Single Female??

[PeeJay]

Inquiry from a Mercedes Oliveras via World Vacation Rentals website.

Single female travelling from Puerto Rico, (but she dosent disclose this) for a 1 week booking????? only gave telphone number with international dialing code. She also dosent know where Los Cristianos is in relation to the Capital Santa Cruz?????

This would suggest she is flying in to Tenerife North Los Rodeos airport via Madrid. No direct flights from Puerto Rico to Tenerife.

Seems strange for single female to travel such a long way for 1 week holiday??? to a resort she dosent seem to know.

Not had an inquiry before from WVR and the ad has been on their site some 9 months.

Would appreciate any comments please.

[roxytoo]

Is it possible to print the entire email? What is the email address? Most of the scam emails I have had come off that site so proceed with caution!

[PeeJay]

I have heard this before about WVR that is part of the reason I am wary.

This is a copy of email. Was recieved via link from WVR so not sure if possible to ID sender.

Dear Peter & Margaret Johnson,

This inquiry is in respect to the property Nr. 1528,
"Quality Apartment Overlooking Los Cristianos Town"

http://www.worldvacationrentals.net/detailed/1528.html


Here are my details:

Name: Mercedes xxxxxxxxxxx
E-mail: mailto:mercedes.xxxxxxxx@gmail.com
No of Adults: 1
No of Children:
First Night: 2005-06-07
Last Night: 2005-06-15
Phone: +1 (787) xxxxxxx
Phone:
Fax: +1 (787) xxxxxxx


Please advice distance from Santa Cruz de Tenerife and/or La Laguna area. Also price in US Dollars

[Note: full contact details were included but I have deleted them for privacy - Paolo]

[roxytoo]

Personally I think it may be ok but have known to be wrong before!! The email address is a gmail one so that looks good and she is only asking for a week, I would reply back and see what she says, if then she starts saying about giving you more money for a longer length of time so walk away! Let us know what she says!

[PeeJay]

Thanks will keep you posted

Pete

[paolo]

I don't see anything wrong with the enquiry, unless your property is much bigger than a one-bedroom. I wouldn't expect many enquiries from Puerto Rico, but it is not out of the question. She doesn't say she is coming to Europe for one week, just that she wants your place for a week.

By the way gmail is an anonymous web-based email account like hotmail, so it does nothing to authenicate an enquiry.

You could try calling her. I'd wait for the next email to see if she is for real, or a Pirate of the Caribbean.

[roxytoo]

yes but a lot of the scam emails end with

teenmail.co,za

a yahoo account

myway.com

and others in africa, just thought gmail may be more plausible!

[PeeJay]

I don't see anything wrong with the enquiry, unless your property is much bigger than a one-bedroom. I wouldn't expect many enquiries from Puerto Rico, but it is not out of the question. She doesn't say she is coming to Europe for one week, just that she wants your place for a week.

By the way gmail is an anonymous web-based email account like hotmail, so it does nothing to authenicate an enquiry.

You could try calling her. I'd wait for the next email to see if she is for real, or a Pirate of the Caribbean.

Agreed but it was the brevity of the inquiry that has spooked me I think. I know most scams go to extremes with duff info but some sort of explanation would have helped.

Will send her a price see what is forthcoming.

[vrooje]

Sometimes I get inquiries with no comments at all, just the contact information and date. That doesn't mean they're scams...

I would follow up on this one until the moment I was offered a check for too much money.

[tansy]

maybe she has relatives on the island..spanish speaking nations?

I would give benefit of doubt - as everyone says until she starts with cheques for change...have you tried ringing?

[PeeJay]

Have sent email reply with a cost for one weeks rental to be paid in advance. Also requested full postal contact to send booking form.

Did think it could be a case of a visit to relatives. Lots of Latin American residents in Tenerife but mostly they live in the smaller inland towns and villages. Also it is a route for illegal drugs traffic from South America and guess who the favourite mules are....................................


Single females!!!!

[John Borg]

I too have an advert on world vacation rentals and out of the very few enquieries I have recieved, the majority of them are from scammers. I have sent WVR amails with the scam mail attached. True, they do reply apologetically and very quickly at that, though this site seems to be a magnet for time wasters. One cannot simply state that this "Mercedes" is a scam or not, but it surely smells that way and my big nose is usually very reliable!

[paolo]

World Vacation Rentals - isn't that our Hungarian friend who calls every rental owner in the world? So he did sell some ads then!

[roxytoo]

I think it was a freebie!! So not worth the bother really!!

[PeeJay]

World Vacation Rentals - isn't that our Hungarian friend who calls every rental owner in the world? So he did sell some ads then!

Yes. unfortunately he did!!!!