VRBO review: All of it

To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing to formally express my extreme disappointment and frustration regarding the complete failure of my recent VRBO reservation and the way your company handled the situation.
As a single mother traveling with my two children, I reserved and paid in advance for what was supposed to be a short beach vacation before school started. We traveled hours from our home, trusting that our accommodations were secured through your platform.
When we arrived at the property, the office had no record of our reservation. The office was preparing to close, the host could not be reached, and despite numerous attempts, never responded. We were left completely stranded in an unfamiliar city with nowhere to stay.
I immediately contacted VRBO customer support expecting assistance. Instead, I was told to purchase another hotel room for the night and "deal with it in the morning." That response was unacceptable. It was late at night, I was alone with my two children, and we were forced to search for somewhere safe to sleep during one of the busiest weeks of summer. The beach area was nearly sold out, temperatures exceeded 100 degrees, and vacancies were almost impossible to find.
After hours of searching, I finally located a hotel room—but at more than double the normal nightly rate. By the end of that first night, I had already spent approximately $900 out of pocket, despite already paying for my VRBO reservation. I was assured by your representatives that I would be reimbursed.
The following morning, instead of enjoying the vacation I had planned for my children, I spent the entire day on the phone with VRBO. I spoke with approximately 25 different representatives, repeating my story over and over because no one seemed to have access to the previous conversations. I received promise after promise that someone would resolve the issue, yet nothing meaningful was accomplished.
The host remained completely unresponsive. Meanwhile, checkout time at the emergency hotel was approaching, and I still had no answers about the reservation I had already paid for. We literally sat in a hot car in a parking lot while I continued making phone calls and trying to secure another place for us to stay.
Thankfully, the hotel where we had spent the first night had availability for two additional nights. However, I was forced to pay another $974 out of my own pocket because VRBO had still not resolved the situation. At that point, I had spent nearly $1,900 simply trying to provide my children with a safe place to sleep.
Because of these unexpected expenses, the money I had budgeted for our vacation was gone. There was no money left for meals, activities, or souvenirs for my children. We relied on the complimentary breakfast at the hotel because our vacation budget had been completely exhausted fixing a problem created by your company.
Most importantly, VRBO failed to protect the safety and well-being of my family. We were left without accommodations, without assistance, and without any urgency from your customer service team despite the obvious seriousness of the situation.
Today is July 27, and I still have not received the reimbursement I was promised. Beyond the financial burden, this experience caused tremendous stress, uncertainty, and disappointment during what should have been a special trip with my children.
I expect the following:
• Immediate reimbursement of all eligible expenses I incurred because of VRBO's failure to provide the reserved accommodations.
• A full review of how this situation was handled by both the host and your customer support team.
• Appropriate compensation for the hardship, inconvenience, financial loss, and emotional distress my family experienced.
• An explanation of what VRBO will do to ensure that no other family is ever placed in this situation.
No customer should ever arrive at a prepaid reservation only to discover that no accommodations exist, be unable to reach the host, and then be left to solve the problem themselves late at night with children in an unfamiliar place. This experience was not merely inconvenient—it was dangerous and completely unacceptable.
Unless this matter is resolved promptly and fairly, I cannot and will not recommend VRBO to friends, family, or anyone looking for reliable vacation accommodations. I sincerely hope your company recognizes the seriousness of what occurred and takes immediate action to make this right.
Sincerely,
Brook Smith
Magee, Mississippi
[protected]
[protected]@gmail.com

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