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VRBO Complaints 291

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8:07 pm EDT
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VRBO internet fraud

We rented a vacation home in Eze, France trough VRBO/Homeaway and purchased the "Care free Vacation Insurance" they advertise. 2 days after we were told everything was completed and had transferred $6500.00, we were told that we were the victim of an internet scam. When we finally were able to contact the owner of the home she indicated that this had happened 6 months ago as well through VRBO/Homeaway. What bothers me is that the insurance company was able to tell us we were scammed in 2 days, why could that not have been checked before we sent the money? We have have called multiple times and sent registered letters and VRBO/Homeaway has never responded back to us. Great customer service - NOT.
Sue SB

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N Zeegers
NL
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May 24, 2012 10:46 pm EDT
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I am very discontented about homeaway and their service too. They claim to have a save site and even offer a guarantee. But homeaway is NOT save. When you get scammed they seem to forget all about this insurance. Their customer service even admitted that fraud happened through their site often! They unfortunately never ever take responsibility. I strongly recommend not to use homeaway.com to book you holiday! #homeaway

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annh123
San Jose, US
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Jun 27, 2011 10:42 pm EDT

$6500 was for the rental - not the insurance.

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4:06 am EDT
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VRBO vrbo #212041

Beware of this owner! Good Luck on getting your deposit back. Owner said there was drywall damage next to the fireplace after two weeks of unanswered phone calls and emails. After reviewing pictures of the fireplace that I took during my stay, I could see that the damage to the fireplace was repaired prior to our visit. When I finally got the owner on the phone he changed his location of damage to stratches by the stairs. This is a clear indication that the owner is dishonest. Owner cussed at me for 20 minutes on the phone and called me unspeakable terms. I would not reccommend that anyone rents from this owner.

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8:13 pm EDT
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VRBO stolen security deposit scam

a complete refusal to return security deposit of $500 US because od damages to a condo unit in ajijic mexico. all a total fabrication of how we left the unit. be cautious about giving secirity deposits like this. the owner is canadian and initially said she didnt receive the $1000 deposit on rent until i faxed her a copy of the canceled bank draft...then she "found it" beware beware beware of norah bird hamilton

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Unusualmuse
Drumheller, CA
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Jun 07, 2015 8:31 pm EDT

I have only ever had one damage deposit that I did not return immediately from Ajijic (unless it was inadvertent and I returned it the minute I realized it was outstanding). We had just replaced the furniture in A13 and were astounded when our Property Manager sent us pictures of what appeared to be grease in numerous places on both the couch and the love seat. I sent the pictures to the Guests and explained that I would be having the furniture professionally cleaned and would return whatever the remainder of the deposit was left. I asked if perhaps they ate their meals in the living room rather than the dining room. They were highly offended and threatened to have a lawyer in Ajijic bring action and that I would be sorry if I withheld their deposit. I never saw this complaint until today. At the time, our Property Manager had a friend that shampooed the furniture at no charge and I returned the full deposit. Unfortunately when I returned to Ajijic a few months later, I discovered that the shampooing had not removed the grease at all. I tried several things to remove it but after another season we replaced the furniture again. It took me till last year to appreciate what had occurred. I was suntanning one day and it was hot, so decided to go take a rest inside. I went to sit down when I suddenly appreciated that I was covered in Sun Tan Lotion. The penny dropped that the grease must have been sun tan lotion. I have been a Landlord in Canada for 26 years and in Mexico for 8. I have only kept a damage deposit once where it was not applied to the rent. Even though this young lady left her suite 2 months earlier than her lease required, she took me to court. The judge explained the law to her and the need to give a full 30 days Notice even at the end of a lease from the beginning of the month. I was awarded her deposit.

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SARAH HOWLEY
st.ignace michigan, US
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Mar 09, 2012 2:50 am EST

Our friends rented from Norah Bird Hamilton in LaFloresta Ajijic at the same time we
had a rental in adjacent town. The friends are responsible, professional people and
we visited numerous times while they rented Norahs rental. Norah was less than
truthful about amenities she described: club house to meet friends, pool, etc
Well, there was a total lack of any furniture in clubhouse, pool had about 4 chairs which were always occupied and the rest were broken-down. Furthermore, there was no
where outside unit to sit outside. front lawn of about 6' sloped right down.
Then Norah refused refund: I helped clean night before departure and place was
immaculate. Norah lied, didn't fulfill contract for transportation to airport & is a SCAM.
She further lied and said this was brand new furniture. Lie. Sheets worn/tattered.
BEWARE OF NORAH BIRD HAMILTON OF CANADA. SHE CHEATS ON RETURNING
SECURITY DEPOSITS. DON'T GIVE HER ONE. OR CHECK HER RECORD.

