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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
For Homeowners
Most Frequent Questions
Account Management
Common Questions
For Renters
Photos
Pricing and Payments
Spam and Internet Scams
Most Frequent Questions
How can I be sure the rentals are legitimate?
Q: How can I be sure the rentals are legitimate?
A: Since the online service we provide for vacationers is comparable to that offered by a newspaper or magazine through which vacation homes are advertised, we recommend that you take steps to protect yourself by requesting references and a list of past renters from the homeowners before agreeing to rent. If possible, we also suggest that you visit the property in advance.
Certified Listings
Q: What is a “Certified” listing?
A: Certified listings identify properties that have met at least one of our certification requirements, as follows:
- One of Mr. Vacation’s staff or certification agents has physically stayed there.
- One of Mr. Vacation’s staff or certification agents has done a physical walkthrough of the property with the owner/property manager.
- The property owner/manager has submitted copies of a recent utility bill and at least one copy of a government issued photo ID. In addition, the property’s owner has been verified by a public records search performed by MrVacation.com.
Certified Listings in which a staff member has stayed at the property include a short write-up about the property by the individual who stayed there. As a bonus, all Certified Listings also receive 3 FREE months as a Featured Listing on the City & State search pages of the MrVacation.com website. Certified listings receive more inquiries and bookings than non-certified listings. Receiving just one extra booking as a result of being certified will more than pay for itself, possibly many times over. If you would like to get your vacation rental home certified, please contact us for details.
List my Vacation Rental for Sale
Q: How do I list my Vacation Rental for Sale?
A: To list your vacation rental for sale, click the “List Your Home” link at the top of our homepage. You will be taken to the Login page. If you do not yet have an account, you may create an account on this page. If you already have an account, log in. The next page will have 2 links “List Vacation Rental” and “List Vacation Home For Sale”. Choose “List Vacation Home for Sale” and fill in the appropriate fields on the following pages to build your listing. An additional fee applies to list homes for sale.
I can't see changes I’ve made to my listing
Q: I made changes to my listing and I can't see them. What happened?
A: Since all our pages are cached in your browser or ISPs caching server, you will need to click Refresh/Reload on your browser while viewing the region page you added your listing to as well as your listing page. Sometimes your ISPs caching server will not provide the most recent page for up to 24 hours (sometimes longer). In this case, you have no choice but to wait until they refresh to see your listing. Your listing will appear for everyone else who is visiting the page for the first time.
Can you List or Modify my listing for me
Q: Can you list or modify my listing for me?
A: Unfortunately, we cannot list or modify your listing for you. Please use "Home Owner Login" to modify your listing. If you require help with changes or scanning in photos, please refer to questions under “Photos” in this FAQ.
I don't see my new listing
Q: I added a new listing and I don’t see it. Where is it?
A: Since all our pages are cached in your browser or ISPs caching server you will need to click Refresh/Reload on your browser while viewing the region page you added your listing to. Sometimes your ISPs caching server will not provide the most recent page for up to 24 hours (sometimes longer). In this case, you have no choice but to wait until they refresh to see your listing. Your listing will appear for everyone else who is visiting the page for the first time.
AHow to Find a listing by the “Listing Number”
Q: Can I find a listing using the Listing Number?
A: Yes. To find a listing using the listing number, enter the listing number into the “Search” box on our homepage and press "Go".
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
How toModify/Delete Listings
Q: How do I modify or remove my listing?
A: You have complete access to your listings 24 hours per day and you can modify your listing as often as you like. To modify your listing, log into your Homeowner’s account via the “Homeowner Login” link at the top of our homepage: http://www.mrvacation.com/. You will be taken to the “Homeowner’s Management Page” Select “My Active Listings” and then select the listing you would like to make changes to. A page will open displaying all of your listing’s details. Here you can modify any of the text (location, title, property details, amenities, your contact info, etc) or select “Delete Listing” at the bottom of the page.
I Forgot my Username or Password
Q: What do I do if forget my username or password?
A: If you forget your username or password, you may obtain it by selecting the "Home Owners Login" link on the top of our home page. You will be taken to the Homeowner Login page. Directly under the “Login” button, click the link that says “Forgot Password”. You will be taken to a page where you can enter your email address. Click “Send Password” and your login information will then be sent to your email address, assuming you have previously registered with us and the email address you entered is the same one you registered with.
