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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO]
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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO]
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1.5 278 Reviews

Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] Complaints Summary

34 Resolved
244 Unresolved
Our verdict: With Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO]'s very poor resolution rate, careful consideration is needed. Research their service comprehensively, and read up on how they handle customer disputes. If you face issues, be prepared for potential challenges in obtaining resolutions and explore other service providers as backups.
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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] reviews & complaints 278

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Newest Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] reviews & complaints

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5:09 pm EDT
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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] owner rights

As a recent owner of a vacation property, I immediately thought to use VRBO/Home Away to rent it out. I have been on the other side as a traveler and have generally had good experiences using their site. However, I am appalled at the fees they not only charge the traveler now but also the owner. In addition, if you do not subscribe to their service, they with hold your money until the renter has "checked in". I feel I should be able to deposit security deposits, etc. as necessary to uphold the property and it essentially, feels like the owner has no control over their property and income for it. I am very unhappy with their service and I am planning to withdraw the property from their site as it is not fair to travelers and owners alike.

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5:09 pm EDT
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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] refuse to give us our refund from our cancellation

Booked a condo on August 21st 2015 and had to cancell due to a family matter we had put down 292 dollars which was half the weekly rate that was listed. Have contacted the customer service dept several times with no luck yet and when we try to reach the home owner theres never a answer. We have traveled a lot over the last 30 years and this is the worst company I have ever dealt with

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12:20 am EDT

Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] booking a home on vrbo or homeaway

The VRBO or Homeaway "Book it Now" feature is a rip off. Those companies are charging travelers and owners for travelers to be able to book the home "now". Travelers are charged an extra fee that, if the traveler books directly thru the owner, the traveler would not be charged. The owner is charged an extra fee. The only winner is VRBO. There is absolutely NO advantage to book thru Homeaway or VRBO. They have recently discontinued their cancellation insurance for Travelers.
You are better off speaking with the owner directly and avoid using VRBO "book it now" to book your vacation.

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jr@!#
, US
Jun 08, 2016 9:21 am EDT

yes this was true for us also, we learned our lesson. booked for next year directly w/the property and it's $700 less (plus it's a different unit and it is larger and much, much nicer ).

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11:54 pm EST
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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] service fee, and deceptive presentation of our listings

Member since 1999 I always had the premiere listing in our market, I paid top fee and did everything that was required to keep the premiere space. Now vrbo has put so many sub areas that they have decreased our leads by over 75%. Not only that when someone does find our site they are also furnished alternatives, usually cheaper). Now where they are deceptive they create hits on other owner sits giving the impression that vrbo is creating a massive amount of leads. To cap it off they also offer immediate transfer from our listings to the resorts that they represent. This is a very corrupt system that now even punishes our customers that list with us. In their main web sites they don't suggest that clients of the resorts check us out. We will now pay the least price we can get from vrbo and we will rent as many listings out of the vrbo network as possible.

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Mary Hopple
, US
May 16, 2016 1:50 am EDT

I am a VRBO owner who has paid for and listed my property for over two years. Since Expedia has bought the site my inquiries and reservations have dropped by 95%. I believe this is due to the new fees VRBO is charging guests to book as well as sending potential guest to other sites and resorts that are owned by Expedia. I am disgusted by what Expedia/VRBO has done to the owners and guests. I am now putting my property on other sites and will not renew my contract with VRBO. The contract renewal fee is like dropping money down a bottomless pit. In good faith you pay the fee for listing and now get nothing in return. I can't believe Expedia has destroyed what use to be a good website for both owner and guests. Someone please create a new website that is once again is rental by owner!

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Michele Cobb Blair
, US
Nov 28, 2016 7:39 pm EST

I am also a Property owner that is discusted with vrbo . WE NEED TO UNITE AND START A REAL VACATION BY OWNER SITE ! [protected] I am IN !

