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Scammers / Suspecious People Offering Gite - BEWARE!!


Gav
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Hello,

I have recently had a worrying experience while trying to book a Gite for a family holiday via Homeaway.co.uk. Please see the facts below as I have sent to Homeaway and please understand that actions such as this damage trust between customers and owners

AS SENT TO HOMEAWAY - I recently tried booking a holiday via your website and I initially received a booking ref #8052399. I was then contacted by a Mr Vincent Donnelly who said that he owned the property but that he was no longer working with your company and that I should send money direct to his bank account. I was suspicious of this request so I asked for some references and Mr Donnelly (if that is his real name) said he could not do that. I then asked him for a rental agreement and he ignored the request. I then sent him a rental agreement I put together myself - it was only 1 page and very easy to understand. Mr Donnelly refused to sign it and then sent me an email saying that he was renting to someone else. I then challenged him on this behaviour and he has made some silly threats about posting my details on the internet!!

Please note that this behaviour is indicative of a scammer and I would encourage you to reassess allowing Mr Donnelly to continue advertising with you as it is in the interest of everyone to kick these scammers out of the market as their behaviour only serves to undermine the trust of customers in your services.

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HI, I appreciate the point you make that perhaps Vince Donnelly had fallen out with homeaway. BUT that does not explain why he refused to provide any references. Also if you have fallen out with an agency and you are going to rent it yourself then the first thing you would do is have a rental agreement drawn up to protect yourself when renting short term to people?? And even if you were not intelligent enough to think of writing your own rental agreement if a customer took the time to write one for you would you not be happy to sign it???

This behaviour shows a continued pattern of avoidance which leads to only one conclusion and really it is people such as this and this type of behaviour that undermines trust in customers which has a knock-on effect on everybody else in the business.
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I can think of many reasons why anyone would not furnish references, who knows in this case? Here are some examples.

Because they had such problems with the agency that they are thoroughly fed up and are throwing a wobbly, even though they are probably shooting themselves in the foot.

Because they feel that they are so good that they don't need to justify themselves.

Because they are just lousy at the hospitality business.

Because it is a scam.

I don't think that a client writing a contract would wash either.

Incidentally, do you live in France.....I ask as I often wonder how buildings insurance, when renting, works for non french residents.

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That's a good question, Idun. It's always been something I've wondered. People from the UK wouldn't (I don't think) dream of taking out extra insurance to cover the building they're holidaying in if it isn't theirs. For us, that's the responsibility of the lessor. In fact, there are warnings here and there about notifying your insurers if you have a tenant, or let your home via AirBnB etc., as in the UK it's down to the owner. I doubt, however, that the average French lessor even realises that UK guests don't have such insurance and probably wouldn't think to put it in their T&C's or mention it.

Conversely, do French gite owners have an obligation to insure their property against damage by tenants? Or do they all just rashly assume that the tenant will have some sort of insurance?

I'd say the owner has more to lose by not being insured.......
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Yes, I’ve wondered that, Betty, on the occasions I have rented a gîte through GdF, and signed the contract (with my fingers crossed).

I think I may have some sort of "third party" cover with my home contents policy, but must check.

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French home insurance, RAQVAM, as far as I know covers holiday rentals.

HOW UK holiday insurance would work, I have no idea, and doubt that they would do other than laugh if it were suggested that they were covering buildings insurance for a french gite!

OR do gite owners take extra insurance to cover this.

This had probably been mentioned on here before, (possibly by me) but I cannot find anything, or remember what was said!
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We had extra insurance cover when we used to rent out. but as we all know with insurance nothing is fact until a claim goes in [6]  Then watch them squirm out of the contract.

I posted on a lettings forum a short analogy:

During the gold rush many people went bankrupt, killed themselves, or died. The only ones to really make the money were those who sold the sieves and spades.

The property rental market and why the USA are the main agents behind letting companies.

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