VRBO

This letter I wrote to the CEO of VRBO states almost everything:

September 11, 2023

VRBO CEO Brian Sharpels

1011 West 5th Street, Ste. 300

Austin, TX 78703

Mr. Sharpels,

I rented a small apartment in Medellín, Colombia from VRBO through your premier host, Barry Brachfeld. He promised to help me arrange airport transportation. That's when he called me an [censored] for using all capital letters in one desperate email when he did not respond to messages. He left horrible disparaging emails on VRBO's website to me of which I copied some of them but then he tried to delete them. Unfortunately for him, VRBO's representatives told me that they indeed read the messages since he could delete them from me but not from them. They told me that what he wrote was terribly unacceptable. After the comment for using all caps, he also stated, "You told vrbo you didn’t stay here ? But how did we get your passport? What ever medication your on. Maybe just take half ?". He also suggest that I should never us VRBO because I was the type of traveler that needed to stay at a hotel. (VRBO Premier Host?)

Since Barry B eventually told me to take an Uber from the airport, that is precisely what I did. And I arrived to an apartment that was shut, no one there, and I waited outside for almost 25 minutes. It was getting dark and I was in a foreign country. I've traveled extensively (using VRBO with excellent results) and have never been in such a situation. In addition, Barry B apparently gave my number to some driver who was supposed to pick me up at the airport. I was standing outside of the rental already arrived when I got a text from the driver saying that he was at the airport with a sign with my name on it. I told him Barry B told me to uber myself. He then threatened me by saying that I owe him the money for the cab ride because he went to the airport. He stated that he knew where I was staying and that he was coming to collect HIS money.

I called VRBO, because in addition to all of this drama, a young man came over to me on the street and began talking with me. He said his name was "Frank" and that he had the key to the unit. He let me in and then demanded $200 USD as a deposit for the key and the unit. I told him that this was NOT the procedure I've ever used in the past. He would not give me a key unless I paid in cash. I did and made him sign a piece of paper acknowledging receipt of my $200.00 USD. In addition, he took pictures of my credit card. So now with VRBO, I related all of this ridiculous information to the representative that was still on the phone. I told her that I did not feel comfortable staying in this apartment (in addition, it was musty and disgusting looking) since I was being extorted for money. She totally concurred and sympathized with me. She told me that she would find a hotel for me for the night. I waited patiently for over 20 minutes and then got disconnected. I took matters into my own hands, left that nasty rental and booked a different hotel by myself. I did not want any of this to ruin my trip (which it was doing already) so I told myself I would resolve this with VRBO when I returned to the United States.

It's been almost a month repeatedly contacting VRBO to get all of my money back. The representatives of VRBO could not have been nice but they have been totally ineffective in getting my refund. In fact, I am on hold today, September 11, 2023 at 1:06pm . . . . this call is over 26 minutes and over 20 of it is me on "hold". I will not give this up. I will be rightfully receiving my money. Frankly, I should be given a credit for all of the work I have put into this situation; hours and hours. I was in Berlin in March this year and my VRBO was outstanding and the reviewer gave me perfect ratings. I see already that Barry B also rated my stay and gave me one star in every category. Unfortunately, I was not in his place for more than one hour. I will continue to monitor VRBO and its premier host Barry B from Medellin, Colombia.

I love to travel but it will be a long time before I can trust VRBO again. I will be awaiting your reply.

Victor Budzyn III

[protected]@comcast.net

P.S. I was on the phone Monday, September 11, 2023 from 12:41 PM until 2:01 PM trying yet again to get this resolved. I have spoken to over 10 different agents at VRBO and the last was Alicia, a supervisor who had me on hold repeatedly and then came back and told me there was nothing she could do. Again, Mr. Sharpels, I will be awaiting your reply.

Host failed to give accurate location of property on site

Despite repeated requests for full address Host never gave full address, but said it was Reduit Beach repeatedly. Even when asked for full address for Immigration forms was only given Soleil Apartment, Reduit beach. Then told it was in front of Rebus Gas Station. There is only a main road in front of the Gas Station and it is outside Rodney Bay, no where near Reduit beach.

