Owners beware - here we go again

[Cosetta]

Two warnings:

1)  I recently received the first fraudulent rental request.  After the 3rd email, I was sent a telltale message and link which I did not open (photo attached).  Owners beware!
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2)  Should also warn anyone who thinks of advertising with booking.com.  They do not provide you the possibility of canceling a booking. Once someone reserves and pays, you are responsible for their commission no matter what. If you want/need to cancel a booking, you have to contact them, argue with them and then find them an equal alternative accommodation, otherwise they will charge you and pursue you through debt collectors. 

Moreover, if you have a no-show, you MUST report that fact within 48 hours.  If you don't, you will be held responsible for their commission and they will harass you with phone calls, SMSs and finally debt collectors in your home country. 

Of all the places to advertise your accommodation for rent, this is the worst and the biggest rip off.

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=13131.0

[Mayday1]

Hi Cosetta,

Thanks for the tip offs.I have never thought of advertising with Booking.com...........use only owners direct and holiday lettings.I know booking.com advertise on tv but they sound a nightmare.....I could not see the photo that you said had been attached.Thanks.

[Cosetta]

Thanks for letting me know about the image.  When I tried to upload it, I got a message saying 'upload folder is full' so I uploaded it to my own website.  You can see it here:  fraudulent email

[Charlie]

This email was sent to a friend of mine supposedly from Owners Direct.    It's a very detailed email and, although she would consider herself sufficiently aware to know a scam when she sees it, she almost complied with the requests below.
Please be aware.
Owners Direct has confirmed they did not send this email and would never ask owners for this information.


Dear Owners Direct Customer,

This is a courtesy notice to let you know that your Owners Direct account has been limited.

Why is my account access limited?
Owners Direct may limit accounts for a variety of reasons to prevent unauthorised use and verify the identity of users.As part of our standard quality control procedures, your account has been selected for further review.This additional step is essential to ensure a quality experience for our travellers, thus benefiting you and all of our other members.
We collect the proof of id & ownership in order to verify the legitimacy of the listing.

You can remove your limitation by following the steps below.

Complete our Verified ID process:

A copy of your passport or ID card.Please be aware that driving licenses are not being considered/or accepted

A copy of a proof of ownership (copy of purchase agreement) and a recent utility bill so we can see this property still belongs to you PDF Format (if JPG ideally 1200 x 800 pixels in size).

If you manage or represent this property on behalf of the owner, we ask that you please provide us with the following information:

 
1. Full company name

2. Registration # or VAT ID or if a sole trader a faxed copy of identification of a named key contact

3. List of the key contacts within the organisation

4. A signed letter from the key contact outlining they have the right to market the properties on behalf of the owner.

5. A copy of the lease agreement you have signed with the owner(s).

Please make sure that all information is clear and legible. Proof of ownership and/or authorisation to rent, along with photo ID, may be included as an attachment in reply to this email.


How long will this review take?
Upon receipt of the requested documents, if they are in compliance with our request, it will take up to 48 business hours (2 working days) to make your listing live on our site. You will receive an email confirmation once your listing is online and available for travellers to see.

 
If I don't provide these documents?

We understand you may have privacy concerns about sharing this information. However, it is important for you to know that Owners Direct collects the proof of ID and ownership as part of our security process. Our responsibility is to provide travellers with a safe and secure environment in which to search for holiday accommodation. The steps that we take are designed to enhance our travellers・experiences, which in turn benefits all of our members.


If you choose to ignore our request, you leave us no choice but to suspend your account. If you received this notice and you are not the authorized account holder, please be aware that it is in violation of Owners Direct`s policy to represent oneself as another Owners Direct user.


How do you protect my personal information once you have it?

Please rest assured that this request is purely for administrative and security purposes and the information is not passed onto any third parties. The documents are used to verify owner legitimacy prior to publishing a listing, and are then removed from our system and stored on our highly secure servers. Our company takes data protection very seriously and we can certify that all the necessary measures are taken to preserve your privacy.


 
Sincerely,

Owners Direct

Customer Support

Owners Direct Trust and Security Team


HomeAway UK Limited

Address: Portland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5BH, UK

[Irene]

Thanks for the info - very detailed and English not too bad either, considering it's a scam, there is normally a spelling or grammatical error to be found!

[hobbo]

see http://www.laymyhat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25296 for further info on this latest scam.

[Mayday1]

I have always been able to contact owners direct.......they answer every time....If in doubt,speak to them and they would simply confirm what is and isn't likely to be genuine but if I received an email like this one....first I would laugh out loud for a couple of minutes..........and then just press delete !!