Surf or Sound Realty
reviews and complaints

DON'T RENT! HORRIBLE !

This company does not take responsibility for their properties to ensure they are safe , clean or sanitary . We had a long list of things including BLACK MOLD everywhere , broken pool gate , broken hot tub, CEILING falling in, lights broken, scum and pests around grill and hot tub, broken knobs in showers/lights/chairs/cabinets/doors, steps to beach were broken, railings on top deck rotting and unsafe. Also stated a pull out couch for sleeping count which wasn't there (FALSE ADVERTISING!) so we had 2 family members without beds!

Do not spend your money here . They post photos of inaccurate home conditions and then tell you to stay when you find out the "real" home condition and promise to refund you. We were offered a $100 refund after paying near $17,000 for the week ! What a joke! Owner takes 0 responsibility . He stated in an email that the home was in "impeccable condition". This was the "PRINCE OF TIDES" home in Hatteras Island NC . DO NOT RENT!

If you join the Facebook group "PURE OBX" you can hear of more customers who had similar experiences with Surf or Sound. They do not care they will take your money with 0 accountability . . They ruined our family trip.

I've been trying to get ahold of someone from Surf or Sound since April 30th but their mailboxes are full and they won't return calls or emails. We were unable to go on our trip because the island was closed. Surf or Sound has our money and we cannot get it back! Beware!

I wish I could leave no stars. Due to COVID-19 at first they refused to refund guests and now they say they are but they will not assist you unless you want to transfer your week. Every time I have called the information has changed and now they have resorted to hanging up on anyone who calls for a refund. Rude, inconsiderate, and shady.

Absolutely the worst company ever to deal with. The County our house is in has (Dare) closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Called try to reschedule, "NOPE"... Try to get refund, "Call the travel insurance company" Even if you have travel insurance, the company isn't covering this "emergency". No compassion, absolutley horrible customer service and at the end of the day, no compassion. If you're looking for a house in the OBX, use someone else!

Horrible. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, we were unable to make the trip to NC for our vacation in late May. We politely asked for a refund, but were met with a rude response. In most circumstances, I understand they can't or shouldn't give refunds, but they are well aware of what is going on in this country. I told them of the issues we were facing due to Covid, and they told us that is our problem. Everyone else I know is getting refunds for their vacations right now, but they are keeping our $2000.00, and we are out. Thanks for taking advantage of us, Surf or Sound.

Our family rented a house from Surf and Sound summer 2020. The house was never cleaned properly. The floors were so dirty that our feet were black. There was urine on the bathroom floors. There were ants in the kitchen. My daughter and one year old grandson got cuts from glass on the floor. We called to report all of this and were told we would hear back from the manger. We have never heard back even after a second call. There was a cleaning fee included in the rent which is obviously a joke! Based on our experience this year we will never rent from Surf and Sound again. If you use them to manage your property you need to know how poorly they manage their properties and how this will negatively affect people renting your home.

We have been surf or sound renters for over 10 years but never again. We have a rental booked for June but due to the current situation and the health of several of our guests we wanted to cancel or change our reservation. Many attempts were made to contact sos through emails and phone calls. Emails were ignored and phone calls were dropped after being on hold for over 30 minutes. During these uncertain times this is NOT how you treat your customers. It's sad that they are willing to risk the safety and health of their guests instead of working with us to reschedule or refund our money. We now feel forced to travel against our better judgement or lose $5500, which we just can't do. I had hoped during these unprecedented times the rental company would offer some leniency on their cancellation policy, but it's all about the money.

A large group of my friends and I 10 and all were planning to rent a house from this organization on May 9th. we all stayed with the organization before and it had good experiences in the past, however much like many other complaints I'm seeing on the ComplaintsBoard.com, our experience was much the same. we paid in good faith at the direction of the organization who said that we would be given refunds if our leases were paid in full. The state was not allowing people to go to Hatteras island during the week of our intended vacation dates. We requested refunds and the cancellation in writing in advance of the intended date based off of this information. surforsound then changed their policy and are indicating that they are not going to provide a refund but instead want us to push our reservation until next year or some other date rather than giving the cash refund that they promised us.

Much like all the other reviewers we were screwed by Surf or Sound Realty. Promising a full refund, "don't file for the insurance we will be there", THEY WENT AGAINST EVERYTHING DECENT and two months later said we changed our minds. Instead they offered some weak plan for us to get a credit for the fall rental knowing full well that there is no chance we could take advantage of that due to the extra demand. My questions for you Surf or Sound: Where did all that rental money go from the hundreds of renters who didn't get to stay? It is wrong to take money and not provide a service. Shame on you! The closure of the island was not anybodys fault, YOU KEEPING THE MONEY FOR NO SERVICE OR GOODS IS SHAMEFULL! I wish they had a zero for exactly this reason. But the ComplaintsBoard.com and the various NC overseers have a zero score, and its Surf or Sound Realty. *UPDATEINSURANCE COMPANY SOLD BY SSR DECLINED THE CLAIM DUE TO "THE ROADS BEING CLOSED" Nice.

