As far as accommodation is concerned, you’ll be renting a little chalet at the foot of the slopes for your next mountain vacation… Be careful, though, and protect yourself against the frauds and scams that abound on the Internet. Many tourists fell victim to them last season, so follow our 10 tips to avoid them!

1- Ads on the Internet

Beware of ads for vacation rentals in the mountains that seem vague and have beautiful, almost unreal photos for a price that is often derisory.

2- The advertiser on the Internet

If you have any doubts or suspect fraud, you can contact the website that displays the ad in question to check that the advertiser is not on a blacklist of fraudsters.

3- The telephone number

Check that the telephone number on the ad is real and belongs to the owner of the property. If you get an answering machine or a third party, always ask to speak to the owner.

4- E-mail exchanges

If you mainly exchange e-mails, pay attention to the way you write and watch out for automated replies. 

5- Your personal details

Before giving your precise contact details and other personal data to the person who posted the ad, wait several exchanges, as they could use them to fill in a fake rental contract with clauses you won’t see. 

6- Mountain rental address

When you’re interested in a rental, always check that the address given is correct, to avoid arriving at a non-existent or already occupied property, or one in an unpleasant location (the side of a freeway, rubbish dump, etc.).

7- Your rental contract

Once you’ve checked everything out and everything seems to be in order, ask for a copy of the signed contract and read all the clauses carefully to avoid extra charges. If only for a week, you have the right to ask for a contract to be drawn up.

8- Payment terms

If you’re renting in Switzerland, be sure to check that the IBAN of the account to which you’ll be paying the deposit is from a Swiss bank, by looking at the first few digits. If you have a choice of payment methods, always prefer a bank transfer or credit card. 

9- Receipt

Always ask for a receipt of the payment you have made, showing the rental reference number.

10- Archives of your exchanges

Keep a careful record of your exchanges in a folder in your e-mail inbox, and always ask the advertiser to write down what you discussed and agreed upon.

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