melodyt13

Looking into renting with holiday-rentals.com for a one week villa in Cote d'Azur....

Worried about giving my money over to a perfect stranger over the Internet in a foreign country with basically no recourse to get my money back if I arrive and there's no key or no apartment... Scary,

Any experiences with doing this please? Am I better off with a rental agency than relying on a stranger's word that the apartment truly exists and I will get in....

Patrick

I must admit it seems like a scary thought, but I've done it a couple dozen times with no problems. Holiday rentals has been around a while and it is doubtful they would be listing apartments where that will happen.

I'm still waiting to see a post here of someone who did make such a deposit and got to a destination to find no such apartment. I don't think it's an issue.
But for what it's worth, I think it's a nice advantage if the agency accepts credit cards. That's one of the best protections you have against being ripped off.

cocofromdijon

when you see the cost to advertise there it must have a good reputation!
http://holiday-rentals.com/index.cfm...ers/tgt/costs?
have you tried holidaylets, perfectplaces, vangoghrentals, Click4holidayhomes.... for me all those websites are identical. no guarantee, you have to trust the owner...
coco owner.

gracejoan3

I have rented twice via Holiday-Rentals...one was for two weeks in Villefranche-sur-Mer in Oct, 2004 and then a month in the south of Spain mid-Jan-mid Feb. 2005. I also have a deposit for October, 2006. I had no problems in the past and I expect no problems in the future..

Marianna

We have used that company twice - once for an apartment rental in Villefranche-sur-mer (the same one Grace Joan rented) and just this past July when we rented a villa in Luz, Portugal. For both rentals, you contact the owner and work directly with them. In both cases, we had no problems. Both owners were willing to share so much information with us - sending additional photos of the property, lots of helpful information about the area, places to shop, etc. We would not hesitate to use the company again for future rentals.

gracejoan3

Don't know how I forgot to mention the one I will be going to in another week!!
Yes, as Marianna said, your contacts are with the owners. By the time you go you feel like you know them very well! When I arrive on the 17th I will feel like I am meeting an old friend when Jean-Paul and I first meet.

melodyt13

Thanks everyone, I'm going to throw caution to the wind and do this..

It seems like the selection of overseas villas and apartments is so much better on these owner-listed sites than with realtors..

It must be the New Yorker in me that suspects these "owners" might be pulling a great sham to get people to wire them money for a nonexistent property and leaving them high and dry upon arrival..But these testimonials are convincing.

gracejoan3

Melody,
You might even mention on this site the ones that you are serious about..who knows, you might find someone who has stayed there...like Marianna renting the same one that I did in Villefranche. You will, at least, receive information on the area..enjoy....

willit

I use either Holiday-rentals.com, and homelidays.com for nearly every holiday I take (most in Italy). So far, in 5 years, and about 11 trips, I have never had a problem.

BTilke

We rented a cottage in Provence through Holiday Rentals, but had to cancel due to a family health emergency. Our main problem: although you could use a credit card to PAY the deposit, the rental owner refused to do the credit back to us (after they deducted the cancelation fee, of course, and they were able to re-rent shortly after we canceled) as a credit to our card. Instead, they insisted on sending us a check, which they didn't mail until a month later. The foreign currency check took several weeks to clear and the bank also charged a not insignificant fee for its handling.
So...if you rent from them, get confirmation IN WRITING that if you have to cancel, your refund will be made to your credit card and not as a check (if you paid the deposit with a CC). And agree upon the time in which the refund must be made.

However, one thing you shouldn't have to worry about is the apartment simply not being there.

gracejoan3

I had the following experience with the owners of the apt. that I had rented in Villefranch-sur-Mer in Oct. 2004. I always make arrangements FAR in advance and had many contacts with the owner. My husband died in Sept. and my reservations were for early Oct. The owners offerred the cancellation with full refund after hearing this, not by my asking. My friends all encouraged me to go..I did go..it was a good idea.