Just as we had gone through UK security at Gatwick and were waiting for our flight, the host messaged to say there was an electrical problem and we couldn't stay there.

I called the help desk and have a phone/data bill now totaling £197.62. I was eventually told to go to Beach Cross Apartments for 2 nights whilst things were sorted. But when I got there they didn't know I was coming, but did offer accommodation. I had to chase constantly to try to find out any info and was offered another night as the host still hadn't given an indication for when I could access the apartment of she hadn't cancelled.

Eventually an AirBnB host offered a studio apartment.

The vacation was supposed to allow us to unwind and destress following a very traumatic year and illness. We spent the first 3 days and the flight very anxious about where we would stay.

I sat and cried on day 2 not knowing what to do.

We were almost turned back at Immigration because the address was incorrect.

The Rebus Gas Station is aprox 2 miles from Reduit Beach, We did try to locate the apartment to see if it actually existed, but couldn't find it or anything that looked like the photos.

I had to use my ipad to try to find somewhere to stay which cost me £27.40 in data.

The helpdesk just didn't seam to know what was happening, and the host was not being truthful to either us or Vrbo as to what was happening or timelines.

The relocation team didn't try to contact us until day 3 and left messages on my answerphone, which I couldn't access and asked the helpdesk to email because the answerphone wasn't working. As we only had 3 nights at the temporary accommodation we had to find something that was well below standard we had wanted or risk not having anywhere to stay.

I had to use our car hire money to pay for replacement accommodation as the refund was very slow and sent in 2 parts eventually

I had worked for 6 months doing extra hours to be able to pay for our vacation. I feel our hard earned holiday was badly ruined because of this experience.

We were out of pocket so couldn't do what we wanted to do as we had to use the cash for the replacement apartment. We weren't able to go to the CPL cricket to see our friends who were playing as we were trying to find out what was happening and no one was telling us.

We were even more stressed and my partner became ill again. Now I have to find an extra £197.62 to pay for the phone & data calls too. So I'm still stressed and very upset.

There is a glitch with the cancellation button. I’m unable to cancel a booking and the other party is unable to cancel. It’s been 3 days of calling only to hear from several people it’s been escalated. Vrbo is usually a pleasure to deal with. They usually get issues quickly taken care of and it’s a breeze. Im not sure what is going on now but it is not the norm for it to take this long

Subject: VRBO WORST VACATION EXPERIENCE EVER

Jeff and Brian,

I apologize for this having to reach your level but unfortunately no one in your company can help me. I’ve been getting the run around since Saturday and have spent over 4 hours on the phone with your team.

Here’s what happened

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I booked this property on your website well in advance of my trip. Two days before it was cancelled due to a fraudulent property listing. I was stuck finding a place on my own - asked your team many times to help. I ended up having to stay in 3 different places with my 6 guests and Uber all over town. This was because there was a concert in SF that brings 80,000 people into town.

I was told I would be re-imbursed the $1572 + an additional & $1572. I have submitted my receipts and no one will get back with me. Mind you that no where covered the additional expense I had to incur. On top of the fact very embarrassing for me to have to drag my guests all over the Bay Are

I have been contacting VRBO for over one year trying to get some issues resolved and have been given case# after case# with no action. Most currently the metrics on my account are incorrectly showing 80% acceptance rate I HAVE NEVER DECLINED A RESERVATION in 5 YEARS, no not responded. This is the note I received from VRBO 7/13/2023

Thursday, July 13, 2023 at 06:45:22 AM PDT, Vrbo Support wrote:

Hello PATRICIA,

I'm sorry for the wait to get to your case regarding your metrics not appearing correctly. I will be submitting a waiver form to try and correct the issue you are experiencing. Thank you so much for your patience thus far. I have approved and submitted this request. Waivers to correct metrics are usually processed near the end of the month and you should see this refected within your account by then.

Once again thank you so much for your patience, and I wish you a wonderful day.

