FAQs
Most frequently asked questions:
What is Crashpadder.com?
Crashpadder.com is a win-win kind of a place where:
- Travellers can find cheap, comfortable accommodation in someone's home
- Hosts can earn a little extra cash by conveniently renting out their excess space
So.. How does it work!?
Simply.
Step 1: If you have any spare rooms in your place (bedroom, sofa bed, futon, couch etc) you can list it on Crashpadder.com along with information, pictures and a price which you choose. Finally you decide whether you'd like Crashpadder to collect money for you, or if you would prefer cash on arrival. You have then become a Crashpadder homestay host; a Padder.
Step 2: Crashpadders will browse all the rooms until they find one which is just right. They will make a 'booking request'. This means that they enter their credit card details and request the room on a certain date.
Step 3: No money is taken until the host has checked out the guest's profile, reliability rating and checked that they are happy to proceed. When they accept the booking, the card will be charged and the booking confirmed.
N.B. Hosts can either choose for us to take the full payment by credit card, and transfer the money after the guest has left, or they can take cash on arrival. If they choose cash on arrival we will only charge the guest 10% of the booking amount when the booking is accepted.
What's wrong with hotels?
There's nothing wrong with hotels, but just like marmite, hotels aren't for everyone. By booking a homestay through Crashpadder.com you can save money, stay in a comfy place with good facilities and meet some great people while you do.
What does it cost to join?
It's free, and only takes around 60 seconds - or as we like to call it a 'minute'. Click here to join!
Is it safe?
Let's put our sensible hats on for a second. Our advice is be careful. We've done everything we can to make Crashpadder.com a safe and enjoyable community, for example taking credit card payment for spare room stays, which verifies identities of our guests. That said, we're all grown-ups here and as such we know there is always a risk in meeting new people, and you should take all the usual precautions. Check out the profiles of people you might stay with and view the feedback they get. And don't forget to be a good Samaritan and leave feedback for everyone you meet!
Who can be a host on Crashpadder.com?
The good news is almost everyone can become a Crashpadder.com host. The bad news? There isn't any! It doesn't matter whether you rent or own your place, whether you have a spare room, sofa bed, futon or even an airbed in the hallway - you can earn money and meet new people by having a Crashpadder.com guest to stay. All you have to do is make sure you charge a fair price - and we'll do the rest!
How much will it cost me, and how do I get paid?
Listing a room on Crashpadder is as free as the proverbial bird.
That's right, it costs you zip and will take only 5 minutes of your life. Then, once it's listed we'll make your spare room available to guests. It's only once people have booked that Crashpadder gets the little dollop of moolah that keeps us going, we charge 10% of the total amount the guest pays.
'Show me the money!' - you're thinking. Well we will. Depending on what you'd prefer we will either pay you via Paypal once the stay is complete or allow you to get your guest to bring cash on arrival. Bingo-bango, you're making money out of the spare space in your place.
Can I decline a request for any reason?
Abso-bloomin-lutely.
We understand the concerns some people have with opening their homes to strangers and have done everything we can to make you feel more comfortable. Sounds nice, eh? But what does it mean? Well, once someone requests to stay with you, you'll be emailed a link to their personal profile. Their profile will allow you to see their picture, read all about them and check out feedback left by previous hosts. If for any reason you don't feel comfortable, you can decline the booking. No problemo.
How do I know how much to charge?
This one is down to you chief. Some alternatives to plucking a figure out of the blue are a follows:
- Check to see If there are other hosts in your area, and if so what they charge
- Take a look at the price of rooms in local hotels and B&Bs as a guideline
- Be realistic about what you've got on offer - don't expect to get 5* rates!
Remember, the lower your price, the more bookings you're likely to get!
What if the room's not available for a certain amount of time?
Glad you asked - because we're just beaming with pride over our host's calendar function. This allows you to choose when your listing appears in a prospective guests search results. Perfect if you've got friends to stay, you're going on holiday or simply fancy a little 'you-time'.
I'm not getting as many bookings as I'd like. How can I make sure my rooms is being promoted?
