Planning a party? Watch for rental scams

Planning a party? If you need to rent chairs, decorations, a bouncy house or any other supplies, take extra caution when searching for rentals. BBB Scam Tracker continues to receive reports of party hosts being tricked by rentals that don’t materialize.

How the scam works

You are planning a party and need to rent supplies. You do a web or social media search and find a few options. For example, you may find a legitimate website with a convenient online booking system. Or you might message someone through a social media account that seems professional. Either way, the “vendor” promises to reserve your rental for the date you need it — if you pay a deposit first. They also may require you to fill out a contact form with your personal details.

The date of your party arrives, and your rental tent, furniture or other supplies don’t arrive. At that point the “vendor” may tell you they’ve had an emergency and can’t deliver on their promise. However, the scammers will disappear completely when you ask for your money back. Other times, you can’t contact the rental company at all. For example, if you originally contacted the vendor on social media, they may have blocked you or deleted their account.

One Ohio consumer reported to the BBB Scam Tracker they lost $1,865 after a fraudulent wedding coordinator they hired to plan and coordinate decoration rentals canceled within a couple of weeks of their wedding and refused to refund it. The consumer said after their experience they discovered the scammer had done the same thing to multiple other couples.

How to avoid rental scams

—Do your research before you rent. Take a good look at the rental company’s website and ensure it has accurate contact information. Then read consumer reviews about the company on third-party websites such as BBB.org.

—Think twice when renting from listings only advertised on social media. If the rental business only contacts you and facilitates the rental transaction through social media and refuses to talk on the phone or in person, that’s another red flag.

—Be wary of people who contact you on messaging apps. Legitimate businesses may use messaging apps to interact with you, but it’s unlikely they will initiate a conversation and contact you out of the blue that way.

—Be careful with your personal details. You may need to fill out a contract with personal information, but ensure you are dealing with a legitimate, professional company first before handing over sensitive personal and financial information.

—Review your contract. Ensure your delivery date and time are accurate, as well as the final cost and payment details. Check to ensure the contract doesn’t outline any phony fees or other extra costs you weren’t anticipating. Save a copy of the contract that is signed and dated by both you and the company.