The HomeExchange Guarantees
With you before, during and after your home exchange
What are our commitments?
Our HomeExchange guarantees ensure you a successful home exchange. Just finalize your exchange and pack your bags, we'll take care of the rest! You can rest assured that we will be with you through any unforeseen circumstances. We want all the members of our community to be able to enjoy safe and satisfying home exchanges.
Our commitment to the Guests
We guarantee a successful exchange!
Cancellation Protection
compensation of up to 840 USD/week if we cannot find a replacement exchange accommodation.
Compliance Guarantee
if the accommodation does not meet the initial home description, HomeExchange offers an alternative solution.
Damage Coverage
Property damages covered up to 1,000,000 USD.
Host cancellation assistance
What happens when my host cancels my exchange?
We know a cancellation is a stressful situation, don’t worry, our team is here to help you !
1. Your GuestPoints will be returned to your account automatically.
2. The Support Team is daily informed about cancellations, we will contact you. If the team hasn’t contacted you within 72h or if your exchange is starting in less than 4 days, don’t hesitate to contact our team at sos@homeexchange.com.
3. Please do not book any paying accommodation before talking with a member of the team. We will guide you and help you find a substitute exchange that meets the basic criteria of your search.
4. Once you get a positive answer, our team is here to help you finalize the new exchange!
5. If we cannot find a substitute exchange and you wish to cancel your trip, we will reimburse your non-refundable fees directly related to the exchange (tickets for the train, plane, etc.) up to 120 USD /night.
6. If we cannot find a substitute exchange and you want to pay for an alternative accommodation (a hotel, for example), we will reimburse lodging expenses, up to 120 USD /night.
The application of our guarantees are subject to our HomeExchange Service Conditions.
Refer to paragraph IV. HOMEEXCHANGE SERVICES 1.4
*Source: internal study from HomeExchange from January to October 2019
Non-conformity assistance
What happens when the house of my host is substandard or inaccurate?
To avoid any misunderstanding make sure to communicate well with your host before finalizing, and carefully read the listing!
Nevertheless, those situations can happen, here is how we proceed :
Contact your host in order to discuss the situation with him. Very often, a solution can easily be found. In case of an urgent situation, you can contact sos@homeexchange.com
In case no solution can be found, contact the Support Team with the following elements: clear description of the problem you are facing with pictures or videos that are necessary for us to understand and assess the situation.
Our team will get back to you and if needed we will help you find another home exchange. You can find here the list of criteria for substandard or inaccurate homes. (5) The application of our guarantees are subject to our HomeExchange Service Conditions.
In case substandard or inaccuracy criteria are met, our team will help you search for an alternative exchange. If our team doesn’t manage to find another home exchange, you will be able to benefit from our financial guarantees for a replacement accommodation: we will reimburse the charges you paid for the accommodation, up to 120 USD / night (6)
Please do not book any paying accommodation before talking with the Support Team.
Our commitment to the Hosts
Welcome your guests with peace of mind!
500 USD Security Deposit
Deposited by the guest and managed by HomeExchange
Damage Coverage
Supported by HomeExchange, property damages covered up to 1,000,000 USD
Theft Protection
HomeExchange financially compensates losses from theft.
Damages
What happens if there are some material damages in my home or in the home I am staying in ?
Cover in the event of property damage as a host:
1. Contact your guest in order to understand what happened and block the deposit. Please rest assured that your guest's deposit will not be withdrawn from their account immediately. HomeExchange will first be in contact with both parties to discuss the issue.
2. Contact the Support Team, if you wish to claim compensation for damage, we will need supporting documents in order to justify your request (pictures, invoices/quotations etc.). The application of our guarantees are subject to our HomeExchange Service Conditions (1).
3. HomeExchange will act as the intermediary between the host and the guest to determine the amount of the deposit that needs to be withdrawn. If the cost of the damages exceeds 500 USD, the guest remains liable to HomeExchange for the balance of the compensation. To protect the host (and according to the individual circumstances), the HomeExchange guarantees can also be provided up to 1M USD.
If you are on an exchange as a guest and you happen to damage something in the home, please contact your host and the Support Team.
Theft protection
I hosted guests on HomeExchange, what happens if I discover that some of my belongings are missing?
1. Contact your guest in order to clarify the situation: In the majority of cases, items might have been just moved around! If needed, contact quickly the Support Team after the end of the exchange to inform us about the situation.
2. If you would like to claim financial compensation for the theft, click on "Keep the deposit". This button will appear in the Conversation page once your exchange is finished. Please rest assured that your guest's deposit will not be withdrawn from their account immediately. HomeExchange will first be in contact with both parties to discuss the issue.
3. We will need you to send us some supporting documents (police report for the case, original invoice, attestation of honesty.) (2) to trigger the potential application of our guarantees. The application of our guarantees are subject to our HomeExchange Service Conditions.
The deposit
What is it ?
The deposit is a security precaution that members take when they organise an exchange with HomeExchange.
All exchanges finalised on the site are covered by our guarantees and automatically have the deposit set as 500 USD.
The deposit is an authorization for payment, carried out automatically on the platform: no additional action to finalize the exchange is necessary as a guest or as a host to activate the deposit.
If the cost of the damages exceeds 500 USD, the guest remains liable to HomeExchange for the balance of the compensation.
All you need to know about the deposit can be found here.
24/7 Personalized assistance
in case of emergency
In case you have any emergencies, our Happiness Team is available 24/7 in 7 different languages.
Free
Verification
To help foster an even more trustworthy community, our services offer the verification of each profile.
Testimonials from the HomeExchange community
Our members share their stories
Our home exchange in Saint-Sauveur was cancelled due to medical reasons. We were already in Montréal with another home exchange. I emailed your website, and within 24 hours of receiving my email about our cancelled exchange, Sérgio had arranged a replacement exchange. He was so helpful, and if he is representative of the quality of customer support offered by HomeExchange.com, it is superior. Thank you so much for saving our vacation!
Kerry Lee
Cancellation assistance per guest. Home Exchange reacted very well to the cancellation of an exchange against GuestPoints by our host: reactivity, search for solutions. Thank you. And this, in a Covid-19 context which does not facilitate travel and exchanges.
Pat
HomeExchange is an excellent way of travelling and the team is very reactive and helpful if there are any questions or concerns. We are travelling and hosting with guest points. There has never been any problem.
Christine
During the recent CV crisis, Kristina of Home Exchange provided 1st class support arranging alternative accommodation for us which reduced our stress levels considerably. We left home with warnings to be careful and the world flew apart within a week. Without Home Exchange support, it would have been a financial disaster. Very happy to recommend them as a wonderful organisation.
Peter
So impressed with the service received from Home Exchange. We have been members for a couple of years now and done a number of exchanges through Home Exchange and loved the travel opportunities it opened for us. And then COVID-19 derailed everyone's travel plans. Home Exchange was pro-active and gave member options on how to deal with home exchanges confirmed, and our problem was addressed efficiently and extremely professionally. Excellent service!
Liezl