dg F.
Wanted a roommate - got nothing but scammers
I wanted to find a roommate to occupy an empty room in our rental apartment. Heard that Sulekha was a good place to connect with fellow Indian folks and so I created a thoughtfully worded ad, complete with pictures of the room, prices, etc. First complaint: When you're about to upload the ad as the last step, they spring a surprise on you: they ask you to pay to post the ad after you've spent all that time creating it. I scoffed at the idea and left the ad as a draft and backed out, thinking I'd be better off trying Facebook or Craigslist or any of the other myriad free services out there. 2 days later, surprise surprise, they posted the ad anyway. This is not cool because they first make it seem like you need to pay to post, and then later, they post it for free. Deceptive practice. Second complaint: Be prepared for a flood of scammers to enter your inbox. Don't be fooled by the verified phone/email label, they are still absolutely not interested in your place, all they are interested in is your bank account number. See below for a sample of emails that I received. "I am very much interested.I will appreciate it if you will be kind enough to provide me with the following details: rent price/utilities,deposit if applicable ,photos of the place, and also when is the move in date? I do follow clean and healthy habits. Do get back to me." "A colleague forwarded your Sulekha rental add to me,is it still available for rent? Kindly send the zip code so i can confirm proximity." " I work with an organization engaged in Biomedical sciences. I am currently in Albuquerque,NM. And I am originally Pune (Maharashtra).I appreciate the details you gave out to me about your room. Since I'm unable to view it in person, that helps my judgment. I'm okay with the rental fees/utilities. I will be needing your help for much understanding. I can only make my first month Rent /Utilities payment through check because my sponsor is going to be responsible for handling my accommodation for the first month payment for my rent plus other expenses for my relocating and after the first month payment. I will be handling all other payments in person afterwards. Bear with me on this,due to a long distance from Albuquerque the only way of communication for now is through text Msg or email. And have attached a copy of my ID so you know I am serious about getting the place. Can I trust you to refund any extra balance back to me after deducting rent plus utilities from my first payment you will receive from the sponsor because you will be receiving more than the rent on the first check? The extra amount is for my travelling and relocation expenses. If you agree I will be needing you to reply back with your Full Name,Address and cell phone on where my company will make the first payment to secure the place for rent plus utilities, Do get back to me soonest." These guys all follow the same script: they say hi, they ask you for some silly details about the room to make it seem like they're legit (btw, these are details that are already there in the positing), then they pretend to be IT or medical professionals from some distant place, they are unable to call you since their phones are defective, they want to use sponsors to send you a check, and they want you bank account details. Some of these guys even have fake driver's licenses and other IDs (at best, photoshopped, at worst, stolen from somebody) which they will offer to attach as "proof" of how committed they are to securing your apartment. Third complaint: Sulekha doesn't even let you view responses to your ad after a certain number of inquiries. Say you posted your ad, you get 5 spam inquiries, and then the 6 one is a legit inquiry. You cannot open the 6th unless you "Upgrade to view response". In summary, I've had an absolute garbage experience, and will never use this website again if I can help it.