only generated on bookings that were Completed - and only on bookings you’ve made through Bookabach.  You can only provide feedback on bookings that were completed within the last 365 days.

If your booking proceeded, but is still showing as “Requested” or “Accepted”, then please let us know using the Did this go ahead? link.

If you stay at the same property more than once, you won’t be able to create feedback entries for each stay.  You’ll only get one feedback entry, located under the original stay date, and previous comments will be superceded each time you add new comments.  It’s industry standard to allow only one feedback entry per person, and this is to prevent feedback manipulation.

How do I opt out from receiving newsletters?

This article is for: Managers Renters

You can opt out from receiving the marketing communications we send to you by following the instructions below.  Note that our marketing system is continuously updated with new details but it can take 2-5 days for any changes to take effect. 

Renters:
1) Go to http://www.bookabach.co.nz
2) Click the My Bookabach tab and log in
3) Click the “Newsletter Preferences” link (on the right-hand side).  This will take you to My Bookabach > Newsletter options
4) Un-tick the boxes for the communications you no longer wish to receive
5) Click the “Save” button.

Owners/Managers:
1) Go to http://manage.bookabach.co.nz and log in
2) Go to My Settings > Personal Preferences
3) Un-tick the boxes for the communications you no longer wish to receive
4) Click the “Save” button.

Note that if you are the owner or Rental Contact of one or more properties on Bookabach, you cannot opt out from receiving the Owner/Manager edition of our newsletter. They often contain critical information about the website.

How do I cancel my booking? (rental guests)

This article is for: Renters

If you’ve made a booking through Bookabach but need to cancel, please notify the owner/manager directly that you are cancelling:

1) Log in to My Bookabach on http://www.bookabach.co.nz
2) Click the “Bookings” tab.
3) Click the “Cancel booking” button for the relevant entry.  This will generate an email to send to the owner/manager, and you can optionally add in your own message.
4) Click the “Send” button.

If you’ve already paid a deposit, depending on the agreement you have in place between you and the owner/manager, you may forfeit some or all of the rental deposit or rental payment you have paid.  We recommend that you check the owner’s/manager’s rental terms and cancellation policy before you cancel.  If the owner/manager is using online rental terms, you can view them using the Booking Statement: View/Download links on the Bookings page of your “My Bookabach” account.

How do I change my contact details?

This article is for: Managers Renters

You can change your address and/or phone numbers, and add your AA Membership or Smartfuel number to your profile.

To change your contact details on Bookabach:

Renters:
1) Log in to your “My Bookabach” account.
2) Click the “Update my details” link.
3) Enter the new details and click the “Save” button.

Owners/Managers:
1) Go to http://manage.bookabach.co.nz and log in
2) Go to My Settings > Personal Details
3) Click the “Edit personal details” button.
4) Enter the new details and click the “Save” button.

I’ve received negative feedback. What should I do?

This article is for: Managers Renters

Most people understand that there are two sides to any story - and feedback comments are “opinion pieces”.  In general provided you have a history of good transactions on Bookabach, a single piece of negative feedback should not significantly affect your ranking or ability to use Bookabach. 

We give you the right to respond to feedback and provide your side of the story - and we recommend that you use this opportunity to clearly state your point of view. To do this:

Renters:

1) Go to http://www.bookabach.co.nz and log in to your “My Bookabach” account.
2) Use the View/respond to feedback link.
3) Use the Attach a response link below the feedback in question.
4) Enter your comments (maximum of 500 characters including spaces) and Save.

Owners/Property managers:

To respond to Guest Book comments:

1) Go to http://manage.bookabach.co.nz and log in.
2) Go to Listing > Guest book.
3) Click the “Attach a response” link under the relevant entry.
4) Enter your comments (maximum of 500 characters including spaces) and Save.

To respond to personal feedback comments:

1) Go to http://manage.bookabach.co.nz and log in.
2) Go to My Settings (link on the top right of screen under your name).
3) Use the View/respond to feedback link below your contact details.
4) Enter your comments (maximum of 500 characters including spaces) and Save.

We strongly advise you not to retaliate by placing negative feedback on them - unless you have a genuine grievance with the way they have treated you.  Retaliating by placing negative feedback where it is not justified can reflect badly on your own listing.

Sorry, Bookabach will not intervene to "sanitise" feedback - see our policy on editing feedback.

How does Bookastay/Bookabach work?  (for renters)

This article is for: Renters

Bookabach puts would-be bach renters directly in touch with owners and property managers of the finest baches, beach houses and self-catering holiday homes in New Zealand.

First of all, please understand that all the properties you see on the Bookabach website are managed by their owners - or in some cases a property manager appointed by the bach owner - not by Bookabach.

So, when you make an enquiry on a property your request is automatically sent to the owner/manager of the property.  On making an enquiry you will be provided with the owner/manager’s contact details so you can call them to follow-up.

