Since the middle of 2004 numerous owners of self catering holiday homes who advertise their properties on the Internet have been targeted on a rental scam.

The scam works by the enquirer sending a cheque far in excess of the requested sum, and then requesting a refund for the difference. After repaying this the property owner will find that original cheque has bounced or is bogus.

One person in France had the experience of receiving a Euro Draft that was actually twice the amount required. This was paid into their bank. A few days later they were bombarded with emails from the sender demanding the balance to be sent via a courier postal company immediately.

Fortunately their policy is not to send contracts before monies have been cleared and actually in their bank account. Their bank informed them that this would be fifteen days to clear the payment cheque. Well fifteen days passed and just as they were about to send the extra overpaid amount, they double checked with their bank only to find that the whole cheque was false.

A lot of people are initially taken in as the applicant makes a very attractive offer. They want to rent the property for several weeks in a quieter season when bookings are scarce. The offer of rent sounds good particularly if the owner of the property has a mortgage to cover.

Naturally the applicant never appears as he/she only communicates by email.These emails do not always make too much sense as the property owner for example could have been advertising a four bedroom luxury villa and the email will say that they want to rent a room/apartment and even bring their own furniture.

Philip Suter is a Director of JML Property Services - http://www.jmlvillas.com a UK based company offering Insurance products on line and a holiday home advertising service and management training with in the uk. He is a very experienced property consultant with over 30 years work in the Residential letting business and served in the national council of ARLA. He is a Fellow of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and a Member of The association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA)

The biggest problem with auto repair estimates is that there is no guarantee that what is on the estimate is what you will end up paying for your car repair. Once in a while you will find a motor mechanic telling you a part thought to be defective is not and does not need replacement. But far more often you will find that once you approve the auto repair estimate and work on your car starts, much more than was initially thought has to be repaired or replaced and all your repair budgets go out the window. In some cases this because you are being ripped off and in others the reasons maybe genuine. Even the best car mechanic can’t be sure of the full extent of engine damage till they open it up.

But before you even come to the stage of additional costs, you need to be sure that the auto repair estimate you get is as accurate as possible. Many auto repair shops start by giving you vague ideas of the amount of work and parts that are needed and then quote you the minimum figure, knowing full well that they will end up charging you more than that. The reasons for this, even with the best and otherwise most honest of car repair shops, is basic selling techniques. Car owners tend to get put off when the see large figures for auto repair given to them up front. Car repair services often tend to quote the lowest possible prices just to get the business and once they do, and the work has begun, reveal the true picture knowing that in most cases the customer won’t tell them not to do the work and will agree to the revised car repair quote.

Luckily, there are resources available today that can help you to negotiate not just the estimate cost but also the actual final repair cost. Nothing is set in stone, especially auto repair estimates. Before going further, please keep in mind that if you are able to negotiate lower prices, it does not necessarily mean that the auto repair shop was trying the cheat you with their first figures. They are a business and even the best car repair shops will try to maximize their profit without really cheating you, but by charging what they think the market (meaning you) will bear for the required auto repairs.

For each of us there are some special holiday party games that we like to see at a party, depending on the kind of party. Perhaps you look forward to doing the chicken dance each year at Uncle Hal’s or the kids have an attraction to musical chairs. They’ll even fight over chairs when you aren’t playing the game. Sometimes though we just can’t think of a good party game to save our lives, or our parties, for those with this problem here are a few game ideas.

Bingo can be altered to just about any party theme. For St. Patrick’s Day make up some bingo cards with the word ‘clover’ or ‘Patty’ at the top instead of bingo. You could even find stamps in the shape of clovers for people to mark off their cards with.

A relay race is always fun at a family party. This Easter make up an egg relay. Have teams of people try to carry a raw egg balanced in a spoon to each other and the first team to get the egg across the finish line wins. Make them start back at the beginning if they drop the egg and break it.

