How to Verify Rentee is Legit

[drucki]

Hi, I am renting my timeshare unit and need advice on how to confirm that the rentee is legitimate and what other owners use to collect payment. I have posted my unit on TUG and have an interested party. Thanks.

 

[echino]

I got an inquiry too that looks suspicious.

Expensive rental, they want to rent it without questioning or negotiating. Not using a full name, email address looks like throwaway, with random letters and numbers @gmail.com. Obvious spelling and grammar errors in the email.

The latest scam is posing as a renter, get the information that allows the scammer to access your account. Like what you own, your name and address. Then they turn around and rent the week posing as the owner.

To avoid falling for that, ask for the full payment, or a large deposit, before changing the reservation in the renter's name. Wait for the payment to clear.

If it looks suspicious, it's probably a scam.

 

[Jan M.]

I get all my money up front and send the prospective renter an invoice through PayPal. All you need is their email address that their PayPal account is under. Most people will tell you up front if they need a few days until payday to be able to pay. If they haven't done that and I haven't received payment in 24 hours I contact the person asking if there is a problem. If they don't get back to me within another 24 hours with an explanation so I can give them just a couple of days if that all they need, then I cancel the PayPal request for payment and move on. If someone is setting up a new PayPal account any payment that goes through a checking account, even a debit card, will be held up for up for 5 days to a week.

On my invoices I put the name, address and phone number of the resort, the dates of the reservation and the unit size. I also put no cancellations and no refunds. If you copy your reservation to them to prove you have one make sure to black out our owner number and any personal or account information. Some people who rent wait until a week or two before the check in date to add the guest.

 

[TUGBrian]

we always suggest that should a transaction (or the events leading up to a transaction) feel off...or you have suspicions...to avoid the deal and move on.

this applies to both renter and owner!

some scammers are far more creative than others, and there is no true way to guarantee protection...but the checklists and rental guides and listening to your spidey sense goes a LONG way into getting that number very close to 100%!

 

[drucki]

I got an inquiry too that looks suspicious.

Expensive rental, they want to rent it without questioning or negotiating. Not using a full name, email address looks like throwaway, with random letters and numbers @gmail.com. Obvious spelling and grammar errors in the email.

The latest scam is posing as a renter, get the information that allows the scammer to access your account. Like what you own, your name and address. Then they turn around and rent the week posing as the owner.

To avoid falling for that, ask for the full payment, or a large deposit, before changing the reservation in the renter's name. Wait for the payment to clear.

If it looks suspicious, it's probably a scam.

Thanks

 

[drucki]

Thanks

Thanks

I get all my money up front and send the prospective renter an invoice through PayPal. All you need is their email address that their PayPal account is under. Most people will tell you up front if they need a few days until payday to be able to pay. If they haven't done that and I haven't received payment in 24 hours I contact the person asking if there is a problem. If they don't get back to me within another 24 hours with an explanation so I can give them just a couple of days if that all they need, then I cancel the PayPal request for payment and move on. If someone is setting up a new PayPal account any payment that goes through a checking account, even a debit card, will be held up for up for 5 days to a week.

On my invoices I put the name, address and phone number of the resort, the dates of the reservation and the unit size. I also put no cancellations and no refunds. If you copy your reservation to them to prove you have one make sure to black out our owner number and any personal or account information. Some people who rent wait until a week or two before the check in date to add the guest.

Thanks

Thanks

 

[drucki]

Thanks everyone. Good advice.