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Exploratory Study of Consumer Issues in Online Peer-To-Peer Platform Markets Task 4 – Case Study Report: Wimdu

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Exploratory Study of Consumer Issues in Online Peer-To-Peer Platform Markets Task 4 – Case Study Report: Wimdu Exploratory study of consumer issues in online peer-to-peer platform markets Task 4 – Case study report: Wimdu February 2017 Justice and Consumers EUROPEAN COMMISSION Produced by Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) on behalf of Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers Directorate E - Consumers Unit E.1 – Consumer Policy E-mail: [email protected] European Commission B-1049 Brussels 2 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Exploratory study of consumer issues in online peer-to-peer platform markets Task 4 – Case study: Wimdu Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers EU Consumer Programme 2017 EUR [number] EN Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) The information given is free, as are most calls (though some operators, phone boxes or hotels may charge you). This report was produced under the EU Consumer Policy Programme (2014-2020) in the frame of a service contract with the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) acting under the mandate from the European Commission. The content of this report represents the views of the contractor and is its sole responsibility; it can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission and/or Chafea or other body of the European Union. The European Commission and/or Chafea do not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this report, nor do they accept responsibility for any use made by third parties thereof. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2017 PDF ISBN 978-92-79-45907-8 ISSN 2443-5228 doi:10.2838/941824 DS-AU-15-001-EN-N © European Union, 2017 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. 4 Exploratory study of consumer issues in online peer-to-peer platform markets - Task 4 – Wimdu – Case study report CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 7 1.1 Platform overview ............................................................................. 7 1.2 User experience ............................................................................... 8 1.2.1 Peer consumers ................................................................... 10 1.2.2 Peer providers ..................................................................... 13 1.2.3 Add-on services ................................................................... 16 2 ASSESSMENT OF THE PLATFORM ............................................................... 17 2.1 Evolution of the platform business model ............................................ 17 2.1.1 Development of the platform ................................................. 17 2.1.2 Wimdu today ....................................................................... 17 2.2 Current business model .................................................................... 18 2.2.1 Business model and pricing ................................................... 18 2.2.2 Payment ............................................................................. 20 2.3 Consumer experiences ..................................................................... 20 2.3.1 Satisfaction with overall experience and likelihood to use the platform again in the future................................................... 20 2.3.2 Frequency of problems encountered on the platform ................ 21 2.3.3 Knowledge of rights and responsibilities .................................. 22 2.4 Transparency aspects ....................................................................... 23 2.4.1 Information to platform users (clarity, accessibility) ................. 23 2.4.2 Terms and conditions ........................................................... 26 2.4.3 Data protection .................................................................... 27 2.5 Trust building and verification of information ....................................... 28 2.5.1 Peer reviews and ratings ....................................................... 28 2.5.2 Verification of peer information by platform ............................. 30 2.6 Complaints, redress and insurance ..................................................... 31 2.6.1 Complaints handling and redress ........................................... 31 2.6.2 Access to redress ................................................................. 31 2.6.3 Access to Insurance ............................................................. 32 2.7 Cross-border dimension .................................................................... 32 3 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................ 33 3.1 Main findings .................................................................................. 33 3.1.1 Contribution to the business model typology ........................... 33 3.1.2 Consumer experiences .......................................................... 33 3.1.3 Transparency of the platform, including information provided to peers .............................................................................. 34 3.1.4 Trust building and verification of information ........................... 34 3.1.5 Access to complaints, redress and insurance ........................... 35 3.1.6 Cross-border issues .............................................................. 35 3.2 Good practices ................................................................................ 35 3.3 Elements of concern......................................................................... 35 3.4 Future developments ....................................................................... 36 5 Exploratory study of consumer issues in online peer-to-peer platform markets - Task 4 – Wimdu – Case study report TABLES Table 1: Wimdu’s availability in the EU ................................................................. 7 Table 2: Web survey responses regarding the use of accommodation sharing online platforms in 10 EU countries ........................................................................ 8 Table 3: Canvas Business Model .........................................................................18 Table 4: Price components on Wimdu ..................................................................19 Table 5: Wimdu options for cancellation policy .....................................................31 FIGURES Figure 1: Registration options on Wimdu (desktop version) ..................................... 9 Figure 2: Wimdu home screen after log-in (desktop version)..................................10 Figure 3: User dashboard on Wimdu (desktop version) ..........................................10 Figure 4: Wimdu mobile app version for peer consumers .......................................11 Figure 5: Process of booking accommodation on Wimdu (iOS version) ....................12 Figure 6: Instant booking as it appears on listings (iOS version) .............................13 Figure 7: Wimdu mobile app version for peer providers (iOS version) ......................14 Figure 8: Listing accommodation – example of instruction to peer providers (in grey) (desktop version) .......................................................................................14 Figure 9: Listing accommodation – title and description (desktop version) ...............15 Figure 10: Listing accommodation – terms and conditions (desktop version) ............15 Figure 11: Satisfaction with overall experience and likelihood to use the Wimdu platform again ...........................................................................................21 Figure 12: Problems experienced on Wimdu – Frequency breakdown (Peer consumers) ...............................................................................................................22 Figure 13: Knowledge of rights and responsibilities on Wimdu ................................23 Figure 14: Wimdu’s cancellation policy explained at check-out ...............................25 Figure 15: Reviews of a listing on Wimdu (desktop version) ...................................29 Figure 16: Average score in the top left hand corner of a property (desktop version) 29 6 Exploratory study of consumer issues in online peer-to-peer platform markets - Task 4 – Wimdu – Case study report 1 Introduction 1.1 Platform overview Wimdu is an online accommodation platform that connects peer consumers and peer providers worldwide.1 As of 2016, the company has an inventory of more than 300,000 listings of rental properties in 150 countries all over the world.2 There are 44 different national versions of the website, available in 15 languages. In the EU, the platform is available in 17 Member States, as shown by Table 1 below.3 The Wimdu platform is also available via mobile app. In 2015, Wimdu’s most important markets were all EU countries: Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and the UK. Its rising markets were all located in Europe: Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Croatia and Portugal.4 In addition to Europe, the platform is active in Asia, as well as North and South America.5 Table 1: Wimdu’s availability in the EU Country Country presence Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom
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