using flipkey to book an apartment

Check with the owners to see if they're also listed on Homeaway. I have a friend in Sicily who rents his apartments on both Flipkey and Homeaway, and I know he's honest. I'm not sure what the criteria is for Flipkey, but I've never had a problem with either VRBO or Homeaway. I'm hoping by my answering this question you get "moved up" on this website, and someone else will see it and respond.

Thank you. I found out the owner also lists on home away. The "too good to be true" and payment in cash makes me cautious.

We've rented through VRBO and HomeAway and will rent a FlipKey found apartment this trip. So far so good on everything. Besides the cross-checking for listings with other vendors, you might Google to see if the apartment has its own website. As with some B&Bs, the owners also rent through their own independent website. It saves them money and sometimes can save you money, too. Based on our experience, paying with cash directly to the owner is the most common method for both apartment rentals and B&Bs.

We have used FlipKey to book apartments in Lisbon, Rome, Croatia, and Florence. We had great experiences in Lisbon, Croatia, and Florence but the apartment in Rome was not as advertised. I only rent apartments that have been reviewed and I do a google search on the apartment before I send money. (I don't always get a good hit on the google search but I do it anyway to feel like I've been thorough.) I've found that the apartment managers request a deposit to hold the reservation and then require cash up front when we take the keys - I wouldn't be put off by this. Do watch out for extra fees such as cleaning fees - sometimes these are stated on the FlipKey website and other times they are not. I always confirm all fees via email before sending the deposit.