website for holiday house rental,are they safe?

thedaras

Registered User
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Hi, has anyone on AAM any experience of booking through www.iha.com
Im looking at booking a holiday on this site,but have heard some horror stories about similar sites,where holiday makers would send a cheque and the place didn't exist.
I would pay by credit card from my bank straight through to the owners bank account.(Half of the amount)
Any advice on how to ensure things wont go eschew ?
 
See how long the house has been advertised on the website, see if there are any reviews. Make sure they give loads of info. on the house and the surrounding area. See if the house is on Google maps. Sometimes you can pay the balance on arrival at the house. Phone the renter.
 
I am familar with holiday rental sites. IHA is a well known site. Holiday Rentals, VRBO, Holiday Lettings and Flipkey are also well known. If any doubts ring the person advertising. Enjoy your holiday!
 
Do try the well known Rental sites. They are very quick to act if they have a complaint. Browtal
 
I'm involved in the holiday rental industry in France and Italy and it is safe to do business through these sites provided you follow a few guidelines. As has been mentioned, make sure there are reviews of the property, make sure there is local information and preferrably local contact details. Also, make sure the listing doesn't shirk on details, the more details (e.g. about the bakery around the corner), the better. Also, under no circumstances should you wire transfer money directly from your bank a/c or post a cheque. Always pay by credit card as that way you are afforded the built in protection offered by your card provider (Visa/Mastercard &c). If you know somebody local, any reputable company/individual should be able to afford you the opportunity of a pre-booking visit. Holiday Rentals / HomeAway offer booking insurance and a few good local agents will offer you holiday insurance, e.g. for cancellations, damage to the property &c. You will likely need to take out travel insurance (to cover flights) separately. I hope that helps somewhat.
 
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