I did not inquire about this property but I have been searching for an apartment rental in Nice.
They are asking for the full amount.
And it seems too good to be true.

What do you think?


Thank you for your inquiry.

Nice Vacation (Web address:http://www.flipkey.com/nice-condo-rentals/p656172/) is currently available for your dates 14-Jun-2014 –21-Jun-2014 (7 nights)

We have a special offer. The breakdown would be as follows:

$1600.00 (7 nights).
$ 0.00 (Departure Cleaning Fee).
------------
$1600.00 +
- 20% (Discount for special offer only)
------------
$1280.00 (TOTAL/Tax included)

Cancellation 100% refundable 15 Days prior to arrival.

Rate is inclusive of:
Airport transfers, round trip.
Daily housekeeping.
Wireless internet access.
Free Laundry service.

For this special offer payment of $1280.00 must be completed within 10 days (to secure this booking).
If you would like to proceed I will just need your name, phone number and home address for the contract and I will forward as e-mail attachment.
Please let me know if you have any questions and how I can further assist you.

We look forward to being of service to you.

Kind regards
Property Manager

Of course it's a scam. The whole purpose of paying up front is to get a lower but nonrefundable rate. This yahoo says it's 100% refundable up to 15 days before arrival. Yeah, right.

The link you've posted gets us to a page that says "file not found". It could be because it was bogus. But if you book a place with your credit card, you're covered for scams. If you send money any other way, if it's a scam, your money is lost. So, for me, it's become the only possibility. If I'm booking in advance and can't pay with a credit card I don't buy it.

"The link you've posted gets us to a page that says "file not found"

It's because the ending parenthese is blue and included in the link. If you delete it from the address bar after clicking, the site will appear.

The point remains the same. Cash? - no. Credit card - yes.

I did open the link on the original email and it showed a lovely condo but too posh for us so I would not have sent an enquiry.

Its very cheap.. I would be wary..

I have never heard of 100% cancellation( for an apartment not hotel) only 2 weeks out.. I would be double wary..

This follows the pattern on many scams that have been reported recently. Prices too good to be true, direct contact (not through an agency) and 100% cash up front (not just a deposit).

I wouldn't even rent something so obviously false even with a credit card. Even with a credit card, you have to dispute the charge within a certain amount of time after you pay. Anyway, I can almost guarantee that this guy wants you to pay by Western Union.

Regarding cancellations, many accommodations on Airbnb, including apartments, are refundable even up to the day before, (except for the fees) if the owner's chosen policy is "flexible". Things are changing.

I agree with bvlenci, my remarks concerning using a credit card were a general policy, not that I'd take a chance with a sketchy listing.

But if you didn't inquire, why are we looking at the listing? For the educational value I suppose.

Michelene:

If you're still looking for an apartment in Nice for June, have you tried Riviera Pebbles? - that's the company we used last Sept. and they were great (they're recommended by a couple of the main travel writers, including FODORS, and well-reviewed on TripAdvisor).

The apartment we rented (Marino) is not available for 6/14 to 6/21/14 if those are your dates, but there are many others still available for those dates within the price range you mention in "the scam" (only a few of those still available in that price range appear to have A/C, but there are some).

I just wanted to let you know how professional Riviera Pebbles was, (their agent met us at the apartment, and we just left the key in the apartment as we left), and that the apartment was just as advertised and in very good condition.

Note that their prices are shown in British pounds. The same folks also operate "Nice Pebbles" that rents apartments in Nice, as well (some of the same apartments appear on both sites).

Even if you don't end up using the agency, take a look at the "Pebbles Guide" at their web site for incredibly extensive information about Nice, the other towns around the area, and good directions of how to get to the other towns (www.rivierapebbles.com) - I have no affiliation with them other than last year's rental experience.

Hope you find something you really like, from whatever provider.

Thank you blueridge. I am still looking and my dates for Nice are June 7-14.

MmePwrdu - I didn't ask you to look at the listing. I posted the email as a warning that there are scammers out there.

Micheline, you posted the link to the website but we weren't supposed to look at it? An interesting approach. Or are you the property owner and this is really a way to advertise the property without having it deleted. That must be it.

So funny. I wish I were the property owner of a lovely apartment in Nice.