Regards,

Michael

Vrbo.com Support Team

Vrbo help

|~|00X0y000001xNChEAM|~|

LAST WEEK I TALKED TO A GENTLEMAN "not sure of his name" REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. It was a particularly annoying conversation, he barely spoke English, and the background noise was so loud I complained about it at least 3 times during the conversation. When I explained my problem he just kept telling me the Metrics were the Metrics and could not be changed. I kept telling him I had the letter from VRBO promising they would be corrected

Today someone called me from VRBO asking to change my rates, and that was the last straw...

I spoke with Abdul today who was most helpful and sincere, and said I have no NON-ACCEPTANCE or DECLINATIONS, and he would get it resolved. Tis has been going on since 3/2022.

My condo has been offline for 3 WEEKS - right at the end of busy season. I had just renewed my contract in May and have called numerous times. They have no idea why and it has been referred to technical. I now have 3 unsolved cases with NO call back from a supervisor. They are supposed to call back in 24 hours. Then I get an email stating they have attempted to contact me several times. LIES! I am so ticked right now and can't get anyone even in the U.S. to speak with me. The last Support person actually had a rooster crowing right next to them. WTH? I expect this issue resolved today and at least a partial refund on my fee since this was the last of busy season. I am so disgusted with VRBO right now.

August 6, 2023. Property #3504143 in Petoskey Michigan. My wife sent a message with a question to the Host Michael on August 4th. Received no response. We still decided on August 5th to book the property for 4 nights. Sent a request to book, waited 24hrs with no Host response. VRBO then cancelled the booking. Later that day, Aug 6th I sent a message to the Host: (Michael, why not have the courtesy to respond either way within the 24hrs? It doesn’t make for good reviews).

Michael responded, his words exactly as written:

Two things you should know make it three. One a host does not have to respond. Tow you can’t write a review if you don’t have a confirmed booking and the fact that you haven’t stayed and left the listing won’t give you a review to write. And three we’ve already message VRBO to let them know the home was not available at that time frame.

I responded by telling him his attitude is not one of a good host. It only takes 30 seconds to deny a request. The complete email is available upon request. He responded by being more belligerent, aggressive, and resorted to name calling.

Vacation renter beware, would highly recommend avoiding this property. The Host must have anger issues, no people skills and intolerant towards any negative comments. In fact, I suspect the positive reviews on the property may have been submitted by the host.

Booked for July14-22, 2023. Owner Rios asked we notify him when our plane took off & landed. Rios apparently knew there was a problem b/4 we left but didn't tell us. We did as requested & asked for an early checkin. Although our reservation was for 3pm, Rios said it would be ready at 4pm. Then b/c of an "emergency" he was putting us in a "wonderful" place for the 1st night. The place had bugs crawling in the bed. Towels hid two ripped up leather chairs. Stove & fridge looked like a 1960's dorm room. We took pictures & video. Counted 9 live bugs that crawled on us. Washed the bedding so we could sleep. It was a cheap room in need of repair with cheap decor. Rios said he rented “bug” room from Booking.com & tried to make it our problem. Rios took no responsibility for: 1) breaching our rental agreement; 2) not telling us the truth so we could make our own decision about the 1st night; 3) or the fact that he picked it. Rios then lied about the condo being ready at 11am the next day. It was almost 1pm. The condo is pretty. The view and a/c great. The cabinetry cheap. No dishwasher. Beach & pool access limited to 9am.-6p.m. Otherwise locked. Beware riptides. Elevator gets stuck. Parking FAR away & space very small beside a cement wall. 2 days later condo water was off. Couldn’t flush toilet, bathe, wash dishes, drink. We said we were leaving on the 19th. Rios texted us he would immediately refund. Many complaints to Vrbo later Rios has ghosted us with no refund. A "real prince".