A great game for couples is the ‘ABC Kissing Game.’ Each couple is a team and one partner in the couple must kiss a body part beginning with the first letter in the alphabet, then the next couple has to kiss a body part starting with the second letter and so on. If one of the couples can’t think of a body part to kiss they are disqualified and the letter moves on to the next couple.

There are lots more party games out there. Hopefully you’ll be able to find some good ones that become traditions at your holiday parties.

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. Holiday Party Decorations to help complete your event.

ESH, an Extended stay hotel is an advanced feature that is generally not available at standard hotels. It is a type of accommodation that offers home-like facilities. These hotels offer great laundry facilities and some discounts for extended stays. Extended stay hotels have guestrooms with kitchens included sink, refrigerator, microwave oven and a stovetop. Sometimes they offer dishwashers and conventional ovens. Extended stay hotels offer hotel stay for more than seven days.

Extended stay hotels satisfy the needs of temporary housing. Generally these are better options for business travelers. Extended stay hotels are also known as budget hotels because they offer all facilities at reasonable prices. Several hotels and motels offer special concession for extended stay. Extended stay hotels have rapid expansion in extended stay lodging market. ESH is currently offering 670 properties with about 73,000 rooms that serve nearly all US metropolitan areas.

Extended stay hotels are like hotel-type accommodations that provide well-furnished apartments. These are superb due to corporate relocations, extended work assignments, or extensive home renovations. The extended stay hotels are also known as corporate housing. The apartments of extended stay hotels are usually well furnished. They provide several useful amenities like kitchens, utensils, linens and others. Staying in extended hotels is cheaper than normal hotels.

Basic question about extended stay in hotels is that from where a person can find information about furnished apartments. People can find information regarding extended say hotels in the local newspaper. The owners of extended stay property usually provide complete information in the newspaper or via media. Some advertisers can advertise their product online. People can also contact them by making a phone call.

You can search for extended stay property by mentioning the city as well as area, where you want to rent an apartment, on Internet. Currently several websites are providing information as well as best offers and discounts for extended stay in hotels. Actually extended stay hotels offers a great place to live outside your home. It is a type of comfortable and affordable temporary housing. These can easily satisfy your temporary housing needs.

About Author: The Author owns a website on Extended Stay Hotels. The website offers information about extended stay hotels. For more information about extended stay hotels and benefits of extended stay hotels, visit his website luxury hotels.

The following are some of the best hotels in Montreal, Canada.

The Nelligan Hotel is a 64 room boutique hotel set in the conventional Old Montreal architecture. Most rooms have stone and brick walls done in a contemporary way. The fireplaces and the dark wooden furniture give the rooms a warm feel. The washrooms have modern facilities. The hotel puts across the warmth and style of Old Montreal. The entrance hall has four different areas, each leading to the other. The Verses restaurant next door specializes in modern French cuisine.

The architecture of the Hotel Le St-James includes sculptures and moldings of the late nineteenth century period. There is an effort to give each suite and room their distinct style. The stylish furnishings, traditional and European decor adorn various rooms and suites. The hotel has an ultra modern conference room, a spa, a fitness center complete with the works, a library and a Grand Salon. The hotel was awarded the highly acclaimed five stars by ‘Tourisme Québec’.

Le Square Phillips Hotel & Suites is a historic building designed by the acclaimed architect Ernest Cormier. Now completely restored, and augmented by modern day architecture, it has one hundred sixty grand studios and suites. The rooms are spacious are sophisticated. The roof has an indoor swimming pool, a sundeck, an exercise room and offers a view of the Phillips Square. The hotel gives complimentary breakfast that one can either enjoy either in the room or the private breakfast lounge. The hotel is steps away from Montreal’s most prominent addresses.

Hotel Gault is a combination of bold architecture and modern approach in the city’s most fascinating and historic neighborhood. The hotel has 30 well designed and convenient rooms. It is the ideal hotel for tourism, business, those coming for festivals and cultural events or simply pleasure. The hotel offers the service of a private inn to go with the comforts of a big, modern hotel. From the lofts to the classroom, guests are given a vast range of accommodation possibilities.

