"onlyonsamui" Web Site Cancelling Villa Rentals

[SamuiRes]

This notice has appeared on www.onlyonsamui.com contact page.

QUOTE

Please contact us today

. . . SOS - May Day - SOS - May Day

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Issued 8th December 2008.

We apologise to all our customers whose holidays to Koh Samui have already been interrupted or cancelled by the current political situation in Thailand.

We cannot therefore accept any new bookings until the situation has improved beyond all reasonable doubt - and we anticipate that will only occur when a new democratically elected government is in power hopefully in early 2009.

Those who have already booked and are expected to arrive within the next month are advised therefore to immediately contact their travel insurance company and explain that your villa booking has been cancelled and wish to pursue a valid claim for all monies paid-to-date and thereby obtain a claim form.

Those making such a claim are advised in the first instance to contact Peter Drago (new owner) at [email protected] who will provide the necessary paperwork. Unfortunately, the Samui Support Team will not be available to answer any further enquiries as they are fully engaged in helping travellers to safely evacuate the island.

Travellers ignoring this notice and who turn up regardless do so at their own risk and will be forced to make their own accomodation requirements elsewhere and at their own expense. Furthermore, we would also be unable to assist such persons if and when they later attempted to make an insurance claim and we would be forced to notify the insurance company of the existance of this Notice.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter and again we profusely apologise to those affected.

UNQUOTE

[malcolmswaine]

Do you mean www.onlyinsamui.com not "on" - samui?

Nice website!!! Frontpage ahoy!!!

Does that mean they've cancelled your villa, taken your money, and are now expecting you to claim the expense back through insurance without even a hint of a refund?

Edited December 13, 2008 by sbk

[malcolmswaine]

Please contact us today

. . . SOS - May Day - SOS - May Day

Unfortunately, the Samui Support Team will not be available to answer any further enquiries as they are fully engaged in helping travellers to safely evacuate the island.

[SamuiRes]

Do you mean www.onlyinsamui.com not "on" - samui?

Nice website!!! Frontpage ahoy!!!

Does that mean they've cancelled your villa, taken your money, and are now expecting you to claim the expense back through insurance without even a hint of a refund?

My apologies for the typo - you are correct.

Certainly looks dodgy doesn't it.

I gather also they do not have instructions from the owners for some of the villas being offered.

[Boater]

looks like a scam to me

[churchill]

Just tried to book a 2 bed villa nr Nathon ( 5 Minutes from airport apparently ! ) from 15 December until 10 January - booking accepted - stopped short of entering all information and I expect Credit card .

[londonthai]

seems that the website and the business was sold out to the new owner, with the previous owner running with all the monies from future bookings. I really don't think that insurers will cover, more likely banks will give money back, if payed by cc (same goes with paypal).

the page looks like done by a kid

[Samuian]

Just tried to book a 2 bed villa nr Nathon ( 5 Minutes from airport apparently ! ) from 15 December until 10 January - booking accepted - stopped short of entering all information and I expect Credit card .

near Nathon - 5 Min.from Airport?

thats fishy already!

It's at least 20 Min!

"Hideaway in Paradise" ah....we ll guess they are overbooked or building deadline not reached..OR more likely ad-campaign on TV!

[goldfish]

/nomadbill.blogspot.com/2008/07/samui-part-2.html

This link should answer a few questions, and could be a handy place to start for any persons (past and present) hoping to reclaim any monies owed

[Japhrodisiac]

Site says the new owner is Peter drago, and the old owner is Patrick Drago....

The villa names are completely made up, using low res photos of villas that are on others' websites. Looks like it was written in html by crayon, the post releasing themselves of any liability was dated Dec 8th, AFTER the airports were reopened. I like the way it ends, "can't help you, too busy saving lives..."

The name gives it away in the first 2 seconds, no?

Best of luck to all who paid. desperate times now we'll see more of this type of thing to come.

[danw]

The villa prices and the fake google adverts sell it to me!

I lived in one of the 2 bed villas listed on there at 800gbp a WEEK yet I know it costs half that for a month with no lengthy contract - which is a pretty standard rate. Additionally the apartment seems to have changed name and moved around 10km north.

What a wholly dodgy website - hopefully future potential clients of onlyonsamui search for information and find this thread. Also would be fitting if Google get wind of the fake adwords usage, they can be litigious regarding misuse of their trademarks in this manner.

Edited December 12, 2008 by danw

[OnTheSnap]

From their "Business Opportunities" page:

"Yet the fact is; Bangkok only acts as a hub - the tourists rarely stay there"

I gotta go break my piggy bank and invest with these guys.

[Gertrude]

Just tried to book a 2 bed villa nr Nathon ( 5 Minutes from airport apparently ! ) from 15 December until 10 January - booking accepted - stopped short of entering all information and I expect Credit card .

near Nathon - 5 Min.from Airport?

["thats fishy already!"]

It's at least 20 Min!

"Hideaway in Paradise" ah....we ll guess they are overbooked or building deadline not reached..OR more likely ad-campaign on TV!

Sorry, still learning how to quote

[sbk]

Posts have been deleted. Please re-read the forum rules before posting regarding any personal grudges or issues we may have with a company. The Thai Visa site is not the place to air unsubstantiated gossip, thanks

[sayitaintso]

certainly a scam. i manage several of the properties listed on their website, they have no contracts with either myself or the owner to list the properties and they certainly cannot "book" any of the properties in question.

to make matters worse, i emailed them with a bogus enquiry regarding a property of mine that i know to be booked long term, asking about a holiday rental. they emailed back after contacting "the owner", stating that the property was available and that certain requirements of mine (that i asked about knowing they were not available on that property) would be made available for my stay.

when i failed to respond to their email, they replied again with a very generous 20% discount offer but only if i booked immediately.

very generous indeed.

[Ocean11]

certainly a scam. i manage several of the properties listed on their website, they have no contracts with either myself or the owner to list the properties and they certainly cannot "book" any of the properties in question.

to make matters worse, i emailed them with a bogus enquiry regarding a property of mine that i know to be booked long term, asking about a holiday rental. they emailed back after contacting "the owner", stating that the property was available and that certain requirements of mine (that i asked about knowing they were not available on that property) would be made available for my stay.

when i failed to respond to their email, they replied again with a very generous 20% discount offer but only if i booked immediately.

very generous indeed.

May be check with the owner/registrant directly:

Registration Service Provided By: MeZine Inc.

Contact: email removed per forum rules

Domain name: onlyinsamui.com

Registrant Contact:

Derek Taylor Derek Taylor ()

Fax:

8 Winchester Place

Maidstone,

GB

Administrative Contact:

Derek Taylor Derek Taylor email removed per forum rules

+1.1622355924

Fax:

8 Winchester Place

Maidstone,

GB

Edited December 13, 2008 by sbk

[Rooo]

Very creative names for all the villas for rent.

[Boater]

8 Winchester Place

Maidstone,

GB

Administrative Contact:

Derek Taylor Derek Taylor

+1.1622355924

Fax:

8 Winchester Place

Maidstone,

GB

well he is not registered in the BT Phone Book

[LaoPo]

8 Winchester Place

Maidstone,

GB

Administrative Contact:

Derek Taylor Derek Taylor

+1.1622355924

Fax:

8 Winchester Place

Maidstone,

GB

well he is not registered in the BT Phone Book

But the name is.....with Thaivisa...more than a year ago:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Invitation-T...88#entry1610488

..what a coincidence...from member "SamuiWatch"

LaoPo

[Boater]

love and regards

Derek Taylor .......