It’s THEIR responsibility to:

* Decide whether to accept or decline your booking request
* Provide you with more details on the property and answer any question you may have
* Organise with you payment of a deposit to confirm the booking; plus any bond and balance of rental
* Provide you with a rental agreement (we recommend this)

Bookabach facilitates this process by providing the website - a safe place to rent holiday homes* - and tools for the owners/property managers to use for effective management of their properties.

*Note that Bookabach orders properties by default using a scoring system heavily-weighted to feedback from other renters - so the ones furthest up the top have the most rental history.

How do I request a booking?

This article is for: Renters

Every Bookabach listing has a price and availability box that is located underneath the main property description.  To make a booking request, follow these simple steps:

1) Either enter your arrival date using the calendar icon and click the “Go” button, or scan for your dates using the scroll-key at the top of the calendar.  You can scan week by week by clicking the arrows on each side of the display.
Note that we use the following colour codes on the calendar:
RED: The property is already booked.
YELLOW: Provisionally booked (a requested or accepted booking is already present).  You are welcome to make an enquiry but you are unlikely to have it accepted.
GREY: Availability information not displayed.  You can still request a booking, but you will have to wait to find out availability.
You’ll also find public, provincial and school holidays marked on the calendar (small coloured triangles)

2) Use the tick-boxes to select the dates you want to stay.  Holding your cursor over a date will bring up a pop-up box with full pricing information and any minimum night stay requirement.

3) Click the red “Request a booking” button once you’ve selected your days.  (Note: the green “Make a booking” button is designed to switch between pages and doesn’t actually lodge your booking).

4) Add and/or edit the relevant details and submit your request.

When you request a booking, the website will immediately notify the bach owner or property manager.   You’ll receive an acknowledgement email from us and in most cases it will have the property owner’s/manager’s contact phone numbers, so you can call to follow up your request. 

A record of your booking request will be entered in My Bookabach > Bookings.

How do I update my email address?

This article is for: Managers Renters

To update your email address:

Renters:

1) Go to http://www.bookabach.co.nz and log into My Bookabach using your old email address and password.

2) Click the “Change” link after your email address.

3) Enter the relevant details and click the “Save” button.

Owners/Property Managers:

1) Go to http://manage.bookabach.co.nz and log in.

2) Go to My Settings > Personal Details. 

3) Click the “Change email address” button.

4) Enter the relevant details and click the “Save” button.

What does POA mean? (for renters)

This article is for: Renters

POA stands for “Price on application”.

This means that the bach owner or property manager has not provided pricing information.  You will need to make a booking request and ask for a price quotation.

What is a bach?

This article is for: Managers Renters

In Aotearoa (New Zealand) we call holiday homes “baches”.  Where the term comes from has been hotly debated.  In general, it’s acknowledged that it’s a contraction of “bachelor”, from the days when men wanting time out disappeared with their mates to rustic huts in the middle of nowhere.

These days, the word “bach” can mean a holiday home, beach house, hut or lodge.  They range from the traditional, back-to-basics “Kiwi bach” to very luxurious houses.

Why should I book through Bookabach/Bookastay?

This article is for: Renters

Bookabach lets bach owners and property managers link to their own website. While in most cases this will give you more information than you can glean from the Bookabach website, we urge you to make your booking through Bookabach.

Booking through Bookabach doesn’t cost a thing. It ensures that your booking request ends up on the calendar used for the property Also, it gives us the traceability we need to help you if need be.

What does Enquiry Pending mean?

This article is for: Renters

Enquiry Pending means that someone has already made an enquiry over the dates shown.  It shows in YELLOW on the Price-Availability display. You can still put in a Booking Request, but you should be prepared for the possibility of it being declined if the initial booking goes through.

How do I report offensive or abusive feedback?

This article is for: Managers Renters

If you come across feedback that is personally attacking or offensive, please use the “Send this page” link at the top of the page to report it. Send the page to support@bookabach.co.nz.

What is Bookabach’s policy on gazumping?

This article is for: Managers Renters

Gazumping is where an owner or property manager accepts a booking (verbally or in writing), but then chooses to accept another booking and cancel the first.  Typically this happens where an owner/manager receives a booking for a short-term stay, accepts it, then changes their mind when a more tempting long-stay booking is received for the same period

Bookabach DOES NOT condone the practice of gazumping.  We recommend owners/managers stand by their word when a booking is accepted.  However, we do recommend that owners/managers set a clear time limit for a rental guest to make a deposit to secure (i.e. confirm) the booking.  If this time limit is exceeded then it is acceptable practice to cancel the booking and accept another.

If you find yourself gazumped please contact support@bookabach.co.nz

Why am I not receiving email sent to me from Bookabach ?

This article is for: Managers Renters

We do our best to make sure emails sent from Bookabach, or sent via the Bookabach website, are delivered successfully.  Every Internet Service Provider (ISP) has its own spam and junk mail filtering settings, so we cannot guarantee email delivery.  If you haven’t received an email, we recommend that you check the spam or junk mail folder of your email inbox.