Other hotels include the Hotel Place d’Armes, Le Saint Sulpice, Loews Hotel Vogue, Auberge du Vieux-Port, Hotel Godin and Auberge Bonaparte.

Traveling is considered by most of us as a luxury item on our list of things to buy. We’d all love to travel more, and see the most exotic places from the presidential suite of the best hotel, alas, most of us have a limited budget. To meet this budget we need to make a few compromises, but still, there are things you can do to make the most of your budget.

Before we start listing the ways to save, there is one cliché I want to mention: “I’m not rich enough to buy cheap things”. It’s a cliché, but it’s true. Don’t go to the cheapest hotel you can find if you’re not sure you fully understand why it is cheap. If the price sounds too good to be true it probably is.

When you arrive you will find out why the price was low, and it will be too late. Your vacation could be ruined by building noises starting early in the morning, or by discovering that the hotel is in a neighborhood you don’t want to walk in after dark. It is better to pay a little more and have a good vacation (I know, you have this friend who always boasts he got an upgrade and a discount. You don’t have to tell him the truth either.).

If two hotels look the same but one costs 20% less per night, ask yourself why. Most times there’s a good answer. For example, one hotel has a convention center, and it is filled with visitors of a convention, and the other has no such facilities. Since you have no use for a convention center, you should gladly enjoy the lower price.

Here I will try to describe how to find a good place (Your definition of good), for a little less, or much less.

Find a package deal
There are many offers for hotel and flight packages that are sometimes really cheap. Compare the price offered to taking a flight and a hotel separately, because sometimes a package deal is not the best way to go.

Be aware of your needs
Beautiful decoration, luxury and large rooms are great to have, but they come with a cost. Think what your minimum requirements are. Some people don’t mind sharing a shower, while for others it could ruin the trip. For some, internet access is a must while others couldn’t care less. The less you need - the less you pay.

Are you really going to use the swimming pool or the gym? They look lovely in the pictures, but if you intend to spend all day sightseeing you may not need them.

The one thing I wouldn’t recommend to settle on (apart from cleanliness) is location. Living far from the center of the city you are visiting means you are going to waste time and money on transportation every day.

Wait for the last minute
This one is a bit risky, especially if you are visiting a popular tourist site during high season. If you are willing to take a risk, you may find a room that was left vacant due to a cancellation. The owners will be willing to lower the price rather than stay with an empty room for the night.

Book in advance
It is a bit ironic, because it is the complete opposite of the previous advice, but it makes sense. Imagine that it is now March, and you own a hotel in a summer vacation area. You had hardly any income during the winter. This is expected, but it still feels bad. You hope that the coming summer will be good, but how can you tell? If you have the opportunity to make a booking now for August, and maybe get a small down payment, you would be happy to lower the price for the security. By June or July, when most of the rooms are booked for the summer, owners will feel more confident about charging full rates.

Rent an apartment
Holiday apartments normally cost less than hotel rooms with equivalent rating and similar location. You get more space, privacy and the possibility of preparing your own food. On the other hand, you get fewer services - normally apartments are not cleaned daily and there are no meals served, no concierge etc.

Check discounts and corporate rates
Check if the hotel you want to go to has a discount for credit card holders, members of any clubs you belong to or corporate rates you may be able to use.

Can you change the length of your stay?
Most hotels offer reduced rates for longer stays. The total sum you pay will be larger, but the cost per night will be lower. If you are planning a trip to several places that are not very far from one another, and you wanted to divide your stay between the places, you may want to consider staying in one place and making day trips.

How to save after you arrive
Check the small print. If breakfast is not included, check the price of breakfast compared to having breakfast in another place (a coffee shop or diner). Check the price of local and long distance phone calls compared to using cellular phone or a calling card. Check the price of internet access. You may prefer to use an internet cafe or wait for your next stop.

When you check out carefully read your bill and make sure you are not billed for services you didn’t use.

Rachel Deutsch is the owner and writer of http://www.dream-vacation-in-Tuscany.com. On this site, as in others, she shares her experience in travel, and the interest in Italy, its history and its pleasures.