Last week, was supposed to be our week stay in Salvo. Due to complications from the Covid 19 situation, most of our party were unable to go. Prior to the Covid situation, Surf or Sound said they would either refund or issue a credit to be used for future rentals. The county opened up the Outer Banks, 1 week prior to our visit. Surf or Sound immediately went back to their old cancellation policy, stating the reservation will be canceled and put into a sublease. If they cant rent it , I would be liable for the full rental amount. If they do, I would be refunded what ever they rented it for, less a $200 cancellation fee. 3 emails were sent to ask the status of our reservation. NONE were answered, so I have no idea if the property was rented, not rented, or if they even bothered to attempt to rent it. All I know is I am out $2400, and Surf or Sound Reality lost a customer, who used them over the past 15 years, for life. A B+ rating from the ComplaintsBoard.com says it all.

Unfortunately I can't give them no stars. Horrible customer service, not answering phones or emails. I rented a house and got the insurance in September, made the final payment in January then the corona virus. My state was on a stay at home order since March 23, then NC went on theirs and closed the island to visitors. According to this company they were going week to week with refunds and would be in contact before the week you were supposed to check in. I was proactive because I understand how these things can work, we were supposed to check in on April 18th on April 2nd I sent them an email stating that we would jut like a refund especially due to my wheelchair bound mother and I both being in the high risk category. After numerous emails trying to get us to change to a different week they finally said they noted that we were to receive a refund. The last email they responded to was on April 17th, I have sent other emails asking about the refund on May 6th and then again today May 28. I have yet to receive a response. I already filed a complaint with the NC Real Estate Commission, as they are the group that said that the realty companies had to give us a refund.

Surf or Sound Realty is absolutely the worst company I have ever done business with. I had a vacation home rented since the beginning of January for the dates of May 9th - May 16th. I also purchased travel insurance from Red Sky Insurance through Surf or Sound Realty. Red Sky is also as crooked as a back county road! Because of Covid-19, the island was closed to ALL non-resident travelers. Surf or Sound sent an email stating they would be refunding everyone's money at the end of their agreed upon rental week. Then, weeks later, they sent another email stating there would be NO REFUNDS for anyone that rented between 4/4-5/16. Calls and emails went unanswered and left us no choice but to seek legal representation to reclaim our monies. Numerous people have joined the group, as the loss of monies ranges anywhere from $1200 to an excess of $5000! This is unacceptable! Something needs to be done about this businesses business practices. I, and MANY others have filed complaints with the NCREC, AG, FTC, our banks, as well as other agencies. We are tired of being scammed by Surf or Sound Realty. Your help as the ComplaintsBoard.com would be certainly appreciated.

Thank you,
Randall P.
*** xx

We will NEVER book with this company again! We had a spring break plannned (April 4-11), but due to Covid 19, the whole county shut down ---no visitors. When we first asked if we could work something out (change weeks, refund, even a partial refund) the answer was NO! We asked if they would call the owners and appeal to their humanity---as this is a WORLD WIDE PANDEMIC----their response was a very curt, rude----'we are NOT calling the owners'. A couple weeks later theNC Real Estate Commision decreed that all renters are eligible for a refund due to these circumstances. ONLY THEN did the company state that they would issue refunds---but not even look at them until the last day of your scheduled stay (even though everyone knew the county would NOT be opening by early April). Our last day was APRIL 11---and it is now MAY 14---and STILL NO REFUND! The best part is that the company is not even taking calls from customers regarding the status of their refund. I completely understand that this company has a lot of refunds to process, but, this is ridiculous. This company was very TIMELY when TAKING OUR MONEY out of our account, but not refunding it. Then after reading the posted reviews, I am actually glad that this company will not get our business, and have lost so much...karma is a ... And I only left a 1 STAR review because 0 was not an option.

I would give ZERO stars if it was a choice! We stayed at a house on Ocean Spray Road (called Solare), managed by Surf and Sound for our recent family vacation. Our first indication should have been the tall weeds/grass which hadn't been cut in a while (someone did come mid-week and cut while we were there). When we first walked the front door it smelled musky. The house itself was nice and large enough for our family BUT it was filthy! My brother's feet were black after only a few minutes of walking barefoot on the floors. The kitchen appliances had fingerprints and places where food dripped on them. The countertops hadn't been wiped down. The cabinets had crumbs and dust in them and obviously were never wiped out. There was a bowl under the kitchen sink filled with water from an apparent leak. We literally had to clean the kitchen prior to unloading our items! The carpet under the dining room table, which was supposed to be a tannish color was black and stained. The floor in the basement/lower level had sand throughout. Several of the bathrooms had "pubs" on the toilet seats even though they had "sanitized" strips across them. The garage door was broken and we had to lift it manually to get in and out. The outside showers didn't work, no water. The skimmers on the pool did not work and there weren't any chemicals in the pool or hot tub (the floating dispenser for the chlorine tabs in the hot tub was empty). We were told that someone would be out to clean the pool and hot tub 2 times during our week due to COVID, that didn't happen! We called Surf and Sound 3 times to address the outside showers, the kitchen sink, the pool and the hot tub. They sent a "handy man" who was very nice but wasn't able to address any of the issues. He indicated we needed to wait for a plumber and the pool company. We came back to the house on Tuesday afternoon and the outside hose was in the pool, with the water running and pool almost overflowing...NO ONE ELSE WAS AROUND and no on came back to check on the hose either! Not sure how long it had been running. They pointed the pool jets up so we would think they fixed the issue but the skimmers still weren't working and chemicals had not been added to either! We called Surf and Sound AGAIN, let several messages and NEVER heard back from anyone before we left on Saturday! The pool was basically just stagnant water with the skimmers not circulating it and all the bugs and such just stayed on top of the water. We had kids with us and would have loved to use the pool but not like it was! I hope the owners of this property see this rating and realize that their property isn't being taken care of! We will NEVER deal with Surf and Sound again! And will be telling all our friends as well! They are a horrible management company, unprofessional, unresponsive and only worried about getting their money!

