VRBO
reviews and complaints

For the past 10 years we have had our property listed on VRBO same listing, same picture and same info.. Without any problems.. this year we were contact by VRBO that our listing was expiring. Did we want to use their online reservation service or continue to advertise and handle our own reservations. We chose the latter as we are in a remote area and need to have contact with guests.We received a bill for $549.00 but when we received our visa the charge was $756.17 . the VRBO /Homeaway did not mention the fees were in US Funds. However because we had success with this company in the past we decided to pay the amount and use the service Mistake!We found that VRBO/HOMEAWAY were reading our emails from our guests wanting to reserve accommodation, and censoring them!..now it is impossible to have any contact with this company.. any info that is sent to you is in a from letter, there is no telephone contact .
We then were told our listing had been cancelled as it did not meet their compliance? What compliance.. we had an agreement that we would be handling our own correspondence and that we would taking our own reservations!, After numerous form letters nothing was resolved we tried to change the original listing to one unit only to find that we were unable to edit the rates nor the calendar. Plus we could not find the listing anywhere in our area. Since VRBO has become part of the HomeAway organization and has turned into nothing more that a booking agency, , save your money and frustrations go with AIRBNB !

When I reviewed rental accommodations on the vrbo website, there was no indication of the service fee that VRBO charges, which would add to the expense of any rental agreement. Knowing the service fee in advance would be helpful in deciding which accommodation is affordable. I had contacted the owner of the condo and committed to the reservation before I discovered the hefty service fee charge. It wasnt until I confirmed the booking on the VRBO website that I was informed of the extra cost. In addition, there was no indication as to HOW the VRBO service fee is calculated - And no indication that there would not be a partial refund of the service fee if the reservation was modified. The website indicated that the booking deposit was 100% refundable upon cancellation.

The website technology did not allow me to modify my reservation to change from a 14 day rental to an 8 day rental. The owners had to make the modification. When there is a modification to the booking, the computer system does not re-calculate the service fee.

When I reviewed the VRBO help center it indicates that service fee charges vary from 5% to 12%. Shouldn't travellers be advised in advance whether they are going to pay 5% or up to 12%? When I spoke with a VRBO supervisor I was told that the computer has a formula to determine the percentage charged. Employees, owners and travellers should be aware of the formula.

The computer system will allow me to cancel my reservation of 14 days and rebook for only 8 days - but I dont know if that will result in a higher percentage service fee being charged. Will I take the risk of cancelling and hope that I can rebook only to find that the percentage of the service fee increased and I am paying the same fee for an 8 day stay as for 14 days?

The service fee is supposed to protect renters in the event that a property is not legitimate. With the response I received from VRBO it does not reassure me that they would assist a traveller who finds that their rental agreement is breached.

I reserved a small apartment in San Francisco for the Memorial Day holiday and for my husband's 60th birthday, May 29-31, 2017. This reservation was confirmed on March 6, 2017. I checked in with Pillow almost until the day we were to check in. I received the code to access the key that morning and saw no cancellation email. The key worked and we entered the apartment to find it a complete disaster. Trash on the floor, dishes in the sink. I called the owner and she was horrified that we were in her apartment. I told her the VRBO did not call to tell me she cancelled. I contacted VRBO and learned that they had EMAILED the cancellation 2 hours before check-in time. They did NOT CALL. I told them they should have called and kept calling. I told them if someone had been home when we entered and not expected us, we could have been hurt, or worse. I was sick to my stomach. It was a total nightmare. At the very least, for safety purposes, someone needs to be responsible for making calls and speaking directly to a customer when these "emergency cancellations" occur.

We have been ripped off two times by VRBO/ HomeAway while trying to rent an apartment in London. First, in June 2016 we rented an apartment through VRBO for July 2017. All the correspondence had the correct dates July 2017. In two days there were 11 emails exchanged regarding this property and all dates were correct. When they finally sent me the paypal invoice, embedded in this correspondence was the incorrect year, 2016.
I did not catch this right away but when I did I wrote to the rental agent he denied that the year I was reserving for was 2017 and responded to me with name calling and threats. I contacted VRBO and as a result he threated to sue us. VRBO was NOT helpful in this matter and we ended up forfeiting the payment which was over $3, 000.
Now, July 2017, we got an email from VRBO stating that we owed the rest of the rental charge for an apartment on dates we are not even going to be in London. The apartment agent wrote us back immediately that they do not work with HomeAway any more and to ignore the email.
This is all very upsetting.