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T L Howard
, US
Apr 18, 2016 7:54 pm EDT
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I agree the new service fee for booking on VRBO and Homeaway is a total rip off. I also have been an advertiser on VRBO for 12 years. No more after May 30, 2016. Thomas Howard

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karenw729
, US
Apr 04, 2016 12:33 pm EDT

I am a frequent vrbo renter. No more with this new service fee. What a rip off! I tried to contact vrbo/homeway to complain and there's no way to contact them. So obviously this new service fee is nothing but a gimmick to enrich them at the expense of property owners and renters. Sorry vrbo property owners but I'm going to back to traditional methods of finding vacation properties. All you property owners need to complain to homeaway or move your properties to a new site which is truly "by owner."

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Kelly Finn
, US
Mar 12, 2016 12:19 pm EST

Yes the new "service" fee will help Expedia increase profits and reduce the quality of VRBO and likely result in fewer bookings for owners. It's time to create a true vacation rentals by owners website (i.e. without corporate Expedia).

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8:50 am EST

Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] extra fee / "new" business perspective

So we talked to VRBO's "customer service" yesterday, and just to let everyone know what their new "business perspective" is, and I quote "we do not see the renters as your (the home owners) customer, we see them as our customers providing them the service." Last time I checked, I paid the mortgage, I deal with any problems, I keep the customer satisfied and returning year after year. VRBO is a listing/advertising service PERIOD! Apparently the home owners are not customers, even though we pay them thousands of dollars a year! Oh, buy the way, they also said that we should not be dealing with the renter directly, solely using their sytem and if we didn't should still be charging the 4-10% fee. HUH? This company has gone Bat S*** Crazy.
Did some research...VacationHomeRentals.com (associated with Trip Advisor), utilizes the old system that VRBO used, which served everyone well, and kept the business between the renter and the owner. It is also about half of the price. I'm taking my four properties and heading out of dodge, before I have to pay for a renewal!
VRBO got greedy and will be their downfall. I am spreading the word, to all that I know who use VRBO (which is a lot), to start heading to this other site, as well as bypassing the "book now" system and deal directly with the home owner.
ByeBye VRBO

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Steven J. Slater
, US
Dec 11, 2016 6:02 pm EST

@VRBO Why do owners get charged for cc transactions between renters and VRBO? That's VRBO;s cost of doing business, not the owners. (supported by your posting, answer from customer service.) In the new business model, VRBO is set up as the retailer selling our products vs. the former - a market service that charged owners annual fees. Along that allegory, without supply, VRBO has no business. So am confused they charge the owners vs. renters (their customers). To compensate, we raise our rates, becoming less competitive on the market . . . consequently, our rates no longer match with Airbnb's, and, our bookings are way down this year compared to last 10 - (economics 101). So, why do we need VRBO marketing services anymore?

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Janet Whittemore
, US
May 03, 2016 6:47 am EDT

I am very disappointed in VRBO's administrative changes that force me to use their automatic booking system so they can charge my
customers an extra fee and penalize me if I do not choose to use their booking process. I have been using this site since cyberrental.
I have paid a premium price for platinum for several years and check and update my site daily. I am so unhappy with this administrative
change and feel this company should not dip into the pockets of the renters with their new booking policies. It seems to me we are
dealing with cooperate greed. I will consider not renewing my contract after using this site for the past 20 years. The platinum promise
for better visibility is a service that does not work and is controlled by this company to force the owners to use their automatic booking service.
I have found my website buried because I refuse to sign up for their booking process after paying this very high premium.
weneedavacation works well here on Cape Cod and myself and a number of Cape Codders do not plan to be bullied by VRBO that has
become too greedy. We have already started a coalition here to inform home owners and plan not to renew with VRBO in protest of their
corporate greed.

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badbusiness_practises
, US
Mar 11, 2016 9:18 am EST
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This is a terrible scam, so many scams.