We're so proud of all the clever tools which we've built for you to promote your room, including simple listing on Craigslist, Gumtree, Facebook adn Twitter.
When I search for my area my rooms is not on the first page - why is that?
Rooms are ordered according to various criteria, so your room may not always appear on the first page when you search for your area. Pads are generally judged on:
- Reliability; How quick a host is to respond to queries and booking requests.
- Information; Including facts about the host, the area and the Pad.
- Reviews; Friend testimonials and guests reviews make Pads more search-friendly.
- Pictures; The more pictures of the Pad, the closer it will be to the first page.
- Availability; If your pad is already booked up or unavailable for a period, we'll take you out of search temporarily.
How do I book a room?
Find a Pad you like the look of and click on the 'Check price and availability' button. By making a booking request on a Pad you'll enter the payment process:
- You'll be asked to enter your card details.
- We'll authorise your card (just as a hotel would) for the booking amount plus a £3 booking fee, which keeps us alive.
- The next step will differ depending on whether the host prefers payment in cash on arrival or via PayPal:
- For cash on arrival you'll be charged 10% of the full amount online and need to bring the rest with you when you head to the Pad.
- For PayPal - you'll be charge the full amount online.
What does authorising a card involve?
Authorising your card means giving us permission to take an agreed amount of money in the future. It does not mean we'll take the money now. Just like a hotel, we will only take this from your account in the event of a last-minute cancellation or no-show.
The amount we authorise your card for constitutes 50% of the amount due plus the £3 booking fee.
Why is it important to book through the Crashpadder website?
There are three main reasons we recommend you arrange your booking via the Crashpadder system, rather than trying to communicate directly with the host via email etc:
1) Safety
If the Crashpadder payment system is bypassed you have no official verification that your stay is taking place. None of our guests have ever had a negative experience with a Crashpadder, however in the interests of security it's best to have proof of your stay in someone else's home. The £3 booking fee we charge effectively allows you to safeguard your personal security by making sure your stay is on record.
2) Simplicity and protection
We understand that arranging a transaction with a peer can be fraught with potential difficulties, so we're here to smooth the process. Also paying through PayPal adds another layer of protection; should the room be anything other than that described we'll be able to give you your money back with no quibbles.
3) Commission
We don't allow advertising on the site and don't charge hosts to list a room - so the 10% commission we charge is what keeps us going. The good news for you is that this 10% is taken from what the host charges, so it doesn't come from your pocket.
I hope this helps, please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or feedback.
Can I cancel a booking at any point?
When you make a booking request on a Pad there is a period when you have to wait for the request to be accepted (or declined) by the host. During this period you can cancel the request without it costing you a single, shiny penny.
After the booking has been accepted by the host you can still cancel a booking but you should prepare yourself for the fact that some cancellation fees may apply. Please review our Terms & Conditions for more details about how much these charges might be.
We also ask that you do the decent thing and let your host know about the cancellation as soon as possible - it may save them having to do some extra laundry!
Can I cut the booking short part way through my Crashpadder stay?
If your booking has already started and you realise you need to cut your stay short it will constitute a cancellation, since you are effectively cancelling part of it. Cancellation charges essentially go towards compensating the host. After all, having booked the days you wish to cancel, you have deprived them of being able to fill their room at that time and may have affected their plans and arrangements.
Please review our Terms & Conditions for more details about the amount you will be liable to pay.
What is the Crashpadder Concierge service?
The Crashpadder Concierge is a personalised service available to anyone who's looking to find a Crashpad for more than:
1. 3 guests
2. 7 nights
As part of the service you're allocated your very own Concierge, who will help you to find your ideal pad and co-ordinate your booking. The service is free as a bird, and is flexible enough to work around you, simply tell us about your requirements and we'll see what we can do:
- Multiple destinations?
- Repeat stays?
- A large group spread across multiple bases?
Whatever you're after we'll try to put it all together for you.
To request this service for your next trip feel free to either:
Give us a call on +44 (0)207 7336034
Or mail theconcierge@crashpadder.com
What if I want to change my registered Crashpadder email address?
