Ensuring against Fraud - Payment in Full

[Fancy42]

Hi, what is the policy to avoid being scammed? We worry about paying in full 8 weeks in advance before we even see proof of the house... What is typical? What can we do to protect ourselves?

[CERICROWLEY]

It is understandable that you may have concerns about this, as like any business, those fraudsters will do anything to attempt to make you part with your money.

You can be assured that especially through this site, that all owners actually do own the home, and they are more than happy to assure you of that.

Also as homeowners, we want to make sure that we are not giving information to potential guests that are not potential guests, but in fact scam artists themselves.

Which is way it is always better to book through a reputable site like this, you will see from many of the topics from thousands of previous guests that have used OV and OVR to book their holidays.

All homeowners here are more than happy to provide evidence of ownership etc like Management company contact info.

[steph_goodrum]

If possible before you commit to paying any funds speak to the homeowner themselves. It's surprising how reassuring it is to speak to a real person, get a landline contact number, if necessary ask for Management Company phone number to speak to them as well. You are wise to be cautious but in general the people who take the time to advertise privately spend a lot of time looking after their homes and are proud to offer the best they can in the way of service etc. Whilst there is alwaiys a risk , if you pay by credit card or Paypal you ave an extra layer of reassurance but don't forget trust is a 2 way street and we are untrusting our homes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to strangers every couple weeks and also hoping they aren't going to be the ones who will trash the place or steal anything of any value.

[steph_goodrum]

Just to add, the reason we have to ask for payment in full is that as individual homeowners, if a Guest paid a deposit and then didn't show, there would be virtually no chance of recouping the lost revenue, if an hotel has a no show they are still taking money from other Guests and may even have "walkins".

[Snapper]

If this is the first time you have rented a villa privately it is quite natural to be nervous. The good news is that there is one simple thing you can ask your villa owner to send you to put your mind at ease; and that's a copy of their rental license. Every villa for rent has to be licensed by both Florida state and by the county it is in, so just ask your owner for a copy of their rental license. Some villas are licensed individually. Some villas are licensed under a group system via the management company looking after them. Either way, the villa owner should be able to send you a copy of their rental license.

If a villa owner could not send me a copy of their rental license, either individual or group, or made excuses about why they will not do so, personally I wouldn't touch them. It's a legal requirement and it's in place for *your* safety (not the villa owner's) so there is no scenario I can imagine where an owner would not be able to demonstrate to you that they are correctly licensed.

[Sandra M]

The good thing about this site is that us owners have to verify our homes wth the site admin to advertise on here.

It is always good to speak to the owner, this bulids up trust on both sides (us owners also worry about who is renting our home)

You could ask to speak to past guests or look at the owners lisence, there are lots of things that you could check but ultimately it comes down to trust on both sides.

I'm sure you will find a home you are happy with and that you will have a fantastic stay in Florida

Sandra

[luckylady]

I agree with Sandra speak to the owner via a landline telephone. Ask as many questions as you like this will help to put your mind at rest
Ask for proof of ownership and Management contact details.

Book your villa from the above websites then you will know we own the property
Good luck, enjoy choosing the villa for your Florida experience.[msnwink]

[canarypam]

Owners should have contacted you by landline and not just email.
We just took a booking off another site and they said it was going to be their 4th trip and we were the first owners to speak with them !!
Booking, like all business is a two way thing. Speak to the owners and owners should speak to guests.[msneek]

GEORGE

[steph_goodrum]

Owners should have contacted you by landline and not just email.
We just took a booking off another site and they said it was going to be their 4th trip and we were the first owners to speak with them !!
Booking, like all business is a two way thing. Speak to the owners and owners should speak to guests.[msneek]

Sorry I have to disagree that the Owners should contact every potential guest by phone,to prove they are genuine, whilst I am happy to speak to any Guest I wouldn't want to be the fifteenth person who had called following an enquiry made, as it could seem that they were being almost harrassed into making a decision. Some people would much prefer to have as much info as they can and then ask if they wish you to phone them.

[Madabouttigger]

When we booked a villa from this site earlier this year, speaking with George (no it wasn't Pamela[msnwink]) helped displace any fears I had. He was very patient with me and answered all the questions I had regarding verification of the property. In fact we got on so well I was chatting with him for ages, the villa was every thing we wanted plus more, so I would suggest you ring and chat with the owner. [msnsmile2]