FRidh's blog

Jokes about Belgians are not uncommon in The Netherlands. Neither are those about Germans, but that’s another story. A day or two ago I stumbled upon this great picture showing the Belgian police driving their van stuck into drying concrete. This should prove there is at least some truth in our jokes

Finding accomodation can be a horrible task. Especially finding accomodation at the start of the study year in a city with two universities like Gothenburg. For years now there is a shortage in student housing in Gothenburg. In Gothenburg the student housing companies simply can't provide enough rooms and so people are also required to search elsewhere. Popular places to look for accomodation are websites like Blocket.se but also more student housing related sites like Studentlya.nu. Unfortunately not everyone advertising on those websites are to be trusted... When searching for a room back in April I stumbled upon a scam as well. Now I was lucky enough to identify it as a scam, but unfortunately other people were tricked by this same person. And there are probably a lot more persons around with scams like that. So what should you be careful for when looking for accomodation? Well, as a starter, NEVER transfer money through Western Union. These are accounts that can be made on the web and that require no identification at all. A scammer can easily make one of these accounts and retrieve the transferred money anywhere on the world without the possibility of tracing who and where. Actually, don't transfer money at all from abroad! Yes, you can trust the non-profit student housing companies like SGS and CSB, but you simply cannot trust people advertising on websites like Blocket.se and Studentlya.nu. If you can't manage to arrange a room through one of the student housing companies, it's a lot better to go to Gothenburg, stay in hostel for several days, and look from there. That way you can actually visit the room and meet the person interested in renting it to you. Also, many scams can be identified easily. First, if Western Union is mentioned, it's a scam. Second, if they say things like they are in a hurry since many people are interested in the room, it's a scam. Third, lookup the location with Streetview on Google Maps for instance, and see if the asked rent is realistic. Fourth, sometimes they actually provide you with images of how the house would look like from the inside. Have a look at the windows, and then have a look at Streetview. Remember, they could have easily taken the pictures from any other advertisement. And finally, when you have contact with an advertiser, be careful with what you say, and what they say. If you ask whether a room has X, they will answer the room has X, and that you should hurry with paying since many more are interested in the room, and the first that pays will get it. Don't get yourself fooled!