No matter what the job, people have always used many scams and manipulations to beat the competition. Nowadays, when everything is advertised online and many jobs are done online, it is much easier to use irregular things in order to make a personal profit. Fortunately, there are ways to detect and prevent some of the internet inconveniences from happening to you as well.
When it comes to private accommodation in particular, the competition that deals with dirty shops is trying to reach new guests precisely through technology. What exactly it is about and how to stop such scams is one of the questions that many internet experts deal with. The advantages of internet advertising are that it is enough to just write the title of the ad, post a photo, a few sentences of text, leave contact information and the job is done. This is equally easy to do when someone else wants to advertise your accommodation without your knowledge and consent, and there have been many such cases, unfortunately.
The safest way – rent accommodation through an agency!
Larger and specialized advertising websites always ask for proof of ownership, as well as confirmation that you are responsible for the accommodation you advertise. Home pages, as a check, ask for copies of categorizations, account numbers, etc., while pages from other territories check through social networks and copies of personal documents. Even with such checks, this is not a guarantee that some fake advertiser will not slip through.
When it is discovered that it is a scam, the reported ad is removed from the site after an adequate check. Many agencies have personal mechanisms through which they protect their guests from fake advertisers. For example, Airbnb has a practice of charging the full amount of the reservation from the guest as soon as it is confirmed, but that money is kept and sent to the renter only 24 hours after the guest is accommodated in the rented accommodation and everything goes well. In this way, both sides are protected. Some other sites have similar mechanisms.
Guests who pay their money to unverified accommodation agencies must be equally careful. It is important that the one who rents the apartment is always signed with his full name and surname and that he states his personal data, as well as the data of the agency, on all sites and social networks through which he advertises. In this way, guests will only be able to check whether the person who posted the ad with the picture of the apartment is really the owner of the apartment, website and more. What has proven to be the safest in practice is to rent accommodation through a short-term rental agency. Belgrade, for example, has several dozen of them, so ask your acquaintances if someone already has experience, or just pay attention when you search the Internet.
Inform the competent institutions
Also, guests should pay attention to which pages with ads they trust and which they do not. You always have to be prepared for many scammers to lurk and if you don’t take the slightest care, you risk being robbed. That is why even the slightest education about internet scams, especially in catering, is important. When you see an ad that you think is fake, notify the page where the ad is located. Sometimes it can happen that guests who have not booked with you, but have been deceived, come to your doorstep because the fraudster led them there. No matter how uncomfortable this situation will be for you, it will be an even bigger shock for the guests. Then inform all competent institutions, in front of the guests, so that they are aware of the seriousness of the situation.
Think hard!
Try to find out about internet crime in all possible ways, because people who falsely advertise your accommodation are nothing but criminals. Also, if you’re a guest, don’t fall for suspicious offers or ads that you haven’t checked. We cannot all always say with certainty that we have chosen the right agency for anything. Fake internet advertising is done not only in catering but also in many online sales. Therefore, think carefully before making a decision.
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