In anticipation of the most magical time of year, a child poetically articulates on paper exactly what she wants for Christmas, pleading her case as to why she overwhelmingly deserves everything for which she is asking. Then, with the greatest of care, she places her magical letter into an envelope, writes “To Santa Claus” on the face, attaches the postage stamp Mom gave her to use, and carries it to the mailbox. Then, of course, the mail carrier grabs the letter and off it goes.

Well, to little Abigail who wrote the letter, there is no question as to where the letter is heading…Santa Claus, of course. But would you be surprised if I told you that little Abigail is most likely exactly right?

It was 1852 and the Christmas Eve church service had just concluded. Being that the whole town was present, it was a good time to hold the final town meeting of the year. You see, for years, this small town in Spencer County of southern Indiana, founded in the late 1840’s, had been known as the “nameless town.” This was simply because the settlers, of mostly German descent, could not decide on a name.

All were gathered around the pot-bellied stove, including the children…although quiet and not really participating, were included in the most important town meetings. As the frustrating discussion of naming the town continued, a chilly December gust blew open the wooden doors of this small log church, and it was the adults who fell silent as the youngsters came to life. With a magical scene of snowflakes glistening on black velvet, mysterious sleigh bells were heard through the picture-framed doorway. It was then the children, almost in one, simultaneous voice exclaimed, “Santa Claus, it’s Santa Claus!”

It was so…one Christmas Eve, over 150 years ago, the little nameless town finally got its name. Santa Claus, Indiana as it is still named to this day.

As you may have guessed, this small town of just over 2,000 residents is all about Christmas. From the town’s name to the names on the street signs, as well as witnessing the town’s village décor, the holiday spirit year-round is very evident.

Each and every Christmas season, hundreds of thousands of letters arrive at the town’s small post office. In fact, this post office handles more mail, many times over, during the holidays than it does all other months combined! These letters, often inscribed in crayon but with the utmost sincerity, have but one name addressed on the envelope’s face. Yeah, you guessed it…Santa Claus.

So, this holiday season when your child or grandchild asks you for a postage stamp so that they can mail their heart-felt message to Santa Claus, you can honestly agree that their letters will most likely find its intended destination…

Mark Bulleit, resident of Santa Claus, Indiana, mails thousands of personalized letters from Santa Claus to children world-wide every year through his web site at
LettersFromSantaClaus.com.

We have all heard that “electricity and water don’t mix”; electrocution follows, so by all means, keep that in mind. Don’t mix them. On one hand it is true. I wouldn’t mess with it. But, in Panama “electricity and water do mix” in safe conjunction with each other. “Suicide showers” are an example.

Until I went to Boquete in the mountains of Panama, I had never heard of them. In this part of the world “suicide showers” are common. Let me explain. In a tropical climate humidity is high and heat intense. Drinking water and replacing lost electrolytes is recommended. Cold water is preferred and most of the time necessary. Hot water on a hot, healthy body doesn’t make sense. It’s great if your ill or getting hydrotherapy treatments, but there many choose not to heat it.

Americans take hot water for granted. Hot water tanks and heaters as we know them don’t exist in a lot of places in Panama and what I call “local atmosphere” of my style of traveling.

Ed, a friend in Boquete introduced me to this method of showering. I received an elementary lesson, which I don’t recall ever having instruction on that subject my entire life. My instructions were to turn the knob to the right, wait, and hop in when it’s warm. Ending with, “Don’t touch that.”

Luckily his timing was right. To shower in his place the light switch had to be in the “on” position. Under the showerhead there was one knob with no letters. In the United States I see letters all the time; “H” and “C”. There, I imagined seeing the letters “C” for caliente and “F” for frio. Well, that is not the case.

My eyes were open to this simple marvel and ingenious contraption. EMT wire was pulled from the power source, in this case the light switch, and attached to the showerhead. The switch activated the entire room and allowed a direct current of electricity to flow to the showerhead pipe heating the water in the half-inch, no pressure water pipe. He didn’t have the sink pipes wired. Whew. I washed my hands when I got there and wondered why it was cold.

