We have 3 different outdoor seating areas, all with a variet...
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We have 3 different outdoor seating areas, all with a variety of outdoor furniture around a waterfront beach home. We clean t...
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Dear hosts,
My name is Andrei. I am looking forward to my holiday in Portugal this summer and I need your help. I will be travelling in a group of 9 people in the southern zone of Portugal, namely Lagos. I have been struggling with finding the right place to stay since we have been scammed a few weeks ago by a property on VRBO. We are really cautious right now so I would like to kindly ask you to give me some feedback of a villa that I found, Villa Caran: **
What should we do? Is it a real listing even though it has no reviews? Could the owner Casas Do be scamming considering their other reviews?
Please let me know and thank you very much for your help!
**[Identifiable listing removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines- Please note that is not allowed to post a listing link unless posted by a listing owner]
Hi @Andrei642 😊,
Welcome to the Community Center!
Did you find out whether this listing is real?
I'm also tagging a few hosts to see if they'd like to share any advice with you on this: @Dave-and-Deb0, @Oksana127, @Greystone0, @Tara0 and @Shelley159.
Warm regards 🌻,
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Hello Elisa,
I have not, yet, unfortunately. Still looking forward to some opinions.
Thank you!!
Hi Andrei,
First — I’m really sorry to hear you were scammed. That must have been incredibly frustrating, especially when planning a group trip. It's wise to be cautious now.
I took a look at the Villa Caran listing and here are a few things to keep in mind:
Things to Check:
Host Profile: Look at how long the host "Casas Do" has been on the platform. If they’re new and have no reviews, it’s okay to be cautious, but it doesn’t automatically mean it’s a scam.
Other Properties: If the host manages multiple listings with good reviews, that’s usually a good sign. Check for consistency in quality and tone.
Photos: Do a reverse image search (right-click on photos, choose “Search image with Google”) to see if the images appear on other websites. If they’re stolen from another listing, that’s a red flag.
Communication: Message the host with a specific question (e.g., "What’s the walking distance to the beach?" or "Can you confirm if the kitchen has two fridges for a group our size?"). A real host will respond with detailed answers — not just copy-paste replies.
Safety Tips:
Only pay through Airbnb directly — never wire money or communicate outside the platform.
Look for Superhosts if you want extra peace of mind.
Use Airbnb’s “Request to Book” with a message that politely expresses your concerns and asks for reassurance.
Wishing you and your group a safe and beautiful holiday in Portugal!
Dear Oksana,
Thank you very much for your help! We pursued part of the checklist that you just provided, and things are looking pretty good. We got in touch with the host by phone and the information she provided was accurate and detailed. We will keep on checking and decide. Anyways, I appreciate your response!
Have a good day!