If you'd like to change the email you have registered with Crashpadder please get in touch by mailing us at hello@Crashpadder.com - letting us know your new details.
Since we verify your initial Crashpadder membership with an email we'll need to send you another verification email to your updated address. Don't worry, it's nothing our Technical Wizard can't handle...
What happens if I forget my Crashpadder password?
We understand that today's Crashpadder has passwords for all sorts of things and keeping track of all of them can be about as easy as teaching a cat to tango.
Fortunately, resetting your Crashpadder password is much easier.
The Crashpadder login page should contain a link you can follow if you've forgotten your password. Here's what happens:
- You enter your email address on the Forgot your password? page.
- You'll be sent an email that contains a special link to the 'Reset your password' page.
- On this page you'll need to enter your new password and then confirm it.
- Job done.
Can I contact another member of the Crashpadder community via their email or phone number?
In the interests of security Crashpadder only permits members to contact each other through the site. However, once a booking has been accepted both parties will be sent the other's direct contact details, allowing them to arrange the arrival time and any other details.
Please be aware that we may monitor messaging between members and any Crashpadder found to be trying to share their contact details could have their account suspended without warning.
Can I charge a specific amount for a week/month long stay?
Yes you can!
If you go to the Edit your room page and look for the 'What about guests and payment?' section, you'll find that you can choose to select individual prices per night, per week and per month.
Why would I want to charge a specific amount for a week/month long stay?
Lots of hosts choose to set their price per night, then offer a slight discount for block bookings.
Simply go to the Edit your room page to enter the amount you'd like to charge per week and per month. There you'll find we've added a handy automatic calculating gizmo. This calculator looks at the amount you charge per night and suggests the amount you might like to charge per week and per month. To work this out it takes the nightly rate and multiplies it by 5 for a week's booking and multiplies it by 20 for a month's booking.
Remember though, this is only a suggested amount. You can choose to charge what you like per week/month, or indeed choose not to add anything to these sections at all.
Can I charge different amounts depending on how many guests come to stay?
Yes you can!
We've made it possible to charge a set amount for the first guest and, if you should wish, a different amount for additional guests. Lots of hosts choose to charge per guest and offer a slight discount for additional guests.
You can do this by going to Edit your room. Then, assuming you've set the capacity at more than 1, a question will appear in the 'What about guests and payment?' section, asking 'How will you charge?'
The options are to charge a 'Flat fee for the room' or 'Per guest'. Select 'Per guest' to charge different amounts for different numbers of guests. Multiple fields should appear at this point, allowing you to set the relevant prices.
Do I have to include meals in the room rate?
Some hosts choose to include breakfast and dinner in their Crashpadder room rate - but this is completely optional. Since each Crashpadder stay is different, you can choose to include whatever you like. The important thing is to communicate what's included clearly in your room description to avoid any confusion with potential guests.
While some provide the breakfast basics, including tea, coffee and toast - others go the whole hog with a full cooked breakfast. Likewise, when it comes to an evening meal some hosts may invite their guests to join them for dinner, while others will leave them to fend for themselves. Another option is to allow your guests access to the kitchen but ask them to provide their own food. It will probably all depend on what time your guest plans to arrive and stay until, as well as what you're happy with.
How much should I charge for food?
If you do choose to include any meals you should charge whatever you think is fair, given the cost of the ingredients and the amount of time it takes you to prepare the food. While you shouldn't undercharge it's also a good idea to keep in mind that you're not Gordon Ramsay (unless you are - in which case we're delighted to have you on board sir)!
If a guest cancels their booking at the last minute will I be compensated?
Abso-blooming-lutely. If a guest cancels a booking that has already been accepted then they will be charged cancellation fees. These will vary depending on how much notice has been given by the guest. You can find out more about cancellation charges in our Terms & Conditions.
Unfortunately hosts who are paid via cash on arrival are not guaranteed to be reimbursed with any cancellation fees. Since the money involved in the transaction does not pass through Crashpadder, we have no way of securing it and therefore deducting compensation for you.