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1:28 pm EST

Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] new fee

VRBO has implemented an outrageous new fee charged to the traveler. We have been loyal customers for years. We have listed 2 properties and have rented from other owners all over the world too many times to count. This fee completely ruins the business model we loved and makes VRBO look like a greedy corporation. They implemented this fee after we paid our advertising fee with no warningand are offering no refunds. We are actively looking for a new website on which to list. What a huge disappointment.

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lakeshish
, US
May 03, 2016 9:03 am EDT
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Hello,
We are also vacation home owners as well as renters. Pretty disgusted with the new greedy direction that VRBO has headed and would also consider switching to another advertising company. Any other suggestions out there besides Trip Advisor (going to check that out soon)? Hopefully, another company will rise to the top and let owners be in charge. Vacation Rental by Owners needs to remember the "by owners" part!

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SleepyP
, US
Mar 11, 2016 8:57 am EST

So we talked to VRBO's "customer service" yesterday, and just to let everyone know what their new "business perspective" is, and I quote "we do not see the renters as your (the home owners) customer, we see them as our customers providing them the service." Last time I checked, I paid the mortgage, I deal with any problems, I keep the customer satisfied and returning year after year. VRBO is a listing/advertising service PERIOD! Apparently the home owners are not customers, even though we pay them thousands of dollars a year! Oh, buy the way, they also said that we should not be dealing with the renter directly, solely using their sytem and if we didn't should still be charging the 4-10% fee. HUH? This company has gone Bat S*** Crazy.
Did some research...VacationHomeRentals.com (associated with Trip Advisor), utilizes the old system that VRBO used, which served everyone well, and kept the business between the renter and the owner. It is also about half of the price. I'm taking my four properties and heading out of dodge, before I have to pay for a renewal!
VRBO got greedy and will be their downfall. I am spreading the word, to all that I know who use VRBO (which is a lot), to start heading to this other site, as well as bypassing the "book now" system and deal directly with the home owner.
ByeBye VRBO

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4:42 am EST

Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] vrbo new fee!

As a rental owner I'm extremely frustrated with this new service fee! It is absolutely unacceptable and I am appalled by this new fee. At first they were charging only the owners and now also the guests. This new fee completely disregards any agreements that were in place with existing owners and renters. I will be looking for another service! VRBO is absolutely unprofessional, no respect! They need only money and they don't care about anything!

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Kelly Finn
, US
Mar 12, 2016 12:22 pm EST

It is based on them increasing profits and owners decreasing bookings

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4:46 am EST
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This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback.

Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] - new service fee

I am a homeowner and I am appalled by this new service fee being charged to my guests! I was completely shocked when I found out about these new fees from my renters! They describe it as a small fee but it is completely ridiculous. They charge people for nothing, just to earn more money! Since these fees have taken effect, not only have I had no rental...

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12:40 pm EST

Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] unethical practices

Vrbo has now done three things in the last 6 months to increase their profits with no consideration of the home owners that have made this site successful. Number one they have raised their prices about 20% each of the past two years. The latest in the last six months. Number 2 they now are putting other web sites on my site, such as hotels.com, among others which simply takes traffic away from vrbo and my site in particular. Number 3 now they have decided to charge an extra charge to my customers, just because they can to make more money. What the new short sighted vrbo management doesn't realize is that the site exists because of the owners and the owners supply all the listing for them. Now they are cheating and triple dipping. Vrbo should be ashamed of their new practices!
Sincerely,
Mitchell Lewis

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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] vrbo did nothing to help

I had used VRBO in the past and rented a place. The property ended up being a fraud, so I cancelled it. Then I called the owner and asked him to return my damaged deposit of $300, but he refused to give my money back. I told him that his property description was a fraud and he must return the money, I gave him 24 hours to do that. Later I received a message from the owner saying he'll come to my house and deal with me personally! I contacted the VRBO immediately and they promised to do something. I thought they'll ban that owner or call the police, but they did nothing at all! In the end owner just changed the description of his property and never returned my money. I'm very disappointed with VRBO.

