How to book a place to stay safely

For guests · September 2026

Most places are real and most owners are honest. But fake listings and deposit scams happen, especially over the December holidays. These checks take a few minutes.

Before you pay anything

• Call the place on a number you found yourself, on its own website or in a directory, not only the number in a message someone sent you.
• Check the place exists: look it up on a map, and look for its own website or a long-standing listing. Brand-new pages with very low prices in peak season are a warning sign.
• Pay the business, not a person. Be careful when the bank account name doesn't match the business, or you're asked to pay a private account "to save fees".
• Don't move off the platform. If you found a place on a booking site, pay through that site. A host asking you to pay outside it is a common scam.
• Get it in writing: dates, total price, deposit, what's included, and the cancellation rules, before you pay.
• Be careful with urgency. "Pay in the next hour or lose it" is pressure, not a policy.

How StaySynx helps

• We list each place with its own public contact details, taken from its own website or public tourism listings, and show where they came from.
• When you send us your dates, we contact the places for you. You then book directly with the place.
• StaySynx never asks you for card details, and never asks you to pay a private account.

If something about a listing looks wrong, email admin@peaksoftware.co.za and we'll check it. Find a place to stay.