This company has the worst business practices of any one I have ever done business with. On 3/6 I reserved a home for a family vacation - 2 elderly parents, my sibling and me, and 3 kids. The week rental fee was paid in full upon reservation. We read the lease and understood. We paid in good faith fully expecting to take the family trip together. On 3/16 when it became clear the pandemic was worse than initially reported, I reached out and inquired about cancellation. They declined, and I responded advising this was an unprecedented time and noted my parents are both 73 and my father has stage 4 lung cancer (inoperable) and myself being a cancer survivor with autoimmune challenges. No response. On 3/21 they sent an email stating they changed their lease to indicate refunds would be sent to people based on travel restrictions to Dare County only and the money would only be disbursed after the scheduled vacation time. I replied advising this wasn't reasonable considering people are traveling and the restrictions in their home state and those in between had to also be considered. No response. On 4/20 I sent another email requesting the rental be canceled and our money refunded. The only response received was they were working with reduced staff and currently working on processing refunds for those with rentals scheduled 03/21 - 03/28. On 5/6 I received an announcement from the company that the area is opening for business. I responded advising my family not only wouldn't be traveling but we cannot travel considering the state of GA is still under shelter in place orders for those in the high risk category until 06/12. Their response was if I wanted to cancel they would attempt to sublease the home and I needed to send a written request to the accounting department. (Keep in mind this is their first time giving this instruction although I have stated my intent to cancel since March - in writing.) I would understand if they wanted to keep some processing fee for the cancellation. But to simply state that the area is open for business and they will not refund the $7K paid to them in good faith is unethical. It is unreasonable to expect people to travel in the current conditions of this pandemic when there are 3 people at high risk - one critically at risk. Quite frankly my father would likely die if he caught the virus considering his age, rheumatoid arthritis affecting his immune system on top of living with inoperable stage 4 lung cancer. We are a black family and reports are wide known that our ethnic demographic is even higher at risk. I've been requesting cancellation and a refund since March 16. The company should have canceled it at that time and considering this is something outside of anything any of us has ever known, refunded the money as requested. And that is what we still request. A full refund that should be issued regardless of their ability to rent the home to someone else.

As a small business owner in VA, I have never been so disappointed with the lack of understanding and willing to work with customers than with Surf or Sound Realty. Due to COVID19 we had to pause all operations with our own company and cut expenses drastically. We decided to cancel our end of June beach vacation as of April, giving plenty of notice. My hope was to be refunded for the 2 payments we had made based on the extenuating circumstances and travel restrictions. Their policy is that the property must be booked again and paid for another party in order to be refunded at all, less the travel insurance fee and service fee. Under normal circumstances, we were understanding of this policy. However, due to COVID19 shutting business down and creating severe strain on the economy, I was hoping there would be an addendum made to this policy. Especially since so many other institutions are willing to work with customers. The second conflict came when I checked the house again on their website, less than 48 hours after canceling, to ensure it was re-listed as available. To my shock, the house was discounted $1K. Again, as a reasonable person, I would understand this move if it was a last minute cancellation and this was the company's way of offering an incentive to ensure it booked. However, it was not last minute at all being 2 months out and less than 48 hours after cancellation. I immediately contacted accounting and was told that if the house was re-booked I would only be refunded up to the new listed price, not my full amount, meaning the company keeps the difference. Surf or Sound still gets their bottom line, no matter what. Second, if the house did not book again, I would still be responsible for paying the remaining balance of the full original price. My first line of communication was with Donna in accounting. After telling me there is nothing she could do, she finally, and reluctantly passed me along to Linda, the head of accounting. I clearly explained to Linda three scenarios that would be satisfactory to our family as well as the severity of our financial situation. I requested either- 1- We are refunded now what we've paid into the rental, regardless of the house being re-booked. 2- If the house is re-booked, we be refunded our total amount paid regardless of the current discount advertised. 3- If the house is not re-booked, leaving us still responsible for the remaining balance, we would pay up to the new advertised price, not the full original price. Initially, Linda was understanding and told me she would have the owner of the company contact me or the VP of marketing. To date, neither have contacted me and Linda has stopped answering and returning my calls. I will continue to leave messages daily until this is resolved or until they respond to our attorney's actions. This company has been nothing but greedy and deceitful during this process. As of now, I am in contact with our local attorney. Again, as a business owner myself, this is not how business should ever be done. Communication, cooperation, compassion and compromise is key in times like these.

