booking private holiday accomodation from classifieds

dubmando

Can anyone help, was looking through the national paper's and saw an ad for holiday (private) rental in an apartment complex we go to all the time, a work colleague told me today she had rang this number and made a booking with the owner who asked her to pay the agreed sum into a bank account number and he would post her the keys,maps etc. She has forwarded me the email he sent her with pics and details etc. The apartment he is showing as his does not exist, the pictures he is showing are not of the apartment complex he is claiming to be an owner of, I am completely sure of this, and have telephoned my friend who lives in this complex to clarify.I am unsure of what to do next, just makes my blood boil that people could scam innocent holiday makers who save hard all year and go away thinking they have organised a perfect holiday and arrive with no where to stay!!should I pass this info on to the gardai? or would they think I am a nut, as I have not actually made a booking and have not been conned? any suggestions?

mikedragon32

You have not been conned, however your friend might possibly be. He should await the outcome and he may well have grounds for a fraud complaint.

It's a most peculiar arrangement alright...

dubmando

have contacted my work colleague and told her what I know, I just could not let her make that booking ,she may have had a case for fraud but I felt in good conscience I could not allow her to pay hard earned money to this person and await the outcome, which would be her arriving in this destination with nowhere to stay and realising she had been conned,the advert is in the evening Herald again tonight, this man is obviously raking it in, because he now has another ad with another destination in Spain advertised, which is possibly another con. Beware people of making bookings for private rentals abroad (Spain and Puerto Rico Gran Canaria to be exact) the latter is definitely a con, I have just been on to the communidad in these apartments and she has confirmed this apartment does not exist,nor does anyone by this name own one of these apartments, I have gathered all information I have and am going to contact my local gardai to make them aware of this,I just hope two many people are not conned by this lowlife

another native

I would also contact the Evening Herald Advertising Manager.

dubmando

did this, they were not that interested to be honest, said there was nothing they could do about this, and if gardai contacted them they would remove post.