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[Q=johnc1143] You say to do your homework on the renter. How would one go about "homeworking" a renter? Is using the Escrow service the best way to avaoid a scammer?[/Q] IMO, escrow protects the renter more than the owner. The Escrow service promoted by RedWeek is First American Title Insurance, which charges an additional non-refundable fee of $100-$200 depending on the cost of the rental. I don’t see much, if any, protection for the owner. The escrow company is just a third party “holding” the money. They are not responsible for the renter’s actions while staying in your timeshare. The renter pays 50% deposit, then the balance 60 days prior to check-in. If the check-in period is within 60 days of the rental agreement then full payment is due. First American Title does not send a check until 11 days after the rental period, providing there are no disputes. I’m assuming even a minor dispute would hold up the funds. If the renter does not pay the final payment, the owner gets the deposit. In many cases, 50% won’t even cover the MFs AND now there is less than 60 days to try to re-rent the unit. If you’re an owner and accept a check, I would only accept a check drawn on a US bank, not a third party check and only in the exact amount agreed upon. Remember, you still “hold all the cards” since if there is a problem with the payment, all you need to do is inform the resort that Mr. & Mrs. X does not have permission to use the unit. As a renter, contact the resort and try to verify the person is actually the owner and they are not trying to rent out an exchange (if an owner mentions anything about obtaining a guest certificate, then avoid the deal. It’s a sign that they are probably trying to rent out an exchange). Get the owners emails, phone numbers, etc so you can Google to your hearts content to verify my identity. IMO, 99% of the owners are honest people who are not out to scam others. Unfortunately there are scammers out there, taking money for rentals they do not own.