July 7 2023 we were supposed to check in to property id number 3162974 at 4pm but around 12 pm we called to get instructions for check in and our host Sara canceled the exact day of check in saying she was out of town and she was going to cancel and send us a refund but no refund has been sent. I reached out to Vrbo who gave me 3 different phone numbers to try and reach Sara by but none of the numbers work they are disconnected. All I want is my money back before taking the next steps of a filing a lawsuit because at this point this is ridiculous.

Property ID

328364

Reservation ID

HA-37XTSG

Case #[protected]

July 1 to 7, 2023 Rental

Owner refused full refund of $1000 charging $125 for driftwood art that fell off the living room wall near the windows. Th art and I quote the owner, "had sentimental value" meaning it had absolutely ZERO value.

At no time did any guest break this piece of driftwood during our stay.

All guest left the home on July 5, 2023 except for myself and my wife who left at 9:30 to 9:45 AM on July 7. We walked the entire interior and not a single item was broken and we certainly did not leave a piece of driftwood sculpture on the floor in the main living room area where we needed to exit the main door to our car.

The damage would have had to occurred after we left the home. Windows were left open in the living room area.

We want a full refund and this is non-negotiable.

Daniel Finnerty

[protected]@yahoo.com

I am a newer host. It has been nearly a month since I’ve been hosting. I have out a considerable amount of time and effort into preparing the home for this. I have taken time off work and had to make several travel arrangements to be away as this is our main home. VRBO customer service is horrid. The site is just as bad. The app does as it wants and is constantly crashing. Saving nothing. So it seems. I have books thousands of dollars and have yet to see one thin dime. I have hosted several families and pro golfers and others. VRBO keeps all the money. They must keep it in escrow and make money off their customers. They take their fee no matter what. Yet the host seems to be last. I have yet to receive one dime in payment. I am considering getting a lawyer as the cleaning fees and prep and time on the phone with them has reached its limit. I wait for hours and now over a month to get any resolution. It’s just another Expedia money pit trap. They are seemingly crooked and makes millions a day off the backs of home owners and investors.

I have several vacation rentals that get deposited into different accounts. I have one house linked to an account and they keep saying the W9 is filled out wrong. I have done this over and over. This has been going on for over a year. Every time I call they say the issue will be fixed within 72 hours. One year and $5,600. that they owe me. I have spoken with several agents and the legal department. They promise to call me back. I have never received one call back. They are holding my money and this is illegal and fraudulent. I need some assistance.

Don't ever book a VRBO or anything that says Homeaway! They are a nightmare to deal with if you have any issues. The owners, David and Nancy Leonetti, were terrible to us and claimed that we threatened them, so we never got a reimbursement. They even took down our honest review from the VRBO site because it said "This Is Not A Bad Review, Just An Honest Review" below.

My family and I spent six months researching this property in Costa Rica before our trip. However, when we arrived, we found that much of the property description was not as advertised and left out important details. The most important detail that was not mentioned is the fact that the property is entirely surrounded by barbed wire fencing. The next most important thing is that the third bedroom is entirely separated from the other two bedrooms in the house. This is only hinted at in the description, and not clearly described as there is no mention of a separated room. We were surprised to find that a family member would have to stay completely isolated from the rest of the family. This needs to be mentioned so that possible guests can make the most informed decision about where to have their family stay. The kitchen utensils were dirty, and there was mildew on the spatula.

Once we arrived, we found that the kitchen is described as having "shutters" that open and close, but in fact, this is not true. These "shutters" are at least 35-45 pound doors that have to be opened and hooked onto the ceiling. When Felipe showed us how to do it, he jumped on a crate to get them hooked on the ceiling. A normal person would not be able to easily do this as it took myself (6'2") and my brother (6'4") to open them as my mom was unable to. What is not shown in the pictures is that the kitchen table and chairs are actually cable tied to a lock and key, and the large metal doors lock you out instantly. This all signaled a very unsafe and sketchy environment and created an uncomfortable feeling about me and my family staying here.