We rented a house for the week of 4/4-4/11. We still have not received our refund, nor do we have a time frame as to when we may expect it. We had a reservation for 4/4-4/11 (reservations number XXXXXX). I personally reached out to Surf or Sound as soon as Dare County ceased allowing visitors. I was assured that they would be in contact if Dare County did not reopen, and to not cancel our reservation. Their reasoning for not wanting us to cancel was they felt the situation could possibly change, and there was no harm in waiting as they had a process in place to refund. I received a call the week of 4/1 asking if we wanted to move our reservation at which point I informed the individual that we did not and would like a refund. I was informed we would be contacted or our refund would be automatically processed three days after the point of which we would have checked out. I then spoke with Brenda on 4/13 who advised the refund would occur by 4/17. I then spoke with Jeff on 4/21 who advised he saw that is was with the accounting department. I then sent an email on 4/29 as we still have not received our refund, nor are we able to speak to anyone. Now we are over a month past when we would have checked out. We still have not heard from anyone associated with Surf or Sound Realty. I have tried contacting them numerous times, only now you receive an automated message which then disconnects the line. We still have not received our refund. In looking online, there are other who had reservations after us that have received their refund.

Surf or Sound Reality has not issued a refund for a trip where a refund was assured. After contacting them, it has been almost a month with no refund. According to the company's return policy, all trips that were schedules during the Dare County's travel ban would be refunded or patrons can reschedule their time for later in the year. I opted for the refund option as I cannot attend any other time. The company noted that the return would be processed after the initail trip's final date. Reservation Number: 320205 Trip Start Date: April 12 Trip End Date: April 19 After contacting the business via phone and email several times, I was assured that the refund would process after the April 19th date. Now, when calling, I am sent to an automated message with no ability to leave a voicemail. After sending messages via social media, I am receving an automated message that I see other people have been receiving. Upon further research, I have found inconsistencies with their refund process. There have been people with later reservations that have received their refund before I have. First Contact - March 31 via phone to inquire about the refund process. I was told refund would be processed by April 19. Next Contact - April 21 via phone - I was told refunds were behind due to short staffing. Next Contact - May 1 via phone - Automated message, no response. Next Contact - May 11 - Automated message, no response. Next Contact - May 12 - Email, automated reply, no personal response Next Contact - May 12 - Facebook Message, automated response, no personal reply.

Even though NC has lifted the travel ban, the military is banned until June 30th. S or S realty refuses to give us a credit or refund despite the ban Despite NC lifting the travel restrictions/ban in the state, the United States military through direction of the Pentagon is still on a travel ban through June 30th. We have tried on multiple occasions to get our vacation that is planned for the first week in June moved (not refunded, although we would take a refund if they would not let us move our vacation). We were told that vacationers that had planned to visit the area from April until May 15th would get a reimbursement or a travel credit because of the national travel ban. For some reason that same courtesy has not been extended to active duty military members who are banned from traveling outside their immediate duty station. The only advice the reality company has offered is, "we are confident the military travel ban will be revoked prior to June 30th." If we wanted, we could try to sublease our vacation and lose our $200 deposit. Of course doing that and hoping to get someone to take our vacation about two weeks seems very slim to me knowing we are in a national crisis which means a total loss of the entire rent/lease. Surf and Sound apparently does not respect the guidance from the military enough to work with myself to help coordinate our vacation at a later date (even if that means giving us a credit for 2021). I would not recommend this company to anyone trying to plan as they have stonewalled us at every avenue and only are interested in our money; not our ability to have a dream vacation or helping military members out during this crisis for things that are out of their control.

I rented a beach house from April 5th to April 12th. Due to County closure from the Pandemic, I was promised a refund. It has not been refunded. I rented Sea Sprite (house #833) located at XXXXX Xth *** from Surf or Sound Realty from April 5th to April 12th. Dare County was closed to travel due to the Pandemic during our stay. April 3rd: I was contacted by phone by Surf or Sound Realty and asked if I wanted a refund or to re-book for this year. I asked if I could apply it to 2021 and they said no. I then requested a refund. They said they would process it once our reservation ended on the 12th and the travel restrictions haven't been lifted. April 20th: I called Surf or Sound to ask about the refund since I hadn't received it yet. They said they were busy and working with reduced staff. They said it was a very complicated refund that takes a lot of time to process. They were working on refunds from the week before our rental date and they would process ours the following week. May 6th: I called Surf or Sound three times. I was not able to speak to a person. One option I dialed said to e-mail instead. Another option said "Sorry, we are busy. Have a nice day." and hung up on you. A third option, someone picked up, then hung up on me. May 6th: Since I could not get through to anyone by phone, I e-mailed Surf or Sound asking about the status of the refund. So far, there has been no response to this e-mail. May 11th: I tried calling again three times. Same thing as before. One option said e-mail us instead. Another option said "We are busy. Have a nice day". The third time, I was able to leave a voicemail this time at 10:33 am asking for a response either a phone call or by e-mail. They have not responded.

