What service can I expect?

"Everything works efficiently, from the bookings made over the internet to the
confirmations and payments we receive. Even though we use the internet, we
appreciate the French-speaking telephone service because we don't speak English
very well. All our questions are responded to quickly."
Monique and Claude Le Mont, Gironde (Property Ref. F33118)

Dedicated owner service
If you like what you hear about us and decide to register your property, you'll enjoy unlimited access to our experienced UK-based Owner Services team. Available six days of the week by phone, email or fax, this team will be your main point of contact for discussions about things like visitors, payments, booking levels, planned improvements, cancellations or any difficulties you might have. To safeguard your privacy, you'll always be asked to quote your property reference and password when contacting the Owner Services team. For everyone's benefit, we like to run a smooth and well-organised operation at The Hoseasons Group.
Confirmations are issued on a daily basis for each booking, and late bookings (those made within seven days of arrival) will also be telephoned through. If you have one, we'll even make sure your caretaker or agent also receives these confirmations, although we won't provide them with any financial details. To help keep you in the picture we'll send you a monthly statement detailing the amount due to be paid directly into your bank account by BACS or Earthport if your account with us is with an overseas bank. When we do pay you, we'll already have deducted the VAT and our commission, so there's one less thing for you to think
about. It's worth noting that short notice bookings may need to be paid the following month and, subject to your personal contract, we'll need you to provide a list of the dates you'd like us not to sell.
Dedicated owner website
Our secure, state-of-the-art owner websites are easy to navigate, always up to date and packed with useful information - in fact there's no better way to keep track of your bookings and the latest business developments. Here you'll also find details of exclusive owner promotions like discounts on fabulous holidays offered by our sister companies.
Our booking service
We've put lots of thought and effort into our booking service - it's one of the things our customers really love about us, and a reason our owners enjoy such high levels of occupancy. Simple, effective and reliable, we've included features designed to make booking our holidays as trouble-free as possible. As you'd expect, customers can log on to the website 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and at the click of a button they can search for holidays, check availability and even make a secure booking. Users can also leave brochure requests day or night, and our experienced multi-lingual telephone team can answer their queries seven days a week, every day of the year except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Our sales staff are carefully chosen, highly trained and naturally motivated, while the sophisticated telephone network and high-speed computerised reservations systems they use mean superb efficiency and peace of mind for the customer...
We can also deal with debit and credit card transactions quickly and securely, so bookings can be confirmed and paid for in the space of a single telephone call. In fact, our systems are so accessible and efficient that it's even possible to find, book and begin a holiday all on the same day - perfect for late bookers and last-minute getaways.
Administrative support
Experience shows that courteous and competent administrative support makes a huge difference to owner satisfaction, and that's why we've developed a smooth and highly organised system run with real professionalism. Bookings are processed quickly and
efficiently, payments are taken before holidays are confirmed and you'll be kept up to date with regular and detailed balance statements. We'll also make sure visitors know how to find your property and collect their keys, even if they've booked last minute.
Your visitors and you
Listening to the needs of customers and owners has always been a priority at The Hoseasons Group, and it's enabled us to build up some simple 'ground rules' which help shape our booking conditions. In the conditions printed at the back of our brochures you'll find helpful tips and procedures designed to answer questions about important things like time of arrival and central heating requirements.
Greener thinking
As a conscientious tourism business it's only natural that we're passionate about our environment, and that's why we're committed to preserving it the way nature intended. To help turn our best intentions into practical measures, we've signed up to the Green Tourism Business Scheme - a grading scheme promoting sustainable tourism, and the only initiative of its kind endorsed by VisitEngland. After rigorous assessment by qualified advisors from GTBS, our head offices have already been awarded Silver grading in recognition of efforts to reduce our impact on the environment. Of course we won't stop there - over time we plan to turn our green credentials into Gold. We also like to use our influence to gently but actively promote the Green Tourism Business Scheme among our registered owners in England. We offer promotional discounts to help owners to sign up to the scheme if they're interested, but we always leave the final decision to the individual.
Tailor-made insurance
Letting with us is a positive and problem-free experience for the vast majority of our owners, but peace of mind comes from knowing you're properly protected just in case something does go wrong. Public Liability Insurance cover of £2 million is considered a minimum standard by the UK's Tourist Boards, so we've made it a prerequisite of our contracts. You might also need new insurance cover for accidental damage to your property and its contents, as well as for consequential loss of rental income. To make your life easier we've created our own exclusive yet optional Owner's Insurance Package, designed to provide exactly the cover you need and available at special discounted rates. You'll find more information about insurance in the Insurance Leaflet at the back of this booklet.
Taxation and legal advice
We know that the subject of tax and legal responsibilities can sometimes seem a little daunting, so we're pleased to offer the services of taxation and legal specialists for the UK and France as part of our owner support. Our experts can help with advice on selecting a legal entity for your enterprise, VAT, income tax, the Rents Act and short-hold tenancy. This service is designed to complement the work of any advisors you might have already appointed. There's more information about these subjects in the
Taxation Information leaflet at the back of this booklet.