How to Change my Email address
Q: How do I change my email address?
A: To change your email address, log into your Homeowner’s account via the “Homeowner Login” link at the top of our homepage: http://www.mrvacation.com/. You will be taken to the “Homeowner’s Management Page”. Select “My Account Information. A page will open displaying all of your personal account information (your address and contact info). Here you can modify any of your contact details. Be sure to submit your changes.
Change Username
Q: How do I change my username?
A: Usernames cannot be changed. The only possibility is to open a new account with a different email address and transfer your listings to the new account.
I don’t see my Availability Calendar
Q: I just added a calendar to my listing and can’t find it. Where is it located?
A: Our listing pages are cached by your browser and internet caching servers and may need to be refreshed to see any changes. Try viewing your listing in your browser, and click "Refresh/Reload" on your browser. If this does not work, you may need to wait up to 24 hours (sometimes longer) for your ISPs caching server to get the newest page from our server.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Featured Listing
Q: What is a Featured Listing?
A: A Featured Listing is a glorified listing in which the property owner/manager has paid for additional exposure on specific high-traffic pages on the MrVacation.com website, such as our homepage and our State & City search pages. There are two types of Featured Listings; “Homepage Featured Listing” and “City & State Featured Listing”. The rates for each type vary depending on which package you choose and the duration the Featured Listing is to run for. A Featured Listing on our homepage will receive the most viewers while a Featured Listing on our City & State search pages receives fewer viewers but they’re a more targeted audience since they are specifically looking for a vacation rental in your state and/or city. Since advertising space on our homepage is limited, these two Featured Listings packages are sold separately. Featured Listings are located on the sides of the pages they’re displayed on and the listings rotate with the other Featured Listings on that page so that all Featured Listings receive equal exposure.
Referral/Affiliate Program
Q: Is there a referral or affiliate program?
A: At this time we do not have a referral or affiliate program but we may introduce an affiliate program in the near future based on PPA (Pay Per Action). If you are interested in becoming a MrVacation affiliate, please send us an email and we will notify you when the program goes live.
Direct link to my listing
Q: Is there a specific URL directly to my listing or do I have to navigate there through your website every time?
A: Yes, there is a direct URL link to each property you list. You are also welcome to access your listings through our search tool using your listing id number. To easily find the URL of or your listing, locate your listing through our homepage (you may enter your city’s name in the Search Tool as a shortcut). Once you get to your listing page, the direct URL will be listed in your web browser and will include your Listing’s ID# at the end of the URL. Your listing id number will never change and you don’t need to navigate to get to it. Once you have your listing’s direct URL, simply put the URL in the address box of your web browser to go directly to your listing. You should also save the direct URL and include it in every email reply to your interested prospects. Feel free to promote the URL any way you desire.
Link Exchange/OutgoingLinks to Personal Websites
Q: Can I put a link to my personal website on my listing?
A: YES! And we highly encourage it. We only require that your personal website include a reciprocal link back to us (you may link directly back to your listing on MrVacation.com using your listing’s unique URL). This is a very important part of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and is mutually beneficial to both of our websites for search engine rankings. Please note that our software will automatically notify us if the link on your website is removed, which will result in the removal of the outgoing link on your listing.
My City/Area Does Not Exist
Q: My area does not exist, how do I request a new region be added?
A: Please choose the closest area/subcategory possible. Our staff manually reviews each new listing. If your area does not yet exist, we will manually create a new subcategory for your listing if and when we deem appropriate. All listings should contain the city’s name so our search tool can quickly locate it regardless of which subcategory it is listed under.
Homeowners: Bounced/Returned Emails
Q: I responded to an inquiry from a renter and it bounced back undeliverable. Can you help me?
