How to know a scam?

[Lollipop's Mom]

Hi,
I posted in a few fb groups a very specific and sold out date for GCV or DLV and had 2 people contact me stating they had confirmed res for rent for it.
Of course my 'scam alert' is going off.
What can I ask for to ensure its not a scam? I have only ever rented through dvc rentals and davids.
Thanks.

 

[Anthony1971]

Dated rentals are against the rules in these forums so we can not discuss that……
As far as rentals anyone should check the persons past posts and rentals. You can ask for the full name search the Florida Orange County controller site to see if the person owns a DVC contract. You can pay by commercial PayPal not friend although there is fee the person may ask for also limited protection. The rest should be the same as anyplace else with a confirmation email etc.
With anything like this you can never be certain but very reasonable assured.

 

[CarolynFH]

It sounds like you're looking for a rental at VGC or VDH in Anaheim, right? If so, you would need to look at the Orange County, California website for the relevant deeds. OC Florida won't have them.

Instead of looking on FB, you might want to look at the confirmed reservations on the rental brokers' sites. Those should be less likely to be scams.

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

Thanks- and yes I did not say the dates as per the rules- just pointing out they were sold out dates and specific (I am not negotiable on them)

 

[JackosinDIS]

If the owner can provide a reservation number, which you can link to your MDE prior to making any payment, then it is unlikely to be a scam.

I would not rely on checking the OC website for the owner’s name, as more and more scammers are impersonating actual owners (or a close variant of the owners names). FB seems to be awash with them at the moment.

However, if the only way they can provide a res that will link to your MDE is if they are actually an owner. The chances of a genuine owner subsequently scamming you are slim I would say.

 

[BaybeeYoda]

I think if they contact you directly instead of posting their confirmed reservation, I would be more wary….

 

[Sandisw]

I know here we walk people to report being contacted by anyone you did not initiate contract.

While scams are rare, it’s that situation that can increase.

If the site you used is one that alllows reservations wanted, and owners contact that way, I’d be less wary.

The biggest piece is your comfort as rentals require trust because the owner is in control until the end. Brokers offer bit of safety over private.

If you are already feeling a little worried, I’d go a different route.

 

[bwang123]

You can pay by commercial PayPal not friend although there is fee the person may ask for also limited protection.

i thought paypal terms do not protect timeshare rentals.

 

[CraigInPA]

If you posted a "rental wanted" on a known sold out period, and two people immediately contacted you, I'd be very wary. If, on the other hand, you found these listed on "rentals available", I'd be less wary. But, having rented a confirmed reservation I couldn't use on FB, I can tell you that it's infested by people who want to scam you, no matter what side of the transaction you're on. I'd strongly suggest looking on established broker websites or here on disboards instead.

Still, the way to know if you're dealing with an idiot scammer is to ask for a reservation number that you can link in My Disney Experience. Don't believe them if they tell you they can't provide the reservation number because then they'd lose it if you don't pay. That is simply not true.

 

[DisTravels]

If the owner can provide a reservation number, which you can link to your MDE prior to making any payment, then it is unlikely to be a scam.

You can also have a 3-way call with member services to confirm the reservation and that your parties information is listed on the reservation.

After that call they could cancel - but you've at least validated the reservation specifically exists with your name on it.

 

[Genie+]

You should feel on high alert when people contact you. Not saying they are a scam, just that is a potential red flag. It’s hard to be 100% safe. There’s always some element of trust for person to person rentals. You want to reduce that as much as possible.

We’ve done several over the years using some combo of:

• Checking Florida’s database for WDW rentals to see if confirm ownership
• Talking with the owner and their level of familiarity with the DVC system
• Being able to put the reservation in my MDE before sending 1st payment
• Taking everything into account about the person where contact was made. What is their history. Do they have years of rental transactions? Active in community? How much, how long…

NONE of these prevent being scammed. They help build a picture of being legitimate, but if anything seems off? Go with your gut. If it feels you don’t have enough DVC experience to make a good judgement call, probably better using less risky method (like a broker).

The best I could do was feel 99% sure all would be OK. Only at checkin I felt 100%. This can be nerve wracking for some people. I had a backup plan to put myself at ease, but we still would’ve been out the money. Knock on wood everything’s worked out fine. Just takes one to really sting though.

An entry level scammer would have an extremely hard time not throwing red flags to someone knowledgable about DVC. But scamming is not the only way things could end badly. Look for signs the person is reliable too.

 

[CastAStone]

If someone DMs you on Facebook and says they want to rent you a DVC reservation, there is a significant enough chance that it’s a scam that you don’t want to engage, IMO.

Scams like that are incredibly common, there’s no foolproof way to protect yourself, and there’s typically no recourse once scammed.

 

[aammtt20]

Generally scammers contact only through DMs while a real renter will comment on your post and then move to DMs so there is a bit of a paper trail. Also scammers ask for money before giving you rez number, while real renters will usually have a contract and wait til you put the confirmation and link it you account before requesting payment

 

[crisi]

If the owner can provide a reservation number, which you can link to your MDE prior to making any payment, then it is unlikely to be a scam.

I would not rely on checking the OC website for the owner’s name, as more and more scammers are impersonating actual owners (or a close variant of the owners names). FB seems to be awash with them at the moment.

However, if the only way they can provide a res that will link to your MDE is if they are actually an owner. The chances of a genuine owner subsequently scamming you are slim I would say.

Even then there have been cases where as soon as they get your money, they change the name on the reservation and resell it, rinse and repeat until the reservation date. VERY FEW cases, but its happened. And its easy to do over and over again with high demand, low availability reservations.

 

[BaybeeYoda]

go with your gut and err on the side of caution