I'm new so hi everyone

[ljt1w]

Hi, I have a self catering place in England, and last year I was approached by a company to advertise with them on the internet. The website seemed OK and they were up on there on Google, so I did. However there is no phone no on the invoice just an address in Blackpool, UK. They appear to have disappeared on google totally and when I put in their web address
I am not listed. I have paid them £108.00 and feel so ripped off. It seems that advertising on the internet is such a risky business. I just don't know what to do or how I can be sure it will not happen again Any suggestions please

[paul]

Hello there and welcome to the forums. (I also have a self-catering place in England.)

Sadly there are lots of scams on the internet, and there are lots of businesses that are struggling at the moment and going under.

All you can do is do as much homework as possible. Established sites that you might like to look at (but in many cases are quite expensive to list on) include:

http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk
http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk
http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk
http://www.flipkey.com

We also run the listing site at http://www.ukcottage.com (part of the UKseries.com network of sites which has been around since 1999).

You just need to do as much homework as possible. Who else in your area is listed on the sites in question? Are they there with their own listing or are they listed as a result of being with an agency (which might mean they get a better rate)? How do their prices/availability compare? Which sites are appearing when you do the kinds of searches that a prospective guest for your place might use?
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[sinnerboy]

In general it's always best to check feedback about companies through the search engines. Find out if other people have used the service and how they experienced them. If there's nothing then put your own question up and see if you get any response.
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[shiroanubis]

warm welcome to the forum

I'd suggest to be more aware of the offers on the internet. you should check for the comments or recommendations (in any), before you decide to use the service. always be aware, there are many bad guys out there... but good guys are many too
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[Tourexplora]

Since few years ago upto now, I have been avoiding paid service of advertisement. I just like to advertise my product by self from social medias and own website