Help! A booking for 21 weeksplus!!!!

[genie]

We only put our property on the market on Friday 4th May and to our amazement already we have had lots of enquiries; however there has been one that is ringing alarm bells in my head. It’s from a lady that is using the yahoo.com web address, so I do not know if she is based in England; her request is for availability from 1st August 2007 to 30th December 2007, a total for 21weeks plus a few days. The massage is as follows, word for word.
Dear sir
Pls let me know if the properties are still vacant..how I can arrange flight from us to spain and every payment option.thank you.

Now if she had looked at the availability section she would have seen that the villa was already booked from the 11th to the 25th August. It strikes me as odd that someone that is planning to stay that long has not secured accommodation before this especially when they know what date they would be arriving not to mention the date and time of there departure. Regarding the flights, is she coming from the USA? Why would she need us to give her information regarding flights? I have been told about people sub letting, but we do have an agent overseeing the property. Any help would be most grateful.

genie
[/u]

[Normandy Cow]

SCAM ALERT!!!

I wouldn't bother to answer - sounds definitely a scam to me!! Have a read through the "Scam Email Enquiries" section of this forum for more information...

[debk]

OK, I'm a bit of an oddity here at LMH but I tend to not assume something is a scam until proven otherwise. (OK, ok, I ignore the really obvious ones about models and such.)

So, if you decide to continue:

First, I would email to confirm the dates. Sometimes people make mistakes: asking for 27 May 2007 to 6 June 2009, for example.

Next, whether this inquiry is bogus or not: If you haven't already researched this, I'd find out exacty how long (ie, how many days/weeks/months) you can rent in your area without legally requiring a written landlord-tenant contract and all the eviction mess that can come along with it. If possible, it's best to do your homework on long-term rental limits before it's a real issue!

As for Spain, maybe they are planning to take a short trip over there? This is fairly common for our longer-term visitors. If so, a list of airlines that fly from your local airport to Spanish cities(veuling.com or whatever) would be appreciated.

All in all, the inquiry is so vague I wouldn't get excited. I doubt anything will come of it... but it could be a good learning experience!
debk

[Stu]

Scam. Plain & simple. Look at the language used? No mention of a discount for 21 weeks? My alarm bells would be ringing like hell.

[Donna P]

I've had the same e-mail !!!
I did'nt even bother replying to it as it is clear on my availability calender that I am already booked.

Me thinks its a scam...

Donna x

[guest 4]

Here's one of mine, you can smell them a mile (or several thousand) off.


Hello,
I Am Mr Mark brown smith from london, i want to book a
reservation for me and my family during my live
holiday
from the office, from 5th of May 2007, to 12th of May
2007. We are coming for a tourist visit in your
country.

kindly, calculate and give me the total cost of 3
double rooms or 5 single rooms,in {POUNDS} or
EUROS.for
6 persons, for the 7 days of our stay, including the
taxes, and breakfast if you offer, i will send you my
credit for advance payment.my children are above
16years.

Please kidly get back to me with the total cost..

Didn't bother to reply. If he had read the ad he would know I don't have 3 double or 5 single rooms.

And what is a 'live' holiday? I don't want any dead people in my villa.

Ruth

[Musetta]

hmmm....not that this one isn't a a scam...but...about the yahoo thing....I almost ALWAYS use my yahoo address when emailing companies or people I don't know (!) and I'm not a scam I do it becasue #1-I have moved and changed internet providers quite often (not by choice) and I know that one is a constant...and #2 -the biggy...I get a lot of scam emails and I find it cuts down....well...at least the scam goes to my yahoo onoe and not my "real" one. My email address listed with LMH is a yahoo one so...I guess that all...just wanted to say the the yahoo ones aren't always bad (I have a home I rent long-term and I found both my tenants on craigslist. and...BOTH used yahoo addresses...go figure)

[Big Sis..]

Hi Genie ...

Think its a definite scam Im afraid...cant tell you why but I always get an uneasy feeling .....

If you do want to go a bit further into this ask loads of questions and ask what attracted them to your house/villa whatever...and something about where it is...

I think youll find out that they havent a clue cos theyve sent this out to loads of places.....

Be very very cautious ...always come back to us if your still worried..

[paolo]

The part of the email quoted sounds very fishy, but there is nothing suspicous, per se, about a Yahoo address or any other free mail. I use Yahoo, Hotmail and gmail myself and get plenty of bookings from people using them.

[Fil]

I would ignore it completely.

I have noticed that people who start advertising usualy receive this type of mails the next day or so. I guess scamers beleive they are unexperienced and anxious to get the first bookigs.

[Stu]

Like Paolo, I have nothing against potential guests using the 'free' e-mail addys, my alarm bells ring at the language used, rather than the address. If it's supposedly written by a UK or US resident, I'm very mindful of the types of phrases used when enquiring. The 'real' enquirers are usually asking pertinent questions, like 'do you have a cot', or 'will there be a discount for such a long stay?'

You'll soon get used to sorting the wheat from the chaff. The rest of us have!