I am a newcomer to SFN so have just found this posting, if it helps anyone out there, I have been with frenchconnections.co.uk since 2006 THEY ARE BRILLIANT.
As an extra one year I did go along with French Country Cottages who basically wanted to have more rights over my home than I had.
There was a booking created personally by me from sometime before I signed up with them, the people were my Dad's friends who wanted to stay & did not go through their site, FCC had made their booking too for the same week & and FCC made me pay a penalty as their clients were the ones that they said had priority , the penalty was sent to me as I had to cancel their clients.Needless to say you need to be in complete control of your own home. I terminated the contract at the end of the year. Lesson learnt !
I have been called by other Co's who have promised all sorts of things , however I can say without a shadow of a doubt French Connections are the one for me. The price is very reasonable to advertise on their site, they are upto date with everything, the owner has control of the bookings & importantly I have always had results.
Some years have been slower than others for obvious economic reasons, but my holiday let has always been booked ,smaterings now & again in either Easter some years or Whitsun others. July , Aug & fully booked & sometimes the 1st 2 weeks of Sept & half term in Oct have always been ok. As I live on the premises I like to have my home back for the rest of the year.
This year with an excellent advertising campaign with French Connections who selected our Property to be forwarded to the Sunday Times, who duly ran the article in their Travel pull out" Summer best deals for £100 a person" 15th of April.
I was fully booked in 3 days flat for the whole of June, July and Aug, I have bookings pending for Sept & am taking them into next year, I could have booked out the 2 & 3rd week in Aug several times over.
Even the Editor of the Travel section is coming to stay with me.
This is what a really good Company can do for you off their own back, the team at French Connections I have to say were fantastic, I could not have thanked them enough. TOP SERVICE for advertisers even without the Sunday Times article I would heartily recommend them.