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Original Message:

Re: Red Week Verified???? (by KC):

Frankly, it baffles me that some people won't pony up the additional $14.99 to become "RedWeek Verified", to easily provide peace of mind to any and all skittish prospective renters. I get "RedWeek verified" every time I rent out a week. To me, it's worth $15 to not have to "prove" my legitimacy to nervous potential renters --- over and over again; I don't have the time (or the patience) for that repetitive exercise.

That being said, RedWeek is definitely not a "scammer friendly" site. Anyone placing an ad on RedWeek (with or without getting "RedWeek verified") has paid for a RedWeek membership and then also paid for each individual listing. In doing so, a "paper trail" and some means of identification (and tracing, if necessary) has been provided. The "frugality" of being unwilling to pay $15 extra to get "RedWeek verified" and avoid a whole lot of unnecessary questions and wasted time is, in my personal opinion, just "penny wise and pound foolish" --- some might just say "cheap". If someone can afford to own a timeshare, they can afford $15 to prove the legitimacy of their ownership to prospective tenants.

Could a scammer operate on RedWeek? It's remotely possible, but highly unlikely in my opinion. Scammers don't ever want to pay a penny out of their pocket and they certainly don't want to be easily (if ever) identified or traced. Sites like Craigslist provide a much easier and "safer" venue for scammers of ill intent to operate anonymously "in the shadows".

If you are considering renting from someone who has chosen to save $15 and not get "RedWeek verified", I suggest that you make them prove their ownership to you by providing a copy of a reservation, or a copy of a maintenance fee bill, redacted deed, or something to document the ownership of whatever they are attempting to rent out. Good luck.