Need help to ID if Company is legit

[Zensan]

I have been asked to send money by Western Union for a rental deposit - having heard to never do this - I need hlelp in finding out if this request is legitimate. Is anyone familiar with BAFlatmate and/or any of the following?

Ariel Anapolsky
Zapata 127, 6B, ID 30.036.761. Buenos Aires Argentina.
15 3681 6877 Ariel Anapolsky
15 4078 6454 Hernán Cuevas
(+54) 911 3681 6877 World wide

Thank you for looking!
Zen

 

[mcaffa]

Yes, I am familiar with BAFlatmate. They are a legit company. The owner is close friends with one of my company's clients.

 

[davonz]

I do not know if this guy is legit or not. But i would never pay a deposit via money transfer for something i havent seen, or know that exits, or is owned by the person trying to rent it.
I have heard of people being ripped off by people who are renting an apartment and ask for deposit via money transfer.

Also from my own person experience here, often what is claimed about an apartment on the net, or even the photos, do not always turn out to be exactly ture.

It is always good to see the apt first hand, even if its just to find out about things like street noise, make sure things work, and has what is claimed.

 

[jez]

I do not know if this guy is legit or not. But i would never pay a deposit via money transfer for something i havent seen, or know that exits, or is owned by the person trying to rent it.
I have heard of people being ripped off by people who are renting an apartment and ask for deposit via money transfer.

Also from my own person experience here, often what is claimed about an apartment on the net, or even the photos, do not always turn out to be exactly ture.

It is always good to see the apt first hand, even if its just to find out about things like street noise, make sure things work, and has what is claimed.

Are there many companies that will show you the apartment beforehand?

If you just turn up you will find the best places are booked. Not saying don't do it, just giving my opinion.

PayPal is another good alternative (if they offer it) as you can do a charge back if you arrive within 60 days and it's not what is described, although the fees are higher.

 

[rrptownley]

Apartments tend to disappear off the market very quickly in Capital Federal.
Especially in the Barrios most of us search in.

A deposit will help to keep a hold on an apartment you are interested in but my opinion is that you should only pay if have been to the offices of the company. If it is a private dueno then to the house you want to rent, and have actually been inside it with him/her.

In London, Craigslist and Gumtree are almost unusable now for all the Western Union scam artists.

There should never be an excuse for a company or an owner not to show you the rental the day you request to see it.

(the most common scam starts with, "I am out of the country on business and want to rent my apartment... can you send me a deposit of $1000 by Western Union and I can give you the keys when I return next week."

 

[PhilipDT]

Apartments tend to disappear off the market very quickly in Capital Federal.

The corollary is they also appear very quickly.

I would definitely NOT pay without seeing the apartment first.

 

[citygirl]

Many real estate companies ask for a deposit to hold an apt. Yes, you are running the risk of not liking the apt but it is pretty common. When I was visiting here on vacation before I moved here - every time I had to pay a deposit to reserve the apt.

Obviously it is a safeguard for the owners, otherwise someone could "reserve" the apt and then cancel at the last minute.

Obviously great if you can see it in person first but I wouldn't be that worried, esp if you are only paying a portion and its a short-term apt. Although ditto - see if they have a paypal option which is a better safeguard.

 

[duanestorey]

I agree with what most people here are saying. If it's a private person renting, I wouldn't wire money without having some kind of recourse. That is, if you can, force them to use PayPal or your Credit Card, that way at least you can do a charge back.

I was looking at a place on Craigslist last week to rent, and the guy seemed overly eager to get the deal done. He wanted me to wire him some money, so I punched in the advertising copy from his ad into google, and sure enough, found the exact same ad on a website in London. So, the place was completely bogus.

I've since used a proper Rental Agency in BA and have given a deposit through them. They were happy to use PayPal, which of course makes me feel way better about the whole thing. So, I personally wouldn't trust any individual or payment where you don't have any recourse.

 

[davonz]

Are there many companies that will show you the apartment beforehand?
If you just turn up you will find the best places are booked. Not saying don't do it, just giving my opinion.

Thats is not the experience that i have had. I have been renting apartments here for 4 years, and every one I have looked at before i handed over any money. And i have seen alot that were not as described by the owner.

It is also good to view first, just to know what the traffic is like, and what is around in the way of shops, parks etc.

(the most common scam starts with, "I am out of the country on business and want to rent my apartment... can you send me a deposit of $1000 by Western Union and I can give you the keys when I return next week."

This is the exact reason i would never hand over any money before i have seen it. It is easy to make a fake website, put pics of apts on it etc.. You never know until you have seen the place for real.