This company VRBO and Homeaway have a monopoly. I pay them an exorbitant rate and my listing is no where to be found on their website! The company used to be great and now it has totally gone down hill! I used to be so busy with this rental and thanks to Vrbo and Homeaway burying my listing despite tripling their fees. I never get any rentals and am looking into selling this property! Homeaway and VRBO are sleazy terrible customer service! The authorities should shut them down they are fleas

We did our reservation for a condominium in Rincon, PR – reservation ID HA-5BCKCP on 11/09/16 and paid the deposit.in April 2017, a few days prior to our arrival to PR from USA the owner send us a cancellation email without any explanations. After that, she stopped answering the phone or emails. We contacted VRBO for help, the only help they could offered was if we could find a similar unit at similar price — they were eager to help us with a new reservation, but no monetary assistance if the new unit was more expensive. After several phone calls, we could not find a unit that was similar in price in the same area. At that point, VRBO offered to help with the price difference, but the VRBO representative was not sure what the cap was for that difference. That difference amount was something to be revealed by another VRBO team after us paying in full the new reservation. To be honest, we did not like the sound of that. Therefore, we ran out of time to be dealing with VRBO, so upon arrival we had to choose a local hotel for our stay. VRBO never contacted the owner to demand an explanation or help by revealing how much money were they willing to help in order to for us to get a new rental in the same area.in fact, not only do we feel that the owner owes us an explanation, but also owes us our travel expenses to PR. As for VRBO, they cannot help if you are stuck in this predicament and the owners could care less.

I am very displeased at Home Away at this time, I have followed all policies and rules only to miss a $3000 booking due to an error in your service. I had a booking from Nancy. She paid with a credit card through Home Away. I received an email stating that this was a high risk charge due to "charge backs" and that I should not allow her to stay at my property unless she provided me some other form of payment. I was also notified by your representative NOT to tell Nancy that they were not going to process the payment because of the charge back and that I should make up another reason for needing another form of payment. I requested another form of payment and when she asked why I told her her card was going to be declined and that maybe she could provide the site with another card. She was upset over the whole ordeal and stated that she had made other arrangements and would not be staying in my home. Nancy further advised that she had not used that particular card in a couple years and that there was no history of charge backs ever. Nancy contacted me by phone and inquired as to why I have the funds for the rental where she is currently not staying, I advised Nancy that I was told that the card was declined and that the payment would not be processed. Nancy advised that she was told by Home Away that I would need to refund the money.

What kind of show are you guys running here. If there is a high risk transaction. WHY WOULD THE PAYMENT BE PROCESSED IN THE FIRST PLACE? Why do I have to be caught in the middle of something that Home Away is getting paid for? Home Away is supposed to provide not only the website and promotion of my property, but also be the customer service and money handler for all transactions. Now I have lost $3000 in bookings and potential for other bookings. My faith in your services is on shaky ground. Why was this transaction not handled by Home Away directly calling the potential guest and advising them that they maybe should contact there credit card company to resolve an issue before payment can be processed. If Home Away is going to take a fee for services, then please provide services worthy of the fee.

customer service was of no help and could not provide solutions to prevent this happening in the future.

I was planning a vacation and decided to try VRBO service.
I booked my vacation and paid for everything in advance. They took my money and later I received a notification. I thought that there was nothing to worry about but then I decided to read what people said about VRBO. I know I should have done that earlier.
Anyway, I wasn't happy when I saw all the bad reviews and there were tons of them. I contacted VRBO and asked them to cancel my reservation and they did that pretty fast, I even received a notification. But days passed and I did not receive my money.
Last time when I contacted them they gave me nothing but empty promises. Don't use VRBO, they are cheaters!

