Not sure about this one.

[Sarah]

Hi there,

I received this, from vacationrentals.com a couple of weeks ago:

From: tracy_mark1@yahoo.com
Phone: +44717338466
Inquiry:


I am an american citizen presently based in england. I am planning a
holiday to france with my son age 10 and I was wondering how much it
will cost for 7 days.can you also kindly forward your information
with your phone number and address so that I can arrange for payment
as I will be paying by check
Thanks
Tracy

It initially made me a bit suspicious because our property has 4 bedrooms and she and her son would be rattling around in it, but I thought that perhaps she wanted to bring others who would be included on the booking form. She asked for prices which are all on the website, but I did wonder whether perhaps she was searching for a discount, so I sent her the prices.

Anyway, she agreed to book for the first week in December so I sent her a booking form. As I'd sort of expected, she hasn't responded and the promised cheque has not arrived.

I'm wracking my brains as to what the scam could be, did she just want the address for some reason? Do any of you more experienced property owners have any ideas?

Sarah.

[alexia s.]

I wouldn't be worried about this.... except for the request:
"can you also kindly forward your information
with your phone number and address so that I can arrange for payment as I will be paying by check ".
People often ask for a booking form and then don't go ahead - but they don't usually ask for the address at this stage.
(Although our address is on the booking form, BYW, I don't send directions until after final payment has been received.)
I would have rung the number she gave. Why don't you?

[Paul Carmel]

Sorry alexia.......me thinks its an overpayment scam in the waiting, but the scammer is so busy with the workload!

Just my opinion.

[Sarah]

Thanks Alexia.

I did try to phone the number given when I hadn't heard after a week, but it comes up as unobtainable. I did consider the possibility that it was a mistake, but with everything else as well!

I was just interested to know if anyone else had had similar experiences. I was a little concerned about having given the address out, like you we include the address on our booking forms, but no directions until payment has been received and cleared, so being right out in the country and with only a house name, it would be very difficult to find us.

With so many tricksters about now, sadly I do find myself being a bit suspicious of everything slightly out of the ordinary and looking for the scam.

Sarah.

[paolo]

I suspect Paul is right - they just had other fish to fry and didn't continue with sending you a dud payment.

[Normandy Cow]

I would be very wary about putting your address on the booking form, even if you don't provide directions - people could easily find your property using mappy or some other similar software.

Or am I being over paranoid? I certainly don't give out any clues as to the whereabouts of my property (not even the name of the village) until I have received and banked the final payment...

[Sarah]

Catherine, we live on site, so we have to put the property address on the booking form as it is our home address also. I wouldn't publish the address if we lived elsewhere, as you say, until all payments had been banked and cleared.