A vacation rental scam victim recently contacted the RBO team, as well as other vacation rental listing websites, to report losing over $1500 for a non-existent vacation rental. Beware of vacation rental scams as websites like ours cannot intervene or accept responsibility for contracts between vacation rental owners and their guests. We provide a service to allow interested parties to advertise and respond to vacation rental ads.

Both parties must exercise due diligence in determining the trustworthiness of an offer. The victim cited above paid in full in advance when promised a discount, was told they would be picked up at the airport, and flew half way across the country only to be left waiting hours for a greeting that never happened.

Not sure if signals were crossed and unable to get the owner by phone, a taxi ride to the vacation property address revealed what they suspected. The address was a vacant lot.

Unfortunately vacation rental scams work both ways. Some property owners experience petty theft of small objects, grand theft of furnishings, or severe property damage by guests with fake id. Some guests contract a vacation property rental for X number of persons, and then 2X occupy the rental.

Whether you are a vacation rental owner or guest, protect your investment with due diligence before making that USA vacation rental deal.

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