For years I used VRBO to rent my vacation home. I never had any problems whatsoever. Then HOMEAWAY bought the company and it has been problem after problem.
I have a NO REFUND deposit policy although we are happy to reschedule for another time.
I had a traveler book for a week and paid deposit. Two weeks later a "CHARGEBACK" showed up on my checking account record. HOMEAWAY had debited by checking account for the deposit. No communication, no notice whatsoever. I have spent countless hours with this matter. I find this act to be lawfully questionable.
I had a traveler that rented directly from me, the owner. They trashed my house and we had a dispute. The traveler sent a totally fake/false review to VRBO, although the traveler was NOT a VRBO guest. This means that I could obviously sent in negative comments to ALL OF MY COMPETITORS if I so choose. What sense does this make?
These people are HORRIBLE. OWNERS, stay away from HOMEAWAY/VRBO.

We booked a property with VRBO and our reservation was cancelled. We paid the full price and two days later received a notification stating that booking was cancelled and refund will be processed.
We contacted VRBO and they said that property owner told them to do that. Their English was very poor and it was difficult to communicate.
Anyway, we asked about our money and they said that refund was already processed and that usually it takes several days to transfer money.
One week passed and there was no money and VRBO stopped replying! Then we opened a dispute with PayPal. Beware!

I booked a vacation rental last year on VRBO and did not get charged a "service fee" when booking.

I believe Expedia purchased VRBO/Homeaway in November of 2015 with the deal being finalized in the first 3 months of 2016 - according to a USA Today article online (I booked my first rental through VRBO without the service fee during the transition time in 2016.)

This year I went to book the same rental but had to cancel. Only upon trying to figure out how to cancel did I notice I was charge a $250 service fee which VRBO keeps! This does not go to the owner renting the place! That is crazy! I found this out by reading complaints by owners listing their properties.

$250 just to book a rental through VRBO website? Are you kidding me? There is NO WAY I will book through them again. I did not know I was being charged this fee up front - I only saw the fees for the rental. There is no phone number listed for VRBO to call (to me that is a first sign that there will be bad customer service). The confirmation e-mail I received when I booked the rental did not explain how to cancel the reservation. I figured it out by searching the internet! What renter is going to want to pay over a 5% service fee to VRBO on top of a rental fee? Not me!

I followed the instructions for processing a refund for one of my guests who cancelled her stay. After doing so, I discovered that the guest had not made her payment in the first place! I don't know why the site would let a host request a refund for a guest who had not even paid, but that is what happened and when I immediately attempted to cancel the refund online, it was stated that this is not possible and I have to call the VRBO payment group. I called and had the unfortunate experience of speaking with Keith, who seemed annoyed with the call from the moment he answered the call. He eventually said he had put in a request to cancel the refund, but he didn't know if the refund would be stopped before being paid out. He did agree that VRBO does not process refunds for 6 to 8 business days, but he couldn't help me understand how or why the refund might not be stopped, even with 6-8 days lead time. He talked over me, repeating his policy statement, but refusing to answer any questions. He told me there was no supervisor for me to speak with, and when I asked to speak to a different agent, he told me that if I wanted to do that, I could call back and maybe someone else would answer! He also assured me that he had sent me an email confirmation stating that the request to cancel the refund had been placed. I never received any such email.

I don't receive my payment ! There are almost 50 days after I rent my porperty.

My payment is about US$ 3000 I'm very frustrated.

I'm really dispointed with this company.

The customer care is horrible. You receve e-mail but anyone resolve your question.

I don't no what I should to do.

When I rent my properties using airbnb I receive my payment one day after my gues's chek in.

"I am very disappointed with VRBO's services.
I rented my apartment more than 40 days ago by VRBO, and to this day I have not received my payment.

I already sent several emails and no one solves my case. This is absurd.

When I rent my apartments using airbnb I receive my payment one day after the guest's check in and I never had any problems.

Very frustrated."

I am very disappointed with VRBO's services.
I rented my apartment more than 40 days ago by VRBO, and to this day I have not received my payment.

I already sent several emails and no one solves my case. This is absurd.

When I rent my apartments using airbnb I receive my payment one day after the guest's check in and I never had any problems.

Very frustrated.

