Vacation Rental Listings – The Good, The Bad and the Outright Scams

Advertising vacation rentals across the nation has changed to the property owner’s advantage. Five years ago, property owners depended on their local newspaper to advertise their vacation rentals. Newspapers charged anywhere from $50.00 to $100.00 to run a three-line cram-it-in ad for 30 days as a classified listing ($1200 per year). The reach was limited to the amount of papers that were printed and read on any particular day. Compare that to today’s global reach and on-demand access to rental listings on the World Wide Web.

This is great news for owners wishing to advertise to the far corners of the earth. Travelers from around the world now have the ability to view listings on thousands of advertising sites with relative ease. There are risks, though: RENTER BEWARE! That vacation rental you have selected in New York, Utah or Lake Tahoe may be an empty lot upon your family’s arrival at 9:30 pm after a day of traveling.

Travelers are beginning to become keen to the fact vacation rentals are a popular choice when traveling with the family, but checking to see if that perfect getaway is verified is an often overlooked step. Anyone from Hong Kong to the Idaho can post a listing for a vacation rental on the internet. Simply log on to the internet, pay your $100.00 to post your listing on a popular rental site, and field the inquiries as they arrive in your inbox. Not getting enough inquiries? Lower the price and add a few more pictures. Owners know this all too well and unfortunately so to the scammers.

98% of all the vacation rental websites do not verify their listings. It is up to the consumer to assume the risk and do their own due diligence. Scammers are good at what they do and here is why: They spend hours scouring these properties on these listing sites to learn how to create a good attractive listing, often simply cutting and pasting from other ads to create a great presentation of a non-existent property.

Just looking at some these listings, even the most experienced agents would have no clue whether or not the home, condo, chalet or cottage is legitimate until it’s too late. The renter has mailed the check or used an online means for payment and the money is transferred to a corner of the world we did not know existed. The email account is closed and the chase across the border will end right there.

As the vacation rental market expands by leaps and bounds, so are vacation rental listing scams. Without some due diligence and research, your perfect family vacation could end before it even starts.

How do you protect yourself from scammers? Obviously, be very careful before you send your hard-earned money to a listing on a vacation rentals website. Be patient, plan ahead – it might take some time and some communication exchanges before you find the place you’re looking for. Find out who the listing belongs to! If it sounds too good to be true, or if you just have a feeling that something isn’t right – stop right there and ask for proof of ownership and that the house you’re viewing on your computer screen actually exists.

To learn more about renting verified vacation rentals from real owners with real proof that the home exists visit http://www.reservemyhome.com for vacation renal listings that are carefully verified for your next family vacation.

Vacation Rental Homes

Planning a family vacation is always a difficult task because it involves quite a big group. There are many individual interests and needs to consider that must all be consolidated in one big package. It makes it worst when one has to pay hefty amount for stay at hotels or resorts when on vacation. Vacation rental homes and villas is the best alternative for saving money and availing all services needed. Vacation rental home is the concept where one can rent home to spend their vacation on single day or weekly basis in the city. Vacation rental home are like home away from home or second home where one can stay like one is living at his/her home. Such vacation rental homes are much cheaper than stay at hotel or resort. Vacation rental home, vacation rental villas, vacation rental condos are available in most of tourist places. This vacation rental homes, villas, condos are maintained either by owner themselves or by some property management company. It is also important that one choose right kind of vacation rental home which cater all their need and can give them memorable fun with family.

Orlando Vacation Rental Homes

When anyone mention Orlando, Florida magical world of Disney, Universal Studios and Sea World will come to mind. If anyone is planning to spend their vacation there and have a grand vacation, they have to find ways so that they shouldn’t miss all the fun. The best way to do this is to find a great place to stay and this is where the idea of vacation rental home comes in, a perfect way for your family to have a great time is to ensure that the place you are to stay in is safe and comfortable and a vacation rental home will ensure that you get all these and so much more. There are many vacation rental homes in Orlando. They are managed by some owners or by company who owns it. These vacation rental homes near disney world are cheaper than hotels and have all needed amenities. One can choose vacation rental home depending upon his/her need and budget. Couples can have romantic vacation rental home, family can have vacation rental villas with no of bedrooms that can fit their family members. One can feel like home when they stay at vacation rental homes.