With COVID 19 we were not able to use our vacation home. after 60 days I still have no refund, no email response, and cannot get a return phone call My vacation was booked about 6 months in advance. The trip was scheduled for April11. Due to visitor restrictions put in place in march we were unable to use our trip. The company refused to refund at first then stated they would be refunding the monies the week after the trip. The initial person reported within 3 days. the second person reported within a week. After an additional 45 days I have no response to any emails, no updates, and no phone call response. The voicemail of the accounting area is full. I did speak to a representative from the company today who is available for new bookings. She reports she has no information on refunds. I asked if someone else could provide this and she reported no "if they stopped to answer everyone's emails or phone calls they would never get done with the refunds." This is ridiculous. I would NEVER recommend that anyone rent from this company. I love the outer banks and plan to continue to vacation there but I will not ever book through this company again. They have no respect for their customers. The responses have been less than poor. There could have at the minimum been an email to state the time frame of refunds instead of basically no response. I can see from the number of voicemails and other complaints online that I am not alone in this frustration. I hope that with the complaints of the customers that continue to support the outer banks something can be done to push this company. The fact that they are holding monies that are owed to people is not acceptable, and will impact the customers who consider returning to the OBX in the future.

Verbally promised we would have a refund for sub-leasing our house. It's been 3 1/2 weeks and they haven't communicated or refunded. I have called Surf or Sound over 20 times in the last 3 and a half weeks. We were not able to make our week in the Outer Banks as the wedding we were supposed to attend was no longer accepting guests due to Covid-19. Two weeks prior to our arrival, we contacted and agreed to cancel and attempt a sub-lease. Within days, our house was sub-leased and they had received a full payment from the new renters, as we were guaranteed verbally over the phone. We were told accounting was backed up and it would take a week or so to receive a refund. We were also guaranteed on multiple occasions to receive an email stating it had been subleased and a refund would be coming. I have yet to receive any of those emails, and have been guaranteed over 5 times. After a week and a half had passed, I began to call again and have not been able to talk to any person. I have left multiple voicemails asking for at least a phone call back informing me the timeline of the refund. It has now been two weeks past when it was our week to be there, the renters who sub-leased from us have paid and are gone, and we still have had no refund, no call back, and no email. The customer service has been atrocious as everything we've been verbally promised has yet to happen. I were told we would not get $200 back for convenience fee, but after the circumstances we've been put through, I want a full refund. I have been kind and patient, understanding that Covid-19 has made circumstances more complicated but this has gotten ridiculous. I did make them aware in my last voicemail that if a call was not returned I would be filing a formal complaint. The total amount needed for refunding is $1,424.17.

The Hatteras Island was closed during our stay and Surf or Sound Realty will not refund our money for the vacation. We were scheduled to come stay at Whimseagull Waves house at the Hatteras Islands on Saturday April 11th-April 18. Because of the pandemic going on right now in the country, Hatteras Island closed to our visitors. We had no option to go on our vacation. We called Surf or Sound Realty to ask for our refund and they said they were short staffed due to the pandemic and would be getting our refund out in the next couple weeks. This went on for the next couple weeks. Us calling them and asking the status and them telling us we are trying to go thru emails, etc. and get your refund back as soon as they can. But they had no plan or couldn't tell us how, what was the process that they were taking etc. to get peoples refunds back. In just the last week of May with still no answer on how or when we would get our refund back...I called emailed, left messages. No one would return any calls or emails or commute with us and on the status of our refund. On Friday May 29th they sent out an aburpt email saying we are not refunding you. They said this wasn't there fault and they weren't giving us any money back. We were shocked. They said we could schedule a different time to come down and that was it. We paid in 3 installments.490.15, 421.15, and 1,254.41. Our total including home fee, protection plan tax, and pet fee was 2,165.71. I am attaching the receipt and email they sent to us below. With all the awful things going on in the world today and for these people to treat renters so poorly and not refund them (their hard earned money) is beyond terrible. I work very hard for every dime I make and for them to just take our money is incomprehensible to me. We are not able to reschedule at a different time to come down and just want to be paid our money back for a vacation that we had no choice about being cancelled.

Promised a refund in email from Covid-related cancellation for 4/11/4/20. Company reversed refund on 5/29. I reserved "A Beach Life" house through VRBO reservation #XXXXXXX. After reserving I was called by Surf or Sound to complete my reservation. I did online contract with them. I paid in full $1076.76 by credit card on 10/28. The house was reserved for 4/11/4/20. On 3/14 I emailed the home owners and was referred to Donna at SOS. Donna and I spoke back and forth via email as I wished to cancel the house. The 3 guests staying in the house are DCPS teachers and our spring break was cancelled to start distance teaching. Furthermore, the OBX island was closed to guests so we were legally unable to attend. Donna recommended we wait a bit and we did. On 4/3 SOS sent me an email that they did not anticipate OBX opening back up (it did not), so I could either request a refund of put my money in credit to a future trip. I requested a refund via phone. I confirmed this via email on 4/8 and SOS replied and confirmed I was marked for a refund. I would receive in on 4/18, the last day of my planned stay. I did not receive it. On 4/29 I followed up by email to SOS to inquire. They replied on 4/30 and said they were backlogged 2-3 weeks but that my refund was coming. On 5/29, a full month later, they emailed me that I am no longer able to receive a refund and must apply my balance to another house in 2020 or 2021. My teaching district has yet to release a school schedule so I have no idea when I could possibly plan another trip. Furthermore, SOS recognized that this goes against the recommendations for rentals in OBX to reward cash refunds for rentals in the period in which the island was legally closed to guests. I tried to call and they were non responsive. I noted on *** and *** that many, many guests are unable to get through via phone and are not getting callbacks from voicemails. I also noted no responses to emails, either.

