Owners Direct villla website safest way to pay?

BoxerfanUK

Try booking with www.villarenters.com they have a much better set up where you pay villarenters and not the owner. You are much better protected as they hold onto your payments until after your holiday. They also encourage all property owners registered with them to manage their properties properly and this is done via a points system. The more points a property owner gets the higher up the rankings their property gets listed. Things like an owner cancelling on someone thats booked counts as negative and the property owner will lose points for this, as well as if they don't keep their calender and bookings up to date. You have far more security as a holiday renter by booking through them.

I am not associated with villarenters the company in any capacity other than that I have a property in North Cyprus that I advertise with them, so I know the set up and how secure it is both for owner and renter. Hope this helps.

Villarenters are owned by the Daily Mail and Teletext holidays.

budgetflyer

johnnyroper wrote: »

The problem you have is down to a specific owner,owners direct is as you rightly say just a means of advertising you actually deal with the owner.as such there ain't a lot owners direct can do,it is like having a pop at auto trader if you buy a lemon that someone had listed for sale in there.

Yes, I agree, but surely if there is a financial dispute and possible scam, then "Owners Direct " have a partial responsibility if they continue to feature the advertisement for a potential scamster after being informed of the situation.

mp1875 wrote:

I also used Owners Direct to book a villa in Spain. Couple who owned it were in Bristol.

No problems whatsoever paid by bank transfer. As someone mentioned try and get a good rapport with the owners and much information about the villa before booking..

But phoning and "building up a rapport" with someone in Bristol who "sound nice" isnt proper protection for sending £300 unsecured.

lagoslife

johnnyroper wrote: »

The problem you have is down to a specific owner,owners direct is as you rightly say just a means of advertising you actually deal with the owner.as such there ain't a lot owners direct can do,it is like having a pop at auto trader if you buy a lemon that someone had listed for sale in there.

I agree.

Did you have a contract with the owner?

If you are unsucessful with a refund then the small claims court (if owner is UK based) and negative reviews of the owner are the way forward.

Good luck.