is homestayfriend a real site

Hi

Does anyone knows if this site is a legitimate site for finding accommodation in the UK.
www.homestayfriend.com

I placed an add on Gumtree and received 16 responses of which 15 were scams. So my little parade was thoroughly rained on. However this last email may indeed be legitimate so happy days are here again.
I do not know how to check the sites validity or credentials so have posted my question here. It would help me a lot if someone can give me an idea of it being a real site. They have asked for a 100 pound deposit to be sent on booking, which is quite reasonable but post gumtree I am wary of all requests for money.
Thanks.

Its a real website and is registered to an address in Glasgow . They are not responsible if someone posts a fraud ad on there and you loose money though . Read the terms and conditions on their website . There have been reported frauds in this type of market . See :

http://www.exchangezones.com/vacationre ... estayScams

It does look legit but it's only registered for one year???


Registrant:
HomestayFriend
2/1 7 Bridgegate Path
Glasgow, Strathclyde G1 5BL
GB

Domain name: HOMESTAYFRIEND.COM

Administrative Contact:
McBride, Christopher
PO Box 29974
Cumbernauld
Glasgow, Strathclyde G67 9DS
GB
+44.8447365858
Technical Contact:
McBride, Christopher
PO Box 29974
Cumbernauld
Glasgow, Strathclyde G67 9DS
GB
+44.8447365858

Registration Service Provider:
Fasthosts Internet Limited,
+44.8708883600
+44.8708883760 (fax)
http://www.Fasthosts.co.uk

Registrar of Record: TUCOWS, INC.
Record last updated on 19-Jan-2011.
Record expires on 19-Jan-2012.
Record created on 19-Jan-2011.

Registrar Domain Name Help Center:
http://tucowsdomains.com

Domain servers in listed order:
NS4.DEVONTO.COM
NS3.DEVONTO.COM

Domain status: clientTransferProhibited
clientUpdateProhibited

Hi,

I am Victoria Arnold, Director of homestayfriend. I can confirm that we are a legitimate business!
I started the business in March of this year and I am a Scottish Registered Company with Companies House.

http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/d64d1 ... ompdetails

we are also a member of the Federation of Small Businesses.

We do use Gumtree as a way to find host who are actively advertising rooms for rent. I'd be more than happy to chat with you over the phone to confirm credentials if you would like?

Cheers, Victoria

Craiglist and Gumtree are infested with scammers offering scam rental deals and that's no secret. They also infest local ads and unless some scrutiny of ads takes place then all of them must be treated with caution.

I understand Victoria that it's unfair and unreasonable to believe that you should take responsibility for the ads you host, but it would provide some measure of greater confidence if you made some checks and mentioned what they were without accepting responsibility, and it would give you an edge over much larger competitors.

It's only a thought.

Thanks for your comments.

We do offer hosts the opportunity to become approved by either providing us with a copy of their latest Disclosure/ CRB and conducting a SKYPE chat or by visiting their home, meeting with them and viewing their accommodation in person. At the moment this is an optional step for hosts. Hosts with approval status have a green tick by their name (for example http://www.homestayfriend.com/propertie ... perty-151/)

We also make every effort to call a new host within one week of registration to share our expectations of them and to understand what they expect too.

I completely agree with your points and will take them on board as we are always looking for ways to improve our service!

Thanks, Victoria