I suggested a sign that warned, “Caution, HOT PIPE” or “It’s WIRED, DON’T touch”. I didn’t feel safe. My eyes didn’t leave the EMT wire. Fear crawled all over me. Was it going to fall off? Man if it hit the water, well, you know. And thus the phrase was coined, “suicide shower.” In Ed’s apartment, that was the way of it.

Water can be heated with fuel too, sold locally in propane-like containers, much like our outside grills propane tanks. Many who can afford this luxury have them attached to pipes under the kitchen sink. In this case, the tank has to be turned on and lit to allow the fire to heat the pipes. Unless water is hooked to fuel or electric it was just plain cold.
Having hot water at your disposal is nice to have in the mountains of Boquete as later in the evenings in warm blankets is advised. In David or the heat of the Panama City I opted for cold. On my visit with Ed, he would have been wise to, also. It is said to calm down the libido.

I was relieved Ed walked me through the process of “suicide showers” before I began or my “goose” might have been cooked before we had a chance to sit down to dinner and possibly have a real “goose”. Goose in Panama! Not.

Linda’s writing appears in From Eulogy to Joy, Beischel, Xlibris Press, 2000, Bootsnall.com, and ezinearticles.com She loves to travel, write, design, decorate, and paint. Linda studied writing through Long Ridge Writers Group in Connecticut and painting at the Art Academy in Loveland, Colorado, USA where she resides.

Halloween is quickly approaching and if you’re searching for costume ideas, let us assist you in finding an exciting costume for this once a year spooktacular event!

Many of your ideas may come easily from watching your favorite movies, or you may read about the hottest trends for the holidays in your desired magazines, and come up with a really creative idea for a great costume character. However, if you happen to be at a loss for a unique costume idea this year, time’s a ticking!

Don’t worry, we can offer you a list of the newest Halloween costumes available, and add a little twist that will make a hilarious splash for your outfit this season.

Halloween fun starts when you create that unique costume that everybody wonders how you came up with that concept! Many adults and kids love to be the center of attention with the most creative characters that no one else will have, and that’s a tough task in itself when there are dozens of retail stores selling the exact same Halloween costume.

The best costume tips we can offer to ensure that you don’t have half a dozen people with the same Halloween outfit, is to try and mix and match the costume in order to create an outrageous combination, which will have your friends and family howling their heads off!

Think Out Of The Costume Box To Get Those Creative, And Fun Juices Flowing!

If you’re having a little trouble coming up with something that will wow your party guests, remember you must think outside the box! If you need a little push in the right direction, let us offer you a few of our suggestions to get you started, and see if you can expand on our outrageous Halloween tips.

Become a Vampire Baby: Just think about it for a second? Dracula had to be born and brought into this world just like us, so did you think he came into this world with his fancy ensemble? Of course not, so how about taking a large blanket for a diaper, a full-size skin tone color or light grey body tights, cape, white face paint, blood, and a pair of fangs. Add a baby bottle filled with deep red cranberry juice and VOILA!

Now with your baby vampire outfit ready to take on the dark underworld of infants, we are sure you can imagine the laughs you will get, and I bet you wouldn’t have thought that Dracula would be getting his/her gruesome cheeks pinched so much during the night. After your party, it’s going to be rather painful crawling back into your coffin.

Here’s another wacky one! Cross-Dressing Darth Vader: Find a really awful dress, preferably off-white or pink, and get your hands on a Darth Vader mask. Now we’re sure with the popularity of Star Wars that you will come across many Vader costumes, but while they may be switching over to the dark side that night, you will be flipping-over to the Darth Vader Cross-dressing side. Come on, can’t you picture this great idea! Going up to guests at your party and saying, “Luke, I’m really your mother!” Ok let’s move on, maybe you’ll like our next idea!