What is also not mentioned in the description that would be very helpful for guests to know is that there is a high risk for 5-10 pound coconuts falling from 50 feet above on the property that could cause injury. We were warned about these falling coconuts numerous times by the property manager. We were also warned that if we left the property, we would need to lock and bolt everything up so nothing would get stolen. Another important item not in the description is that there were swarms of gnats all around the property and beaches that were constantly all over you. Not to mention all of the mosquitoes around the house that ate us alive while we were only there for 2 1/2 hours before leaving. The property is described as "private," but actually is everything but as it has houses directly next to the property with no "landscape on either side" that provides a "barrier," but just barbed wire fencing.

Upon leaving, the only thing we did was shower, and the beds were never turned down. We requested to pay for one night and be reimbursed for the other two due to what we felt were unsafe conditions. I cashed in over 100,000 points to stay at the Marriott Resort on top of losing over $1000 on a place we were hoping to feel safe and enjoy.

I gotta say, I wouldn't recommend using VRBO. There are plenty of other options out there that are probably better. My group of 10, which included some essential workers like nurses, teachers, and firefighters, wanted to take a weekend off and booked a property through VRBO in early December. The owner of the property assured us in writing that if we couldn't stay due to government restrictions, we would be given a credit to rebook for a future date.

Well, when the lockdown hit and we couldn't stay at the property, we tried to reschedule for a different weekend like the owner had promised. But he went back on his word and said we couldn't reschedule or get a refund. He even threatened to charge us for damages to the property even though we never even stayed there!

I tried to get help from VRBO, but their customer service was terrible. They kept hanging up on me or disconnecting from the chat. And when I finally got through, they just kept saying they couldn't change the cancellation policy. I wasn't even arguing about that - I just wanted them to help me with the owner who was going back on his word.

After the weekend we were supposed to stay at the property, I got an email from VRBO asking me to leave a review. So I did, and I warned others about my negative experience with the owner and with VRBO's customer service. But then VRBO rejected my review because "I didn't stay at the property." Well, duh, I couldn't legally stay there because of the lockdown!

Long story short, I wouldn't use VRBO again. If they let one owner get away with taking money from travelers and not helping them out, I bet it's a common thing.

My husband and I recently booked a three night stay on a 50 ft boat/Yacht using HomeAway, which has been bought by Vrbo. Unfortunately, we had a terrible experience and will never use them again. The "Yacht" did not have a fully functioning bathroom, which was a major issue for us. Instead, the owners directed us to use the bathrooms at the Yacht Club. We paid $125 a night for something that did not have a functioning bathroom, which was a huge disappointment.

According to the Vrbo website for this listing, "Boat heads (bathrooms) are notorious for clogging and having other problems. Two full restrooms (one male, one female), with full showers are provided on the dock. Please use these facilities instead of aft head, if possible. They are private, and door codes are provided upon check-in. Aft head, however, is fully functional if you need it! Forward head toilet in inoperable at this time, but the sink works. Additional restrooms located in the restaurant and Marina lounge." However, upon our arrival at the "Yacht," we encountered a terrible smell. I called it a sewer smell, while my husband referred to it as a chemical smell, like what you treat raw sewage with in an RV. Unfortunately, that smell stayed with us for the entire three night stay.

We were unable to cancel our reservation, as Vrbo does not offer full refunds. On the first night, I refused to take a shower in the Yacht Club bathroom because it was filthy. The women's bathroom had used feminine hygiene products overflowing a trashcan that sat between the only two bathroom stalls. There were only two sinks, two bathroom stalls, and two shower stalls. Since only one toilet was functioning on this Yacht and could be used in case of an emergency, I did use it in the middle of the night. However, as soon as I flushed the toilet, a raw sewage smell worse than when we first arrived came out of the AC vents. I have never been somewhere where the AC unit was so close to the black water tanks that the smell could infiltrate it.

The next morning, I went up to the Yacht Club to inquire when the bathrooms would be cleaned. That is when I learned they are only cleaned twice weekly. We immediately went to Wal-Mart and bought some cheap flip-flops to shower in. Meanwhile, the smell was so overpowering that it was saturating our clothes. We kept the windows and doors open when we were there during the day in order to air out the boat.

