AVOIDING VACATION RENTAL SCAMS Chelsea Herring
Vacation rentals have taken the center stage recently with many would-be travelers choosing to stay at an Airbnb or something similar instead of staying in an over-priced hotel. Vacation rentals are often cheaper and give people a homier feeling since they’re typically staying in someone’s house. While there are perks to choosing a vacation rental over a hotel, they can also have downsides. One of those downsides is the chance of being scammed. There are vacation rental scam stories all over and there are many signs you can look out for in order to make sure you avoid one. Read on if you’re looking for a few tips to help avoid these scams.
Consider The Payment Method One of the clearest signs that you may be getting scammed is the payment method the renter is requesting you use. If they want you to transfer the money via wire, you could be in for trouble. Credit cards are always the safest way to pay for a rental, as they offer consumer protection that other payment methods can’t offer. Credit cards allow you to dispute charges if issues arrive, so there’s a lot more wiggle room. It’s also important to be aware of if the websites you’re using offer secure payment systems and/or money-back guarantees. Sites such as Airbnb don’t release payment to the owners of the rental until 24 hours after you’ve checked in, so it’s easy to get a refund if something isn’t as advertised once you get to your rental.
Too Good To Be True? The phrase “If it looks too good to be true, it is” can be used in many situations but it’s especially applicable with vacation rentals. Prices for vacation rentals tend to vary depending on factors such as amenities, location, and the number of rooms. If you were to find a 5 bedroom rental in Manhattan for $100 a night, you’d likely be getting scammed. Be sure to look at other rentals in the area so you have a better idea of what the going rates are. You can also do a reverse image search on google to check if the image they use for the rental is a stock image. This can help you figure out if the property is even real.
Conduct Research of the Property and Host When you think you’ve found a rental you want to stay at, it’s always important to do a little bit of digging into the property and the owner. Use the internet to look up the owner’s name, the address of the rental, images of the property and even other things such as who pays the property taxes. Watch out for inconsistencies, and if you notice any you might want to think again before renting that property. If you’re using a website such as Airbnb, you can check the host’s profile as well. A lot of websites verify their users through government IDs, email addresses and phone numbers, so check to see if the host has these filled out on their profile. While this doesn’t guarantee anything, it’s less likely that someone trying to scam would-be renters would leave any type of paper trail. Be sure to look out for Superhost badges on Airbnb and other similar systems for reliable hosts on other websites as well.
While the potential of being scammed and losing money is not a fun thought, it doesn’t have to ruin vacation rentals for you. There are plenty of ways to ensure you’re getting the rental you paid for as long as you do the proper research and pay attention to what you’re being offered.
Thanks!
WEBSITE ChelseaHerring.org
TWITTER @_ChelseaHerring
MEDIUM @ChelseaHerring