Summer 2024: How can I avoid falling for rental scams and what should I do if I am a victim?

A new summer season has started and should take place more than 27 million trips during this period summer 2024 . These months, many families will find themselves looking for rentals to stay with their children or friends, an event that can become a nuisance if they are not careful about where they are going to stay.

To avoid bad times, authorities and experts in the field have delivered some Tips to avoid falling for scams during the summer season in addition to explaining what to do if you are affected by this situation.

According to projections given by the Undersecretary of Tourism, Verónica Pardo, It is expected that 11% more trips will be made compared to the previous summer season. r, which will be concentrated in areas close to the Metropolitan Region. In this context, one of the main recommendations made by the authorities is the planning of the vacation period.

Undersecretary Pardo said: “Our invitation is to plan the vacation period, use the tourist services registered in Sernatur now visit the page ChileEsTuyo.cl where you can find diverse destinations and experiences in all regions and for all budgets.

They further recommend Find out before using tourist services and that they choose sites for rental registered in the National Register of Tourist Service Providers of Sernatur, who are on the site servicesturisticos.sernatur.cl .

—During 2022, tourism service providers began to be identified through a sticker called Seal R, which contains the registration number of the service provider and a QR code that allows the tourist to check the profile of the tourist service and its validity.

There National Corporation of Consumers and Users (Conadecus) shared on his website with some Tips to avoid falling for rental scams during the summer season and these are:

• Check property location : see the address and name of the property where you will rent. You can use Google Maps to check if the location is real.
• Authorized sites : attempt rent through established real estate brokers . The pages mentioned by the Undersecretary of Tourism are also added, such as servicesturisticos.sernatur.cl . Likewise, they prefer stays in hotels and hostels that are established premises and that they have a municipal license.
• Review comments : check on Google if the name of the owner or the site has complaints and also sees reviews from other tenants .
• Check Property Conditions : very often, the photographs are false, so It is advisable to visit the property before renting it so that it meets expectations.
• Don’t send money before renting : before making a payment, makes a rental contract or receives money . Never close the deal via email, WhatsApp or phone if the person is unknown.
• Have a record of the conversation : to try keep a copy of every communication you have with the person renting your home because in the event of a scam, they will constitute proof of the legal procedure.

Martin Zegers, New Business Manager at Andes STR, speaks to La Tercera about digital platforms: “We always recommend, if you don’t know the person you will be renting to or if it’s the first time with this host, It is preferable to rent via a recognized application such as Airbnb or Booking or to rent via a direct platform from a professional manager where you can view your information online. With this, you ensure that you significantly reduce the risk of scams.

In case you are the victim of a scam when renting during this summer season, lPeople must file a complaint with the Carabinieri, PDI or the Prosecutor’s Office to begin the legal process. as Fabián Paiva, founding lawyer of the Paiva y Cia law firm, mentioned to La Tercera.

Currently the Consumer law does not provide for rental between two private persons. that is to say without her having the habit of renting houses, you will therefore not be able to demand that your rights be respected in the event of non-compliance with these regulations.

Paiva emphasizes that: “This industry has no express regulations in the country existing as the only nod in our legislation which is indicated by the Law No. 21,210 , How VAT is charged for remote services provided by non-residents and persons not domiciled in Chile.

Martin Zegers mentions that in the event of an app scam:

—You must immediately notify the platform via its number or internal chat . They have insurance and protocols against these cases and always seek to provide the best possible experience for customers. In addition, in these eventualities or if the photos were not at all close to reality, they try to reorganize people in properties close to the rented place.

Finally, Javier Linares, Head of Security and Innovation, gave you some advice in case you are scammed:

• Contact the security team from the platform in question to alert them to the scam and receive help.
• Report the incident to the appropriate authorities to prevent others from falling victim to the same fraud.
• Change all your passwords and enable two-factor authentication on all your email and social media accounts.
• Check your bank statements to ensure there are no fraudulent charges.
• Keep track of all incident details including names, dates and quantities, in case authorities need more information.