Not sure? Anyone else had an enquiry from this one....

[Nightowl]

I had an enquiry from a Sam Roth. it has some elements of 'scam' about it - just the english I think more than anything.. what do you all think?

Also the fact he says they are coming into London City airport - which is a 'commuter/business' airport.

Anyone else had enquiries from the same person?

Thanks for your reply. I have reviewed your offer and I am thrilled by
the beautiful homes and good location.
We would like booking this apartment from 12.04.08 till 19.04.08 .
We are 4 persons, Samuel 09.02.1965, Liliane 12.08.1966, Particia
24.07.1991 and Silvan 31.03.1994.
Bed- and bath linen, we will also take over from you. The final cleaning
as well and included?
What is the next Airport? I think we fly to London City Airport. So now,
I am pleased once again to hear from you.
Sincerely
Sam Roth

[Windy]

Seems very odd to put the birth dates instead of ages too - too much information is often the sign of a scam.

J

[Beanie]

Hi Nightowl

I agree that it does seem a little odd - as WL says, a little toooooo much info, but perhaps that's just the type of person.

We have had guests in the past who have told us quite a bit about themselves (occupations, why they've picked the location, children's names, ages, the fact they're school ski champions etc).

The only thing I wanted to throw in the pot is that we fly from London City often (a dream to go to/from and no lost luggage) as there are regular flights to Geneva and good deals available.

Can you fly to your local airport (or a nearish one) from there ? If not, then most definitely a scam.

Do you have any kind of enquiry form or contact form you could have them fill out to find out some more information ?

If I'm a little unsure I sometimes tell a white lie and say that we've just had another enquiry for that period but I'll go back and check with the party to see if they'd like to proceed (giving them first refusal out of courtesy as they came in first etc etc). In the meantime, I send over a form and ask them to complete that whilst I 'make enqiries'. The form is not an obligation to book, just a contact form. I've never had anyone decline it and all our guests who go onto book have to fill one in anyway. Might be worth a try and puts another layer in place that enables you to do some more checking.

Tread cautiously none the less !

Beanie

[Chianti]

Nightowl

It looks to me like the other scams. In any case, does this look like the sort of person you would wish to have in your property? When they're obvious I don't bother to reply. If one has doubts, then as suggested, I would certainly send a booking form.

Please let us know what happens.

Chianti

[Rocket Rab]

Hi Nightowl,

I think I would hesitate before writing this off as a scam. It looks to me like a message written in haste (typo in child's name, Particia) by a non-native English speaker. 'Roth' is a fairly common name in German-speaking Switzerland (I think) - the other names look French..is the enquiry from a Swiss family based around Geneva, perhaps?

Proceed with caution, perhaps?

RR

[Normandy Cow]

I'm with the Rabbit on this one.

I don't see what there is about it that is a scam apart from the English. They're only looking for one week, and I presume they are wanting to book your London house? If so, then it makes sense that they are coming in to City airport.

And if they are Swiss, then specifying the actual dates of birth is just the sort of anal thing that a swiss person would do!!!!!
(I'm allowed to say that, being half-Swiss, and very anal myself!!! ).

As RR says, proceed with caution, but do proceed...

[Rocket Rab]

(I'm allowed to say that, being half-Swiss, and very anal myself!!! ).

I'll join you in that, NC !

[losttheplot]

I agree, it may well be a genuine enquiry and I don't think that you can tell a scam until payment is discussed- it seems that they are typically credit card or overpayment scams and go something like this:

1. Can't pay a deposit because I'm in the process of discovering a cure for AIDS, saving the rainforest, on mission in some remote district. So a full payment arrives at the last minute followed by a cancellation and request for bank transfer refund (before the alarm bells are rung with the real credit card holder and the chargeback notice arrives)

2. Agency fees (linked with the above)

3. Overpayment using a stolen cheque (and bank transfer refund)

4. Request for your bank details or any personal information that might complete any information that they already have


This might well be a genuine enquiry- i am daily offered far too much information from people in supermarket queues and taxi drivers so I don't think thast that is necessarily a scam-indicator and I think all enquiries deserve a polite reponse up to the point that alalrm bells ring or I get the sense that these guests are going to trash my apartment.

I have just discovered how to find the country of origin of emails:
viewtopic.php?t=3556

Helps sort out Lagos from Lucerne- although I recently nearly got taken with a scam No 1 (above) and the email address came from an internet company in New York. You have to get a response email from them before you can trace the origin so you need to engage in abit of low level baiting before you can be sure that the enquiry is fair or foul.

Theres also a forum string about 'my angel Partricial'

viewtopic.php?t=5053&sid=0093004d7a9770 ... 1416e5aa3a

which may be a coincidence but worth a look

Good luck, I am on a sharp learning curve at the moment and really appreciate this forum and those that take time to share their knowledge with us rookies.

[Normandy Cow]

Hello Lost, welcome to the forum.

When I noticed that you had a holiday rental in Margate I really did think you must have "lost the plot", but then I looked at your site and it really does look inviting! I wouldn't mind a holiday there myself - after all, if it's good enough for Tracey, then it's good enough for me!

Good luck with your rentals - you won't be a rookie for long and I hope you will gain a lot from this forum.

[losttheplot]

Thanks for the welcome...don't knock Margate, there are 3 other holiday lets running there as far as I know. I have booked 17 weeks since we started in June and we are looking at around a 28 week occupancy for the year- we're still trying to work out whether the holiday let adventure is mad or inspired but I know for sure that it's fun (even taking into account the rotten scammers!)

Margate is steadily improving (and this will get a huge boost when the Turner Contemporary art gallery opens in 2009-10) so the local holiday trade is alive and kicking. About 30% of our guests and enquiries are from the EU.

Haven't bumped into Tracy E yet but have been in the pub where Eric Morecambe had his wedding reception (what more could you ask for from a holiday destination?!)

Anyway enough from the Margate tourist board- as I said I am grateful for this forum - its somewhere between information and therapy.

[Normandy Cow]

...don't knock Margate

Sorry!

this will get a huge boost when the Turner Contemporary art gallery opens in 2009-10)

So rather than losing the plot, you'll soon be able to claim to have been an "early adopter" of what may one day turn out to be the new St Ives!

[losttheplot]

well you never know, but it would be sad if the town lost its gritty edge to the franchise coffee shops and restaurants.

[Nightowl]

I was quite excited when I saw 11 replies to this - so thanks everyone; I'm still 50/50 on whether it's a scam or not but I will take the board's advice and go with it for the time being and see which way the wind blows.

I was glad to see losttheplot in Margate; I love Margate, it has special memories for me as a kid when we spent a fair few holidays and day trips there - Bembon Brothers Dreamland and the Shell Grotto in its heyday.

and we carried on the tradition of day trips with my own kids - we had a yearly ritual for about 5 years in the summer holidays of going to Dreamland and Margate beach with a group of mums who I met via our kids' primary school (who I still see a lot of even though our kids are now leaving secondary school). We all shed a bit of a tear when Dreamland closed down as we have happy memories and photos of our kids as they got older every year, taken on the Dream land rides.

So its good to hear that Margate is still going strong! Must have a nose at your website! xx

[Normandy Cow]

I was quite excited when I saw 11 replies to this

Sorry about that - the thread creep was my fault

[Nightowl]

nah, don't worry about it, I wasn't being sarky! I really DO like Margate!! and I don' t mind thread creep... I'm often guilty of it too and in this thread it doesn't really matter if it goes off on a tangent...

...although btw I have heard back from him and I think it probably is a genuine enquiry... will let you know if it goes otherwise...

nightie