VANCOUVER — An American bobsledder whose parents lost thousands of dollars in a Whistler rental scam says his family will be able to watch him go for gold at next month’s Winter Games thanks to the golden hearts of area residents.
Ben and Lois Mesler, whose son Steve is a two-time Olympian and 2009 world champion, thought they’d rented a home in the resort municipality after they placed a classified ad on the website Rent2010.net.
But RCMP say the New York couple was taken for $8,000 because the man who responded to their ad didn’t actually own the residence he was offering.
In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Steve Mesler said news of the scam was quite upsetting at first, but the story has since shifted to show “how great the people of Vancouver and Whistler are and Canadians are.”
“There’s been probably no less than 12 or 15 emails and Facebook messages from people offering up their places, whether it’s a room, whether it’s a whole house, there’s been a bed in a basement suite,” Mesler said.
“People are saying we don’t have much room, but if we can help, great.”
The bobsledder said his parents have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and have accepted two offers. They’ll stay in one residence for their first two days in Whistler, before moving on to a second for about a week.
Mesler said by the time his sister and various friends join his parents in B.C., he’ll have about a dozen supporters cheering him on.
He expressed his gratitude to the “perfect strangers” that have come to his family’s aid.
“My main concern was that (his parents) had a place and that they weren’t going to have to spend another $8,000 or $10,000 to do it,” he said.
“Of course, they’re coming to watch me so the last thing I want them to do is have to spend $16,000 to come watch me at the Olympics.”
Martin Moore and his sister offered up one of the Whistler homes the Meslers will be staying in and he says they’ll be more than comfortable.
“It’s 2,700 square feet, three bedroom, hot tub, walking distance to the awards ceremony,” Moore said.
Moore’s sister first brought the story to his attention after hearing local media reports.
“My sister said, ’Do you want to sleep good tomorrow?’ I said, ’Why not?”’
Moore’s family owns the Whistler home but its tenants will be travelling to Australia in mid-February, meaning the residence would have been sitting empty
Mark Szekley, who operates the online rental site, said a man calling himself Jason Hartlen responded to the family’s ad and collected the money. Hartlen wasn’t registered with the site, which Szekley said makes him next to impossible to track down.
Mesler said his mother had been in contact with the man until last week when she sent him the final sum. Since then, the phone number he provided has gone straight to voicemail.
Mesler said he’s received an email from another person who alleges they were scammed by Hartlen, to the tune of $2,500, and that the man has warrants in multiple provinces.
RCMP Staff Sgt. Steve LeClair wouldn’t confirm or deny either of those claims.
“We’re getting into the investigational territory so I can’t confirm any aspects of an ongoing investigation,” he said.
What LeClair did say is that the generosity of area residents is hardly a surprise.
“It just shows people don’t like to see other people being victimized and I think it’s great that people have stepped up to the plate to help this family,” he said.
A fraud investigation has been launched by no arrests have been made.
LeClair said fraud was a problem in Whistler last ski season when scammers used the online classifieds site Craigslist to exploit potential renters, but hasn’t been a particular area of concern leading up to the Games.
The B.C. government issued a statement Wednesday urging potential renters to take all the necessary precautions.
“Online classified advertisements have made it easier for people to find things like home rentals. However, the listings are not regulated or vetted, and prone to scams,” said the release, attributed to the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
The statement warned renters not to pay money before inspecting a home and not to believe renters who claim they’ve just moved out of the country or are offering something that seems too good to be true.
Mesler, who’s lived in Calgary for the last seven years, said his parents have been key to him fulfilling his Olympic dreams and he appeared relieved they’d be there to watch him compete.
“Everybody says this about their parents: They wouldn’t have been able to do what they did if their parents weren’t on board,” he said.
When asked if the incident puts a black mark on the Vancouver-Whistler Games, Mesler said that’s far from the case.
“One rotten apple doesn’t spoil the bunch,” he said.
“I don’t know how many more places in the world would have this many people step up and just let people in.”