When an enquiry says "Respond in your Dashboard"
When an enquiry says "Respond in your Dashboard"
......and then you have to enter your HomeAway password, BEWARE phishing attempt. Do not enter your password!
Kathy
Waterfront location in Le Faou
"My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am."
Waterfront location in Le Faou
"My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am."
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kevsboredagain
- Posts: 3207
- Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:32 am
- Location: France
- Contact:
As this is the general format of the enquiries from most of the websites these days, I think you'll have to explain a little more.
Even the genuine enquiries take you to a login page where you'd enter your password. The trick would be to know if it really was the genuine page or go there manually yourself.
Even the genuine enquiries take you to a login page where you'd enter your password. The trick would be to know if it really was the genuine page or go there manually yourself.
I never respond via the email itself - I always log on to the site independently to look for the enquiry there in order to be sure it's legit. Absence of a text alert is often a clue that the email is bogus, but the scammers are getting more and more sophisticated so I still wouldn't trust it.
What I feel the holiday listing sites should be doing is just sending a notification and saying ' log in to your dashboard to see your enquiry - do not reply to this email' with no clickable link. If that becomes the standard format it will be very hard for scammers to hijack.
What I feel the holiday listing sites should be doing is just sending a notification and saying ' log in to your dashboard to see your enquiry - do not reply to this email' with no clickable link. If that becomes the standard format it will be very hard for scammers to hijack.
This is fine if you are at home and have access to fast internet and a desktop computer.Casscat wrote:I never respond via the email itself - I always log on to the site independently to look for the enquiry there in order to be sure it's legit. Absence of a text alert is often a clue that the email is bogus, but the scammers are getting more and more sophisticated so I still wouldn't trust it.
What I feel the holiday listing sites should be doing is just sending a notification and saying ' log in to your dashboard to see your enquiry - do not reply to this email' with no clickable link. If that becomes the standard format it will be very hard for scammers to hijack.
Trying to do this on a mobile phone on a slow internet connection is no fun when all you need to be is to hit "reply" to the email and know that it will be sent eventually when the reception improves.
In addition, it means that you cannot use an auto-responder to send an automatic reply directing people to your website for further information - very valuable if you won't be able to reply straight away, as they may be able to find the answer and book instantly before you even reply to their enquiry.
No one said fraud prevention was easynewtimber wrote: This is fine if you are at home and have access to fast internet and a desktop computer.
Even with a slow and wanky connection you can still log onto your own page and make sure there is actually an enquiry in there. At the same time you can harvest the email address of the sender and fire off your own missive if you see fit.
I sell books on Amazon and they changed their format so this is exactly what happens when you get notification of a sale. No clickable link. You have to log in separately. I know it is awkward but it is safer...Casscat wrote:
What I feel the holiday listing sites should be doing is just sending a notification and saying ' log in to your dashboard to see your enquiry - do not reply to this email' with no clickable link. If that becomes the standard format it will be very hard for scammers to hijack.
Removing the clickable link is just giving in to the scammers and damn inconvenient. I want the choice to hover over the link to see if its genuine and then click. Others always have the choice to go to the website the long winded way.
Choice is the key to good customer service. We see plenty of other examples complaining when the listing sites demand that we behave differently, so why encourage them to do that here?
Choice is the key to good customer service. We see plenty of other examples complaining when the listing sites demand that we behave differently, so why encourage them to do that here?
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
Because we are not representative of the majority of users. Most would not even know what 'hover over the link' meant. It may all seem a bit 'nanny state' but personally I am not that bothered if it means a reduction in the horror stories in the press and on TV about holidaymakers being scammed out of £thousands. This sort of publicity is hugely damaging - nearly everyone here is saying that they have experienced a reduction in traffic. Failing to adopt the sort of online protection that will reassure guests and protect less savvy owners is playing into the hands of the likes of James Villas etc. The whole direct from owner market is under threat and if something as simple as accessing initial enquiries via a 'dashboard' will assist in cleaning up the act then I really cannot see the issue.e-richard wrote:Removing the clickable link is just giving in to the scammers and damn inconvenient. I want the choice to hover over the link to see if its genuine and then click. Others always have the choice to go to the website the long winded way.
Choice is the key to good customer service. We see plenty of other examples complaining when the listing sites demand that we behave differently, so why encourage them to do that here?
OK, I hear the argument, but the crazy part about it is that the genuine site is now removing the link, but a scammer is sending an identical email this time with a link to a nefarious website.
How is the removal of the genuine link by the genuine website helping?
How is the removal of the genuine link by the genuine website helping?
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
If the genuine company did this and let all it's owners know that anything WITH a link is NOT from them, then most holiday home owners would be more clued up and potentially less likely to be scammed.e-richard wrote:OK, I hear the argument, but the crazy part about it is that the genuine site is now removing the link, but a scammer is sending an identical email this time with a link to a nefarious website.
How is the removal of the genuine link by the genuine website helping?
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kevsboredagain
- Posts: 3207
- Joined: Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:32 am
- Location: France
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No one is saying that having a clickable link isn't hugely convenient, but it is also highly abusable. Take a step back e-richard and kevsbored and remember that both of you are techies. This has to be about what is likely to serve the greatest good rather than what best serves you and others with higher than average computer literacy. Reading the comments on news sites in response to stories about guests and owners being defrauded sends a shiver down my spine. The basic message from responders is 'don't book via the likes of OD and HA because it's way too risky - book through a package holiday provider'.