In their description of the bathroom accommodations, they state that the bathrooms are private, but that is a lie. The bathrooms we had to use were nothing more than glorified public toilets. The kitchen staff at the restaurant there used those bathrooms, as did the people at the bar on the other side of the building, and pretty much anyone who wanted to use them. The so-called passcode/lock is a joke. The door is old and antiquated, the code lock does not work, and if you fully close the door, you cannot get back in even with the code. So, in the middle of this Covid Disaster, we were forced to clean up in a public bathroom.

Once we left, we sent a message to the owner of the boat. His response was, "Whoops, forgot to clean out the black water tank, gauge malfunctioned." Not even an offer to refund part of our payment. When I tried to post a review with Vrbo, nothing from our stay even showed up. HomeAway limits your review to 1500 characters, which is not enough to fully express our disappointment. This owner gets away with charging almost $400 for three nights, and all we got was clothing that smells like human crap. We will never use Vrbo again.

I recently had a terrible experience with VRBO. I booked Property #133223, which was advertised as a "Beautiful Lake Tuscaloosa Luxury Waterfront Home." However, when I arrived, I found that the property was gross and filthy. The owner had clearly not taken any pride in ownership, and the home was rundown and old. To make matters worse, the price was ridiculous.

The fridge was full of food, opened bottles, and outdated milk. It was just gross. The oven was beyond use, and the kitchen and laundry room floors looked like they had never been cleaned. The main bath wouldn't drain, the toilet was stopped up, and the floor was so dirty that our shoes stuck to it. We had to clean everything before we could even stay there. The kitchen cabinets had dried food and stains, and I felt like there were bugs and things crawling all over me.

On Saturday night, we found a huge black roach on the kitchen ceiling. We tried to get it down to kill it, but it ran beneath the dishwasher. I found some bug killer and sprayed it all around the dishwasher trying to get it out and kill it. We later killed another roach above the door to the back bedroom.

To make matters worse, the owner accused us of causing a smell of cat urine or a strong chemical smell and of stealing one of her portable Bluetooth speakers. We each flew 2000 miles each way to go there, and we certainly did not take a cat with us, especially as I am deadly allergic to cats. I know exactly what the chemical smell is from; it was my cleaning the house with the chemicals she had beneath the kitchen sink and the roach killer I found and used for the roaches. We found out after we got home that her house was listed for sale, and there were probably a couple of hundred realtors that had the combination of the lockbox, so I wonder why she would accuse us of taking the speaker when there were many people coming in and out of the house that could have taken the speaker. Anyway, the portable speakers can be bought for $25.00 most anywhere, and of course, we didn't see it or take it. There was no inventory list, and as far as we know, there were no speakers.

When I contacted VRBO (HomeAway) for help, they were no help at all. They told me to go directly to the owner and settle it with her. I was very disappointed with their lack of assistance.

I wish you all the best of luck if you should decide to venture out with VRBO and HomeAway. I'm sure they do have some very nice places, but we thought this one was nice, and the pictures were beautiful. We just won't take that chance again.

VRBO clearly stands behind its hosts, not the customers renting properties. Please see below disastrous renting experience and how they denied refund no matter how underhanded and rule-breaking the circumstance.
Buyer Beware
Don't book this place! Sao Pedro da Cova, Porto, Portugal (picture attached) The host (not on-site or nearby) has his managers there, with whom it was nearly impossible to communicate, and I speak French, Italian, German as well as English. Before we could be checked-in, or even see the second bedroom, they demanded 200 euros (deposit, in cash) which was nowhere in the posting or payment details or in an email recently sent to me --owner claimed that I didn't read them carefully, which was not the case. With this service, as UBER and others, there is no cash exchanged once booked, other than a few euros city tax in some cases. Two more neighbors joined in, all trying to explain to me the concept of a deposit. After back and forth me trying to explain that this was not what I had agreed to, nor was it legal, they put me on the phone with the owner, who only speaks French. He tried to explain that we have to pay this, and since my purse was stolen that day, and I had no cash on me, I could pay through PayPal. However, I never felt I should pay them anything extra at all, and the whole thing was absurd. We had been driving all day, exhausted and ready for bed. By then, we had been "discussing" for 2+ hours.