A: If a message is returned to you undeliverable, we cannot provide you with the correct address to contact the person who sent the inquiry. Form-based inquiries must ask the sender to enter an email address. There is no way to verify the validity of this address before they send the inquiry. It is up to the sender to ensure the email address provided is typed in correctly. Once in a while it is possible to guess the address by checking for common misspellings in the address (ex. Yahoo.com). MrVacation.com has no way of locating the correct email address for undeliverable emails provided by prospective renters. To ensure that you are able to receive form-based emails from your listing, we recommend that you test it yourself by going to your listing and sending yourself a test email through the contact form. Enter "test" in the message box and click submit. Make sure the address you put in the From box is a real address, preferably a different address than you used to sign up with. Internet mail servers will not deliver email if the From address is not a valid address. If you do not receive the test email, check your inquiry box on Mr Vacation .com and see if it is there. If it is, make sure you have not blocked email from Mr Vacation .com via your spam controls on your email box (AOL users can enter keyword "SPAM CONTROLS" to check this). If you have checked all the above and still did not receive your test email, please contact us.
Renters: Bounced/Undeliverable Email
Q: An email I sent to inquire on a property bounced back to me. What should I do?
A: If a message is returned to you as undeliverable or a homeowner is not responding to your inquiries, please contact us and we will investigate the problem.
Another Homeowner copied my Listing Text
Q: Another homeowner copied parts of my listing text. What should I do?
A: Since we do not copyright your listing text, there is little we can do to help. We recommend you ask the owner to remove any copied text in a non-threatening manner. If they refuse, we will co-operate as required by any legal proceeding. When contacting them, please let them know that search engines (such as Google) penalize websites that display duplicate text as another website and copying your text will merely hurt both of you in the search engine rankings.
RENTER QUESTIONS
How do I view Properties?
Q: How do I view properties for rent or for sale?
A: To view a property in the USA, you may click the state of interest on the US map on our homepage. For other areas of interest, you may use one of the continent/country maps available on our homepage or enter the city name in our “Search” box (located on our homepage) or you may navigate to the area you are interested in by scrolling down on our homepage and clicking on the general area of interest. If the area is in the USA, you will be taken to the State page where you will select your city or specific area of interest. You will then be taken to the City page and a brief summary will be listed for each property and the listings with the most photos will be at the top. Once you find a property of interest, click the title of the property to see the complete details and photos for that property. As a shortcut, you may also the Search box on our homepage or our Property Search Engine, which will take you directly to the City page. The Property Search Engine page can be found by clicking on “Vacation Rentals” in the navigation section at the top of each page on our website.
How do I inquire?
Q: How do I contact owners to inquire about or reserve a property?
A: To inquire for a rental property’s availability or to reserve the property or ask questions, you must contact the homeowner or property manager directly. This can be done by clicking the "Contact Homeowner" button found on the right side of the listing page. You will be taken to a contact form, which you must fill out and submit. If a phone number is present, you may call the homeowner/property manager by telephone.
Search Vacation Homes for Sale
Q: How do I search for Vacation Homes for Sale?
A: Click the “Search Vacation Homes” navigation link at the top of our homepage to get to our search engine. In the first dropdown window, choose “Search Vacation Homes for Sale” and enter your other search criteria such as city, state, etc. This will return a search with only the vacation rental homes for sale in your desired area and filter out all homes that are not for sale. Choosing the default of “All” in the dropdown window will return both vacation homes for rent and vacation homes for sale in your desired area.
File a complaint about a property or its owner
Q: How can I file a complaint about a property or owner?
A: MrVacation.com has a strict policy of removing a listing for a single legitimate complaint. MrVacation.com reserves the right to either remove or not remove a listing based on the legitimacy and severity of the complaint filed. If you have a complaint about a property on MrVacation.com, please report it to us through the MrVacation Contact Page. Be sure to include the property’s listing number.
Report Abuse/Fraud
Q: How do I report Abuse/Fraud?
A: If you are the victim of Fraud or Abuse from a listing found on MrVacation.com please report it to us through the MrVacation Contact Page. Be sure to include the property’s listing number and as many details as possible for our investigation
Protection against Abuse/Fraud
Q: What can I do to protect myself from Abuse or Fraud?
A: Abuse and Fraud are quite rare in the Vacation Rentals industry. Although 99.99% of all transactions between renters and owners run smoothly, occasional problems do sometimes occur. Steps can be taken that will increase the chance that your transaction will run smoothly. As a renter, one step you can take to greatly reduce the likelihood of fraud is to rent only properties that are “MrVacation Certified”. These are properties where a MrVacation.com staff member or agent has either visited the property in person, has stayed there, or the property owner/manager has submitted the required documents verifying ownership of the property. For complete details on how listings become certified, please see question #2 “What does Certified mean” on this FAQ page. Also, please take the time to read our Renters Tips on our Disclaimer page for suggestions on how to better work with a property owner.
