Homeaway Scam?

[m00rfarm]

My son is planning on a holiday to `Australia next February with friends. He is a good researcher. He has found this property which is significantly cheaper than everything else on offer and I am immediately suspicious. There are no reviews as it is a new property. He has had contact from the owner. Is anyone able to help find out if this is just a bargain or a scam? I have no knowledge of Australia at all, and therefore not much use. I am also (clearly) fairly useless at reverse imaging as nothing at all comes up!

Can the hive mind of Mumsnet help me out on this one please? I am telling him not to book as I have a funny feeling about this.

The owner has given a discount and confirmed the two weeks stay at AU$1,894 in total which is less than the daily rate for some of the other similar properties in the area. It is definitely the rate for the whole stay as I have seen the email from the owner.

The price appears, from a quick google check, to be the same for all year for a two week booking.

Many thanks

www.homeaway.co.uk/p9417031?adultsCount=8&arrival=2021-07-01&departure=2021-07-15

Of course it's a scam.

Well it certainly looks like a scam. I know nothing about that website and how it works/is policed though.

It's way way too cheap. There is no way you would get that for $200 a night.

If it's weirdly way, way too cheap, it's dodgy. Never go anywhere without reviews either.

No reviews, ridiculously cheap. If it walks like a duck...

I used to live in Sydney. I say scam. Short term rentals are significantly more expensive than standard 6 month or year long rentals. And Sydney prices are ridiculous!

A quick comparison - My 2 bed, 2 bath with shared pool cost $700 per week and it was no where near Double Bay (also known as Double Pay).

It's listed for sale with the exact same text and photos...almost certainly a scam on homeaway: www.nytimes.com/real-estate/aus/sw/sydney/homes-for-sale/95-balfour-road/2836-EEMVZV?channel=sale

That is definitely a scam. They’ve lifted the pro photos form a real estate listing and pretended it’s a holiday let. Report it to Homeaway, who will remove it.

If it’s too cheap it’s almost always a scam.

Scan or someone has got their wires seriously crossed over per person / per night / per stay. Shows up for me as $66 per person per night. $792 on still seems cheap

Yup, it's probably a scam. It's ridiculously cheap accommodation for anywhere in a major Australian city AND it looks remarkably similar to this property that is due to be auctioned in 10 days' time.

raywhitedoublebay.com/properties/residential-for-sale/nsw/bellevue-hill-2023/house/2272186

Ray White is one of the most well known real estate agents in Australia.

Thank you all SOOOO much - I really appreciate the info and I have passed onto my son who si also suitable grateful (and impressed in a slightly scared way that people can find out so much so quickly!)

I have booked holiday homes through HomeAway several times with no issues. However, this does look like a scam. Zero reviews and only joined in 2020. Your DS could phone HomeAway and ask if they have any further information on the house. Is payment to be made through HomeAway or directly to the owner? He's got more protection if through the site.

Another vote for a scam... Too cheap/no reviews/similar photos which are lifted...

Always try reverse searching...

Also for a further away destinatiin.. Ask on the local Facebook boards... The locals will most likely know the Internet scams on particular proteeties... They will have seen bewildered people arrive to no house /no key and scammed out of money!

They’ve taken the photos from that property @StillinMyPJs linked and cropped and flipped them. Definitely the same photos.

In fact they’ve even lifted the description from that same listing