BUSINESS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015
A4 HERMISTONHERALD.COM
Send submissions or story ideas for the Herald Business page to Editor Jessica Keller, jkeller@hermistonherald.com
How to avoid an
online vacation
rental scam
I
magine renting a
home on a beautiful
beachfront from
a trusted website,
arriving to start your
vacation and finding
out you’ve been
scammed?
This scenario
reflects thousands of
complaints placed with
the U.S. Federal Trade
Commission (FTC)
last year involving
local vacation rentals.
The FTC reports some
victims lost money by
wiring cash to thieves
posing as property
owners. Others lost
money through fake
websites replicating
legitimate sites.
In today’s economy
in which home
sharing has become
more popular, how
do travelers protect
themselves from a
range of potential
online scams? Here are
some suggestions:
• Review rental
contracts carefully.
Check the address of
the property you’re
interested in with on-
the-ground resources
like the local tourism
office or the leading
real estate brokerage
in the community.
While you’re speaking
with the tourism
office, ask if there
have been any specific
complaints against
the rental service you
have consulted or if
there might be more
reliable and possibly
more affordable rental
resources in town.
• Be wary of your
source. Legitimate
property owners
may use free print
or web classified
ads to save money,
but it’s important to
vet any free listing
very carefully. Also,
confirm with a live
representative to ensure
the site is legitimate.
• Compare rental
rates in the immediate
area. A good deal might
be tempting to seize
immediately, but the
FTC notes that severely
below-market pricing
for rentals and other
vacation services in
a community might
indicate a scam.
Crosscheck the pricing
of home rentals and
related services in the
community before you
make a reservation.
Given the example
above, don’t rely on
the Internet alone.
Pick up the phone
and talk directly to a
representative.
• Check transient
license law in your
destination city.
Transient licenses
regulate properties
rented to guests for
time periods generally
30 days or less. Call
your destination city
to get details on their
transient license law
and whether you can
confirm the registration
of the property you’re
considering. Ask the
property owner for
a copy of his or her
transient license and
see if the city will
share the same license
for your inspection
to make sure they
match. Also ask the
JASON ALDERMAN
MONEY MATTERS
Visa columnist
city whether any
specific complaints
are available for the
property you are
considering.
• Be wary of
phishing scams. Be on
the lookout for email
and phone scammers
who masquerade
as employees of
businesses you trust —
they’re after your bank
or credit information.
If you receive emails or
phone calls demanding
advance payments,
contact the original
website to confirm
your reservation
and payment policy.
Recently, travel site
Booking.com had to
pay out compensation
to more than 10,000
customers from the
U.S., UK, France, Italy,
Portugal and the UAE
who were victims of a
Annual bridal show
and expo successful
HERMISTON HERALD
Bottom line: As
online vacation
rentals grow,
so does
cybercrime.
Be cautious
when booking
arrangements
online to
protect your
payments
data.
phishing scam.
• Follow
recommendations.
Personal
recommendations
from friends and
family can ensure a
safe transaction. If
you know someone
who has visited a
destination or rented
property recently, ask
which companies or
individuals they would
recommend.
• Report fraud.
Inform the local
police at your vacation
destination, the local
Better Business Bureau
and the FTC. When you
get home, notify your
local police or your
state attorney general’s
consumer protection
office to alert them
to this particular
cybercrime if you made
the money transfer
from your home state.
Bottom line:
As online vacation
rentals grow, so
does cybercrime. Be
cautious when booking
arrangements online to
protect your payments
data.
— Jason Alderman
directs Visa’s financial
education programs. To
Follow Jason Alderman
on Twitter: www.twitter.
VOLUME 109 ɿ NUMBER 16
EDITOR
jkeller@
hermistonherald.com
541-564-4533
Events bring in vendors for women
BY SEAN HART
HermistonHerald
JESSICA KELLER
SUBMITTED PHOTO
A large crowd attended the runway show at the Eastern Oregon Bridal Show Sunday at the Hermiston Conference Center.
MAEGAN MURRAY
REPORTER
mmurray@
hermistonherald.com
541-564-4532
Two separate events in
Hermiston brought in a va-
riety of vendors for women
over the weekend.
Producer Stacey Miles,
Tri-Cities, and co-producer
Daniell McAfee, Hermis-
ton, organized the Eastern
Oregon Women’s Expo
Saturday and the Eastern
Oregon Bridal Show Sun-
day, and each said both
events at the Hermiston
Conference Center were
successful.
Miles had produced
bridal shows in the
Tri-Cities and decided to
bring a show to Hermiston
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McAfee, who owns H&M
Photography, heard about
the Hermiston show, she
wanted to get involved.
“We got together when
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show,” Miles said. “We
just met through this proj-
ect in the early stages of it,
and we’ve just connected
and have the same ideas
and visions.”
McAfee said the bridal
show has grown through
the years, and Sunday’s
event brought in several
hundred people.
“It was fabulous,” she
said. “Once the doors
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by. We had a line pretty
much around the building
waiting to get in. We had
brides getting their dress-
es. The fashion show was a
big success. We were very
happy with the turnout.”
