Am I getting too cynical? Is it a scam?

[Coco]

I've just had a request for a room for 14 nights, plus meals for a couple who have perfect written English and english-sounding names, contacting me from Hungary, (int. dial code +36) saying they will be working closeby, starting this Sunday.  To be quite honest, everything sounds perfectly feasible but with so many scams flying about, am I being too cynical, thinking that it can't be genuine?  Has anyone else had a similar request?  It came via VisitFrance and I've never received a scam request via that site before.  Besides, at the moment I can't see what the scam could be - they haven't asked to overpay or anything.

I suppose I'm just feeling a little vulnerable as they would be here whilst my husband is away for a week.  There again, they would have been here for two nights before he leaves.

 

[Gardian]

I'm not in the accommodation business, so others will probably have better ideas. However, my instinctive reaction would be to ask for each week's accommodation to be paid up front (in cash), with meals for the 1st week settled for with the 2nd week's accomm cost at the end of wk1. Then wk2's meals on departure.

Anybody genuine will understand - after all, I would expect to pay for holiday accommodation in advance and similarly most large hotels 'corral' a lump sum off of your credit card when you check in, so not much different.

[Coco]

Well I tried the phone number and it was genuine, although no answer (but then it was during business hours).  So I sent an email and asked where they would be working.  I've had a reply, saying they are working on the hospital project in Saint Lo, phoned the hospital and confirmed it is genuine!  That's good news because May, apart from the bank holiday weekends is usually a pretty dead time, so now I only have tonight and the 30th without at least one booking. 

I've taken your advice Ian, I don't normally ask people to pay at the beginning of their stay but I have asked for 50% on arrival on Sunday.

Added bonus:  They're starting work so early in the mornings, they don't even want breakfast [:D]

[Gardian]

Good.

I must say that I'm a bit surprised that you don't normally require some form of payment in advance. For one or two nights, then maybe not, but any longer stay ........  It must leave you wide open to people 'doing a moonlight'.

 

[Coco]

Oh I do Ian; in fact in high season I even ask for 50% on one night bookings because it's often those that are the non-shows and in July/August I could fill my rooms several times over.  But at three days notice it wasn't possible.  Also, being a B&B it's not THAT common to get a 7 night booking, I fin 4 or 5 nights are a much more common length of stay and I've never had one for more than 7.  It was the amount of nights I may be booking the room out for, without money in advance that was worrying me.