GoRV - Digital Magazine Issue #52 | Page 37

RV FEATURE
Once you have established that the caravan will be available on your chosen dates , you will probably be asked for a deposit to secure it , and a possible down payment on insurance fees . Many scammers request payments through PayPal and may ask you to send the money through the Gift or Friends and Family facilities to save on transaction fees . This is a big red flag !
If you gift money to a friend or family member on PayPal , you won ’ t pay any commission . However , if you discover that you have been scammed , you will have lost PayPal ’ s protection and your deposit as you didn ’ t list your payment as a purchase . Your caravan might not exist at all , and if it does , it might be nowhere near as pleasant as the one advertised to you .
You may also travel to your holiday park to be informed by the ‘ owner ’ that your caravan has been double-booked – or to find out that there wasn ’ t a caravan there to begin with .
The best ways to avoid being victimised by a holiday caravan scam are :
● Be sure to book your holidays through trusted caravan rental portals or authorised holiday park letting agents ;
● Ask advertisers for proof of ownership and the exact location of the holiday park in which the caravan is stored before paying any deposits or fees . Request that the owner allows you to call the park where the caravan is based . Then , call them to verify that the caravan exists and is owned by the individual that you have been dealing with ;
● Pay your deposit via secure bank transfer . If you have no option but to pay using PayPal , make the payment as a purchase and pay over the commission fees . The protection you ’ ll receive is well worth the extra money spent ; and
● If you ’ re going to tow a caravan and need to update your car ’ s insurance cover , organise this yourself . Don ’ t let a third party act on your behalf unless they ’ re a trusted entity that you ' re renting or buying from . Swindlers will find any opportunity to squeeze extra cash out of you .
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