McAfee said the room
was packed during the
bridal dress runway show,
and the event also featured
a variety of vendors from
the local area and beyond
offering gowns, photog-
raphy, catering and other
amenities brides need.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Many brides and guests shopped from a variety of vendors at the Eastern Oregon Bridal Show
Sunday in Hermiston.
Some of the vendors
at the bridal show, which
had a general appeal to
women who were not get-
ting married, were also at
the women’s expo the day
before. Miles, an “accoun-
tant by day,” displayed a
Quickbooks seminar she
offers on Saturday, and
on Sunday she focused on
the wedding services she
offers as an ordained min-
ister through her business,
Uniquely, I Do.
After producing the
bridal show for sever-
al years, Miles said she
wanted to offer the wom-
en’s expo to reach a differ-
ent audience, so she start-
ed the event last year.
“It’s kind of a new
show, a new idea for the
area, but it’s been a lot of
fun,” she said. “We never
know what to expect be-
cause it’s a new show, but
we’re just thrilled with the
turnout. The vendors met
a lot of people and made a
lot of connections.”
McAfee said the wom-
en’s expo offers families
an opportunity to peruse a
variety of vendors in one
location, and groups of
mothers and daughters and
grandmothers attended.
“We wanted the com-
munity to see what re-
sources we have here,”
McAfee said. “I think it
just brings a massive turn-
out. It brings networking
(opportunities) and keeps
business local, and that’s
what we like. We want
them to be able to shop
around here and see what
they have. That way they
don’t have to go all over
God’s creation.”
People could gain ad-
mission to the expo with a
donation to Domestic Vio-
lence Services, which pro-
vides services and shelters
for victims of domestic vi-
olence and sexual assault.
By the end of the event, a
WDEOHZDV¿OOHGZLWKGRQD-
tions of needed supplies for
the shelters, such as food
and toiletries. DVS advo-
cate and Volunteer Coordi-
nator Sharon Neuvirth said
the event went well.
“The last time I checked
the donation table, there
were quite a few items and
a variety of items, which
is going to be helpful,”
she said. “The shelter is
running a huge home, so
you need all the household
supplies you do in a house.
We had several people vis-
it the table (at the expo)
and ask questions about a
family or a friend. We’ve
had a couple people tell
their stories to us that they
are survivors. We always
like partnerships like this,
because it does get our
name out there and lets
people know that there is
help for them.”
McAfee said she was
pleased with the events.
“The community seems
to really love it,” she said.
“It gives them something
to do, especially in the
spring time. It gets them
out of hibernation.”
Miles said they plan to
continue hosting the events
as long as people continue
to express interest.
“We’re just getting
started,” she said. “As
long as the community
still keeps attending and
the vendors still want the
shows, then we’re going
to keep producing. In our
experience, it just gets
better and bigger every
year.”
BUSINESS BITES
Latino Business Network
hosting exp
more information.
Hermiston’s Latino Business Net-
work is hosting its second annual
Farm Worker and Ag Employer Expo
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 11 at the
Hermiston Conference Center, 415 S.
Highway 395. The event will feature
booths offering information about dif-
IHUHQWVHUYLFHVEHQH¿WLQJDJULFXOWXUDO
workers. Call the Hermiston Cham-
ber of Commerce, 541-567-6151, for
To contact the Hermiston Herald for news, advertising
or subscription information:
• call 541-567-6457
• e-mail info@hermistonherald.com
• VWRSE\RXURI¿FHVDW(0DLQ6W
• visit us online at: www.hermistonherald.com
SEAN HART
REPORTER
smhart@
hermistonherald.com
541-564-4534
SAM BARBEE
SPORTS REPORTER
sbarbee@
hermistonherald.com
541-564-4542
Umatilla Chamber recog-
nizing distinguished citizens
The Umatilla Chamber of Com-
merce is hosting the 2015 Distin-
guished Citizen Award Banquet be-
ginning at 6:30 p.m. March 7 at the
Quality Inn, 705 Willamette St, Uma-
tilla.
Tickets cost $30 per person or $55
for a couple.They are available at
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Delivered by carrier and mail Wednesdays and Saturdays
Inside Umatilla/Morrow counties .........................$42.65
Outside Umatilla/Morrow counties ......................$53.90
STEPHANIE BURKENBINE
MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT
sburkenbine@
hermistonherald.com
541-564-4538
Java Junkies, the Umatilla Chamber
of Commerce or Carlson’s Umatilla
Drug Store. The last day to purchase
tickets is Friday. Sharon’s Sweet
Treats will cater the dinner, which is a
choice of tri-tip or crab-stuffed salm-
on accompanied by baked potato,
chef’s choice vegetables, Caesar sal-
ad, dessert and punch. Music will be
provided by BC Martin, and the Riv-
erside Sports Bar & Lounge will host
the bar. Call the Umatilla Chamber at
541-922-4825 for more information.
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JEANNE JEWETT
MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT
jjewett@
hermistonherald.com
541-564-4531
KIM LA PLANT
OFFICE COORDINATOR
klaplant@
hermistonherald.com
541-564-4530