Safety and Security
We Value Safety More Than Anything Else – How To Get The Most Out Of Your iStopOver Experience
We’re building a global community of Hosts and Guests that trust one another. With iStopOver, peace of mind is not just a part of the deal. It is the deal.
Since early 2009 we have been successfully matching those with excess space with people looking for places to stay in over 15,000 cities worldwide. We’ve succeeded not only as a result of providing top-notch customer care and our broad selection of properties to suit every taste, but also because of our regard for everyone’s safety.
We’ve implemented the following safety measure for everyone’s benefit
Host insurance
We’ve aligned with CSA Travel Protection. A leader in providing insurance to Hosts, the company provides coverage especially for you – without the hassle.
Choose from three options:
- Lite Protect – For $39, you get $1500 worth of hassle free coverage on your rental property against accidental damage
- Standard Protect – For $49, you get $3000 worth of hassle free coverage on your rental property against accidental damage. This is appropriate for most properties
- Max Protect – For $59, you get $5000 worth of hassle free coverage on your rental property against accidental damage. This package offers the highest level of protection available and is the best value for money
Accidental property damage includes broken lamps, windows and glass, damaged walls, doors and furniture, stained beddings or linens and more. We’ll even cover re-keying costs if your Guest loses your keys.
If you’re anywhere in North America, securing coverage is easy. Just dial toll free 800.348.9505. Helpful representatives are available Monday to Friday 9am to 9pm and on weekends from 9am to 6pm (Eastern time) to provide any more information you many need.
Guest Insurance
Again, accidents and illness can strike at anytime, and therefore it’s best to be well prepared. We’ve partnered with World Nomads (www.worldnomads.com) who provide comprehensive travel insurance to travelers from over 150 countries worldwide. Specifically designed with the adventurous traveler in mind, coverage includes medical, evacuation, baggage loss and protection as well as activities such as skiing and snowboarding just to name a few.
Customer support and ease of accessibility
We’ve added bench-strength to our customer support group and monitor our support line after hours and on weekends too – so even in the middle of the night, help is never far in the unlikely event of an emergency. Please call us toll free in North America at 1.888.634.8647, internationally at +1.647.476.8303 or email us at support@istopover.com
No is always an option
Sometimes, no matter how many measures one takes, you may choose to follow your instinct and choose to say “No”, just because. That’s fine with us too – after all, peace of mind for everyone is the deal. And be assured that if you say “no”, it will not affect your rankings in our search results. Our staff also monitors all online interactions for any irregularities, flagging them for immediate attention.
Sharing of personal information is forbidden
While we encourage the free sharing of information between Hosts and Guests at every step of the way, we also go to great lengths to protect your personal information. It’s private and should stay that way until the Guest’s reservation request has been confirmed by the Host. Only then is contact information about one another released.
Social media platforms
We’re big on both Facebook and Twitter, two of the world’s leading social media platforms. We also openly encourage our global community to use these tools, not only in their daily lives, but to follow and like us – as well as follow the other members of our growing global community of travelers. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@istopover) – it will open up a whole new world for you – literally!
Security deposits
Again, we believe our Hosts and Guests are fundamentally good people – but accidents can happen. Not only do we encourage our Hosts to ensure their insurance is in place, but we also give our Hosts the option of collecting a security deposit. We know that removing wine stains is difficult – so having a security deposit in place is another good way of protecting yourself.
Reviews
Host and Guest Reviews are critically important to our community and we go to great lengths to ensure each reviews the other and that each review is authentic and in the voice of the writer. In other words, Host and Guest reviews can and should be relied upon. See a Guest with mediocre reviews? Then that’s a signal right there that you should think twice before accepting a reservation from that Guest.
Technology
Our continued financial investment into our technology platform delivers ongoing benefits to our community. Payments are made within 24 hours and transactions are processed in real time. Host and Guest interaction? – that’s real time too. Also, as we continue to grow, so will our technology investments – this helps ensure we’re always ahead of the curve.
Secure payments
Once a reservation is confirmed by the Host, the Guest is immediately charged. We hold the funds until the Guest checks in and are satisfied with the property. This added feature allows the Guests to meet the Host in person before payment is received by the Host. In the unlikely event that something is sub-standard or not as advertised, we’re standing by to help. Hosts can also always rest assured that they’ll get what they’re owed, promptly and with a smile.
Onsite messaging
Our advanced messaging platform allows Hosts and Guests to communicate with one another at every step along the way. Until a reservation has been confirmed, Hosts and Guest communicate via our platform, concealing their contact information – and only once the reservation is finalized is contact information released. What this really means is that while meaningful communication between Host and Guest is encouraged, we also monitor this communication, flagging any irregularity for our attention.