For the adult only event, and we mean a total non-Halloween family function (no kids allowed), the guys can consider going as an Egotistical Scotsman! Order a Highlander costume complete with the plaid skirt and all the accessories. Now we’re sure you’re actually wondering what is the major difference from another Scottish costume.

Here’s the twist, you go out and purchase a skin tone color stocking and fill it with foam, tie off the tip to give it the, well, you know what look we’re talking about! Then wrap it around your waist, letting it hang just long enough for it to be showing slightly below your skirt. Who’s the king of Scotland now! For the men that still don’t get what I’m trying to explain here, talk to your better halves or your mother, they can help you!

Of course we are not going to leave the women’s costume ideas out, but it was a little more difficult coming up with a twisted thought for the ladies. So here we go!

Female Hugh Hefner: It’s time to turn the tables, and we know it’s not difficult for a beautiful lady like yourself to get your hands on a few of your male friends to dress-up as sexy Playboy bunnies! The rest is history, all you have to do is go online and find an authentic Hugh Hefner smoking jacket, silk looking pants, and fake cigar.

Make sure you’re strutting around with your Playmates waving your cigar and acting extremely arrogant, and pinching the occasional bunny cheek during the night. (Pinching at your own risk, and we take no responsibility for this action, oh what the heck, give him two pinches on the cheeks for good luck!)

In order to make sure your costume theme idea is realistic, you must ensure your male partners are hanging around you often, giving you all the attention you deserve as the sexiest Playboy icon. Have the guys wear thick red lipstick while placing kiss marks all over your cheeks. We have a feeling after the Halloween party is over, you may not want to give up all that attention! We may be creating some monsters here.

Kids Ideas Are Very Creative When It Comes To Wacky Costume Fun!

Children are the best source when it comes to thinking of crazy ideas, and they can easily turn up with some mad creations! If you don’t have any kids to help you, then contact the closest friend that has a bizarre imagination. If you can do it on your own, then we suggest you jump on your witches broom, and fly with your off the wall idea.

It’s crunch time, and you want to make your ideas fun and unique. If you happen to like our wild ideas, and they find your funny bone, then go with them. Or if you would like to create your own concept, go for it.

The bottom line here is that we want you to achieve a great costume idea, by taking simple concepts and letting your ideas work to create that little twist, that will make your outfit that much better. Your Costume will be so funny that you will have all your guests laughing in stitches. Hmmm, stitches, I think we have another great idea for a costume!

About the author: William is the owner and the author of “1st In Halloween Costumes” available at
www.1st-in-halloween-costumes.com A great source for Adult Halloween Costumes online! You can easily find and compare halloween sites offering quality adult costumes, sexy adult costumes, and adult halloween costume ideas.

New elaborate Global Positioning System readings acquired on the 15-16th Sept have proven that Monte Bianco numbers 4810.5 meters. Mont Blanc is covered by a deep ice-cap which has increased by 2 metres in scarcely 2 yrs furthermore more unexpectedly the volume of the ice and snow has almost doubled up . Least ways that’s according to the scientists.

The mass of ice was figured for the inaugural time during 2004. It measured 14200 cubic meters higher up than 4800 metres. It amounted to scarcely 13900 metres cubed in 2004 potentially owing to the high temperatures with positive temperatures even at 4950 meters alt.. All the same the ice has just about doubled up since then and now equals 22000 metres cubed.

Chamonix Mont Blanc’s valued near by weather man Marvin Crossland said the development in the size of the ice-cap is one of the contrary consequences of climate change: Snow has not increased generally in the Alps only with the climate change we’re seeing a lot of hotter prevailing westerly winds which bestow rain lower down but in summer this translates to significant snow that settles higher up than 3600 m elevation hence the amount of the ice cap is increasing. Counterpoint that to the state of affairs in winter time where snow crystals are very cold and are transported by the wind and so do not rest on the peak.

Chamonix Haute Savoie is not just famous for Mount Blanc it is also a well renowned skiing area and alpinism center with many ski deals and self catering chalets to be hired. Moreover at only 1 hour from Geneva airport it is perfect for a skiing weekend.