Western Union To Stay at a Ranch? Advice Please x

[kittycat]

Hi everyone

I was wondering if someone could give me some advice here. I have decided to stay at a Ranch in San Luis, and the nice lady i have been emailing (Patricia y Alfredo) has asked for 50% in advance: € 1,290 via Western Union. I am a bit scared about using this method, and im not sure if this is normal, or legitimate.

here are the ranch details

http://www.estanciaaltosdeldurazno.com/

please let me know if it's ok to do this transaction, or to be wary

Thanks x

 

[mendozanow]

Well it is not normal, and it sucks for you because of the substantial cost of sending money by Western Union. The reason she does this is because she does not have a Merchant Credit Card account (which is complicated for her being a small business), and has not bothered to open a PayPal account (which you can do in Argentina now). It is also a way to hide income from the tax people. Usually, the requirement to reserve actiiities or accomodations with small providers for Argentines is to deposit the reservation deposit by bank deposit to the account of the prvoider, but you have to be in Argentina to do this. Sending bank drafts to Argentina is not only complicated, it is as expensive if not more expensive than Western Union.

I would suggest you consider finding an Estancia with a Merchant Credit Card account so you have some protection if something goes wrong. There is no indication that this woman is a fraud just because she wants you to pay by Western Union, but it is a risk. A quick look at the website makes it look like a legit operation, but without a personal recommendation from somebody you know, it is always a risk.

 

[Sleuth]

I paid this way to stay at an apartment in Brazil. It's a bit risky, and for me really came down to the place and the person I was dealing with. I felt comfortable enough with both and went ahead with it. Everything worked out well...

 

[citygirl]

Is the number you quoted in pesos? or Euros? It looks like a Euro sign but unless you're moving in there for a month or so, that would be very high

Do they have good reviews on trip advisor or other travel websites? If so, I would feel less cautious.

 

[Davidglen77]

First 1,290 Euros to stay at a ranch in San Luis? I can't imagine that there is such a luxurious place in San Luis that HALF the cost would be equivalent to $7,700 pesos. $7,700 pesos is A LOT of money for a vacation here. For example I hd a 2 week share at a beach house in an exclusive area of Cariló on the Atlantic Coast and that cost $6,000 pesos for 14 days and it was a 5 bedroom house! Don't do it!

 

[sesamosinsal]

I don't know if the Patricia and Alfredo mentioned in this site are the same, but everyone seems to have good things to say about them. I'd keep doing research. If they have scammed anyone, more than likely someone would have said something about it online.

 

[citygirl]

Yes David, that's why I asked. I'm guessing maybe the OP meant pesos?

 

[gatoverde]

This may not be the rule but it doesn't necessarily mean they're trying to scam you, it may mean they're trying to make sure who is actually going to show up after booking the place.
It is fairly common in certain destinations where accommodation is scarce and they might want to avoid phantom bookings and the like.
When we were planning our honeymoon to Easter island last November the hotel owner kindly requested us to send her what amounted to 3 nights' accommodation-we were going to spend a week on the island-to make the booking effective. We did check her hotel's references online, and she had an impecable record .Needless to say, it all ran smoothly, we did have a great time and she was a super lovely lady, always willing to help around.

 

[Davidglen77]

I have a suggestion, there is a website called http://www.airbnb.com/ that seems secure as tehy only release the reservation money to the owner once the person has checked in. It's held in escrow until then. Check it out and maybe suggest it to the owners. I personally wouldn't wire money to ANYONE I didn't know, but then again I am a native New Yorker and therefore naturally untrusting. Just my 2c.

 

[hepdoll]

Whenever we've booked a room at a guesthouse or cabañas or hotel for a vacation outside the city, they've requested a portion of the payment upfront. Sometimes 50% and for really short stays, 100%. Like was already said, I think this is a way for them to have some insurance against last-minute cancelations, since it's not like they have your credit card to charge you a penalty that way.

Whenever we've done this they've given us their payment information to take to a bank and we take care of it there, so I can't really speak to whether Western Union is an OK way to do this - but we've never had any problems. (We've always stayed at place that had lots of positive reviews.)