Nothing can ruin a holiday quicker than arriving at your destination only to find that the accommodation you just booked doesn’t exist or is already occupied by somebody else who has never heard of the so-called agent you just rented the property from. Fortunately there are ways to prevent this from happening by following a few simple guidelines.
Whether you are looking for holiday accommodation in Margate or a guesthouse in the Kruger Park, it is worth taking a few extra precautions before making that booking, for your own peace of mind.
Be very cautious when booking accommodation from a website that offers free classifieds. It is just too easy to create a fake listing with details sourced from a legitimate website then post the listing as a classified ad with any payments going straight into the fraudsters bank account. Once you make payment, you will never hear from them again.
It is rare, although not impossible, for a con artist to sign up with a website where they have to pay for their listing. One thing scammers do not like doing is giving out their details and they generally have to do that if they want to subscribe to a holiday accommodation website.
Another indication is if the email address of the “agent” is a free email address such as gmail or yahoo mail. A fraudster will certainly not want an email address that can be traced back to them, but be aware that a lot of legitimate establishments make use of gmail addresses so this on its own is not a reason to not make a booking with that home owner or agent.
If making your booking from a holiday letting agent, make sure they have been in business for more than a year at least. Most legitimate letting agents will have their own website and it will not be a free website that can be easily “disposed” of. They will also have a large number of holiday accommodation listings on their website to choose from. Don’t be afraid to ask for a referral.
Google the name of the place you are intending to stay at and make sure that the information you receive from other websites matches the information you have received from the person who is claiming to be the agent or home owner. Google the name, telephone number and email address of the owner or agent. If they have been implicated in any wrong doing it is not uncommon for somebody to have posted this information on a forum somewhere.
Remember, the age old adage of “if its too good to be true, then it probably is”, definitely applies to booking your holiday accommodation. If anything seems off to you, then rather walk away from the deal than risk ruining your holiday just to save a few bucks.
A good source of information for travellers, particularly if going on an international holiday is the website, www.tripadvisor.com
Whether you are looking for holiday accommodation in Margate or a guesthouse in the Kruger Park, it is worth taking a few extra precautions before making that booking, for your own peace of mind.
Be very cautious when booking accommodation from a website that offers free classifieds. It is just too easy to create a fake listing with details sourced from a legitimate website then post the listing as a classified ad with any payments going straight into the fraudsters bank account. Once you make payment, you will never hear from them again.
It is rare, although not impossible, for a con artist to sign up with a website where they have to pay for their listing. One thing scammers do not like doing is giving out their details and they generally have to do that if they want to subscribe to a holiday accommodation website.
Another indication is if the email address of the “agent” is a free email address such as gmail or yahoo mail. A fraudster will certainly not want an email address that can be traced back to them, but be aware that a lot of legitimate establishments make use of gmail addresses so this on its own is not a reason to not make a booking with that home owner or agent.
If making your booking from a holiday letting agent, make sure they have been in business for more than a year at least. Most legitimate letting agents will have their own website and it will not be a free website that can be easily “disposed” of. They will also have a large number of holiday accommodation listings on their website to choose from. Don’t be afraid to ask for a referral.
Google the name of the place you are intending to stay at and make sure that the information you receive from other websites matches the information you have received from the person who is claiming to be the agent or home owner. Google the name, telephone number and email address of the owner or agent. If they have been implicated in any wrong doing it is not uncommon for somebody to have posted this information on a forum somewhere.
Remember, the age old adage of “if its too good to be true, then it probably is”, definitely applies to booking your holiday accommodation. If anything seems off to you, then rather walk away from the deal than risk ruining your holiday just to save a few bucks.
A good source of information for travellers, particularly if going on an international holiday is the website, www.tripadvisor.com