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Holiday Home: How to prove I am not a scammer!
HolidayHomeRental
Posts: 4 Newbie
I'm not sure which thread to post on so hope this is ok here.
I rent out my property in Spain to holiday makers and have been doing successfully for 20 years. I have my own website but have also always advertised on various holiday rental websites. I paid for an advert and the advert included my contact details. The client contacted me directly and I dealt with it from then on, sent them booking forms, they paid a deposit, then the balance later on, direct to me. However things have changed because of the amount of scams that people have fallen victim to. People have paid money for holiday properties that don't exist and have lost their money. I have accommodated families on more than one occasion where they have arrived to find they've been scammed and they've nowhere to stay, just dreadful.
As a result of this the holiday home rental websites no longer allow the owners to deal direct with the clients and operate a payment protection scheme. The client pays the money to the holiday rental company who hold it and only release it to the owner once the clients have checked in to the property, so that they can be sure it exists. I completely understand this and yes it does protect the client but it is not without its problems.
First of all the website levies various charges and the client ends up paying 15% more than if they booked direct. However there's another problem, it doesn't protect the owner. I am supposed to blindly accept a booking with very little knowledge of the person booking.
My property is very much a home, it's not some barely equipped rental property. I want to know who is going to be staying there. I have a responsibility to both the other residents of the complex and my insurance company to ensure the people staying are not going to cause any problems, that they are who they say they are and don't have more people in the house then they have declared. So I always speak to potential clients, you can usually get a good feel for someone, I establish a relationship with them and answer all their questions. When they complete their booking forms I take their passport numbers, address and they have to sign to agree to my booking conditions which are quite comprehensive and were written by a lawyer. I check out where they live on Google Maps (I've caught out a couple of scammers this way with false addresses) and I do a general search on their name. This has worked well, in 20 years I haven't had anyone do any serious damage, many have returned year after year and now treat my home as their home.
The problem for me is that because of the new systems these holiday rental websites now operate you can only have very limited contact with the client before booking. They want to prevent any 'off site' contact, to stop people being tempted to pay direct and also to protect their commission and charges. The client can only contact you through their website messaging system and if the client tries to send you their email address or contact telephone number it blocks it.. they don't realise this as it comes through to their email and they get very frustrated when you don't call them. Likewise you can't send any contact details to them but you also can't send any web links. When I'm dealing with clients direct I send them all sorts of links, to maps, information, airport transfer, car hire etc., and I send them pictures. I can't do that anymore. All the things that help to secure a booking I can no longer do. The system blocks any messages that contain anything like that or even any words that could be construed to be an attempt to make direct contact. You have to be so careful about every single word you use, it drives me crazy. Even when your message is completely within their rules, nine times out of ten it gets blocked and the client thinks you haven't responded.
So to finally get to my question! Is there anything I can do to prove that I am a legitimate person and not a scammer? A sort of financial equivalent to a CRB check? I have contacted my bank and they say there is nothing they can provide. I'm going to have to stop advertising on these sites as they are just not working for me and promote my website more but I want to try and find a way to prove to the client that my house does exist, that their money is safe and they will be holidaying in my home. Whilst also knowing who will be staying in my home, then we are both protected.
Ideas anyone?
I rent out my property in Spain to holiday makers and have been doing successfully for 20 years. I have my own website but have also always advertised on various holiday rental websites. I paid for an advert and the advert included my contact details. The client contacted me directly and I dealt with it from then on, sent them booking forms, they paid a deposit, then the balance later on, direct to me. However things have changed because of the amount of scams that people have fallen victim to. People have paid money for holiday properties that don't exist and have lost their money. I have accommodated families on more than one occasion where they have arrived to find they've been scammed and they've nowhere to stay, just dreadful.
As a result of this the holiday home rental websites no longer allow the owners to deal direct with the clients and operate a payment protection scheme. The client pays the money to the holiday rental company who hold it and only release it to the owner once the clients have checked in to the property, so that they can be sure it exists. I completely understand this and yes it does protect the client but it is not without its problems.
