Suspicious booking

Post scam emails to warn other rental owners, or if you are not sure if an enquiry is genuine, put it up here and see what others think.
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annafern
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Suspicious booking

Post by annafern »

Hi

Not sure about this one but just wanted to post this up and warn folks just in case.

A last minute booking for today over the bank holiday weekend and from abroad.

No reason at the beginning to be suspicious, so booked it all into my booking system which automatically send a payment request and then they have an option to pay on line with a credit/debit card via SAGE PAY or bank transfer.

This booking happened on Wednesday and I was surprised to see the booking system notify me that client was paying by bank transfer.

Checked my bank account yesterday and no money had been received, so emailed client to say that he would have to pay by credit card otherwise the keys wouldn't be released and i have heard nothing back from him!!

Plan was, if it was genuine and payment via foreign bank was delayed i would refund his credit card ones funds had been received and cleared.

But just had another enquiry and potential booking from another cottage for next weekend and from China.

FYI - bookings have both come from HA.

:roll:
www.bluelagoon.co.uk www.uniqueholidaycottages.co.uk
I own two websites - Blue Lagoon which I use to market my own holiday cottages. I also own Unique Holiday Cottages - a directory of luxury holiday lets in England and Wales.
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Ben McNevis
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Post by Ben McNevis »

I wouldn't be too suspicious yet. Possibly they thought they paid but failed to click the final confirm or whatever, and now they're travelling with mobile data switched off to avoid roaming charges so they haven't seen your last message.

You could try phoning them.

If you're off-site, that makes it difficult for you to ensure that payment is done on key handover, but if you can get them to go online somehow to do the payment before you release keys, it could work.
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kevsboredagain
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Post by kevsboredagain »

Definitely no payment = no keys. It's hard to believe someone would book with only 2 working days to go and opt for a bank transfer from abroad.
Essar
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Post by Essar »

As you know the problem with international bank transfer it can take several days for the funds to appear in your account - I have had German ones take 5-days.

It is an odd thing to do though at such short notice and then not be available for contact - If it were me I would concentrate their minds by cancelling it through HA.
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annafern
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Post by annafern »

I am don't take booking via HA and all contact is directly between the client/guest and me.

Its my own booking system HBOL that generates to invoices/payment request.

Its so easy to pay on on line via credit card and yes like you say an odd thing to do for foreign guests.

Anna
www.bluelagoon.co.uk www.uniqueholidaycottages.co.uk
I own two websites - Blue Lagoon which I use to market my own holiday cottages. I also own Unique Holiday Cottages - a directory of luxury holiday lets in England and Wales.
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annafern
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Post by annafern »

A bit of an update.

The guest did call me later on Saturday morning and i explained that i couldn't release the keys until monies had been received but i could take his credit/debit card and process payment and then refund once monies had been received and cleared.

He refused to pay by credit/debit card and canceled the booking.

Now i have the issue of refunding him to his bank account.

Firstly there was bank charges his end and will be my end if i make a foreign transfer and how long to you wait until funds are cleared!!

Anna
www.bluelagoon.co.uk www.uniqueholidaycottages.co.uk
I own two websites - Blue Lagoon which I use to market my own holiday cottages. I also own Unique Holiday Cottages - a directory of luxury holiday lets in England and Wales.
Sam V
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Post by Sam V »

Don't refund him immediately when the funds show in your account, I'd give it a week at least in case it is a scam and the transfer isn't genuine and it may take the bank a while to realise this and withdraw the transfer leaving you out of pocket. May be worthwhile calling your bank to with your concern on this one.
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Ecosse
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Post by Ecosse »

I think you would be within your rights to only return the fee less any transfer charges - you shouldn't be left out of pocket for their inability to send the funds in a suitable form.
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joddle
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Post by joddle »

kevsboredagain wrote:Definitely no payment = no keys. It's hard to believe someone would book with only 2 working days to go and opt for a bank transfer from abroad.
I've had a few late bookings that way - and the payments have up until now usually have gone through fine. They rarely take more than 2 days to clear if from an EU country. I do however stick to my policy of no payment received then no keys. I even won't release how to get the keys until I have their money just in case they try it on.

On the only occasion that a payment did not go through on time - the person paid me in cash en route to the villa and only then did I hand over the instructions for entry to the premises. We agreed to meet up on his route and he duly handed over the required cash and I immediately returned his transfer when it did hit my account a day or two later.
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Essar
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Post by Essar »

Sam V wrote:Don't refund him immediately when the funds show in your account, I'd give it a week at least in case it is a scam and the transfer isn't genuine and it may take the bank a while to realise this and withdraw the transfer leaving you out of pocket. May be worthwhile calling your bank to with your concern on this one.
I agree with Sam; do not send back the funds immediately, contact your bank and get them to run a check that it is genuine (they can do this for an EU bank transfer). If the bank are unable (or will not) help I would just leave the funds there for several weeks, if it's genuine the guest will be ranting about it very quickly - just say that your bank advises you to wait 3-months to ensure that the transfer cannot be reversed. If he's a scammer he'll soon get fed up and go away.
"Write something, even if it's just a suicide note"
"There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise"
"As for my amnesia, I've had it as long as I can remember"
Real name: Steve
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