http://community.homeaway.com/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadImage/1854/Legitimate.JPG

First off, the answer to the customer concern is not BUY INSURANCE

The answer IS that HA has done their due diligence to prove that the owner is REAL.

How about starting with the FACT that HA review’s Ads.  That many owners have been listed several years.

This statement starts off with fear in order to sell inferior insurance!*

Who wrote this?  Not an owner!  You are scaring potential guests rather than giving them confidence! Tell them what HomeAway does to protect against fraud – you know, the things that Craigslist and AirBNB don’t do!

• References:  Oh, yeah, I am going to have guests call old guests (that was sarcasm). Why don’t I send a note via pony express (again, sarcasm)  How about guests  asking owners if they have a FACEBOOK page or look at the years listed!? I’ve been with HA 3 years, I’m legit.
• If an owner is paying sales taxes that would indicate they are legit. Right? There are “owners” not paying sales tax.  I should get some credit for the fact that I pay monthly and am in good standing for 3 years.  How about a step process to acquire verified owner status.  
  • Listed over one year
  • Pays taxes
  • Has verified reviews
  • Has a license
  • HA can call guests randomly to verify the home or review.

  Only a verified owner should obtain the carefree guarantee. 

• Additional photos?  I wondered where this was coming from.  Photos of what else?  (I got 24 up already what else can I photograph?)  And Location?  Hmmm, maybe you should watch my video on “how to rent.”  Only a uniformed owner will give  the exact street address (implied in “location”) of the LCD TV’s!  I have never booked to anyone who had asked for more photos; they either have  built-in fear (paranoid), have been scared off by this ridiculous FAQ or are thieves (I send watermarked photos so I don’t see my house on Craigslist).  Inform prospective renters that they can get the location (subdivision or cross streets)  but not the exact street address to protect the current guests and the property.  The current advice demonstrates a lack of comprehension to what owners go through. Owner: “Oh, yeah, the place is empty next week and there’s a layout of the home and the exact street address.”  Why don’t I give them the security codes too!? I have “guests” ask me if they can send a relative over to check the place out.  Hmmmm, hmmmm… I am not that naive.
• Request a signed rental agreement?  If I can fake an ad I can fake an agreement even more. HA doesn’t  help enough with agreements  during the payment process (see interactive agreement) . If the guest filled out the necessary info and mailed or email it to me with a SASE I would sign and return.  RMS went backwards 3 steps on agreements from Legacy.
• You can take extra steps like seeing if their license is up to date with the State, like HotSpottax.
• Watermark uploaded photos and explain WHY! "HomeAway watermarks our photos so that they will not be pirated on free sites and used for misrepresentation."

HA has been vigilant about the legitimacy of the owners.  But,  you are telling travelers to remain fearful in order to sell insurance, reduce security and waste owners time.

*When insurance covers malicious damage, misrepresentation and theft I will buy in