Champion Villas Vacation Rental Homes

Champion Villas property services offers vacation rentals homes in Kissimmee area of Orlando, Florida. Champion Villas offers vacation rental home near Walt Disney , vacation rental home in the centre of city, vacation rental villas for family, vacation rental villa with all luxurious amenities, 3 bedroom vacation rental villas, 4 bedroom vacation rental villas, 5 bedroom vacation rental villas, 6 bedroom vacation rental villas. The good thing is that these vacation rental homes are situated mostly in communities where you can also avail of the clubhouse, the community basketball and tennis courts, hiking and biking trails and the like. Indian Creek and Windsor Hills are two most preferred communities where one can stay in Orlando. Both this communities are located superbly and near to major tourist attraction and main city area.Champion Villas offers vacation rental home at both this communities. Champion Villas vacation rental homes are well kept and well maintained.

Champion Villas offers vacation rental homes with all kind of facilities like vacation rental homes with spa, vacation rental home with swimming pool, vacation rental home with wireless internet access, vacation rental home with TV’s, etc. We also offer vacation rental villas near golf course for golf lover who like to spend a day at golf course. We specialize in executive vacation rental homes. All vacation rental homes comply with hygiene and safety regulations required by state government of Florida and are licensed by Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants.Make your vacation more memorable with smile spreading over each members of family by staying at Champion Villas vacation rental homes or vacation rental villas.

Champion Villas offers best facilities including best location for stay, information on routes for destinations, information on walt disney world, information on restaurants and hotels nearby, information on places to be visited, etc. to make sure that one staying at vacation rental home enjoys their vacation hassle free. Champion Villas also offers discounted tickets for Walt Disney World for one who stay at vacation rental homes or vacation rental villas.

Coastal vacation scam artists take people’s money with promises of phony vacations. Many of these offers use words like “cheap Hawaiian vacation” to lure travelers.
Most people dream of taking a coastal vacation. They may hope for a cheap Hawaiian vacation package or dream of a coastal vacation resort weekend.
But many coastal vacation scams disguise themselves as legitimate offers. Police report an increase in coastal vacation scams in recent years.
The Internet spawned a new breed of coastal vacation scam artist wanting to cheat honest consumers out of their money. Anyone who types in cheap Hawaiian vacation package into a “Google” search engine will find over one million his.
The Federal Trade Commission reported 3,600 consumers scammed in 2002, amounting to $3.5 million. How can consumers tell the difference between a coastal vacation scam and an honest cheap vacation package?
1. Many people operating coastal vacation scams will ask for a credit card or other financial information early in the conversation. Many of these so-called vacation companies want consumers to give their financial information online for a “cheap Hawaiian vacation.”
The desire by the company to receive financial information before the consumer feel comfortable doing so should indicate a red flag and a possible coastal vacation scam.
Many cases of identity fraud started with coastal vacation scams. Consumers receive their bank or credit card statements and find that in addition to their “cheap Hawaiian vacation,” charges of cash advances and purchases of high-dollar merchandise.
Consumers who fall prey to identity fraud should contact their local law enforcement immediately about the coastal vacation scam.
2. The company operating coastal vacation scams will offer the consumer very little details about the planned trip. The person on the other line, on the phone or on the Internet, will offer constant assurances the hotel in the cheap Hawaiian vacation package features Oceanside views, luxuries rooms and private balconies—very broad descriptions.
The “seller” of the coastal vacation scam may claim they stayed there many times but cannot give specifics.
The company asks the consumer not to contact the hotel or resort directly about the vacation package, another sign of a coastal vacation scam.
If the consumer cannot confirm the reservations with the hotel directly, the consumer should look elsewhere for a cheap Hawaiian vacation. Consumers should get the details and take charge of their coastal vacation and not fall prey to coastal vacation scams.
3. Coastal vacation scam artists use word like “free” or “vacation offer.” Often these so-called “offers” include a daylong presentation before families can use their free tickets–a common coastal vacation scam technique.
If consumers cannot see the islands on their cheap Hawaiian vacation and must sit through lengthy presentations, the vacation may not seem so “cheap.”
4. The Better Business Bureau and other government agencies maintain lists of coastal vacation scams. Smart consumers check these lists and report any contact by these coastal vacation scam artists.
One of the more popular ruses offers a cheap Hawaiian vacation or a cheap family vacation package.
Fear of a coastal vacation scam should not keep consumers from seeking out great vacation deals, like a cheap Hawaiian vacation.
Many companies offer legitimate family vacation packages and an honest travel incentive program that saves families even more money on their vacation costs. Coastal vacation scams should not discourage travelers.