View Full Version : Should I be worried?
We have finally found the rental home of our dreams on Captiva. We are renting direct from the owner although he has an agent as he is willing to rent cheaper this way. We know from the agent that he owns the property. H e has just requested full balance by cheque payable to the name of the home, via a PO box on the island. In his email he has neve given me a surname or address other than that of the rental home.
I have emailed him asking for a rental agreement and other details
Is it the norm to provide a written agreement before money changes hands? or am I worrying uneccesarily?
We really really love this house and dont want to rock the boat but I am uneasy about just sendngmoney to an unknwn person at an unknown address.
Opnions from villa owners please
steph_goodrum
11-05-2004, 19:51
You certainly should have a full agreement before you decide to hand your money over.
You need to know what the terms and conditions you are agreeing to regarding cancellation policy, etc before you have paid.
I agree with Steph, have you looked them up on google ?
On the web site no terms and conditions are shown and the owner has never referred to any in his emails.
Id be wary if you havent been sent any terms etc
Ray&Sarah
11-05-2004, 22:27
Doesn't sound very business like. Most owners have booking forms and terms and conditions to send to potential guests. Some send out invoices once the deposit is received, with instructions for making your final payment.
We'd be a bit wary, ask for his terms before you pay the balance over.
I would definitely ask for terms and conditions first - most of us either put them on our websites or will send by email/post when someone makes a booking. A deposit (or if within a couple of months of arrival date, the full amount) is standard, as is payment of a security deposit. If an owner is using a trading name then I wouldn't be unduly worried either.
BUT if you feel uncomfortable sending your money to this particular person then the owner should in some way make every effort to assure you.
I tend to see the good things in people so there may be a valid reason like he/she is a new property owner and hasn't quite got all their paperwork together yet but I would definitely get more info
Jackie
just got a reply to my email----- owner states he does not have a formal agreement to issue will simply leave house unlocked and a key on the counter on the day of arrival!!!! has also not givemn me an address or full name. I am feeling very uneasy about this as we are so far away. Also he has not asked for any security deposit etc. Not at all sure how to proceed.
We once stayed at a villa on Majorca where you collected the key from under the flowerpot on the front door step and never paid a security deposit.
I suppose if, as you said before and whilst it's unconventional, he doesn't normally rent it out himself but it's normally done via an agent, he may well be telling the truth and not have any forms or conditions, etc himself.
Go with your gut feeling - it sounds to me as if he's unusually trusting and presumably you can always trace him via the agent if necessary? Alternatively, if you don't feel happy with the situation, then tell him and see what response you get in reply.
Just emailed a tactfully worded (hopefully) request playing on the fact that he is obviously a laid back Captivian and we are uptight Brits!!!but asking that he provide a full contact name and adress and suggesting that for his(!) protection we provide a security deposit. Have suggested that if we send a cheque for the deposit we might meet up with him on arrival and pay in cash the balance, as it crossed my mind it may be a tax issue. Not sure how he will react but if he goes for this option then at least if things go pear shaped we only paid out a much smaller amount.
Is there a limit to how much cash you can take into the US?
If this approach doesn't work we have a reserve option which we will go with as whilst it is not so beautiful a house will give us peace of mind.
Can we suffer any more trauma planning this trip? maybe I should just have visited a travel agent!!!!!!!!hopefully it will all be worth it in the end.
Actually reading Alans offer on the other forum page gave me great heart, what a generous bunch owners are, hopefully we have also found one of that kind. Well done Alan.
Fingers crossed [msnsmile2][msnsmile2][msnsmile2]
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:I should just have visited a travel agent!!!!!!!!hopefully it will all be worth it in the end.[/quote] Nope, stick with us and we'll point you right and of course it'll be worth it, no question about that! :)
You can take $10,000 each into the USA without having to declare it to Customs (so that would have to be a veeeeery expensive house!).
I think what you've done is the right course personally - let us know what happens...
steph_goodrum
12-05-2004, 19:36
I wouldnt be so worried about paying up front, that is what we as homeowners all ask our guests to do and most of us would not be happy to wait for cash on arrival as if the guests doesn't show up then by the time you know about it it's too late to try and find another guest, since unlike hotels we dont get the benefit of walk-in clients usually.
Yes it is a trust thing in the same way we entrust our homes worth several thousands of dollars to guests.
Have no problem paying upfront if I have the security of knowing the owners full name and address and a rental agreement. At the moment I have none of these things!! only a first name and cell phone contact, even the cheque is to be paid to the name of the home and sent to a PO box. I suspect this a tax fiddle but I cant risk it.
I would also be happier with a security deposit as I wouldnt want to ret a villa I owned to someone who may damage it etc. We just wnat the safeguards in place that I would imagine most of the owners on this site actually do as the norm.
Shame none of you has a villa on Captiva!!!!!!!!!!!:):):)
steph_goodrum
12-05-2004, 23:19
That's what i was going to say Poet but had to answer the door and didnt finish it.
Its the lack of terms and conditions that would worry me more, just so I knew what was expected of me as a rentor, what I could expect to be included for my money, and what cancellation terms were etc.
next instalment!!!!!!!!!! email from owner giving full name and address, stating that he thought he had asked for a credit card as a sec deposit(he hadnt). So my question is if he can use our CC number in the event of a damage issue why cant we pay by CC also?
If one of you has a CC for the sec dep can you accept it for the payment? we would happily pay the charges for the convenience.
Anyway if we need to pay by cheque does anyone know offhand how LLoyds tsb handle dollar cheques do you neesd to order ?
