Holiday Villas, Apartments, Cottages and Holiday Rentals

How do I know my booking is safe?

How do I know my booking is safe? 
 
The booking process depends on how the property owner/manager has decided to take payments.

We’re passionate about protecting your money and your holiday, so read on for our top tips on keeping your booking safe.
 
Paying online with Payment Protection
 
Wherever you see the Payment Protection logo, you must pay for your stay online via our payment platform to be covered.
 
Payment Protection gives you extra peace of mind when booking a holiday let. It means that in the unlikely event that you’re prevented access to your rental, or if it differs materially to the listing, we’ll offer a full refund for the stay. More about Payment Protection.
 

What if a property doesn’t have a Payment Protection logo?

This means the owner of this home doesn’t offer online booking. They will still be able to offer a secure form of payment, but you won’t be covered by Payment Protection. You’ll need to contact them directly to book.
 
It’s good practice to do a few checks yourself so your holiday goes ahead without any hitches:
 
Before booking

• Call the owner or manager for extra reassurance or to ask any further questions. Most provide a phone number on their listing’s contact form – if they don’t, email them to ask for one. Please note: you’re unable to call some owners/managers until you’ve made a booking.

• Check the details of the listing and look out for any inconsistencies. Check the home's full description and read any reviews from previous guests.

• Check how long the property’s been online: you’ll see the details on the listing page. The longer it's been online, the more people have probably stayed there without any problems.

 
When booking

• Make payments safely online on our site by card or PayPal. All payments made through our online payment platform are kept safely with us until you arrive at your rental property. Some owners may ask for a direct bank transfer or cheque. Never pay by a wire transfer (such as Western Union or Moneygram) as this type of payment is untraceable. You should also be suspicious if you're asked to pay a person other than the one you've been dealing with or a bank account in an obscure country.

Please note: we’ll never ask for payment into our bank account. If you're asked to make a bank transfer into an account which contains the name TripAdvisor, Holiday Lettings, FlipKey or Niumba, please let us know immediately before making any payments.
                Top tip: check the web address starts with ‘https://www…’ before entering any bank details.

• Pay within reasonable timeframes to protect your money. Expect to pay the booking deposit (usually up to 25% of the total) when you confirm your booking and sign the contract, then pay the balance around eight weeks before your holiday (or later). If you're asked to settle the bill earlier, please let us know and we'll investigate this for you.

• Read through and agree on a booking contract containing details of the terms of the let as well as the payment and cancellation policies. If you're not asked to do this, ask for one (we do provide sample contracts for owners).

Before you go

• Check the holiday dates you’ve booked are marked as such on the property’s calendar.

• Collect the owner's contact details (full name, landline and mobile numbers, and their own address, plus a trading address if they're a property manager). Check that they'll be contactable on these numbers while you're on holiday in case you need to get in touch.

• Ensure you’ve purchased a  travel insurance to protect you if something goes wrong with accommodation or flights that are booked independently, e.g. if the airline goes out of business or there are weather implications. . Check the small print or look for an insurer that covers you against such things.

Please note: Payment Protection doesn't offer any cover for other costs relating to your stay that have not been included in your online payment. Damage deposit is not covered by Payment Protection.

• Save your correspondence with the owner or manager so that you can refer back to it at any time.

 
Something not quite right? Get in touch
 
If something sounds too good to be true or you notice something suspicious and decide not to book, alert us as soon as possible with your reasons. Please contact us and we'll look into it for you.
 
Please note: TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals and its network of sites (Holiday Lettings, FlipKey and Niumba) do not own, manage or inspect any of the properties listed and cannot verify any of the listing details. We make no guarantees or representations as to the accuracy, completeness, legality, performance or suitability of the listings. We accept no liability arising from reliance upon this information made by any user of the site. You should conduct your own research and familiarize yourself with our terms and conditions.