I manage a property listed on VRBO. It was originally listed 3 years ago. It was bought by a new owner last April but I continued to manage it. I was told that I needed to update the payment information which we spent ages doing. They then said I had to redo it all to change the name. We went through the process again. We were shunted between the VRBO and homeaway payments departments for weeks given different information. When all was approved. It was still in the wrong name. They then canceled the VRBO listing and the payment account with no contact or information sent to us. The listing was paid for. I was then on hold for 2 hours and again shunted between departments. then cut off. On hold again for another 2 hours. My listing is still not active despite our payments. I can not get anyone to speak to me regarding this. I just get cut off. I have been on hold for 2 days.

VRBO #420788 Sunset Vista Treasure Island Florida.
When we put in our vacation dates it came back with a total of $606.
When we went to book it they said we had to book through another website and it was over 3 times as much $1819.
Signs of a scam here. Bait and Switch
Not interested in doing business with a company like this.
BEWARE
http://m.providentresorts.com/hotel/sunsetvistas is the web site they sent us to.

Hi,
our complaint is generic, systemic but specific.
We have come to realize that what often seems like a good deal isn't.
There are service charges, cleaning fees, leases to sign? that are added to base rates making some of the rentals costlier than a good hotel where the rooms are serviced and cleaned every day. Frequently the additional charges are not that obvious, at least to us.
Also the standards are too variable. Quality of towels, bedding, dirty upholstery, dishes cannot be at the level of renting some ones old stuff that they don't need anymore.
We have decided to go another route for now and stay away from this totally unregulated industry. It may seem like a cute idea that you are going to stay at someone place but we don't think its worth it.

I have rented my property through vrbo since 2012 but corporate greed
Has completely changed the way that I am allowed to do business with my renters. If we dont allow the "book it now button" that charges vacation renters extra money. (they get absolutely nothing for these services)/ it is very misleading and actually blatantly lying to get their hands in our profits. Please! Someone file a class action suit so we can get ethics back on the table again!

I have been a subscriber with VRBO for about 3 years now. On Sept 11, 2016 a renter paid for a stay on Sept 12-19. I approved their request and on the next day, my rental manager met with them. This property for rent is located in Manila, Philippines. Since Sept. 12th is a National Holiday in the Philippines, I booked the renters (through Priceline.com) at a nearby hotel to get them through the night. Then they checked in on Sept. 13th. We obtained copies of their IDs and registered them with the condominium management. The rent funds were released to me by VRBO on Sept 15th. They checked out on Sept 19. Throughout their stay, they never once communicated with me on email.

On Sept 22, I got an email indicating that there is a "chargeback" of $531.92 on my bank account. Plus they charged two separate fees of $25 for no reason. Without my approval, they reversed the renter's payment. And it's not even 7 days after the renter checked out. They said, the renter's bank wanted the charge back as the renters told them they never stayed in my place.

I submitted all the evidences of their stay to VRBO (the hotel stay on Sept 12th with their name on it), the copy of the rental agreement that came with the receipt of payment, and copies of their passports. Meanwhile, I ordered my bank to ban VRBO from debiting any amount from us again.

The past few days, VRBO has been harassing me with emails telling me that I owe them the $531.92. AFTER they allowed this very same $531.92 to be debited from my bank account! They keep telling me I owe them $532.92 when if fact on Sept 22, they already debited that amount from my account. And now they're threatening to deactivate my account.

I've made numerous phone calls and each time I am talking to a senseless representative. And every single time I was instructed that the best way to get this resolved is through email.

I don't know where else to go but to go through every website that I can file a complaint against them! First off, I suspect these renters are cons. They booked last minute so I had no chance of getting e-copies of their IDs. And they never responded to any of my communication with them. Then they trash my place. Then shortly after they left, they tell their bank that the payment for their stay is not authorized. I requested for a copy of their passports from my rental manager and found out that they're from Morocco. And then I looked at their phone number and the country code is Australia.

The first time I called VRBO, I alerted them about this. The first representative told me they already "flagged" these people. And now, after all the distress this situation has caused me, and after I have submitted the documents of proof about their stay, VRBO is doing the best they can to rip me off of whatever they STILL owe me! I am STILL OUT of $531.92 plus $50 of their so-called fees. And now they want to charge me AGAIN?! This company is BAD! So bad for homeowners like me! I've been with Airbnb and TripAdvisor for so long and I have NEVER ONCE experienced anything like this!