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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] unethical

I had a negative experience at the Lotus Lake House in Grass Valley, CA, listed on VRBO. I posted a factual review and the owner was allowed to attack me personally both on and off the website. He wrote harassing emails and left voicemails threatening me if I did not remove the review. Apparently this practice is allowed by VRBO. The owner was then allowed to post personal information about me on the website and VRBO refused to remove the listing even after I escalated the problem to a manager. So there is a reason there are very few negative reviews posted on VRBO.

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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] vrbo scam

I paid a $4, 500 deposit on a condo at "Aston at the Whaler on Kaanapali beach" on February 21, 2015. The advertiser/owner (Brian Mead/William Watts) ended up being a fraud and I lost my deposit. I only caught on to the scam because I was sent an email by someone purporting to be VRBO's Trust Dept telling me that the advertiser was a fraud. I found out that this email I received was actually a phishing email to try to get me to call them and give them money as well. The email told me to call one of two numbers and they would help me find another, presumably, legitimate, rental. (Looks like I was being scammed by two different crooks). I called Brian Mead to try and get my deposit back and he tried "stringing me along" telling me that he was "legit" and would be there waiting for me to hand me the keys to the condo when I arrived there. However, he wouldn't provide any contract and when I demanded my money back, he quit answering my calls or my emails. His name, probably false, was Brian Mead. His phone number was [protected]. His email was [protected]@gmail.com. I tracked his phone number to a Chapel Hill, North Carolina address. He had me wire my deposit to a bank account in the name of William Watts in Cudahy, Wisconsin. I've rented from VRBO before and had no problems so I had my guard down. Now I'll be cautious again but I'll never use VRBO.com again. They are impossible to get hold of by phone and, obviously, don't have the security in place to keep these scammers off their website.

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Valoose
, US
Jan 17, 2013 1:18 pm EST

As a host the sales team calls you up and promises you all sorts of services as reservation manager, however this is outsourced and as soon as you set it up it wont allow you without SS# BUYER BEWARE.

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Sonce
, US
Jan 11, 2013 12:11 pm EST

We used VRBO a couple times. We had issues and I wanted to share our experiences. I was unable to post a review, even though I got emails asking me to rate the properties! Apparently the post is only accepted if it is positive. I won't be using the site anymore and I warn anyone who uses it to beware.

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5:50 am EST

Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] fake contact info and impossible to reach the online agent

I registered on the website www.vrbo.co, but I was disappointed. I tried to find a house for my vacation, but the website worked so slowly and all provided info there was real scam. I checked several phones numbers and all of them were fakes. I tried to contact the online chat agents, but they kept silence. I wonder if there are other people, who had the same experience. Let’s share views about this website.

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5:37 pm EST
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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] arm-bending tactics

I've been advertising my house as a vacation rental on vrbo.com for two years, and I really dislike this company. They are fixated on getting homeowners to sign up for the online booking program. Constant emails about it. Finally, they've decide to actually punish those of us who don't want to use the online booking system. If we don't sign up for it, we have to pay $50 more for a subscription. However, I did sign up for a couple of years ago, and it was a nightmare. Homeowners have very little manual control over the payments, so very often, renters will make a payment, and the homeaway system continues to send them emails (automatic) saying they have to pay. They refuse to separate the credit card option with the direct deposit option, and since most people would opt to make a credit card payment, we owners get whacked with credit card fees. When you have ten weeks to make your rental income, those fees really hurt. I opted out, both because of the fees and because it was such a pain in the derriere to use, and all went perfectly fine with renters sending the rent to me directly via check. I have an excellent rapport with my tenants, and one of the reason is because I want to keep the whole thing very personal, between them and me. But Homeaway is going the way of so many big companies in this country, acting like WE, their customers, owe THEM, and bending our arms to buy stuff we don't want or need if we want to continue using their primary service, which is advertising our houses and making them known to people looking for houses to rent. It's so sleazy and dirty. It's also arrogant. So we are punished financially now either via homeaway charging us more, or lowering our listing, if we don't opt in for online booking…OR we're penalized by paying ridiculous credit card fees! I hate this company.

