I've started to notice a 'trend' in people contacting me with an enquiry and saying that they've been scammed and now only have a limited budget and could I help them out.
Over the past 2 years I've had 2 of these both of which I really tried to accommodate (one did stay with us), but this year I'm already on my 2nd and I started to get suspicious because they were majoring on the budget aspect and not the 'can you prove you're who you are' aspect.
So found myself asking questions (along with the sympathy) and offering to report the scammer to the local police for them. Surprise surprise I haven't heard anything back from the enquirers at the point I suggest that.
I wonder.
Mousie
x
Jumping on the 'scam' bandwagon
Jumping on the 'scam' bandwagon
One martini, two martini, three martini floor!
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jaapspreeuwenberg
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2011 11:27 am
- Location: Layan, Phuket (Thailand)
- Contact:
It seems to be a trend for people worrying about that.
Unfortunately I had made a booking mistake with one of my regular guests, very very unfortunate. They were quiet slow in responding, meanwhile a rental agency had made a booking for their period and after a while the regular guests contacted me back to confirm the booking and transfered the depsoit fee to me, as they still had my banking details. I immediately contacted them back and transfered the funds back to them. They were very happy with that, a bit to my surprise as I really wonder how someone could do otherwise. They too emailed me back that they were afraid of scams, even if they already made bookings with me for three or four years and were always happy. (A bit on the sideline, but this story ends with me accomodating them into a more expensive penthouse I do also own for the first period of their stay and then accommodating them into the place they originally booked.)
PureHolidayHomes amongst other websites is advertising in the UK warning about scams, and promoting their verification badge, maybe that has also something to do with it?
Kind regards,
Jaap
Unfortunately I had made a booking mistake with one of my regular guests, very very unfortunate. They were quiet slow in responding, meanwhile a rental agency had made a booking for their period and after a while the regular guests contacted me back to confirm the booking and transfered the depsoit fee to me, as they still had my banking details. I immediately contacted them back and transfered the funds back to them. They were very happy with that, a bit to my surprise as I really wonder how someone could do otherwise. They too emailed me back that they were afraid of scams, even if they already made bookings with me for three or four years and were always happy. (A bit on the sideline, but this story ends with me accomodating them into a more expensive penthouse I do also own for the first period of their stay and then accommodating them into the place they originally booked.)
PureHolidayHomes amongst other websites is advertising in the UK warning about scams, and promoting their verification badge, maybe that has also something to do with it?
Kind regards,
Jaap
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Giddy Goat
- Posts: 9054
- Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2005 7:38 am
- Location: UK
- Contact:
Jaap, hi and welcome to LMH. Yes, there is a growing awareness, and once in a while the media jumps onto it when a major scam affecting the industry comes to light.
The problem is that the activity of private vacation rentals (B&Bs less so I guess) is, by and large, unregulated - hence some listing sites are offering a simple verification program.
This little company (of which I was one of around 40 founders) is not a listing site, although it kind of began that way, and was kicked off by Lay My Hat members. Over time, since we had a panel of owners from here who were handling applications to join and only accepted "owners who care", we realised that we had something rather exceptional to offer: an accreditation service which not only verifies that the property exists and that the applicant is its legitimate owner or manager, but looks keenly at the owner's attitudes towards customer support.
So that is where our emphasis now lies. Those who therefore cannot convince (it's not as easy as it looks) the panel that they share our ethos are therefore turned down.
The problem is that the activity of private vacation rentals (B&Bs less so I guess) is, by and large, unregulated - hence some listing sites are offering a simple verification program.
This little company (of which I was one of around 40 founders) is not a listing site, although it kind of began that way, and was kicked off by Lay My Hat members. Over time, since we had a panel of owners from here who were handling applications to join and only accepted "owners who care", we realised that we had something rather exceptional to offer: an accreditation service which not only verifies that the property exists and that the applicant is its legitimate owner or manager, but looks keenly at the owner's attitudes towards customer support.
So that is where our emphasis now lies. Those who therefore cannot convince (it's not as easy as it looks) the panel that they share our ethos are therefore turned down.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be