So that your sunny vacation doesn't turn dark like a rainy day due to poor contact, here are our techniques for detecting real ads. As a bonus, discover at the very end, THE ultimate verification, an element assigned to the accommodation by a state certified agent. Good reading !
To conclude:
- Use official platforms
- Be wary of overly attractive prices
- Read traveler reviews carefully
- Check address on Google Maps
- Check photos on Google Images
- Sign a rental contract
- Be vigilant about the deposit
- Secure your payment
- The ultimate tip!
1. Use official platforms
You wouldn't buy your car from a "dealership" that looked like an old abandoned warehouse and was run by someone recommended by your sister-in-law's cousin's neighbor's friend, would you? Well it's the same on the internet. Even if your friend had a great experience on an unfamiliar site, there's nothing to tell us that you'll get equal treatment. Therefore, favor official platforms seasonal rentals.
Among the best known we find: airbnb, Home, Booking , The good corner (be sure to stay in the “ Seasonal rentals ") or PAP. That said, be careful, some of them allow payment in person which can be problematic. We'll tell you more about it later in this article.
Finally, there is a 100% safe and local platform, the Bandol Tourisme website! We list all the offers from person to person that we have visited, verified and classified. Real apartments with owners that we have met ourselves. To find our list, simply click here:
2. be wary of prices that are too tempting
Booking your vacation accommodation is the same principle as investing in a new washing machine:
- we find out about the functionalities that seem essential to us;
- we study the different websites to find the one that seems to us to be the most reliable;
- then, we do a little market research to get an idea of ​​the real price of the product.
On a vacation rental, you must do the same. During your research, browse the different advertisements and look what price is usually charged. If you come across an offer that is a little too good which promises you a superb villa by the sea three times cheaper than the market price, there is a good chance that: either the owner is very generous, or that he This is a scam. Spoiler alert : it is almost always the second hypothesis that wins.
So before booking, take your time to study the different offers and identify the true market price. You can then move on to the next phase which concerns the valuable opinions of vacationers.
3. Read traveler reviews carefully
Enjoy the experiences of vacationers! Most platforms like airbnb et Booking allow tenants to leave a comment summarizing their stay. An overall rating is then assigned to the property based on criteria such as location, cleanliness, friendliness and the services available.
A rating a little too low, below average is a good indicator for detecting a problem with an ad. Please note, we are not saying that all accommodations with a bad rating are scams! Some, for example those who have just come out on the market, have only one or two comments and unfortunately, the service did not suit the holidaymakers present. In this case, it is important to check the owner's response (Is he sorry? Is he offering a solution? Is he going to do work? Etc.). It will then be up to you to see if this convinces you to move on to the next step.
4. Check the property address on Google maps
Here is a tested and approved tip for check if the property offered really exists. The principle is simple: go to Google Maps, enter the address of the accommodation, switch to “Map” mode and browse the neighborhood to find the residence or house in question.
Obviously, this tip only works for accommodations whose address, or at least the street, is provided in the ad. That said, if you wish to reserve, a private message to the owner to ask is entirely possible! You will thus avoid arriving with your luggage in front of a vacant lot on which there must have been a charming Provençal farmhouse.
As a bonus, this verification will also allow you toobserve the environment of your future vacation spot. You can discover the shops and infrastructure available nearby. Finally, a way to plan your next vacation!
5. Check photos on google images
Google, in addition to its written searches, can also study the pictures. The principle that we propose to you is to retrieve a photo of the ad that you are looking for, preferably the most generic one. Once this image is saved, all you have to do is go to the site Google Images, import it, then launch the search.
Two situations are then possible:
- Google shows you the same photo on different pages, but for the same rental. For example: the same image can be found on Booking.comOn Airbnb.com, on the rental owner's website, in short, on all the sites on which the accommodation advertisement is available. In this case, no worries, you can continue your booking process by following our next tips.
- Google gives you exactly the same photo, but this time, on sites and subjects that have not been no longer any connection with the initial announcement. For example: you find the photo which would normally represent your next Bandolese holiday villa on a rental advertisement site in Portofino. In this case, run away ! The person behind your ad probably got the image from Google and is using it to seduce their victims. Stop all contact and cancel your possible reservation!
6. sign a rental contract
For 100% digital reservations like those offered on airbnb, Booking or even Home, the question does not arise: the platforms manage the booking end-to-end. But as for the principle of individual to individual, know that as a tenant you have rights and duties. You will find these in a rental contract or rental lease, provided by the owner, whether professional or not.
On it, you can find the duration of your stay, the fixed price, the payment method, the price of tourist tax and other information such as possible internal regulations or the request for a deposit. This rental contract covers you, the tenant, but also the lessor. Thus, in the event of disagreement, this writing will serve as a basis for discussion and will attest to your commitment.