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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] terrible service

I have used this company to list my rental in Mexico since 2009. I have never had any problems until this month when the company must have changed ownership to HomeAway. I received no notice of the change to the website which is significant and very hard to use now, or to any changes of their policies. This month I got a request from a prospective renter and needed help with using the webiste. I did manage to talk to someone on the phone after waiting 1/2 an hour. Next, I got a request from another renter and the payment was not handled correctly. Renters are to pay a $200 security deposit and then the rent and cleaning fee 30 days before arrival. The renter did pay the entire amount but only after I sent a request for the security deposit. After all was confirmed the renter complained about the fact that the terms of my rental were not honored by requesting the entire amount immediately. I am waiting to hear from VRBO by email about this matter but so far no response. I will not be renewing my lisiting with them for 2015 but will seek other means to rent the property. They are TERRIBLE, avoid them at all costs.

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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] double billed

I rented a house in Florida through the VRBO/HomeAway website. I entered my debit card number and my account was charged twice. I fwanted to know what happened. After speaking to SEVERAL agents at HomeAway and contacting the owner, we were both given wrong information from HomeAway agents which caused an already aggressive owner to be unbelievably hostile and rude. Finally I asked to speak to a supervisor and found that the third party billing agency for HomeAway had a glitch in their system which caused a double payment. The owner was so difficult that I canceled the reservation. HomeAway just dropped the whole situation and then refused to help me get my refund back from the owner. I am still working on it! I would never recommend using HomeAway/VRBO/Vacation Rentals again!

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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] won't allow negative honest post

VRBO won't let us post our review because they say it doesn't help travelers. I believe it does .. helps them be safer. Our review is below.. Beware travelers and don't believe reviews from VRBO

Casa Dos Bahias Home in Tulum - VRBO #509559 -- we were robbed!Not what we expected... for a vacation...

Casa
Dos Bahias is new and well-appointed. It's somewhat secluded with open lots on
each side, near the end of a dead end street. We had a pleasant stay until we
were robbed the final night.

We left 5 teenagers in the house and went up the street for dinner (less than a
mile away). While we were gone, someone apparently scaled the exterior wall of
the house, and broke into both second floor bedrooms. This occurred while the
children were on the first floor of the house! One of the children heard a
noise and went to investigate. Luckily, he did not discover the intruder(s).

We lost phones, an iPad, jewelry and our passports. The other couple had cash,
credit cards and an iPad stolen. The property manager had come to the house
that evening to inquire about our departure and quickly came back when the
police were called. He was helpful in arranging for us to get a police report.

The only way were able to get out of Mexico is that we had color copies of our
passports and the police report. Nonetheless, the experience was very stressful
and traumatic as we were never certain we'd be able to leave until the last
minute.

The irony of our experience is that we religiously used the room safe to store
our valuables until the final evening. We had packed before dinner as we were
leaving early the next morning. Since the restaurant was on the same street as
Casa Dos Bahias (which has a security guard at the entrance), we assumed our
belongings would be safe for an hour in an occupied house; we were wrong.

We contacted the owner, who informed us that he plans to take precautions to
make sure this doesn't occur in the future. He asked that we not post this
Review but we do so that others will be forewarned.

If you stay here, make sure you safeguard your valuables at all times. We will
not return to this property.

