How can you tell if a yacht charter company is legitimate?

A legitimate yacht charter company puts every booking on a recognized industry contract, holds payments in escrow until the charter runs, and can prove its memberships. Look for affiliation with CYBA, MYBA or IYBA, the broker associations that set contract and escrow standards for crewed charters. Ask for the standard contract naming the yacht, its owner, the dates and the full price. Then check the paper trail. Wire transfers should go to a company escrow account, never to an individual, and never by crypto or payment apps. Red flags: prices far below market, pressure to skip the contract, and no verifiable crew references. Reviews help, but documents decide. The booking process page shows what a compliant charter booking looks like step by step.