Q: Do I have to auction my property?
No. Auctions are just one way to advertise your property. Renters can search for standard "listings" or "deals" as well. Consider the property "listing" as the baseline or foundation that displays to renters all the time. You can then advertise deals or post auctions as needed to rent Open Vacation Weeks.
Q: Do I have to award the auction to the highest bidder?
As an owner, you will ultimately decide who rents your house. The bids are kept in order, from highest to lowest, so that if you can't get a deal done with the highest bidder, you can go to the next highest and so on.
Q: Can I change the auction once it is started?
Yes. You can change the reserve price, buy it now price and time frames for the auction. You can even cancel the auction once it is started.
Q: Does the auction automatically end when someone uses the "buy it now" button?
No. Not until the owner cancels or awards it. This gives the owner the opportunity to "seal the deal" with the "buy it now" renter before they stop taking bids on the auction.
Q: Can I get a discount on the subscription rate if I have multiple properties?
Yes. OVW will offer discounts on the annual subscription rate if you list more than 10 properties. Just fill out the Contact Us form and we will respond quickly to your request or question.
Q: Will I be notified of bids during the auction process?
Yes. The owner will receive an email when an bid is submitted, if they select to be notified through the Daily Digest. The Daily Digest is a system generated email that will be sent to the owner automatically. The owner can set their own preferences on how often and what type of information they receive. To change settings, go to Dashboard, Manage Profile, then Daily Digest Settings.
Q: How is the money collected once an auction is awarded?
This is entirely between the renter and owner. OVW does not take payment or get involved in the payment process.
Q: Do I have to be a registered user to search for properties?
No. But you do have to register to bid on auctions.