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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] bug-ridden and filthy villa

Shockingly filthy! We recently stayedat "Moments Tobago" (VRBO 328066) on our 2nd year anniversary, andwere shocked at the condition of the accommodations. First of all, food andketchup(?) were stuck on several plates, AND we found acockroach in the glasses cupboard, and also a dead one in the pots andpans cupboard. The dishes weren't clean; greasy fingerprints on almost all ofthe dishes, plus there were ants crawling on the kitchen counter and inthe cupboards...
The pool was slimy, green, and cloudy - iactually slipped and fell as I was walking down the steps into the pool - itwas that slimy. We didn't venture back in.
The microwave didn't work, the ovenwas moldy and obviously hadn't been cleaned in awhile, plus thecoffee maker is probably from 1970s - AND dirty.
On our third night, we both started itching andscratching - little red bumps came up, and we were horribly uncomfortable!We're still not sure where this "rash" came from, but we'resuspecting the bedding.
Although we reported the unhealthy status ofMoments Tobago, the owner(s) quite rudely refused any kind of refund. We endedup renting a different villa in Tobago, and had the MOST amazing time! Pleasedo not let this review turn you away from Tobago - definitely the most amazingisland and people! Just find a different place to stay, rather than MomentsTobago.

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Niagara Traveller
Niagara Falls, CA
Mar 23, 2015 3:37 pm EDT

I just stayed there last week and the place was very clean and we saw very few bugs. This was my 12th trip to Tobago and there were fewer bugs of any sort than I have seen at any other place that I have stayed.

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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] seeking refund on bad property/owner won't reply

As one who looks for good in just about everything, I will start with what I liked about VRBO property #110625 at 2199 Calle Conejara, in Palm Springs, California. The property is in a very quiet and peaceful neighborhood, and the kitchen is nicely done, with high-end appliances. Really, that's all the praise I have for this property. We arrived on a Wednesday, began looking for another property on Friday, and moved out on Tuesday.

We had planned to spend five weeks here, but after a few days, we just could not imagine putting up with this property for that long.We arrived in Palm Springs at 1:30 on January 15, but we had been told, in advance, that we couldn't have access to the house until 4:00 that afternoon so that the house could be cleaned. We hung out in the city for 2 1/2 hours, and after the designated time, we entered the property. Perhaps certain aspects of cleaning had happened, but we found that hard surfaces had not been dusted, leftover food from the previous renter was still in the refrigerator, the glass shower doors were covered in dried water spots, and used bars of soap remained in the showers. This just left us with an uncomfortable feeling, wondering what else might not have been cleaned. This was not a good way to start our vacation.

Later that day we discovered tiny black bugs on the kitchen counter and around the frame of the kitchen door (and these bugs made an everyday appearance).

An insect bit my husband's hip the first night we slept there, resulting in a raised welt the size of a dessert plate. I washed all the bedding the next day.

The pool and spa did not look clean. There was a hose dangling in the pool; the property manager told us that there was a leak in the pool, and that we should turn on the water from time to time to fill it. The pool and spa were not cleaned until day five of our stay.

Brooms, ratty pool noodles, and a dog's chew toy were strewn to the side of the house. Too many items were stored in the closets. Paint was peeling from the back of the house.

Sunglasses and used emery boards from previous visitors were in a wicker basket in the kitchen, and used eye shades were in the side table drawers in the master bedroom.

A sliding door that accessed the garage from the back yard could not be locked, which gave us a sense of discomfort and insecurity.

This pet-friendly property came complete with dog poop in the back yard. Disgusting!

The back of the house was in need of some attention evidenced by peeling paint and other issues.The listing said that there were "unobstructed views of the mountains, " and that "each room within the rental yields stunning views of the mountains." This is simply a lie! If you are planning on sitting in the yard and viewing the mountains, forget it. You can see the very top of the mountains if you stand at the back of the yard. It would be necessary to trim the privacy hedges by 6-8 feet to see the mountains from the yard. For a good view of the mountains, it is necessary to stand in the street.

The property was said to come with a 60" plasma screen TV in the living room. We enjoy watching movies in the evening, and this feature appealed to us. However, the TV in the living room was much smaller in size.

There is water damage in the master bathroom behind the baseboards and walls, evidenced by brown water stains, and also behind the shower tiles.

The VRBO description stated that the interior of the home was 1700 square feet. The property looked smaller than that, so I looked up the property online, and found several listings that indicated that the square footage was listed as 1270 finished square feet; another misrepresentation.

