Verified Ownership

Beware Holiday Scammers

Whilst social media is a great place to find out about holidays – including caravans, it is unfortunately a convenient place for scammers to lurk.

The caravan rental industry relies mainly on private landlords who are difficult to verify, and this is frustrating for the legitimate owners as well as holiday makers.

To avoid being caught by one of these scammers, it is now more important than ever to verify that you are dealing with a legitimate owner. We do our best to demonstrate our legitimacy, but you have the responsibility for checking credentials before you hand over money.

What to look out for

• It is important to do a bit of research – follow their links – check previous adverts – make sure that the images are of the same caravan.
• If you comment on a Facebook advert, the advertiser will most likely wish to contact you on messenger. This is normal. However, if someone else messages you direct, when you haven’t asked that person for information, this is certainly unscrupulous, and most likely to be a scammer, DO NOT RESPOND!
• Consider joining the following facebook group. Ask about your the person/company you are dealing with. There are over 77,000 members in this group, and you are sure to find someone to help.

Butlins Skegness Resort

• Ask for the pitch number – scammers are often reluctant to share this, then google it to make sure nobody else is advertising it.
• Check the prices are reasonably comparable with others – beware bargains!
• Check references – ours are shown below. Other owners should be able to provide similar references.
• Remember, a legitimate owner will not mind providing all the details you need.
• If you know the owner/agent name, and caravan plot number, call the caravan reception of the site to verify. They may not be able to supply details due to GDPR, however they may have permission to verify that the details you already have are correct.

Book by credit card if you can – you can then claim back from the credit card company if there is a problem! Most scammers request bank transfers or PayPal – these can leave you vulnerable – so be sure where you are sending your hard-earned money!

Please Note

We provide this information to help you stay safe, and to give you confidence to book with Happy Place Caravans. We do not provide a verification service for other owners on Butlin’s, or any other park.