If the emails aren’t going to your inbox, add the Bookabach.co.nz domain to your white list - or ask your ISP to do this for you.  If your ISP does not support a white list, then add support@bookabach.co.nz, noreply@bookabach.co.nz and automailer@bookabach.co.nz to your address book.

If you are still not reliably receiving emails from Bookabach then contact us and we’ll attempt an email trace.

You may also want to consider the following:
1) Make sure your contact details are sent out when a booking request is made (My Settings > Contact Preferences)
2) Set up property manager text alerts (My Settings > Contact Preferences again)
3) Log in to your property account periodically and check your Notifications.

Finally, we recommend you follow up any critical communications with a phone call.

I’ve forgotten my password, how do I retrieve (reset) it?

This article is for: Managers Renters

You’ll find a “Forgotten password” link on every log-in form.  This will take you to a page with instructions on how you can re-set your password.  For security reasons we encrypt passwords and we no longer send them out in emails.  The Reset Password email you’ll receive contains a special link you can use to set-up a new access password.

If you request a password re-set more than once, use the most recent link sent to you, as previous links will be invalidated each time you request a new one.

Some parts of the website aren’t working. What can I do? (Javascript problems)

This article is for: Managers Renters

The owner-manager website requires JavaScript to be enabled in order to to function.  You can search Google for instructions on how to enable JavaScript for your specific browser.

You may also experience issues if you have personal firewall or ad-blocking software installed. We recommend ensuring that you have disabled any ad blocking or JavaScript disabling features of your internet security software.  Also, be sure to add http://www.bookabach.co.nz and http://manage.bookabach.co.nz to your ‘trusted’ websites.

What is your policy on editing feedback?

This article is for: Managers Renters

In the interests of preserving the integrity of Bookabach feedback, and providing impartiality to both renters and owners/managers alike, we will not remove or edit feedback - except in the following circumstances:

*  Where comments are defamatory, offensive or contain language of an inappropriate nature. We reserves the sole right to determine what is considered offensive, defamatory or inappropriate language.

*  Where the author of the feedback has requested it be removed or amended. Any requests for amendments should be made to Bookabach Support. A request for feedback to be modified or withdrawn must come via email and from the email address the member uses for their Bookabach log in.

Note that feedback includes both member feedback and property guestbook entries.

What do the colours mean on the listing price/availability?

This article is for: Renters

We use colours to describe the availability status of each property. These colours show in the Price/Availability area of the listing. Here’s what they mean:

WHITE: Available.

YELLOW: Provisionally booked. One or more requested or accepted bookings may be present on this day, but nothing confirmed yet. By all means make an enquiry - but understand you’ll only get a look-in if someone cancels.

RED: Booked. A confirmed booking is present on this day.  Booking requests are no longer accepted.

GREY: Availability unknown. The owner/manager is not committed to providing availability information to Bookabach.

GREEN: Selected. A day you’ve selected for your booking.

What is a bach?

This article is for: Renters

In Aotearoa we call holiday homes “baches”. Where the term comes from has been hotly debated .  In general, its acknowledged that it’s a contraction of “bachelor”, from the days when men wanting time out disappeared with their mates to rustic huts in the middle of nowhere.

These days, the word “bach” can mean a holiday home, beach house, hut or lodge. They range from the traditional, back-to-basics “Kiwi bach” to very luxurious houses.

I am having problems logging in. What do I do?

This article is for: Managers Renters

If you are having trouble logging in, first check to make sure you are using the correct email address.  If you have more than one email address, ensure you’re using the one you have registered with Bookabach and you’re typing it correctly.  Also, the log-in email address and password are case-sensitive, so enter them exactly as you registered them. 

If you have forgotten your password, you can have the website send you an email with a link to “reset” your password. You’ll find a link to do this on every log-in form.

If you still can’t log in, please put in a support request instead of creating a new membership account.

If you KNOW that your details are correct then check the following:  We rely on “Cookies” - small pieces of information stored on your computer -  to keep track of your “session” on the website while you are logged in.  If your browser is set to block Cookies then you will not be able to log-in and establish your session. To fix this go to your browser settings:

Internet Explorer
Go to: Tools > Internet options > Security (or Privacy): Click “Default level”.  You may also need to add www.bookabach.co.nz to your trusted sites

Firefox
Go to: Tools > Privacy > Cookies: Ensure the “Accept cookies from sites” is checked. Then try registering/logging-in again.

Note that some corporate firewalls or browser acceleration software can affect cookie files.  Further information on this can be found on Google’s site: See Browser troubleshooting basics.

Where can I find the website terms of use (terms and conditions)?

This article is for: Managers Renters

You’ll find a link to our website terms of use in the footer of every page. 

Note that these are terms and conditions for use of the website NOT rental terms and conditions.  If you are renting a property through the site please be sure to ask your property manager or bach owner to provide you with rental terms and conditions.

What properties are available this weekend/next weekend?

This article is for: Renters

You’ll find quick links on the Home Page for This Weekend and Next Weekend.  These links pre-load dates into the search to give a quick and easy way to search for available properties. Use these to display listing available for these periods. Many listings will provide a last minute discounts.