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Cath Crespi
MX
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Jun 18, 2011 4:01 pm EDT

Unfortunately, many people have been disappointed in rentals offered by this person and her husband. Never arrive after dark, insist on being met by them and not a rep upon arrival. Check condition of unit, refrigerator, enough gas to cook, availabilty of TV and Internet service, cooking utensils, bedding. These are all complaints I have heard in the last few months by Canadians who come for short term. Also pool is too cold for most people as it is NOT heated and sun in winter months is not hot enough to heat. Easier to look elsewhere if you want to be hassle-free. On the good side it is an excellent location within walking distance If walking o ncobblestones is not a problem for you and tenants are helpful and friendly group.

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11:31 pm EDT
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VRBO vrbo listing #313971 blue hue

We paid a significant amount of money to stay in what turned out to be completely unacceptable accommodations. It was filthy, unsafe, not up to code, and literally falling apart in places.

The rental listing with pictures and rental contract had many misrepresentations about the accommodations, types of beds, private pool and the use of a boat to transport to us to the beach was non existent.

We arrived on late Saturday, April 2nd after traveling cross country, to find the house in an unacceptable condition. A stopped up toilet with feces, a bed had been slept in; other bed linens were dirty and torn. The towels appeared dirty and smelled like they had been left in the washing machine for days before drying. I had to wash all the bed linens and towels before we could go to bed. Some of the people in our party had to check into a hotel so the children could go to sleep.

Our phone calls and emails were not responded to by Patti Navilo the property manager. Each day we left numerous phone messages and sent emails and did not receive a response until on the fourth day of our week stay, we mentioned the next correspondence would be from our attorney.

We did receive a call on Sunday, April 3 from the cleaning service. We were told at that time that the cleaning people would arrive at 11:00 AM on Monday. I waited for them, but they never showed. When I tried calling them, there was no answer and voice mail was not set up. We ended up cleaning the house ourselves, taking a good deal of time away from our vacation and family activities.

As for the repairs, a repair man finally arrived on Thursday, April 7, nearly at the end of our vacation. A family member was forced to stay at the house while he repaired a few of the more glaring items. He was not able to complete the work, however, without an electrician.

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7:33 pm EDT
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VRBO beware of fontainebleau miami vrbo

Just so you dont find yourself in a similar situation, I wanted to let you in on a very horrible experience using VRBO for a unit at the Fontainebleau!

We found Avi Earl Cohen’s suite at the Fontainebleau Miami on VRBO under the Listing #233418. When we arrived on the 31st we noticed that there were open food containers in the kitchen as well as food in the refrigerator. At first we thought that they had just forgotten to clean the kitchen but it soon became apparent that they had also not changed/cleaned the sheets we were supposed to sleep on. It also became apparent that the unit he was advertising in the listing (thru photos) was different than the one we ultimately had been put in – different views, furniture and layout! We found cockroaches on the dining room furniture and we emailed Avi to tell him about the condition of his unit. He told us “that is awful” and we arranged with him to have housekeeping go back to clean our unit. We proceeded to go out to dinner and upon re-entering the unit noticed a stack of towels and some shampoo bottles on the coffee table, but the bedding (on both the master bed and the pullout bed) was still unchanged and dirty.

We did everything we could to have our unit changed, including speaking to a manager, but they told us their hands were tied. We called Avi but he didn’t answer his phone. We were stuck in a dirty hotel room with a dirty kitchen, cockroaches and nowhere to sleep. Ultimately the Resort sent housekeeping up with clean sheets at 2:30 AM and she was done making our beds closer to 3:30 AM. We proceeded to write Avi an email telling him how terrible our experience was – that while we had new sheets on the beds the rest of the unit was still dirty - and requested a full refund for our horrific situation. We then tried to get our belonging out of the safe deposit box in order to leave. His safe, however, was defective and it wasn’t until 4:30 that we had security finally open it for us to get our valuables. By that point, while we didn’t want to stay there it became highly unreasonable for us to go anywhere else.

We awoke just a few hours later to an email from Avi saying that he was very disappointed with his housekeeping staff and that “I don’t want someones money in this situation”. We of course agreed with him and got our things together to leave the unit. At this point we had had no satisfaction of enjoying the property and barely slept 4 hours. We wrote and email back to Avi letting him know that we would also not be staying in the unit on Monday as our vacation was very short and there was no way we would risk another hellish night. To this Avi got increasingly brutish and agitated and said he would only give us a portion of our money back as he had to pay for housekeeping (which clearly wasn’t true as they never showed up!).

Avi sent security to escort us out of his unit early and through various emails demanded that we pay for the night we stayed in his unit, even though he had previously told us that what we were going through was awful and that he would never expect us to pay for it.

We spent the rest of the morning before leaving the Fontainebleau Hotel, talking to various levels of Hotel Management and Condo Rental management, all who told us that Avi is commonly running into these issues because he doesn’t run his “condo rental” program correctly and forgets to have the unit cleaned.

I warn you do NOT rent this unit from him, it is a scam! We are now appealing this with our credit card as well as paypal, and while I'm sure we will get the money back somehow - it still ruined the beginning of our trip!