By now it's getting dark. I finally reached VRBO on the phone, as their chat didn't work, and I explained the situation. The woman on the phone told me that the refund was being processed and they were going to find me another place. (Needless to say, that never happened.) After that, we left this remote village on (a stoney, windIng mountain, 40 minutes from Porto), we drove into the city of Porto. After VRBO reached him, I received this text from the owner: "Hello Rachel. I am sorry. I think it 's ? probl?me another vacationer. Please call. It s ok With the paiement. You can stay. It s ok. I am very confused."
VRBO then decided that we will be charged the full amount because the owner corrected his mistake,. (No matter that he broke every rule by demanding the money in the first place and only admitted a mistake after they contacted him hours later) By that time it was late, we were exhausted and long gone. After being on the phone with a manager for another hour, always hearing the same script, I asked to speak with his superior. I heard laughing on the other end and then disconnected. It was to be escalated and I never heard back. Apparently, because I had booked then cancelled an earlier reservation at the same location, the VRBO people were confused and were referring to the cancelled reservation regarding the refund. The person at VRBO didn't know the difference between a cancelled vs. current, NOT CANCELLED RESERVATION. SO, after all, VRBO claimed that we needed to stay at the property after all this, and our leaving confirmed that we chose to cancel the non-refundable reservation.

My only chance to get the money back ($411) is to contest it with my credit card company, which I am doing. Airbnb has a guarantee that if there is any problem at all with their property, checking in, whatever, there is an immediate refund, and I have experienced this firsthand. VRBO stands behind its hosts, and against the people renting. And their customer service is abominable. It goes without saying that I NEVER will use their services again. There are wonderful places on Airbnb and other more reputable sites. Don't use this service.

Me and my hubby rented a place in Capitol Hill from Cliff Palermo, the owner of DC 5 Star Rentals, through VRBO (vrbo.com) last weekend. We were excited to stay in our old neighborhood and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city. However, upon arrival, we realized that the unit was not as advertised. It was a total disappointment. The photos on the VRBO listing did not match the actual state of the unit. We immediately contacted Cliff to express our concerns.

We were shocked to find out that the unit had only one functioning bed. The rear bed was missing a foot and was severely leaning, making it impossible and unsafe to sleep on. We also noticed a hole in the wall in the kitchen with mold growing around it. This was a serious health concern, especially since my wife is three months pregnant. Mold could have adverse effects on our unborn child. Furthermore, everything was stained, including the sheets and towels, the sofa, and the walls. It looked like frat parties had been thrown there for years.

We were disappointed that we had to spend our time in a subpar rental. The bedroom wall lights were molded, torn apart, and hanging off the wall. The shower curtain was molded, the lamp in the rear bedroom was broken, the front entry console was broken and leaning, dirty dishes with food debris still on them were in the cabinets, there was a horrible smell coming from the kitchen sink, as well as odd or odors in the fridge. We suggested that the owner address these issues before the next guests arrive.

However, the owner, Cliff Palermo, decided to play email ping pong with us. He first claimed that he would refund us, then stated that he would not. He even had an unannounced man come inspect the unit for himself, who did indeed see the bed only had three legs and that there was a hole in the wall. But, Cliff was aware of the terrible state of the unit. He then emailed us again and claimed that no refunds would be made.

We contacted VRBO for help, but they were insanely unhelpful. They kept disconnecting us, refused to forward us to a manager, denied any accountability, and said they do not vet vendors or perform any background checks. It was up to us to get our $900 rental fee back from DC 5 Star, whom the payment went to. We were not sold any deals like 'it's cheaper to book offline.' We booked through VRBO, and yet they claimed no responsibility for the unit being inhospitable. We took photos, filled out paperwork, and forwarded all the harassing emails from Cliff, but VRBO did not care.