First of all the website levies various charges and the client ends up paying 15% more than if they booked direct. However there's another problem, it doesn't protect the owner. I am supposed to blindly accept a booking with very little knowledge of the person booking.
My property is very much a home, it's not some barely equipped rental property. I want to know who is going to be staying there. I have a responsibility to both the other residents of the complex and my insurance company to ensure the people staying are not going to cause any problems, that they are who they say they are and don't have more people in the house then they have declared. So I always speak to potential clients, you can usually get a good feel for someone, I establish a relationship with them and answer all their questions. When they complete their booking forms I take their passport numbers, address and they have to sign to agree to my booking conditions which are quite comprehensive and were written by a lawyer. I check out where they live on Google Maps (I've caught out a couple of scammers this way with false addresses) and I do a general search on their name. This has worked well, in 20 years I haven't had anyone do any serious damage, many have returned year after year and now treat my home as their home.
The problem for me is that because of the new systems these holiday rental websites now operate you can only have very limited contact with the client before booking. They want to prevent any 'off site' contact, to stop people being tempted to pay direct and also to protect their commission and charges. The client can only contact you through their website messaging system and if the client tries to send you their email address or contact telephone number it blocks it.. they don't realise this as it comes through to their email and they get very frustrated when you don't call them. Likewise you can't send any contact details to them but you also can't send any web links. When I'm dealing with clients direct I send them all sorts of links, to maps, information, airport transfer, car hire etc., and I send them pictures. I can't do that anymore. All the things that help to secure a booking I can no longer do. The system blocks any messages that contain anything like that or even any words that could be construed to be an attempt to make direct contact. You have to be so careful about every single word you use, it drives me crazy. Even when your message is completely within their rules, nine times out of ten it gets blocked and the client thinks you haven't responded.
So to finally get to my question! Is there anything I can do to prove that I am a legitimate person and not a scammer? A sort of financial equivalent to a CRB check? I have contacted my bank and they say there is nothing they can provide. I'm going to have to stop advertising on these sites as they are just not working for me and promote my website more but I want to try and find a way to prove to the client that my house does exist, that their money is safe and they will be holidaying in my home. Whilst also knowing who will be staying in my home, then we are both protected.
Ideas anyone?
0
Comments
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Its the problem with any rental property you can never guarantee the suitability of a 'tenant' or holiday rental clients. The only way you can cut the odds down of getting decent people in your rental is either, family, friends or who come recommended by a reliable source.0
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You'll get a better response here
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28
or maybe here
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=160 -
No I don't agree WillimS. I've been renting out for many years to people from all over the world and I've not had any problems. Speaking to people, having professional booking forms and booking conditions, taking a damage deposit, has all worked well for me. If you can have enough contact with them beforehand you can usually work out whether you want them in your home and if not you don't accept the booking. The current system though doesn't allow that which is where the problem lies for many of us0
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You'll get a better response here
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28
or maybe here
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16
I've moved this thread in expectation of more responses.0 -
Thank you. Does that mean I don't have to repost?0
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HolidayHomeRental wrote: »Thank you. Does that mean I don't have to repost?
Yes. People will see your original post here, as well as a redirect in the original sub-forum.0 -
Thank you. I see it's been moved to "UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments" Would "Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning" perhaps be better as Marisco suggested?0
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If you're not happy with the agencies then don't use them. Easy to say, less easy to do I know.
Watch out that any scheme to protect clients money doesn't end up with you getting scammed by fake complaints.0 -
Yes Jackmydad, that's my point, I'm going to stop using them because I am unhappy with the system that's been forced upon me. However I do understand the reasons behind it and would like to find a way of reassuring people that I am legitimate and their money is safe.
Is this another problem that I'm not aware of?! Do you mean people have their holiday and then complain about things that don't exist to get a refund?Watch out that any scheme to protect clients money doesn't end up with you getting scammed by fake complaints.0 -
HolidayHomeRental wrote: »Thank you. I see it's been moved to "UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments" Would "Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning" perhaps be better as Marisco suggested?
Oops... I will see if I can get it moved.
edit: Now in the right sub-forum.0
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