hello

Is this a legit company? We're looking at options for accommodations in Italy and some of the same places that are listed in Tuscanynet are cheaper than the same property listed with other rental companies. It's obviously more attractive to rent from the cheaper company, but is there a catch here or something we should know first? Thank you.

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

The catch is that the rental agencies have to take their 15% cut to make a profit. The more direct the better.

katrina

Sorry but I don't get this...why would a rental company list the same properties that the owner is listing cheaper? Why would someone rent a property from a rental company if they can rent it from the owner?

curious

Yes, its legit. Our friends reserved through them and I plan on doing the same. The reason is because no agent is taking a commission. Tuscanynet allows you to rent direct to the property. Why would someone NOT rent directly? Because they don't know any better! I always try to rent from the owner. Just came back from rental house in Nantucket which was advertised on the net by the owner and by an agency. Got it $ 300.00/week cheaper by renting directly from the owner. It's pretty common practice.

goodthing

Whew..I've read this post with much interest as we've rented from TuscanyNet for October and I must admit I have awakened in cold sweats on a few nights worrying about the company. We didn't have to pay anything, just gave our credit card # and will pay on arrival. But it's always a little scary dealing with a faceless unknown. Thanks Curious for setting my mind at east!

Melind

I rented a place from Tuscanynet for this past June. The price was very reasonable ($664. for a week in an apartment that slept 4, had a beautiful pool, washing machine and very nice owners who live on the property, although they speak no English at all) It wasn't exactly like the picture painted on the website-it was newer and is not a working farm as far as I could tell, but we were pleased. We paid the owner directly on arrival. He said Tuscanynet had charged him to be on the site but didn't take a commission from the rent.

x

Not quite correct - tuscany.net take a percentage on all bookings made through their site and therefore the prices that the owners display there are often higher as a result. Find what you want on tuscany.net, then go to Google or Altavista and see if you can find some home pages or other direct-to-owner sites with direct contact to the owner - tuscany.net is NOT direct, they are in the miidle, albeit not as a traditional agency.

Tuscany.Net

Dear Everyone! <BR>just navigating the forums and came across this discussion on our company tuscany.net. We would like to set the record straight about not only on tuscany.net but all of our charming publications on Florence, Rome, Venice, Italy and Paris (soon to come London). <BR> <BR>We are based in Florence and work from an office only through intrente and email, not mail or telephone. As for the commission we charge, we do not charge 15% like all of the other agencies, we only charge 10%. Also one poster said that the hotel told them they paid for the web site and not the commission. This is totally untrue, we charge nothing for the web site, and if you allow us, it is pretty good compared to the rest with regards to information and also photographs. When you talk about looking up properties on our site and then going and finding them cheaper on Google, that is not very fair. We work very hard for what we have and try and provide a fair service. As you can see we do not have hundreds of properties, but we are very selective, we have nothing under a certain standard. We don't want to cheat people who spend a lot of money on holidays and who then find that they have soent a lot more because they have booked with us than directly, you see it is the properties themselves that choose the price. We give no limits to them. <BR> <BR>To sum up, we are totally legit, you can also check out all 6 of our publications to see what we do. Do not worry about the bookings you have maid with us, we take very good care of our cutomers and strive to offer them the best that Italy has to offer. We love our country and want everyone who visits it to go home and think of what a beautiful country it is. <BR> <BR>If any of you have any questions about reservation you have made or have any queries about us, don't hesitate to contact me even privately at [email protected] <BR> <BR>Please remember that we are not amatuers, we do not do this to trick people, we only want to offer you the best! <BR>Thanks very much for listening and please if you do find a property you like, do not listen to whoever said to book it somewhere else, we work very hard to offer you a good service. <BR>Bye for now <BR>Eliana Menichetti <BR>Charming Vacations Ltd

