Tips And Tricks For Avoiding Holiday Rental Scams
In the past few weeks there have been numerous reports about holidaymakers being scammed when they come to book a holiday letting online. Most people are scammed when they go to book bargains or last minute rental deals.
Here is a small guide of what to look out for when booking that ideal holiday home abroad.
As you are viewing properties online, check to see how long the user has been using the website as this will give you a good idea of whether the site is legit or not. Many holiday websites will tell you how long the home owner has been a member which should give you a good idea of their experience.
Most of the time when you want to contact the home owners from the rental websites, you have to do so using an online form or email. However, if it’s possible to talk to the owner via phone, you can get a better idea whether the deal is legit or not. By calling the owner, you should have the chance to ask questions about the property and the surrounding area. Remember, if they really are a valid holiday home owner, they shouldn’t have a problem talking to you.
While on the phone, ask some questions that might catch them out if they are bogus.One good thing to ask them is whether they have holiday home insurance because the manjority of holiday home owner should have taken this insurance out overseas property insurance if the property is overseas.If their property is in their home country, they would generally have some sort of holiday cottage insurance, obviously this is all down to what type of building it is.
A booking contract is a very important part of the booking. When you enquire about the property, the owner should send you a booking contract to sign which will inform you of the terms and conditions, if you don’t receive once, then this is a sign of a dodgy dealing.
Now for a few tips to help you detect fraud when it comes to paying for your holiday booking.
Normally, holiday home owners will request payment via electronic bank transfer or personal check, so if these are the only payment methods, don’t be turned off. The biggest downside for these payment methods is that after the money has been cashed, you have basically no cover.
If the owner offers it, use other payment methods, such as PayPal, that allow you to pay via credit card. PayPal also have a 45 day cover available so if you are a victim of fraud, you can claim your money back. The best payment would be via credit card because they tend to give the best fraud moneyback cover. The main problem with this payment method is that the holiday owner is charged to receive the money.
Holiday home owners will generally request a 25% deposit and then 6-8 weeks before your visit, you’ll have to pay the rest of the money. If the owner requests that you pay fully straight away, you should be wary of fraud. Obviously if it was a late booking, the owner would ask for full payment upfront.
Overall there is not a huge amount of protection when booking via a holiday rental site because they tend not to be Atol or Abta protected. However, some companies will offer a moneyback gaurentee against fraud.
Hopefully you will use these tips when you’re booking your next holiday. If you are a holiday home owner and reading this, use this guide to help your customers feel more reassured when dealing with your property.
