With the recent wintry weather, the idea of getting away from the D.C. area and renting a place for spring break sounds tempting.
But the promise of a warm and sunny vacation comes with the cold reality of a growing scam involving rental websites.
“Travelers often get scammed by criminals that are posting fake listings on these websites,” said Kevin Brasler, executive editor of Washington Consumers’ Checkbook. “Customers don’t realize until they get to their destinations and the place doesn’t exist.”
Even legitimate hosts could collect full or partial payments or deposits, and then cancel the reservations and refuse to issue refunds.
To make matters worse, Brasler said many rental websites don’t provide assistance to someone who has been scammed.
“They report these problems, but often get little or no help at all to recover their lost funds,” Brasler said.
Research by Consumers’ Checkbook found several rental websites disclaim responsibility for problems their customers encounter.
“When booking vacation rentals, know that from the booking website’s perspective — if you dig into their terms and conditions — you’ll find their stance is, ‘We’re merely forums, and this is really just a transaction between you and the host,'” Brasler said.
The contract is between the consumer and the host.
“You’re the one taking all the risk if money is stolen from you. If your deposit isn’t returned, it’s your problem,” Brasler said. “The vacation rental websites don’t take any responsibility for it.”
How should you protect yourself?
“The main way is to pay with a credit card, not a debit card and not a direct bank transfer,” Brasler said.
While the hassle and disappointment won’t go away, “You can at least dispute that charge with your credit card company and get your money back, even if you’ve paid the bill.”
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