We were NOT permitted to enter Dare County due to the "STAY AT HOME" order by Gov. *** and local Dare County Officials. I should be refunded! I had reservations through Surf or Sound Reality for the week of May 9 through May 16. When the entire country began shutting down, I called Surf or Sound and asked them what is going to happen with the first half of the money I had put down *** for our reservation. They told me if I bought the travel insurance I would be covered. I purchased the insurance in the amount of *** When I asked what do about the 2nd payment due in April they said that I had to pay the 2nd payment *** or else I would be in violation of the lease. And they would refund me if we weren't able to go.So I made my scheduled payment April 7. After purchasing the insurance they called me to tell me that the insurance would not cover repayment due to COVID-19 pandemic. Weeks prior to our scheduled vacation my husband called and spoke to *** from Surf or Sound and asked what our options were regarding our vacation since the stay at home order was still effective during the week of our stay. He asked if we could have a refund because we were not able to plan for another week this year or in 2021. She stated they would issue a refund. On May 6th I received an email regarding my options for my cancelled reservation. I responded that I would like a refund because I was not able to plan another trip for a different date. I did not receive any email from them regarding my request. I tried emailing them and calling them multiple times and again there was no response on their end. I received an email Friday, May 29 that they will not be issuing any refunds. We were NOT permitted to enter Dare County due to the "STAY AT HOME" order by Gov. Roy Cooper and local Dare County Officials. Due to this order, I was unable to access the rental property and I feel that a refund should be issued.

Surf or Sound Realty has failed to provide a refund of $901.88 for a vacation rental during April 4-11, 2020, as previously agreed upon. On February 21 I entered into a rental agreement with Surf or Sound Realty (SoS) for a vacation rental during April 4-11, 2020. Having purchased rental insurance and provided payment in full, the debit posted to my bank account on February 24. The following dates outline the activities transpired in the time since then. March 17 - received email from SoS instructing patrons to file a claim or purchase insurance to cover their rental for future pandemic closures due to Dare County closed to all visitors. March 19 - Contacted SoS regarding email received.Was instructed that a cancellation on my part at this point would be penalized as the visitor restriction could be removed prior to my rental dates. Was instructed to file a claim with xxx xxx Insurance. I filed a claim with Red Sky. March 20 SoS posted on their business FaceBook page that the were honoring all rentals with a refund if the island is closed during the rental dates. March 31 - Red Sky Insurance denied our claim as the the pandemic was not a valid reason for refund as the island was open to resident owners. March 31 - Contacted SoS via phone to express my concern for xxx xxx's denial. I was informed by Donna that SoS would honor the refund as long as the closure tool place for the duration of our rental dates. I was informed that someone from the accounting department would contact us the week after our schedule stay. April 4-11 - Dates of rental; however, Dare County closed to visitors. April 13 - Contacted SoS via phone - Was informed refunds would be processed and I would receive a call from someone in accounting, The accounting office was closed at the time of my call; however I was told a note would be made on my account and they would call back. April 23 - Contacted SoS regarding refund. Was forwarded to voicemail and disconnected. April 28 - Contacted SoS regarding refund. Prompts provided general recording regarding unable to provide speicifc information regarding individual refunds. May 12 Contacted SoS regarding refund. Prompts provided general recording regarding unable to provide speicifc information regarding individual refunds.

My reservation for week of 4/18/25, canceled due to travel restrictions, has not been refunded and they keep giving me excuses, but unreachable. I booked a beachhouse reservation through this company in December , for the week of 4/18/25 and paid in full by March for $4154.68. This payment also included payment for insurance, which I never received any documentation or anything about the insurance I purchased. When the Covid issues began, I contacted them in March to inquire about the status of reservation, and at that time they told me that they were not doing anything until the week of the actual reservation, where they would see the status of travel restrictions and go from there. On April 6, I contacted them again, as it was clear we would not be able to go (I am from Vermont). Since then, it has been back and forth emails of avoidance, telling me they have no staff, and that they would be in touch with me during the week of my reservation. That never happened. I have a total of 12 emails that I have written (most recent May 13), with the last 4 having no response at all and they do not pick up the telephone. The last email I sent stated that if I hadn't heard back from them by week's end, I would be notifying you (ComplaintsBoard.com) and making a complaint, as well as my credit card company, and attorney. No response. Then I found a facebook page that was created for all of the people who are dealing with this exact same issue, and running into the same problems, so I decided to report right away instead of waiting until tomorrow. I do not want to rebook my reservation, I want my money refunded in full...including the insurance portion as I don't truly have insurance based on the fact they never sent me any documentation of this. However, I paid and extra $300 for this nonexistent insurance. Either way, my money should be refunded immediately. Their lack of cooperation and willingness with helping their customers during this unprecedented time is completely unacceptable. They don't respond, and the few times they did, it was with unreasonable excuses. I am very much afraid that they are not going to refund my money and the whole thing seems very fishy to me as to why it has been so difficult to communicate and get our money back. My reservation number with them is #XXXXXX for a house named #415-The Oasis.