Mind you still no rental agreemnt,:) opinions please should we pursue this?
hamptonlakes
13-05-2004, 14:08
I personally would not rent a place without some kind of rental agreement
bit off the track firstly, but the way I read the immigration form, blott, was that you are only allowed $10,000 per family name (living at the same address)
back to thread - I would really only be happy with some sort of formal agreement to know where you stand on things like cancellations-from either side- or even basic things like breakages,etc.
Paying up front is the norm - as it is with ant holiday, surely- but I understand the point.
If it were me, however pretty the place is, I'd constantly be thinking of what could go wrong and that would spoil my holiday more than staying in a not-so-pretty home.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by blott
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:I should just have visited a travel agent!!!!!!!!hopefully it will all be worth it in the end.[/quote] Nope, stick with us and we'll point you right and of course it'll be worth it, no question about that! :)
You can take $10,000 each into the USA without having to declare it to Customs (so that would have to be a veeeeery expensive house!).
I think what you've done is the right course personally - let us know what happens...
[/quote]
Owner has now agreed to accept a CC if we pay the loading which we are happy to do. Will confirm booking in writing but does not have a formalised agreement to issue as normally rents through his agent and has only recently set up his own web site as a trial to see if it will work before he dispenses with the agent and his fees!!
Confirmed with Nationwide that if things went amiss they would freeze the sum involved and pursue it in the way they would if a UK firm /person was involved.
Under the circumstances I think we just hit a new owner not yet organised and a bit naive as to what renters want. Feeling much happier now and ready to proceed by tel with CC details.
OPINIONS PLEASE!!:)
steph_goodrum
14-05-2004, 00:02
Poet
Put him onto the forums and maybe he can register on the Gulf coast site and generate more bookings and get some help to get organised.
At least if it is paid by credit card you have a bit more back up of things go wrong but seems like you should be ok.
Poet
Glad it worked out. I must admit I didn't have a rental agreement for the first couple of bookings I took as it did take me a while to get my terms and conditions together (and since been modified numerous times).
Sounds like you have a happy ending:)
jackie
I suppose if he can take a cc then he must be organised to some extent!! Hope it all works out well...and don't forget the piccies when you get back
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote: bit off the track firstly, but the way I read the immigration form, blott, was that you are only allowed $10,000 per family name (living at the same address) [/quote] Here's the link about it http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/leavingarrivinginUS/vacation/know_brochure/money.xml
The saga continues!!!! email from owner stating our CC had been declined 3 times , we couldnt understand this as we are well withiun credit limit even though our flight costs are on the card as we havent received a statement for them yet, and other villa owner has not had a problem. So contacted CC co who said problem lay with the owner, apparently the transaction breached his "floor limit" and thus would need to be split for it to succeed. We informed him but have not heard back yet. Anyone know anything about this type of thing? CC co said limit was self imposed and they suggested the split transaction so I suppose it must be OK?:(:(
Merchant accounts for credit card acceptance have 'floor' limits - the higher the limit, the more the charges to them for having the merchant account facility I think... So, if they want to limit their payments and chargeback possibilities, they choose a lower single transaction limit. There's nothing sinister in this at all so don't worry.
In our day job we have a zero floor limit and all this means is that every transaction has to be authorised before it is processed. This is not a problem as we use a credit card machine permanently attached to a phone line and authorisation is obtained automatically. In the "old days" when we had to manually swipe the card and fill in the credit card slip we had a floor limit of £100. If a transaction was over the £100 we had to phone up and get an authorisation number to put on the slip. The charge for having the credit card facility tends to be set depending on the average transaction value and the total amount processed monthly.
Thanks for the replies you have set my troubled mind at rest!!!!!!!!!!:):)
You are really going to deserve this holiday once you have managed to pay for it!
jackie
Jackie,
You are not wrong!!!!!!!!!! I have been so stressed this week I wondered if Majorca was not the answer!!!!!!!!!All I need now is a 5 hour check in !!!!!!!!!![msnsad][msnsad][msnsad]
Don't worry poet. It'll all be fine. You know that Majorca could never be your answer to anything.
:D:D:D
WE PAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND GOT CONFIRMATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I feel the stress levels dropping as I write.:):):)
Great news Poet:DNow you can relax hopefully[8D]
Trust us Poet, we're Florida home owners! :D You'll have a great time... ;)
Credit card bill with villa on came today!!! times that wrong!! still you have only once to pay it!!!1[msnoo][msnoo]
That was bad timing then! Still, as you say, it's only once and you've got to pay it eventually... :)
phillhaze
07-06-2004, 22:35
I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole, steer clear.
No matter how nice it looks if he was genuine he would let you have the terms and conditions of renting his place, end of story.
Thanks for those comforting words at this stage of the game!!!!!
You'll be fine Poet. :D:D:D:D
You've paid, got a booking confirmation and you know where you're going, so no problem. Not every owner is obsessed by terms and conditions. :D:D:D:D
It's nice to hear from someone with your experience Carla, that not everyone is obsessed by terms and conditions. We have spent the past couple of days going over and over our terms and conditions making sure we have covered ourselves for every eventuality! Including staying up to 2am this morning to have all the necessary information ready to show a nice man from the bank today to get approval to accept payment with credit/debit cards!
The outcome, well we have to wait and see.....
If you get approval to accept credit cards, can you please let me know the bank and what you had to say and do to get the approval? :D:D:D
I tried about 3 years ago and they just laughed at me, unless I was prepared to lodge GB£50,000 with them as security against possible charge backs, because I'm in the "Travel sector"!!!! Absolutely crazy. [}:)]
Gromit, I've started a thread in the Public Owners' area to reply to you as the Guest area isn't really very appropriate for this subject.
Thanks Blott we will take a look!