FlipKey explained

FlipKey is an online vacation rental marketplace. It is a subsidiary of TripAdvisor.[1] In 2016 the company listed more than 300,000 properties in 179 countries. Its headquarters is in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.[2]

Although rental owners are verified by the company's staff before being added to the FlipKey website,[3] the site relies heavily on traveler reviews of rental properties. FlipKey also publishes ratings for travel-related items such as food blogs[4] and in the United States it provides ratings of national historic sites.[5]

Citing complaints that FlipKey would not guarantee functional amenities in its rental sites, in 2016 Better Business Bureau gave the company an F rating.[6]

History

FlipKey was founded in 2007 as a house-swapping and vacation rental listing website.[7] [8] The company was acquired by travel website, TripAdvisor, in 2008.[9] [10] That year FlipKey was included in Travel and Leisure's list of top travel websites.[11]

At first Flipkey sold subscriptions to homeowners,[12] operating from offices on Lincoln Street in Boston.[13] After 2013, FlipKey changed its sales model, giving property owners the option of paying a percentage commission for each property rented.[14] [15]

In 2014, FlipKey moved its offices to Causeway Street in Boston, which was also expected to house another Tripadvisor subsidiary, Smarter Travel. That year Flipkey created a virtual tour of Boston for its website, to promote its property listings there.[16]

In 2015, FlipKey updated its technology platform, resulting in complaints from some large property managers that they were being overcharged.[17] In 2017, the city of Coral Gables, Florida, sued FlipKey, claiming that the company had ignored city statutes prohibiting commercial activity in residential areas.[18]

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.traveltrends.biz/ttn555-tripadvisor-taking-on-airbnb-through-listing-rooms/ "TripAdvisor Taking on Airbnb?"
  2. https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/real_estate/2013/09/tripadvisor-inks-lease-in-north-station.html "TripAdvisor inks lease in North Station"
  3. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/diary/story/2015/aug/09/how-protect-yourself-building-contractor-scam/318607/ "Consumer Watch: How to protect yourself from building contractor scams"
  4. http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20150806/article/150809825 "Business buzz: Goodwill's Telly; Designers' outstanding event; Foodies' blog; Big Cat Habitat"
  5. http://5newsonline.com/2016/01/22/fort-smith-national-historic-site-named-top-place-to-visit-in-arkansas/ "Fort Smith National Historic Site Named Top Place To Visit In Arkansas"
  6. Web site: FlipKey Fiasco: All the Comforts of Home, Minus the Comforts. David. Segal. 3 December 2016. NYTimes.com.
  7. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/travel/giving-airbnb-a-run-for-its-money.html "Giving Airbnb a Run for Its Money"
  8. Book: Julian Agyeman. Duncan McLaren. Julian Agyeman. Sharing Cities: A Case for Truly Smart and Sustainable Cities. 20 November 2015. MIT Press. 978-0-262-02972-8. 60–.
  9. Web site: TripAdvisor Invests In Vacation-Home Review Site FlipKey - TechCrunch. Erick. Schonfeld. 20 August 2008 .
  10. Book: John R. Levine. Margaret Levine Young. The Internet For Dummies. 30 January 2015. Wiley. 978-1-118-96775-1. 287–.
  11. Web site: T+L's Top Travel Websites of 2008.
  12. Book: Janet Portman. Marcia Stewart. Ilona Bray. First-Time Landlord: Your Guide to Renting Out a Single-Family Home. 30 September 2014. Nolo. 978-1-4133-2065-7. 140–.
  13. http://archive.boston.com/business/technology/innoeco/2014/01/first_look_tripadvisors_new_bo.html "First look: TripAdvisor's new Boston office near North Station"
  14. http://skift.com/2014/06/16/apartment-rentals-are-flipkeys-fastest-growing-category/ "Apartment Rentals Are FlipKey’s Fastest Growing Category"
  15. http://skift.com/2014/11/03/tripadvisors-flipkey-raises-the-fees-it-charges-vacation-rental-property-managers/ "TripAdvisor’s Flipkey Raises the Fees It Charges Vacation Rental Property Managers"
  16. http://www.betaboston.com/news/2014/06/06/flipkey-creates-awesome-virtual-tour-of-boston-as-the-first-in-a-series-of-traveler-guides/ "FlipKey creates awesome virtual tour of Boston as the first in a series of traveler guides"
  17. http://skift.com/2015/08/28/tripadvisor-in-tiff-with-vacation-rental-managers-over-flipkey-changes/ "TripAdvisor In Tiff With Vacation Rental Managers Over FlipKey Changes"
  18. https://therealdeal.com/miami/2017/05/17/coral-gables-sues-flipkey-over-illegal-short-term-rentals/ "Coral Gables sues FlipKey over illegal short-term rentals"

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