L: holidays are upon us, schools are closing and with the warm weather comes the race to find the best opportunities to plan a trip with family or friends, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by digital. According to data from the Polytechnic University of Milan, in 2018 the 'non-digital' tourist is becoming extinct: only 2% of Italians between the ages of 18 and 75 did not use the Internet for activities related to their last vacation. This trend, which is constantly growing, rekindles attention to the importance of acting safely on the web. This is a topic dear to Subito, the number 1 platform in Italy for buying and selling with over 11 million unique monthly users, which together with the Postal and Communications Police and UNC - National Consumer Union, renews its collaboration and commitment to consumers, offering concrete support for choosing your holiday home safely and providing a few simple rules to apply when searching for and booking your chosen accommodation. This is particularly useful advice at the beginning of the tourist season, when the phenomenon of scams seems to be worsening, also due to the search for very low-cost offers.
And here is the guide to 8 rules for planning and enjoying a safe holiday: 1. REALISTIC, COMPLETE AND NOT TOO GLOSSY IMAGES To verify the consistency and truthfulness between images and houses, use a web image search engine to upload the photos in the advert and check that they are not archive photos but shots of a real house 2. COMPLETE AND DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY To understand if the property and the area (distance from the sea, central location) correspond to the description given in the advert, look for the road indicated on the maps available on the web and, once you have found the exact location, view it via satellite 3. CONTACT THE ADVERTISER VIA CHAT For further confirmation, contact the advertiser via the platform chat, ask for information and additional photos of the property and go into more detail with a chat by asking for the telephone number, possibly a landline 4. ADEQUATE PRICE OF THE PROPERTY To understand if a price is high, low or adequate English: it is advisable to do a search on the area through the platform where the ad is present, also using a search engine and checking whether the price is not too low and therefore actually in line with the location and the structure of the house 5. MEETING WITH THE ADVERTISER To verify that everything is in order, meet the advertiser where possible for a visit to the house and to deliver the amount due in person 6. REQUEST AND VALUE OF DEPOSIT The request for a deposit is legitimate, as long as it does not exceed 20% of the total 7. IDENTITY DOCUMENTS Do not send personal documents: identity card, driving license or passport must never be shared as they could be used for illicit purposes 8. PAYMENTS Make payments only to IBAN or through traceable payment methods, the bank IBAN must be traceable to an Italian current account that can be verified using tools such as IBAN calculator With the aim of reaching the greatest number of users possible, the 8 golden rules are available on the Subito platforms, Polizia Postale e delle Comunicazioni and UNC and will also be promoted through social networks. In addition, a video has been made that tells and summarizes them, available on the Polizia di Stato Youtube channel.
Article published on 15 June 2019 - 08:01