A sheet of paper on the kitchen counter included the password for Wi-Fi access, which we appreciated. However, it would have been helpful to us (and to future vacationers, I'm sure) if the owner or manager of this property had put together a notebook of information.

As I said, by the first weekend we began looking for another place to stay. We knew that we ran the risk of losing our rental fee, but we decided to risk it. For the same amount of money, we moved to a large property in a gated community on the 8th hole of a beautiful golf course; the property had an amazing spa and infinity pool, and was beautifully furnished. We could see mountains in all directions.

We made three attempts to contact the owner (two directly, one via VRBO) to explain why we left and to ask for her consideration in giving us a partial refund, but she ignored all three messages. I see that the property has been rented for most of the days we had expected to be there, so she did not lose any money by our leaving; it's a shame that she could not even give us the courtesy of a reply.

This property just doesn't measure up. It is an average house with some deferred maintenance issues. We found those few days at this house to be very stressful due to the issues I mentioned. This property was a disappointment in many ways, and we feel it was not accurately described on the VRBO website. It's bewildering to us that so many people gave the property a 5-star rating on the VRBO website .If you decide to rent at this property, do buy the vacation rental protection. We wish we did. We will never again rent a property sight unseen.

Read full review of Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] and 2 comments
Update by LBfromWI
Mar 01, 2014 12:31 pm EST

After I has submitted this review, I had second thoughts about having done so, and was disappointed to learn that I was unable to retract my comments. This is unfortunate, as I feel very uncomfortable with having reviewed this property as harshly as I did. If you are looking for a quiet retreat, this could be a good choice for you.

Resolved

After reading through our contract, we learned that we were not entitled to a refund. Once we discovered that detail in the contract, we realized that there was no point in pursuing this. Many positive reviews have been posted on this property. Our criticisms still stand.

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Linda Sorem
Garden Grove, US
Aug 28, 2014 5:56 pm EDT

Paid an increased fee for listing my property, but renters can't contact me and the few that get threw I can not respond to them

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VRBO Listing #12476
Sugar Hill, US
Aug 24, 2014 11:53 am EDT
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We were unable to go on our 4th of July 2014 summer vacation - and I contacted High Tide to see if we could get our $1000 deposit back. They had promised we could receive a refund and that it was not a problem. After many emails and correspondence promising that our check would be there soon - we have yet to receive it.

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7:10 pm EDT
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Vacation Rentals By Owner [VRBO] elizabeth lewis

My family and I rented Property #256913 in Edisto Beach, SC through your website, for the week of August 4th-August 10th, 2013. (Daily rental, plus tax: $186.36 for 6 nights = $1118.20, plus a onetime cleaning fee of $125.00 = Total: $1243.20)

Upon arrival, we discovered the home to be unsecured, in addition we encountered the following issues (which were immediately email to the owner): (1) a pet urine puddle on the floor on the porch, (2) the tap water in the home had a foul odor to it, and was undrinkable (an item that was never disclosed by the owner, which caused one member of our family to become violently ill), (3) the ceiling fan in one of the bedrooms was very loose and dangerously close to falling down from the ceiling, (4) the light in the Master Bedroom did not work, (5) the refrigerator/freezer were not on, and (6) the home, in general, was not clean; dust and dust mites on the furniture/floors and the home had a terrible odor to it.

After several email exchanges, the owner agreed to absorb the cost of the one night we spent in the home, and provided us with a breakdown of the refund we would receive in the amount of $631.83 (Total rental, plus tax: $931.83, minus the cancellation fee: $300.00 = $631.83)

By my calculations, if she were absorbing the cost of the one night’s rental, the total rental, plus tax is $1118.20. After subtracting the $300.00 cancellation fee, we should have been offered a refund of $818.20.

I believe we are entitled to a refund for the ENTIRE amount of $1243.20. We did not cancel our reservation. We arrived and found several issues with the rental home. The home was not cleaned prior to our arrival, and statements made by the owner confirm that it was not cleaned after we left.

