The service was very good and immediately responsive when I had an issue. I was able to reach them on the phone without long wait and exchange emails afterwards with the person (not AI). Only the Flatio fee could be lower for long-stays in expensive global cities.

Regarding my stay, I stayed two months in Paris with a person who was new at Flatio as a host and I was new at Flatio as a user. We never met each other. I paid on time, he responded to my queries about the apartment. I had an excellent experience, left the keys in the lock and left a great review. I do not know why other users here blame Flatio for fraudulent apartments, the same can be encountered anywhere. You always get your money back when things go wrong, only it might take a few weeks. I had a last minute cancellation via Booking once in 6 years after being a super user there, got upset (which was really not worth of time), then moved on to other platforms, and that's just life. Of course, Booking refunded me. They always do.

I travel all the time for 6 years straight and never encountered scam. You can judge the host well by their picture and their profile. Also, you can check them out on other sides and other listings. If you don't like online booking, then find the host on google map and contact them in person or show up at their door. Then you are responsible yourself when there is a dispute.