How do I make it clear that guests have access to their own tv streaming accounts?

Amy-and-Stephen0
Level 2
Colorado Springs, CO

How do I make it clear that guests have access to their own tv streaming accounts?

We've been running an AirBnb for our ski condo we purchased last summer. We purchased it almost entirely furnished, including the (smart) tvs. We also provide basic satellite/cable tv. There's been some confusion from a couple guests who navigated on the tv to the Netflix app (and other apps). They have been unable to log into their streaming accounts -- we aren't sure why, and we tried ourselves on our last stay and couldn't get it to work either.

 

I recently bought an Amazon firestick which we will install on our next stay. I want to let guests know in our listing that they will be able to access Netflix, Disney+ etc but I don't want to imply we are providing our own accounts for them. How to best communicate in our listing that it's available if they have their own accounts without sounding cheap about it?

 

We will include in our check-out list a reminder to log out of any accounts they were using...

4 Replies 4
Alexandra316
Level 10
Lincoln, Canada

@Amy-and-Stephen0 Netflix is cheap: why not just leave an account logged in for your guests? We purchased the larger Netflix package (it'll allow 4 devices access at the same time, which covers our Airbnb and cottage as well as our own use) and it's still only $17 CAD a month. Then no worries about them not being able to log in, or leaving themselves logged in and getting upset because someone else used their account, etc. The maddest guest I've ever had was annoyed because they left their account logged in (they did) then said someone at our Airbnb had been using their account (they didn't... we didn't have any guests during that period). Just better off not going there, in my experience.

 

On the other side of the coin... we don't have cable or local stations, and that's caused no end of trouble. We specify it in our listing, including under things the guest needs to acknowledge before booking, and people still don't get it. We tried offering free to air stations so people could watch sports and local news, but they were unhappy about that too because there weren't enough stations, or sometimes the stations briefly dropped out. It seems that TV is a divisive subject!

 

If you're determined not to offer any streaming, I would just be straightforward about it. There's nothing wrong with saying "We offer smart TVs with cable and satellite stations. You are also welcome to sign in with your own account to watch Netflix or other streaming services." Just be warned, please probably still won't read it and will still bring their own expectations.

Amy-and-Stephen0
Level 2
Colorado Springs, CO

I think for Netflix we have the package that allows two simultaneous streams.. I don't want to upgrade it and I think it would only be an issue when we are travelling with our 3 kids. Disney+ we just added the other day, and haven't used it yet actually... but I think it allows a lot more simultaneous streams than Netflix. My main concern leaving our accounts logged in at the condo is, wouldn't that allow guests access to billing info and/or allow them to change the packages?

I have been worried about that as well and have not given access to any of my streaming apps. I just have an apple tv and a firestick available for guests to use their own accounts. Have you found a way to allow them access without giving the access to your account. If they have the email login and password, they can access your account with billing from a laptop, most don't allow account access from the app directly. How do you get around this??

Suzanne302
Level 10
Wilmington, NC

@Amy-and-Stephen0  There should be a setting that requires the password for any purchases/account changes.

 

The setting on my Roku won't even let guests add free channels/apps. Nothing can be changed without a password.