Social media rent and other adverts 10 January at 6:10PM edited 2 June at 4:17PM in Ask An Expert: Archive 3 replies 127 views

Mrframed

Hi,

Me and my partner were looking for rent property via one of the main social media platforms and we have been communicating via email with alleged landlord.
The landlord was living in Spain and can't show us the property however, if we are serious to rent she can come over after we paid deposit and reserve the house via "Airbnb" platform. She wrote us a lengthy emails ensuring that is all safe and genuine, for example "Your money is safe because it will be in the company Airbnb custody until you will meet me and get the keys"; "At any time, you can cancel and you will get your money back, with some little fee from the company", she even sent us a picture of her Spanish ID.
Is Airbnb a real rental platform? Is there possibility to check up this person's ID anywhere?

Many thanks

MovingForwards

Mrframed said:

Hi,

Me and my partner were looking for rent property via one of the main social media platforms and we have been communicating via email with alleged landlord.
The landlord was living in Spain and can't show us the property however, if we are serious to rent she can come over after we paid deposit and reserve the house via "Airbnb" platform. She wrote us a lengthy emails ensuring that is all safe and genuine, for example "Your money is safe because it will be in the company Airbnb custody until you will meet me and get the keys"; "At any time, you can cancel and you will get your money back, with some little fee from the company", she even sent us a picture of her Spanish ID.
Is Airbnb a real rental platform? Is there possibility to check up this person's ID anywhere?

Many thanks

Airbnb is more of a weekend/holiday/short term rental platform rather than a normal family long term rental platform.

You're better off asking in the renting section:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/house-buying-renting-selling

waqasahmed

Mrframed said:

Hi,

Me and my partner were looking for rent property via one of the main social media platforms and we have been communicating via email with alleged landlord.
The landlord was living in Spain and can't show us the property however, if we are serious to rent she can come over after we paid deposit and reserve the house via "Airbnb" platform. She wrote us a lengthy emails ensuring that is all safe and genuine, for example "Your money is safe because it will be in the company Airbnb custody until you will meet me and get the keys"; "At any time, you can cancel and you will get your money back, with some little fee from the company", she even sent us a picture of her Spanish ID.
Is Airbnb a real rental platform? Is there possibility to check up this person's ID anywhere?

Many thanks

This could or could not be imo 

Realistically, Airbnb isn't meant for this but if it's genuinely listed on airbnb, it probably isn't too bad ordinarily 

I guess the issue with say listing it on spare room, or Facebook marketplace is that you can't necessarily guarantee that the room exists until you see it 

I wouldn't trust the fact that they've sent "their" ID given they could have easily stolen someone's ID. Personally I'd err on the side of caution, including asking they when they're coming back from Spain.

Realistically, if they truly were in Spain long term, they'd have someone to manage it for them 

happyman70

No sure if this is the right place to post this but how do you report scams on facebook. Tried filling in forms on Facebook to report a company that goes under lots of different names and Facebook are not interested. They are using the same video adverts which are sponsered and selling suitcases that never arrive. Thousands and thousands of people are buying them and they do not arrive. Facebook are not interested so I would like to know how to report them and how to stop them.

The websites have been set up within a few weeks with them claiming they have tens of thousands of positive reviews. Lots of their company names are on trustpilot with people reporting they have not received their product. They do not accept paypal because they know they will have to refund people.

I would love to know how to stop these people because facebook are not interested