I ask for your help in resolving this matter and to aide us in receiving a full refund. All communication with the owner is available to confirm all statements that have been made in this dispute.

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Steve Dalby
San Diego, US
Dec 30, 2013 10:55 am EST
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Upon arrival, we discovered the home to be unsecured: Oh My God... The owner left the place unlocked for you... How Thoughtless.

pet urine puddle on the floor on the porch: What? They didn't station someone on the porch with a shotgun, to kill any neighborhood dog who happened along before you got there?

the tap water in the home had a foul odor to it, : This is totally unacceptable... The owner should DEMAND that the city provide better smelling tap water. I mean REALLY... The owner simply MUST man up, and go threaten the city with a temper tantrum if Perrier doesn't flow through the taps by noon tomorrow.
------- (an item that was never disclosed by the owner, which caused one member of our family to become violently ill) : And you are right... Had the owner disclosed the fact that the water in his town is not scented with rose petals at the treatment plant before being piped to his home, your family member would not have had a problem. But because the owner failed to disclose this, your family member not only became ill, but became VIOLENTLY ILL... Thrashing about, knocking things over, puking up blood, and farting farts that make a rotten egg smell like an angels trumpet flower at midnight. A little disclosure goes a long way... and the owners failure to anticipate your discerning olfactory superiority, and demeaning attitude towards municipal water supply standards was a failure of the highest order. He should be hanged... No... He should be Flogged, Shot, and THEN Hanged.

the ceiling fan in one of the bedrooms was very loose and dangerously close to falling down: Oh... This is Awful... One of the screws in one of the fans has loosened over time, like all ceiling fans do. And to make matters worse, someone failed to let the owner know that the screw had loosened before you arrived. Now the darned thing has loosened to the point that the only thing keeping it from falling off the ceiling are the safety hooks that the manufacturer designed into the fixture, to comply with federal law, and YOU can't live with the fact that there is a fan in one of the bedrooms that probably shouldn't be operated until the owner comes out to tighten the screw. How can you possibly enjoy yourself, knowing that one of the fans shouldn't be operated until the owner has been notified, and has had the opportunity to address the problem?

the light in the Master Bedroom did not work: Oh My God... a Light Bulb burned out? How in the world did that happen? It NEVER happens at my house... and if it did, I'd raise a stink about it till someone went to Night School, and took a course in "How to change a light bulb without calling an electrician"

the refrigerator/freezer were not on: Now THAT is just completely unthoughtful. That empty refrigerator/freezer should be left on 24 hours a day, burning up electricity, keeping absolutely nothing cold till the moment you arrive. That On/Off Switch-thermostat should NEVER be touched. It should remain on at all times, and YOU should NEVER have been inconvenienced by having to actually reach inside, and turn it on. That is WRONG... Oh So Very WRONG.

the home, in general, was not clean; dust and dust mites on the furniture/floors and the home had a terrible odor to it. : Wow... Dust AND Dust Mites? I've never actually seen a dust mite, other than in a picture of one, taken through a microscope. You actually SAW these dust mites? THAT is amazing... you've got some very strong eyes... (Either that, or you travel with a microscope, to help you to find things to complain about) That is just awful... To think, someone actually cleaned an entire house after one set of guests had stayed, and didn't have the common sense to turn the "Dust-be-gone" device on to. keep common household dust from actually settling out of the air, as it does everywhere else on earth. AND that terrible odor... That smell of windows and doors being closed for days on end... that is just awful... No... No... Wait... you said Terrible didn't you? Well, that's just terrible... The least they could have done is open all the windows before you arrived, to let fresh air in. And give you the opportunity to complain about all the windows being open, and that disgusting fresh air flowing in along with any rain that might come in before you arrived. Obviously YOU are incapable of opening the windows yourself... you're too busy calculating how long it will take the refrigerator to cool down to operating temperature, once the owner drives out to turn the switch from Off to On.

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