We were left with no option besides filing a fraud claim with our bank and filing a police report against DC 5 Star and VRBO. We strongly advise against renting from these people. It was a terrible experience, and we do not want anyone else to go through what we did.

I'm turning 55 on April 7th and I gotta say, I had the worst experience with VRBO this past February. I was all set to check in when I got a call from the host saying that my room had been cancelled due to fleas. Fleas! Can you believe it? Apparently, the previous renter had brought in a dog, which is against the rules. The host claimed that she had surveillance footage of the dog going in and not coming out until morning. Why didn't she say something earlier? Turns out, she allowed it so she could get a pricey cleaning done. So now, I'm left with no room for me, my wife, and my 81-year-old mother-in-law. But that wasn't even the worst part.

The worst part was how VRBO treated me. When I called to inquire about a refund, I was told that I probably wouldn't get one because it was past the 48-hour window. But they had only just told me about the cancellation, so it was barely within the window. Then, I asked if they could help me find another room in the same area for the same price range. They said they would reimburse me if it was more expensive since it wasn't my fault. So far, so good. But then they sent me a list of rooms that were way too expensive. I had to pay upfront and wait for the reimbursement, which I wasn't even sure I would get. I picked the least expensive one and got a confirmation number. But when I called the host for the exact address, I found out that the room was already booked for those dates. The host claimed that she had told VRBO about the current renter adding nights, so it was VRBO's fault for double-booking. When I called back, I was reminded that I might not get a refund because I was still within the 48-hour window. Can you believe it?

So I asked for another list of places to stay, but I was running out of time. I asked if they could prioritize helping me out since I was in a bind. But every time I called, I had to wait forever to talk to someone and explain everything from the beginning. In the end, we had to sleep in our rental vehicle, which was uncomfortable and set us behind schedule. My mother-in-law, who has a bad back, didn't get any sleep. It was a nightmare.

The next day, I called VRBO to ask about my reimbursement. I talked to a supervisor named Adam, but he wouldn't give me his last name. He lied to me twice about the room, and when I called back, they said they didn't have a supervisor named Adam. But later, when I was talking about reimbursement, the woman said that Adam usually deals with those things. I called her out on it, and she finally admitted that I should call customer complaints. When I asked if she could transfer me, she said no. But when I called the number she gave me, it was out of service. I was so frustrated and angry that I'm reporting VRBO to the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Crimes and Fraud Division. They were not helpful or friendly at all. Every call was just them trying to push me off to someone else. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.

I gotta say, I'm pretty disappointed with VRBO and this one landlord in particular. Let me tell you what happened. So, my girlfriend and I rented this cabin in the mountains outside of Las Vegas, NM. The owner, Lacey Loe, listed all these amenities like WIFI and a kitchen, but when we got there, we couldn't even get in the dang place! We tried the access code like 20 times, but no luck. And to make matters worse, there was all this construction noise from the guys building a log cabin across the road. Like, we're trying to have a peaceful vacation here, you know?

Anyway, we tried to contact the owner, but there was no phone service or WIFI, so we had to drive like 40 minutes just to get a signal. When we finally got ahold of him, he was kinda helpful at first and offered to refund us for the first night since we couldn't stay there. But then, when my girlfriend emailed him later asking for a refund for the rest of the week since the place was totally unsuitable, he got all legalistic and accusatory. He even canceled our reservation, which meant he got to keep our money AND rent the place out to someone else. What a scam!

And you know what's really messed up? VRBO doesn't even have a provision for refunds when the property isn't as promised. Like, what kind of business is that? They make you cancel two weeks in advance for a full refund, but if you show up and the place is a dump, tough luck. We had to drive another 75 miles just to find somewhere else to stay, and we didn't get a single penny back from VRBO or the landlord. Plus, he kept the cleaning fee and taxes, even though we never even set foot in the cabin!

Honestly, I'm so done with VRBO. I'm deleting the app and never using them again. It's like, businesses get all this protection, but consumers are just left out to dry. It's not right.