Bank transfer to pay for apt.

My wife and I were up against this for our cooking class in Italy. There was a $45 cost at our end for the wire transfer and nobody at the branch knew how to do it. They wanted us to fill out the form. They couldn't explain any of the codes. There is also a charge at the receiving end and you will be charged for that as well. It wasn't worth it for us and we communicated that to the cooking school. Either we made some other arrangements or we would not sign up. They were very nice and we showed up with 450Euro in cash for our cooking class.

We returned in April from a week trip to Paris. While there we rented an apartment. We did not pay all of the rent up front, but about 90% of it was required. Then there was a security deposit, insurance charge, cleaning charge, etc. Although the apartment, Parisstay.com, was perfectly located I felt like we wasted money with all of the deposits, etc. HOWEVER, we were not scammed! The deposits were quickly returned and the apartment was great. IMO, it is determining that the company renting the apartment is legitimate, not the owner of the apartment. Things are just done differently in France; it is not illegal or underhanded, just different. I am actually surprised that you were able to find a place to rent for three days; normally they require a week. If you like the location and looks of the apartment, and you renting through a reputable company, feel comfortable moving forward. This does not mean scams don't happen, but it means there is a strong probability you are going to enjoy your time in Paris.

Sorry, should have clarified. All of our payments were through bank wires. Each wire was like $40. Yes, it would be easier if they accepted VISA or AE, but they don't. Regardless, it is a way of doing business that works quite well for them.

Europeans do a lot with bank to bank transfer - from bills to payments vs using credit cards (which are usually debit-style anyways). Interest is always expensive so people pref cash or debit to avoid it. That said - you have really two choices if they dont want cash - 1. go for it or 2. go to another renter who will work the way you want. Its probably not a scam but you have to be comfortable doing it. Offer to pay a deposit via bank and the rest cash upon arrival. If they dont go for it - go elsewhere. If you find an agency they will probably add a % anyways so direct is best.
Also - google the name of the person or info and see if any opinions pop up!

Unless you personally know the owners of the Paris apartment and you trust them I would recommend against the bank transfer of the full amount. Once the money is gone from your account it is not retrieveable.

I've rented apartments where I've used a credit card for a deposit and I've also done a bank transfer for a deposit. I've NEVER done a bank transfer for the full amount...and probably never will.

I've used the bank wire transfers numerous times and never had a problem. Have used homeaway.com for several apartments and always been extremely pleased. Also have been able to rent many for less than a week. In the Berner Oberland there is a great chalet just a fifteen minute walk out of Wengen where I sent them the full amount. We stayed there last year and loved it so much we're going to stay there again in a few weeks. It's in a fantastic location, it's extremely reasonable, has a great little kitchen where we cooked delicious meals, has amazing views, etc. etc. etc. Have stayed in a cottage in the Loire Valley, a fantastic apartment in Venice right on the Grand Cannel, an apartment in London that was in a great central location plus several others and only had one place (in Rome) that was not good. (The a.c. didn't work and it was during a summer heat wave!) Have always sent bank transfers and never had a problem. Good luck and have fun!

If you decide to go ahead and pay the entire amount up front, ask if the owner or agency will accept a bank draft in euros rather than a wire transfer. If so, open an account with www.xe.com/fx. Money will be taken from your checking account by electronic transfer and a bank draft in the currency of your choice will be sent by US mail directly to the recipient of your choice. The exchange rate will be only slightly higher than the international rate on the day the transaction is initiated. There are no fees. For security reasons it takes a little time and effort to set up an account, but everything goes swiftly and smoothly after that. XE also does wire transfers, but there is a fee for them.

Steve - one more reassurance that you are probably not being scammed. Yes, there is the trust issue that goes with paying for anything up front with a private person. We have done this several times and my only problem is the fees charged by my own US bank to send a "bank transfer". Our 1 night deposit for a B&B in Sicily was about $125 and the fee to send it was $35+. But I really did want to stay at this particular place and I just added it to the cost of the room when figuring my budget. I'd be interested to know if doing the XE thing mentioned about would be a cheaper way of getting money to those who don't take credit cards.

Karen,

Yes, having XE send a bank draft through the mail is cheap. I use my account to send gift money to relatives in Europe and to pay deposits at B&Bs that don't accept credit cards. It's very cost effective.