Wimdu is to follow rival Airbnb with the introduction of a policy to protect property hosts in the next few weeks.
The company says it’s currently talking to insurance companies to devise a “global solution” for all its markets. The move comes just weeks after Airbnb created a similar “guarantee” scheme for hosts to claim for damage to properties.
UK chief and co-founder Michael Riegel said the plan was to come up with a scheme that would help hosts and not just be a ‘random guarantee.’
In the short term the insurance will protect hosts, but in stark contrast to its arch rival, Wimdu is planning in the longer term to also add protection for travellers.
In the meantime, Riegel says the company has a number of checks and measures in place to help protect property owners.
Not only does it run credit checks on guests but, more interestingly, it uses its 400-strong team to go out and meet many guests.
“It’s sustainable to do this from time to time. We will never say we want to meet every guest but we randomly select a few.”
Other measures include an owner-set deposit system. In addition, Wimdu does not pay the host until 24 hours after check-in so the traveller has some recourse.
The company also says that on average travellers and hosts exchange eight messages before a booking is made.
“Things can happen. They’re very unlikely but we need to make sure that if something does happen we can deal with it.”
As for that $90 million Wimdu bagged in June, Riegel says it will go towards expanding the concept further internationally. The company wants to tackle India as well as North Africa.
“We want to offer the traveller the ability to go anywhere so a major part of the money will go on ensuring a global presence with human resources in each country.”
Marketing will not be a big cash burner because the community is building itself nicely, he says, although there will continue to be investment in online such as Facebook marketing and other social networks as well as a newly launched affiliate scheme in the UK.
One final word on the sellers of travel debate that is raging within the sector – Wimdu has checked legislation in its home market of Germany and doesn’t believe it breaches laws elsewhere.
