Tips To Avoiding Vacation Rental Sham
These days, you do almost anything online such as booking a dream vacation.
So, whether it is a short journey to the beach or a long trip around the globe, searching for a hotel, vacation home or plane tickets can be accomplished with just a few mouse clicks.
No doubt, the Internet has made everything easy for those vacationers looking for the most convenient way to arrange their vacation plans.
However, as with any condition which involves money, scammers are always have a way to infiltrate.
There have been a lot of warnings to vacationers regarding possible scams that involve fraudsters making fake listings of vacations homes that do not exists or not their own.
So, here are few of the best tips to avoid vacation rental shams: 1.
Always make use of reputable online sites when looking for rental or vacation packages Agencies or businesses that deal with vacation rentals have their own staffs that can verify whether the listed vacation rentals are legal or not.
Essentially, fraudsters would not dare to go to sites where they will be caught off guard.
Even though established rental sites are the targets of these fraudsters, having staffs that are always in the hunt for possible scams can assist in validating legitimate listings.
2.
Perform your own research Always make time to see whether the individual offering rental is the owner of the property.
Also, validate if the given address is existing.
Research the web and seek whether the property is for rent on other websites.
If this is the case, verify if the contact information and the name of the owner is identical in both rental listings.
You might also want to check out reviews from vacationers who have stayed in the vacation rental and take note.
It always pays to do some research rather than regret later on.
3.
Always do a follow up It is not enough to search the websites and read reviews.
It is also advisable that you do some follow up like calling the owner of the property or the vacation site and talk about things like the rental or vacation packages being offered.
Always take caution of international phone numbers and owners or personnel that are not responsive to your queries.
4.
Utilize a secure option for payments You should feel wary if the owner of the vacation rental asks for expedited payment methods.
Also owners that offer huge discounts or request for money transfer payments should be look upon closely.
Paying through Paypal or via credit card offer a higher level of security compared to other means of payment.
5.
Do not depend on email alone Do not accept confirmation through email alone.
It is always a good practice to follow up with the property manager, owner or agency.
Also, have the agreement be put into writing and evaluate all the conditions and terms prior to issuing any payment.
In case a scam takes place despite all these tips, it is highly recommended to report the incident to the law enforcement in the locality in order to prevent this from occurring again in the future.
So, whether it is a short journey to the beach or a long trip around the globe, searching for a hotel, vacation home or plane tickets can be accomplished with just a few mouse clicks.
No doubt, the Internet has made everything easy for those vacationers looking for the most convenient way to arrange their vacation plans.
However, as with any condition which involves money, scammers are always have a way to infiltrate.
There have been a lot of warnings to vacationers regarding possible scams that involve fraudsters making fake listings of vacations homes that do not exists or not their own.
So, here are few of the best tips to avoid vacation rental shams: 1.
Always make use of reputable online sites when looking for rental or vacation packages Agencies or businesses that deal with vacation rentals have their own staffs that can verify whether the listed vacation rentals are legal or not.
Essentially, fraudsters would not dare to go to sites where they will be caught off guard.
Even though established rental sites are the targets of these fraudsters, having staffs that are always in the hunt for possible scams can assist in validating legitimate listings.
2.
Perform your own research Always make time to see whether the individual offering rental is the owner of the property.
Also, validate if the given address is existing.
Research the web and seek whether the property is for rent on other websites.
If this is the case, verify if the contact information and the name of the owner is identical in both rental listings.
You might also want to check out reviews from vacationers who have stayed in the vacation rental and take note.
It always pays to do some research rather than regret later on.
3.
Always do a follow up It is not enough to search the websites and read reviews.
It is also advisable that you do some follow up like calling the owner of the property or the vacation site and talk about things like the rental or vacation packages being offered.
Always take caution of international phone numbers and owners or personnel that are not responsive to your queries.
4.
Utilize a secure option for payments You should feel wary if the owner of the vacation rental asks for expedited payment methods.
Also owners that offer huge discounts or request for money transfer payments should be look upon closely.
Paying through Paypal or via credit card offer a higher level of security compared to other means of payment.
5.
Do not depend on email alone Do not accept confirmation through email alone.
It is always a good practice to follow up with the property manager, owner or agency.
Also, have the agreement be put into writing and evaluate all the conditions and terms prior to issuing any payment.
In case a scam takes place despite all these tips, it is highly recommended to report the incident to the law enforcement in the locality in order to prevent this from occurring again in the future.
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