Slightly suspicious?

[Ben McNevis]

I've just received this enquiry on OD and I haven't responded yet:

Good afternoon Sir/Ma'am, my brother and I are seeking accommodation for 13 weeks between the dates 10/10/15-19/12/15 & 31/12/15-16/01/16. As this is 13 weeks long we are looking for the most competitive prices, and any financial dispensation will be very much appreciated. Many thanks, N******* C*****

There is a hotmail.co.uk email address and a uk mobile phone number. I've tried the phone but no answer.

Any thoughts people?

[greenfrog]

Sounds suspicious. Especially since you can't fit 13 weeks into those time slots!
Proceed with caution... (or not at all...)

[Ben McNevis]

But, Greenfrog, the way I interpret the dates is that they want a long stay from 10 Oct until 16 Jan, vacating for 11 nights around Xmas, so that makes very nearly 13 weeks.

Long stay requests here are not unknown to us as construction workers sometimes use holiday accommodation in low season for the duration of a contract. However, the langauge "Good afternoon Sir/Ma'am" etc strikes me as odd, as does the idea of 2 brothers needing such a long stay.

[kevsboredagain]

Perhaps an odd request but zero evidence to suggest a scam at this point.

[greenfrog]

ah, I see now!

I thought the language a little stilted too, but if you have construction workers staying often, it's quite possible that they're not native English speakers and so are just a bit more formal.

I still think a little caution might be advisable, but it could be genuine.

[Ben McNevis]

I've been in touch. It's kosher.

They are on a diving course for 3 months.

[greenfrog]

They're diving off the coast of Scotland in mid-winter??! They're not scammers, they're just crazy...