I am filing a complaint about the unethical business practices Surf or Sound Realty not fulfilling the terms of their revised cancellation policy. On 2/6 I reserved a home from Surf or Sound realty in North Carolina for a family vacation. The week rental fee was paid in full in the amount of *** This was for a vacation rental with an arrival date on April 04 through April 11 for Reservation #XXXXXX for *** We signed the lease and fully understood the terms and conditions provided at this time. We paid in good faith fully expecting to take the family trip together. On 3/17 Dare County, NC advised that they were blocking ALL visitor access to the Outer Banks as of 3/17 at 2 pm due to COVID 19. On 3/20 Surf or Sound posted to their Facebook page that they were changing their rental policy - that they would provide a full refund or a credit towards a future reservation if the travel restriction was not lifted. They also posted this information on their website that they would be reaching out to renters individually and that refunds would be dispersed after your scheduled travel week had commenced. Below is a log of all my attempts to secure my refund from Surf or Sound Realty: March 31st 3:39pm - called saying we would like a refund instead of the optional credit for a future reservation. April 16th 11:16am - called seeking update on refund, said they are short staffed, wrote note in file. April 22nd 9:57am - called seeking update on refund - they are behind should be to our week within a couple of weeks. April 23rd 11:34am - called seeking update on refund - they are behind on issuing refunds due to only one employee. April 30th 1:59 pm - spoke with Surf or Sound - they are still working on the refund. The accounting department is short staffed they should be to my week now. May 6th 12:19 pm - called seeking update on refund, still no progress made should be to our week next. May 13th 2:09 pm - called to ask for an update, still working on back log - wrote a note in the file May 18th 4:40pm - Spoke again, apologized again saying how they are so far behind, but that they are getting more people back to help. Wrote a note in my file. Today 5/29 - Surf or Sound Realty sent out an email advising that they were no longer issuing refunds, even though we have been told a refund would be issued for almost 2 months! I am also attaching the directive from Mr. Jeffery *** chairman of North Carolina Real Estate Commission - which ruled that all tenants' monies should be refunded.

Access to the rental home I reserved was not provided due to official travel restrictions. Company promised a refund but is now refusing to do so. Reservation Date: April 25 - May 2 Reservation Conf. #: XXXXXX Payment Amount: *** Payment Method: Check Through Surf or Sound, I reserved a vacation home in Avon, NC, for the week of April 25 - May 2. Prior to the start date, officials in Dare County (of which Avon is a part) issued a travel restriction effective 2pm March 17. (See Exh. A.) According to the travel restriction, "no visitors *** be allowed access" past checkpoints set up to enforce the restriction. In response to Dare County's travel restriction, the North *** issued a determination that "when access to the rental property cannot provided, we find that *** requires that the landlord and broker refund all monies paid by the tenant." (See Exh. B.) Consistent with the NC *** determination (above), Surf or Sound advertised on its website that refunds would be available to travelers for whom the travel restriction was not lifted during the stay. (See Exh. C.) Additionally, Surf or Sound has provided written responses to *** indicating that refunds are available "if the travel restriction issued by Dare County on March 17 is not lifted prior to the end of the guest's scheduled lease term with Surf or Sound." (See Exh. D.) As the travel restriction was still in place prior to the start date of my reservation, I contacted Surf or Sound by telephone and requested that a refund be issued. I was informed that the refund request was noted on my account. I was also assured that, if the travel restriction was not lifted prior to the last day of my reservation, I would receive the refund. Surf or Sound indicated that it was still processing refunds from March, and that my refund would be delayed but would nevertheless be processed. I also provided Surf or Sound with a written request for refund, which was acknowledged. (See Exh. E.) Dare County lifted its travel restriction May 16, which was 2 weeks after the last day of my reservation. (See Exh. F.) Today, Surf or Sound sent an email indicating that cash refunds would not be given for travelers who were forbidden from traveling to the vacation home due to the Dare County travel restriction. (See Exh. G.) This email contradicts (1) Surf or Sound's prior agreements (both oral and written) with me to issue a refund; (2) Surf or Sound's public announcement on its website that refunds would be available to visitors for whom the travel restriction was not lifted during their reservation (Exh. C); (3) Surf or Sound's written responses to other *** complaints (Exh. D); and (4) the North *** Commission's determination that refunds are owed when landlords could not provide access to the rental property (Exh. B). I called Surf or Sound today to resolve this dispute, but I could not reach anyone. I kindly request the refund which has been promised to me (and which is statutorily owed to me), and upon which I relied in making other plans.