How do I Unsubscribe?
Q: How do I unsubscribe from MrVacation.com marketing campaigns?
A: MrVacation.com spends time researching the industry to provide travelers with insights on the travel industry and will send occasional mailings to our members & visitors. If you are a Traveler who does not wish to receive valuable Vacation/Travel news, special offers, and other valuable travel information, you may unsubscribe from our mailings by replying to any mailing by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any promotional email you receive from us.
PHOTOS
Add or Change Photos
Q: How do I add photos to my listing?
A: If you would like photos posted on your listing, simply log into your account and select “My Active Listings”. From there you can proceed to the upload page for your photos where you can add, change, or delete your photos and modify their descriptions. You can change your photos any time you want and as often as you want. If you are having difficulties uploading photos, please continue reading the photos Q&A below.
Uploading Physical Print Photos
Q: I only have print photos. How can I upload them to my listing?
A: If you have print photos you would like to upload to your listing, there are two options.
- You can scan them into your computer and then upload them to your listing. If you do not have a scanner, stores like Kinkos and most Mail stores can scan in your photos for a fee.
- You can mail your physical prints to MrVacation.com and we will scan them in and post them on your listing for you. This service is provided ONLY for paid listings and an additional $20 handling/scanning fee applies, which should be included with your photos when you mail them to us. Mail your print photos and payment to:
MrVacation.com
1111 Lincoln Road 4th Floor
Miami Beach, Florida 33139
If you have already set up an account and paid for your listing online, please provide your listing number so we can upload the photos to the correct listing. If you have not yet set up your account or paid for your listing, please include a check (drawn on a US bank) or money order for the listing package you are purchasing in addition to the $20 handling/scanning fee. Once your print photos have been scanned in by our staff, they will be discarded so please do not send the originals as they won’t be returned. Please allow at least 2-3 weeks for the photos to be scanned in and appear on your listing. Please do not contact us asking about your scanned photos unless it has been more than 3 weeks since you submitted them. We will send you an email confirmation when the photos have been uploaded to your profile so please include your email address with your request.
My photos haven't changed on my listing
Q: My photo changes appear when I log in, but not on my listing. Why?
A: Our listing pages are cached by your browser and ISP caching servers and may need to be refreshed to see any recent changes. Try to view your listing in your web browser and click "Refresh or Reload" on your browser (usually located on top near the "address" or "url" bar). If this doesn’t work, you may need to wait up to 24 hours (and sometimes longer) for your ISPs caching server to get the new page from our server.
Number of photos
Q: How many photos can I put on my listing?
A: Currently, the maximum number of photos you may have on your listing is restricted to the number of photos permitted in the particular listing package that you signed up for. However, you may upgrade your listing package at any time through the Account Manager, which will allow you to add more photos and give you higher placement in our search result pages.
I can't see my photos
Q: I just added/changed photos and they are not showing on my listing. Where are they?
A: Our listing pages are cached by your browser and ISP caching servers and may need to be refreshed to see any recent changes. Try to view your listing in your web browser and click "Refresh or Reload" on your browser (usually located on top near the "address" or "URL" bar). If this doesn’t work, you may need to wait up to 24 hours for your ISPs caching server to get the new page from our server.
Another Homeowner Copied My Photos
Q. What do I do if someone copied text or photos from my listing?
A. In the case of copied text only, please kindly ask the homeowner to change their text as search engines penalize sites with duplicate or content that is too similar to another website. Each listing’s text should be as original as possible for maximum search engine ranking.
Can I Use Photos From My Listings on Other Websites?
Q: Can I copy my photos from another website and post them on my MrVacation.com listing?
A: Many other websites copyright your photos once you add them to your listing and thus they cannot be legally uploaded to our site without their permission. If you want to use photos from another website, you must obtain permission from the other website before you can upload your photos to your listing.
PRICING and PAYMENTS
Pricing
Q: What are your listing prices?
