ATLANTA — A woman believes she has been the victim of a new scam on Booking.com
Janelle Jones said she listed her Vine City condo for rent on the popular site.
“I started on Airbnb and transferred to Booking.com,” she said.
Jones said she had plenty on interest in her condo, renting it out several times, but then red flags popped up.
“People started staying at my home and they had the craziest complaints: TV was too small. Furniture was different,” she said.
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Jones said the unfounded complaints were just the beginning.
“They would stay at my home and dispute the charges on their credit card,” she said.
She said the same thing happened seven times. Each stay was between $400 and $500. She said she lost nearly $3,000 total.
“It is stealing. If you think about it, this is how I make my living. This is what I do to provide for my son,” Jones said.
She said she called Booking.com for help, but didn’t get any.
“I got the runaround, to be honest. I have been calling for about four months,” she said.
Jones said she’s done opening her home to strangers, and has this advice for anyone thinking of renting out their homes: “Be cautions. It is great money, but I am not sure that the pros outweigh the cons.”
Booking.com sent the following statement:
"Our team is on hand 24/7 to support our property partners with any questions they may have, including regarding payment collection from guests. In this case, we are working with the property to advise and support them in this matter."
Cox Media Group