Surf or Sound refuses to refund *** for rental paid in full for 5/9/5/2020. Unable to access unit and attempted to cancel. Regarding reservation #XXXXXX. I rented a beach house through Surf or Sound Realty, making my down payment in December (reservation confirmation and receipt attached). On 3/17 Dare County imposed restricted travel due to Covid 19. On 3/20 Surf or Sound posted on their *** page that they would be offering full refunds if the travel restriction prohibited renters from reaching their destination. This post has since been taken down from their *** page, but is attached. Over the next few weeks, I attempted to call the SoS office and 1) either it went to voicemail, or 2) there was not an option to leave a message. These options were and still are ever changing. When there was an option to leave a message, I did so, stating I wanted to cancel my reservation, but no one ever returned my call. I am a front line ER Nurse and knew my travel would be restricted due to work, so I started the cancellation process early on, in March. Numerous times during March and April *** made posts on their website, which then came to me via generic email, that they were offering rebooking or complete refunds. The asked that we be patient as they were working through this process week by week. On 4/10 I finally received a personal answer to my email from a Deb *** that I have been informed now no longer works for *** The email responded to my request to cancel with this "Shortly before your scheduled arrival you will get a phone call from us to offer a refund or option to reschedule with a credit (as long as all your payments have been made). If you have any more questions, please feel free to try us back or reply to this email." Up until this day, all my payments had been made, except the final one. Ironically, they charged my final payment to my credit card that very day, as scheduled. This made my account paid in full to the tune of *** I trusted the generic emails saying they were backlogged and working with limited staff and could we just be patient with them as they worked through things. I also trusted the personal email from Deb *** that I would get a call offering refund shortly before my trip. I never received a call and continued to try to contact them via phone and email, with no response. I have attached numerous emails. On May 29th once again a generic email came out from SoS stating "After much consideration" they were not refunding money for people booked 4/4/5. The only option was to rebook for specific time frames they made available. They gave a deadline of 6/19 for us to rebook of the offer goes away and they keep our money. THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE for me to do for numerous reasons. I have proof that this did not apply for all renters and some people who were booked during that six week time frame WERE refunded (see attached check from renter week of 4/11). How can this company pick and choose who they refund to? How can they withhold our refunds? Their attorney, in a letter to homeowners stated revenue from these 6 weeks adds up to just under *** This is fraudulent, unethical and very disturbing. The *** has advised SoS to refund our money. Something needs done to resolve this for those of us who are collaboratively out that

Our vacation rental was cancelled by Surf or Sound during Covid 19 crises and company will not reimburse us. On 12/26, my wife , Becky ***, booked Wa-Hoo Hatteras #866 (reservation # XXXXXX) vacation house through Surf or Sound Realty. Check *** was sent to Surf or Sound Realty on 12/27 and it cleared our account at xxxxx *** xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx on 1/3. The rental was for the week of 4/4-4/11. Sometime in March Dare County closed access to Hatteras Island, which the rental house was located on, to all but residents due to Covid 19 crises. On April 2 Becky received a voice mail from Jeff at Surf or Sound Realty on Hatteras Island, stating that we could not rent the house the week of 4/4 due to travel restrictions which were still in place. He wanted to know how we wanted to proceed. Of the two options he gave us we chose the option of receiving our money back which he stated their reimbursement process would begin on 4/13/ or 4/14. Becky called Jeff back and told him we wanted a refund. As of 6/10 we still have not received a refund or phone call back from Surf or Sound. On 5/29 we received an email from Surf or Sound stating that they decided not to issue monetary refunds despite the opinion to do so by the North Carolina real estate commission. We were given three different options, none of which included a refund in full of the money we sent them. Many calls have been made by Becky to Surf or Sound but seldom they answer and voice mails are not returned. During a recent vacation to the island (5/16-5/23) from our home Becky spoke to a male employee at Surf or Sound and told him our dilemma and that we would like to stop by to pick up our money. He agreed to transfer us to a"live" person but the transfer went to Donna's voice mail where Becky told her that we were nearby and would like to pick up our refund check. She never returned the call nor reached out to us, nor did any other employee from Surf or Sound reach out to us or return the calls. This was the third voice mail left on Donna's phone by Becky since 4/14, none of which were returned. Commission's Statement on Vacation Rental Act and Tenant Refunds Due to COVID Related Road/Bridge/Access Closures On March 17 Dare County closed access to visitors for reasons of public health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dare County stated that the closure does not apply to permanent residents, non-resident property owners and non-resident employees of Dare County businesses. Dare County has noted that this is NOT an evacuation order. Likewise, Dare County did not specify an end date. Hyde County has also announced visitor restrictions beginning Thursday, March 19. This does not apply to workers, residents, vendors, or property owners. Hyde County has noted that this is NOT an evacuation order. Visitors who are currently present in these counties are not required to leave. The North Carolina Real Estate Commission ("NCREC") expects further access restrictions as situations continue to develop and, as a result, will publish its position on its website as it potentially affects a significant number of North Carolina's licensed vacation rental managers and consumers as well. The Commission is clarifying its position regarding whether a tenant's funds that are being held in trust by a broker for rental weeks affected by the access closure need to be returned to the tenant. The NCREC has historically required North Carolina licensed vacation rental brokers to refund any and all funds held in trust, less certain statutory fees or earned commissions, where access to vacation rental homes is obstructed. Because these are not evacuation orders under N.C.G.S. 42A-36, we focused our analysis on the remaining landlord/tenant laws in the Vacation Rental Act. In the current situation, landlords (landlords are vacation rental homeowners) of vacation rental units in the affected areas cannot provide access to the units for the tenants who have pending reservations.1 Moreover, access to the property is an integral