A: The price for each listing depends entirely on the listing package that you purchase and the type of listing (Vacation Home Rental or Vacation Home For Sale), in addition to any other Featured Listing, Certification, or other promotional package you purchase for your listing. To see our listing prices, please click “List New Rental” on our homepage. Prices are subject to change without notice.
Payments
Q: How do I make a payment?
A: Our online payment system is easy to use. When listing a new rental, the final pages in the listing process will allow you to select the type of listing package you want and then ask for your credit card information or Paypal information.
Payment Address
Q: I want to mail you a check or money order, what is your mailing address?
A: To make a payment by mail, please send your payment to the address below. We can accept personal checks drawn on a US bank, US Money orders, Cashier’s Checks, and International Money Orders. Please mail to:
MrVacation.com
1111 Lincoln Road 4th Floor
Miami Beach, Florida 33139
Verifying Payments
Q: How will I know when my payment is processed?
A: By Check: If you pay by check from within the USA, please allow at least 2 weeks from the time it is mailed before it is processed. Please do not contact us to inquire if payment has been received within these 2 weeks. A notification by email will be sent to you after your payment is processed. If you do not receive an email from us after 2 weeks, please contact us about the payment. We can only accept money orders, cashier’s checks, and personal checks drawn on US banks. Payments made from outside the USA must be made by international money order, Paypal, or credit card. Payments mailed from outside the USA should allow at least 3 weeks for processing.
By Credit Card: If you pay by credit card, your payment is usually processed immediately, but could take up to 24 hours. To find out if your payment has been processed, please log into your account (click “Homeowner Login” at the top of any MrVacation.com page) and check the status of your listing. Once logged in, click the “My Active Listings” folder. If your listing is active, it will be listed as active on the following page. If it is inactive, the page will say “ You currently have no active listings” and your inactive listing will be listed at the bottom of the page as it awaits activation. Please do not contact us to inquire if your payment has been received. A notification email will be sent to you after each payment is processed.
Refunds
Q: What is your refund policy?
A: Mr Vacation.com is proud to offer a "100% Risk Free Money Back Guarantee". If you are not satisfied for any reason, a complete refund for the full amount of your payment will be issued up to 30 days after the payment was made. Canceling a subscription before the maximum duration does not result or entitle the property owner to a refund for any unused listing time. Acts of God or the sale of a home does not take precedence over the conditions above. No refunds are offered beyond 30 days after payment. A refund may be requested by contacting us via phone, mail, or email. See our contact page for contact information.
What are Spam Emails
Q: What is "SPAM"?
A: SPAM is an unsolicited commercial e-mail usually advertising a product or service. It is usually undesirable and is often referred to as "junk mail", much like the junk mail you receive at home via postal snail mail.
Received a Suspicious Email
Q: I received a suspicious email. What should I do?
A: Usually emails with poor grammar and spelling, odd use of capital letters and/or asking you to wire money or participate in an unusual bank transaction is a scam. The sender is usually attempting to obtain money, personal information, or your email address. We recommend that you let us know if you receive this type of email through our service and please delete the message without responding or you will be voluntarily giving the suspicious person your email address. For further information about internet fraud and fake check scams, see fraud.org.
Received a SPAM email
Q: I received a SPAM email. What should I do?
A: Unsolicited commercial e-mail (also known as SPAM) is prohibited from being sent through our system. We apologize if you receive any type of SPAM through our system. Our contact forms greatly reduce SPAM by hiding your email address from viewers and email collection software. However, a spammer may still contact you via the online form. If you receive a SPAM email through our website, please let us know what you received by contacting us. For further information about internet fraud and fake check scams, see fraud.org.
Renter Overpayment Scams/Fraud
Q: What is a "Renter Overpayment Scam"?
A: Scammers will send you an inquiry, which may appear legitimate, but at some they will send you more than your rental fees and ask you to wire back the difference. The check they send you will be a fake but will usually take the bank several weeks to catch it. By then, you will have wired the difference back to them and will be unable to recover what you have sent. In some cases, the bad check will even clear your bank initially. We suggest you insist on exact payment, however; if you do accept an overpayment, wait at least 30 days before returning any funds. If you receive a suspicious inquiry mentioning that a third party (a business, assistant, or someone who owes them money) is going to send an overpayment, we recommend that you delete the inquiry without responding. See fraud.org for more information.
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