BBB Offers Vacation Rental Advice

The Northeast Georgia Better Business Bureau is warning people not to let scammers ruin their summer vacation plans.

According to the BBB, scammers sometimes see vacation plans as an opportunity to rip people off.

In 2015, the Better Business Bureau reported that it received more than 1,000 complaints from consumers regarding vacation rentals nationwide.

Most of those complaints reported issues with contracts, refund and exchange, and customer service.

Northeast Georgia Better Business Bureau Spokesperson Mike Boynton said there are a number of red flags people should look out for when it comes to vacation rental scams.

“First of all, a lot of these ads we see, typically they would be an online ad and it is a low price, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is and that would be a red flag you really need to check out something that really is too low,” said Boynton. “Whoever your contact is on that ad, if it is difficult to communicate with them, you can only do it by e-mail and there is no way to make a phone call or they say they are out of the country, that can be a red flag.”

Boynton said the surest sign of a scam is when the landlord or contact asks for a wire transfer or cash up front.

“Once you give that money, in all likelihood, you are not going to get it back and you will be out of a place to stay, so obviously you use a credit card because most credit card companies are going to protect you if you are involved in any kind of fraud.”

He went on to say there are other steps people can take to protect themselves from fake vacation rental classified ads.

“Research whoever the owner or landlord is,” said Boynton. “You can go online and do Internet request and see if there are any negative comments about the property or the individual. Get a contract before you send in any money in for a deposit. Know what you are buying.”

Boynton said asking a landlord for additional photos of a property seen online is also a good idea.

In general, he said consumers need to make sure they are dealing with people or organizations they can trust.

Also, the BBB urges people to visit websites that offer secure payment solutions, customer reviews, and rating systems.