So think about ask for your rental contract whatever happens. Don't let yourself be influenced by overconfidence and don't be embarrassed to ask for a legal and mandatory document! In case of trouble, this lease will be your only proof that you and said owner had an agreement in principle.
7. be vigilant about the deposit
Let's start at the beginning with some definitions. If we often confuse the deposit and the deposit by thinking that it is simply a deposit paid before the start of its rental, in reality, the commitments are not the same. So, the Ministry of the Economy tells us that:
- The deposit : “They do not definitively bind the tenant or the lessor. They can nevertheless be kept by the lessor, in the event of cancellation by the tenant. On the other hand, they must be returned double by the lessor who renounces the rental (article 1590 of the Civil Code).”
- The deposit : “When the sums paid have been expressly stipulated as a deposit by the rental contract, this deposit definitively binds the lessor and the tenant. The latter may be obliged to pay the entire rent in the event of cancellation.
- The deposit or security deposit : “Its amount and the terms of its payment are not regulated. The amount is negotiable and should not exceed the rent amount. The contract specifies the deadline for reimbursement of the deposit.
In all cases, the option chosen must be clearly specified in the rental contract.
Note : the law does not define either the amount of the deposit or the deposit. The owner is free to fix it. That said, generally, it is between 25 and 30% of the total rental price.
8. Secure your payment
There are several ways to pay for all or part of your stay: online, by transfer, by check or in cash. We will give you our advice and that collected at the reception of our office in order to navigate this monetary paperwork with peace of mind.
If you have a online payment via an official platform, proceed to payment on this same platform. Do not click on any link that will take you out of the site and pay on another. These applications are known to be safe, verified, controlled and are a good way to guarantee secure payment.
If the reservation is made on another site, remember to check that the URL begins with “https”, like https://www.bandoltourisme.fr. The “s” at the end of “https” attests to a security protocol set up on the website and which is now mandatory for online sales sites.
For payment by check, two rules must be respected:
- check that the name of the beneficiary matches that of the lessor;
- wait for it to attest to its receipt before releasing other funds.
Finally, for cash payment, common sense is essential: it is simply to be avoided. Cash is untraceable. In the event of a scam, you will have no proof of any payment and this is even more true for a possible deposit (deposit or deposit). In this case, a professional rental company will almost always ask you for a first payment by check or transfer.
If, despite everything, to pay for your entire stay, you opt for this payment method, consider doing it only on site, when you are in the accommodation and you can attest to its reliability.
You have been warned! : NEVER give out your credit card numbers! No lessor, nor seller, nor even your banker is supposed to ask you for them. If you come across an “owner” doing this, run away, it’s a scam!
Good to know : the lessor, if he is in good standing, will ask you to pay a tourist tax. He may include it in his overall price or ask you for it in addition during your vacation. This tax is obligatory for any stay in Bandol. To find out its amount, we invite you to consult our dedicated page, here.
9. THE ultimate check: housing classification
Just like hotels, furnished tourist accommodation and guest rooms have the possibility of being classified. The operation is as follows: a state approved agent she goes to the accommodation to evaluate it according to a national list of several dozen criteria. These range from surface area to the number of cushions available. To tell you how well the accommodation is reviewed. At the end of this visit, a rating ranging from one to five stars is assigned to the rental property.
Thanks to this classification, you have the guarantee of contacting a serious owner, for accommodation that exists and which has even been checked and approved by the team of the tourism office. By choosing an apartment, a house or a guest room class, you are sure to avoid any scam and plan your future vacation with peace of mind.
But then, how to find these miracle accommodations ? Several solutions are available to you :
- For accommodation available on official platforms: a notice should normally appear. If this is not the case, do not hesitate to ask the owner for more information by message.
- For furnished apartments passing through a rental agency or by a concierge service : check the ranking by simply asking your contact.
- For classified properties, from individual to individual: those available in Bandol can all be found on our site, in the “ Vacation rentals », accessible right here:
PS : you are an owner and you too would like to attest to the quality of your offer, contact us on 04 94 29 41 35 and make an appointment with our team! And to find out more about the ranking, we invite you to consult your professional space by clicking right there.
Ready for your next vacation?
Now that you have the tools to detect tourist scams, all you have to do is plan your vacation with us! And to help you in this mission, browse our site to discover nuggets and advice for a Bandolese stay PERFECT 🌞
And you, what are your tips?
Do you have any advice to help future tenants? Have you unfortunately experienced a scam and would like to share it so that no one falls for it again? Tell us by sending us an email to kelly.boyer@bandoltourisme.fr. We will share your tip in a future article!
And for any questions, at the slightest doubt about an ad, do not hesitate to contact us at +04 94 29 41 35 XNUMX. We will try to validate with you the reliability of an accommodation by checking whether it has a registration number (compulsory since 2021) and if it is recorded in our tourist tax files.
