Is paying a villa deposit by bank transfer safe and normal? booking.com

[roses2]

I'm looking to rent a villa in the summer and have found a lovely looking villa on booking.com. I've found the same villa on multiple websites like airbnb etc and the reviews are all positive.

The description states a deposit is to be paid by bank transfer which will be refunded after checkout providing no damage. I contacted booking.com who said the listing is legit but I am still nervous this could be a scam.

Is paying a deposit for a private villa normal and if yes by bank transfer outside of booking.com?

I always by CC. If they don't have that facility then I don't book

Don't do it, don't make any payments outside of Booking.com because if it is a scam you will likely loose the money.

Yes it’s normal, but it’s not protected. I personally don’t rent places that require a deposit in advance (a cash deposit on arrival is common). You need to find independent reviews, but it’s part of renting self catering whereas hotels don’t require it

Dont do it

It is very usual, though I agree, disconcerting. If you have done due diligence, you should be fine. I've done it several times for privately owned accommodation, managed by the owners themselves. Usually a deposit and then installments. I check other sites like you have, for reviews etc, to make sure it's genuine.

If you are really taken with the accommodation it might be worth taking the risk.
As a landlord who, quite correctly, has to jump through many hoops regarding deposits, I avoid holiday accommodation which wants a deposit before I’ve even had a chance to see the accommodation.
It doesn’t seem fair or reasonable to me to expect a sum against damages when I’ve not been able to check the condition myself, especially as some owners are only willing to refund it after they have made a detailed inspection after I’ve left.
I only book places without deposits.
It’s in Booking.Com terms that the owner can charge for damages later. I don’t have any issue with that. The burden of proof is then on the owner, and I have never caused any damage.

No do not. You aren’t covered if there’s an issue. (I recently lost a deposit I paid a builder because I was foolish enough to bank transfer it).

No way would I chance that. Loads of reviews everywhere could be by Bots or the like.

Granted I’m highly paranoid 😳😄

You should always pay by cc for your own protection. Payment by bank transfer is a risk and you have no comeback. If anything goes wrong you would have the hassle and expense of taking them to small claims.

I would always want the protection of paying by credit card so no way would I bank transfer no matter how good the accommodation looked.

Thank you, I think I will steer clear of this villa. Such as shame as the location was perfect!

No. It’s not. I always paid through the booking site app. No extras.

Don’t do it and always pay by credit card so that you get extra legal protection

I would imagine if you make the trf digitally your bank will confirm the acc details with you and then adv that they can’t g’tee to recover your funds should it be a scam. As long as the money goes to the details you’ve confirmed it it’s literally the same as handing over cash.
If you can pay on debit/credit you have far more protection.

Are you not booking it via booking.com?