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UK: With more travellers opting for staycations in the UK, new research from Schofields Insurance reveals significant discrepancies in fraud protection between the most popular holiday rental sites.
Analysis of more than 430,000 Trustpilot reviews across seven of the UK’s most popular holiday booking platforms has found that Airbnb’s fraud complaint rate is 75 times higher than top-ranked rival Sykes Holiday Cottages. The researchers then examined how each platform performs in a variety of areas including identity verification, payment protection, fraud prevention, and customer dispute resolution when issues arise.
The study found that those who had booked their holiday through specialist agencies had greater protections in place. In terms of fraud prevention, payment security, and customer support, these were the companies that performed better than larger marketplace-type companies.
Airbnb received a score of 60 out of 100, while Booking.com scored 25 and Facebook Marketplace scored 12, making it the lowest-ranked platform in the study. Researchers also found Airbnb had the highest rate of fraud-related complaints compared to the other platforms reviewed.
Holiday fraud remains a growing concern in the UK, with Action Fraud reporting losses of more than £11 million linked to travel scams in 2024.
“Most people assume that booking through a globally recognised platform automatically means they’re protected. Our research shows that isn’t the case,” said Phil Schofield, marketing director at Schofields Insurance.
The study also advised users to proceed with caution when encountering fake listings or payment requests from AI, which might not be from official booking sites.
Highlights:
• Schofields Insurance analysed more than 430,000 customer reviews across seven holiday rental platforms to compare fraud protection and consumer safety measures
• According to the study, specialist cottage booking agencies outperformed larger marketplace platforms in fraud prevention, payment security and customer support
• Airbnb received a score of 60 out of 100, while Booking.com scored 25 and Facebook Marketplace ranked lowest with 12 points
• Researchers found Airbnb had the highest rate of fraud-related complaints among the platforms reviewed, while specialist cottage agencies recorded the lowest rates
• The findings come as holiday fraud continues to rise in the UK, with travellers losing more than £11 million to travel-related scams in 2024