Stefano Galastri

Hi, <BR>I'm Tuscany.net President & CEO. <BR>We are cheaper because we simply list the official pricelists that the property MUST communicate to the regional government every year. And they must compel to those prices as well. <BR> <BR>This means that, if you find a higher price somewhere else, the agency who's selling that property is actually charging a mark-up on the property's official, good, reliable pricelists. <BR> <BR>We are a legally-authorized tour operator in Italy, and we compel to ALL the European Legal requirements. We handle some 17,000 unique reservations a year, and we offer what other tour operators offer online. But with a small difference: we like our online tourists to book with no extra charge: only in this way we can assure to our company a future: we get paid (10%) by the property and this is all we get. <BR>We think that this is the only way to do business in the accommodation reservation business. <BR> <BR>I'm at your complete disposal (and so are our properties) for any further queries. <BR> <BR>Thanks a lot for having surfed our CharmingTuscany.com and Tuscany.net websites. <BR> <BR>Dr. Stefano Galastri <BR>CharmingEscapes.com

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Grazie Eliana and Stefano ! <BR>I love your web sites--very well designed and magnifico graphics. I have sent many of my clients to your site for reservations and have had positive comments from them. I feel that your 10% commision is fair for the service you provide. Keep up the good work.

coco

Eliana & Stefano, <BR> Yes, very nice to hear from you! Your site is a very useful resource and very attracticely presented. (On another topic called something like "Italian gardens in flower pots" or something-like, your home page is referenced to find out what kind of trees those are in that beautiful photo!) <BR> I'd also like to add that a 10% mark-up is very modest. Some properties are available from multiple brokers and it is interesting to see the different prices that result. <BR> I once rented a house in the hills behind Cannes for $4000/week; met the owners and found out they rented it for $2000/week...100% mark-up! (They were numb with shock!) (This from a very, very well known and legitimate US based company.) <BR> Also of interest: there is a very top-end Tuscan property that was available from 2 brokers (that I know of) at $6700/wk and $7200/wk for early June (last month). I was separately put in touch with the owners directly and they were charging $5300. [Turned out they were booked for the week I needed.] <BR> As a general rule, local agencies tend to charge modest mark-ups; US and international brokers tend to charge whatever the market will bear (and what I have gladly paid when they have what I need, when I need it.) Many properties are NOT available directly from the owners, so there is no price with which to compare. <BR> Sorry to ramble on.

x

Yes, the site does look good, and yes, 10% is lower then most, but, please, don't complain about potential customers trying to find better prices elsewhere - a rather naive cry from a serious businessman/woman. <BR>There are people who prefer the implied security and trust offered by an agency service, not to mention the convenience, and don't give a damn about paying more for that, but so called 'direct-to-owner' booking is pretty much where the internet is heading as far as the travel business is concerned and we should all expect to benefit from the lower prices and increased choice that that will bring. <BR> <BR>It may be 'unfair' to look elsewhere, but get real, this is business.

Eliana

Dear xxx, <BR>Business it might be, but if you knew the way the accommodation facilities work in Italy then you would realise that they are not like the rest of the world when it comes to the online travel market. Perhaps just over half of those who have an accommodation facility have email or internet facilities, just to let you know that unless you go via an agent then you will never find half of the properties unless you a phone book for the particular city you are interested in. Many of them even have problems with answering their emails as they are still novices when it comes to how internet and email work. <BR> <BR>Yes, almost every hotel, B&B and accommodation provider in the world is on the net and has their own personal website, but in Italy things are a little different and as this is where our business is concentrated then "direct to owner" does not really mean that much, or at least not until the internet culture takes off here like in the rest of the world. <BR> <BR>Thank you and best wishes <BR>Eliana Menichetti <BR>Charming Vacations Ltd. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Rosemary

Hi everyone! I have been following these posts for Italy with much gratitude for all the wonderful information. Thank you all especially Ger - what a great trip! I am planning to spend the month of September 01 in Tuscany - a lifetime dream - and am planning to book through Tuscany.net as I found their descriptions and photos excellent. I am pleased that they responded to these posts as that did set my mind at ease. My question is this. I will be alone for 2 of the weeks with a girlfriend joining me for the last 2. I am considering places near San Gimignano, San Casciano and Greve in Chianti (assuming they have room). I'd like to be able to go into town for dinner and walking around in the evenings. Any thoughts on which might be most interesting? Best nightlife for young at heart 50's? I do plan to have a car and travel to Sienna, Lucca, Florence etc. My interests are architectural and archeological, people watching and experiencing the local people - not the usual tourist sights. I have been to Italy several times and love it! Thanks for your time and my apologies for the long winded question! <BR>