All Forum Posts by: Michael Kugler

It looks to be the consensus of the community then. 

Postcard, code, tax records.

I appreciate all of the advice and will take it accordingly.

Thank you everyone, Mike

I know I am REALLY stretching the scenarios way out there, but this is the time for me to get it right while we are still in the development stage. I realize 99% of the people out there don't have bogus PO Boxes or random vacant homes they collect mail at, but the reality is there are people out there looking to scheme anything and everything they can. 

Just trying to stay 1 step ahead of them.

Still playing this out, I realize it doesn't solve my problem.

Gene is a fraud. He registers a vacation home on my site. He sees he will get a postcard from me with a code to activate. Okay, he simply enters in his fraudulent PO Box and waits for said card to arrive. 

Once he gets it, he enters code and begins his fraudulent scheme.

Still thinking....

Ahhhhhh.... so THAT's the purpose of the confirmation code, got it now. 

Sorry for being so dense, but that one went right over my head earlier. So in essence they would not need to mail anything back to me if they have the code. 

Okay, got it and thanks

Hi Monika,

Our site also will converge with other sites we own. (We paid a small fortune for a different domain name that has insane monthly traffic that is not directly related)

But for the user I believe the clearly obvious difference will be the pricing. We will set out to be the "WalMart" of the industry, but will try to offer Macy's quality. I never see us going above $100/year to list and that won't be for a year or 2. 

I had thought of implementing what you said by giving the option to the owner of demonstrating history by giving us a link to their property on another site, but as someone pointed out there are a lot of scrapers out there and quite frankly we don't want to be associated with that. (Not to mention, if the site is scraped you could never trust the reviews. Different story if they are with VRBO)

Bob, thank you for the reply. Could you explain the above advice a bit more? I don't understand what the purpose of a reg. number and how it would benefit us. Simply signing and returning the form to us would more than validate a property I would believe.

Mailing a form to them seems logical and doable. (Lessee... 100,000 owners x .50 for stamp and postage on a website making zero... :D )

Going down that road is the most secure I can see but would alter our concept of free for the moment and may require we alter it to a small $10/listing service. 

 

Maura, thank you for your reply.

I had considered the angle of credit cards. The problem is right now, I am not charging anything for our service and probably won't for another year or so. 

Additionally, we are going to operate as a subscription based site with no additional fees. 

Hence, the walls I am running into. :D

Thanks again, Mike

But let's say for devil's advocate - they find a home as Richard Fish at 123 Happy Lane Chicago, ILL from the county rolls. They list on my site as their vacation home and collect payment at their "actual" address - Richard Fish 321 Squatter street Los Angeles. Even though they have the name and address correct, that doesn't solve the trust issue and could be scamming customers. 

I am looking for something short of a DNA analysis that will make both traveler and owner feel safe.

Hello all, I am at the end of creating a website that will allow for peer to peer rentals. (similar to VRBO, HomeAway, FlipKey). I have came to an area though that I am confused on and really don't have any solid solutions. Since many here work in the industry I thought I would turn to you for your input and advice.

Essentially, there is a lot of fraud out there regarding home listings that are bogus. In fact, I would never consider a home on Craigslist for this reason alone. 

I could require the owner of said property to submit a utility bill (scan or snail mail) before their listing is approved - but those can be photo shopped.

Same goes for a notarized copy of ownership. (Hassle of finding a notary, photoshop possible, etc)

Then I considered a sheriff's office form that could be validated, but a good friend of mine said the issue would be the sheriff's deputies putting a stop to it as it is outside the scope of their responsibilities.

Every idea has its pitfalls and I am frustrated. Would appreciate any advice on what you would think would be reasonable for the homeowner and convey sincerity to the traveler.

TIA, Mike   

Owner of Hunter's Friend Resort in Branson, MO. Previously worked as an engineer in San Fran. Now expanding into peer to peer businesses.