What is the Etiquette of Payment Agreement of Room Sharing to Strangers?

Wellywokz

I have been contacting people in Room sharing Threads and experienced lots of mix results.

Some were ok of forwarding their confirmation email, take a picture, or give me their OnPeak ID so I can put it on Paypal for Deposit.
Others were not comfortable giving me any confirmation if they have the reservation.
I just don't want to get scammed. But I do understand how people don't want to give out info.

Question
What is the proper way to insure a spot when sharing a room with a stranger?
This is my first time doing this.

GhostDan

"You got a room?" "Yea" "You got space for one more?" "Sure" "Great, I'll send you movies you let me stay?" "Sounds good"

DeathJest3r

Wellywokz wrote: »

Question
What is the proper way to insure a spot when sharing a room with a stranger?

I would think that forwarding the Onpeak confirmation is the bare minimum if you are posting in a room share thread. The only personal info on the confirmation is the guest's email address. I personally would not trust a host that will not provide that to you.

Now on the flipside, the host may request that you send a deposit so that you do not flake out. Do not send the full weekend amount because that will give them the opportunity to just cut and run.

I always book the hotel for my friends group so hopefully someone who has used the room share threads can give you more specific advice.

SutibunRi

I've simply trusted the people posting about having space in the room share thread to be honest.
So far PA folk have been good about not requiring me to engage in paranoia.
I suppose it all comes down to finding a room holder that's comfortable with the same amount of information disclosure as you are, while remembering they may be just as worried about you scamming them out of enough information to steal their room out from under them as you are of them scamming you out of a couple hundred bucks.
If you can't find such a group, you'll have to bite the bullet and reserve your own room.

ilta

I don't think it's unreasonable to request someone show you their OnPeak confirmation email. When I host a roomgroup, I always take a screenshot of the email and black out the confirmation number. Takes ten seconds. But it's enough to show the person that, yes, I DO have a four-person room at the Seaport, I'm not a liar, while keeping me safe from having that reservation stolen out from under me.

ilta

Ultimately, if I wanted to scam someone, though, having a confirmed room wouldn't stop me. I'd just take people's money and then not return their phone calls once we got to Boston. It'd be a special kind of evil though, and I've not heard of it happening to anyone. Not yet, anyway.

SutibunRi

ilta wrote: »

Ultimately, if I wanted to scam someone, though, having a confirmed room wouldn't stop me. I'd just take people's money and then not return their phone calls once we got to Boston. It'd be a special kind of evil though, and I've not heard of it happening to anyone. Not yet, anyway.

I hate you a little bit right now.
You know exactly why.

jdixon1972

The few times that i've done a room share went really smoothly. I required that they pay half upfront through paypal. When they get there, they would pay the other half before I let them in the room. I was always honest. I gave them multiple ways to contact me (house, cell, work, etc.) so that we could keep a line of trust throughout the whole deal. I also never used the money paid to paypal until after I had gotten their final payment, just incase they had to pull out unexpectedly (but that never happened).

ilta

SutibunRi wrote: »

ilta wrote: »

Ultimately, if I wanted to scam someone, though, having a confirmed room wouldn't stop me. I'd just take people's money and then not return their phone calls once we got to Boston. It'd be a special kind of evil though, and I've not heard of it happening to anyone. Not yet, anyway.

I hate you a little bit right now.
You know exactly why.

See you in Boston, roomie!

rascrush

I personally have no issue showing a hotel reservation through email and talking to the person to awnser any questions they may have. I ask for a deposit normally of 1 3rd or so of total price to save your spot and then ask for the rest to be paid before pax so i can insure that the money is in my account when the hotel takes it out

havok978

Wellywokz wrote: »

I have been contacting people in Room sharing Threads and experienced lots of mix results.

Some were ok of forwarding their confirmation email, take a picture, or give me their OnPeak ID so I can put it on Paypal for Deposit.
Others were not comfortable giving me any confirmation if they have the reservation.
I just don't want to get scammed. But I do understand how people don't want to give out info.

Question
What is the proper way to insure a spot when sharing a room with a stranger?
This is my first time doing this.

Wellywokz wrote: »

I have been contacting people in Room sharing Threads and experienced lots of mix results.

Some were ok of forwarding their confirmation email, take a picture, or give me their OnPeak ID so I can put it on Paypal for Deposit.
Others were not comfortable giving me any confirmation if they have the reservation.
I just don't want to get scammed. But I do understand how people don't want to give out info.

Question
What is the proper way to insure a spot when sharing a room with a stranger?
This is my first time doing this.

Personally speaking, when I've shared my room in the past, I've always forwarded a copy of the email just to give them the piece of mind that yes I do have the room reserved. I've also generally given my cell number/Facebook/whatever to keep in touch with.