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9:27 pm EDT
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VRBO rent a home

Dear Sirs,
during the month of October 2010 we rented a house through the 'agency VRBO:
Location: Point Reyes Station CA 94956
period: 31 September 2010-17 October 2010
Object Name: "View Country Retreat"
Contact: Email: [protected]@gmail.com
Rent: $ 3250.50 + $ 200 Security Deposit
Having called two times the reimbursement of $ 200 Security Deposit
we did not get any response.
Please take note and take action to obtain repayment of the deposit.
At the moment we are interested in a new contract by the same agency (VRBO) and look forward to your prompt response in order to sign a new contract.
Yours sincerely
Lucia Lorenzetti

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Lakeside
Port Dover, CA
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Apr 15, 2011 11:54 pm EDT

We are also having an issue with reimbursement. We gave a down payment for Feb. 2011 in the spring of 2010 but during the fall of 2010 our plans had changed. I e-mailed the owner & asked what his cancellation policy was & he stated we would get $400.00 of the $500.00 that we gave him as his cancellation fee is $100. He asked if we could wait until Feb. to see if he was able to rent his home. We obliged. We contacted him again in Feb. asking about our reimbursement & he assured us he would give us our money. We again e-mailed about the middle of March (2011) & he said he was expecting a payment at the end of the month & would deposit our money into pay pal account & that he would e-mail when he had done that. It is April 15, 2011 & we still have not received our money back. I e-mailed him again today but have yet to hear from him. We have all the e-mails he has sent us stating he would give us our money back. What is our next step? We feel we have been more than fair with this gentleman. (Note: I was unsure where to put this e-mail but this is the same topic so I thought I'd try here)
Uncertain

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4:04 pm EDT
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VRBO rental reviews

After a rental thru VRBO at Kiawah Island, the site disallowed a negative review, stating the owner confirmed we never stayed at the property. We furnished tons of documentation of our stay to VRBO, and they initially agreed with us and allowed the review. The owner saw the review, called VRBO, and the review was taken down after owner lied about us staying at the villa. The owners at this site have the right to pick and choose reviews to be posted. Wow, great policy there! Obviously, owners and VRBO work together to maximize the rentals for both parties. I can't imagine having to deal with VRBO over a financial dispute.

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Susan Sharpe
Creedmoor, US
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May 31, 2012 3:14 am EDT
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Rental Review should not be allowed period! I have had rentals in the mountains and the coast and have used VRBO for about 12 years and never a problem until a germ maniac stayed in my place and had tons of complaints. I keep a very clean condo and she refused to stay one night after booking for a week. So I received my first review in 12 years and it was a bad one to say the least. This woman was crazy. I tried to get VRBO to remove it and was told that the guest had to remove it. What? Do you really think a crazy woman is going to take the time to call and remove it. No. So Basically I have to live with that on my page indefinitely. Makes no sense. . I am up for renewal in one month so I will not renew with VRBO. So if they thought about it, they lose a renewal because of this bad review that was totally untrue. I just want to say to all the hot heads that rent a place and freak out if they see a speck of dust, do us all a favor and get a hotel room!

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6:04 am EDT
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VRBO theft, flood, mosquitoes

Rip off house. NOT a 3 BR/3BA house. 3rd bedroom and second bath are in unsecured basement, only partially screened (useless) and is open to outdoors. It totally flooded when it rained so everything on the floor got soaked (all of our luggage since there is no other place to put it). Mosquitoes breed in the basement bathroom and feed on you all night. Caretaker came over and snooped around while we were gone, we caught her twice. Also, we left binoculars there in the flood shuffle and the caretaker "couldn't find them". Hmmmm, we called from the airport to ask them to return the BEFORE checkin time for the next guests. Owner is a jerk, he was totally unhelpful. Milolii is a pit, there is NOTHING growing in this area, it is amazing anyone chooses to live there. We were shocked this exists in Hawaii. BAD DEAL!

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Cheryl fortman
Escondido, US
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Aug 17, 2013 3:15 pm EDT
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I am the new owner of the aloha beach house and in the summer there isn't anyplace on the big island late in the day where there isn't Mosquitos . According to the manager this renter left the door open during a tropical storm. I don't know a bout the binoculars but we have 29 positive comments on vrbo which says a lot about this house.

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10:44 pm EST
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VRBO consumer is powerless

Vacation Rentals by Owner (vrbo.com) gives the traveler access to a variety of private homes/cabins/condos for rent. If everything goes well, great. But if the traveler encounters problems, he is at the mercy of the owner to get any solution. If you want a partial or full refund - even if your case is rock-solid - the owner is holding your money and may not care about your unsatisfactory stay (or even NON-stay, due to a mudslide blocking access to the cabin, or other problem preventing the traveler from even entering the rental.) If you like disputes, then go ahead and risk renting from an absentee owner with no local professional caretaker. You will have the burden of proof, and all of the problems will be on your shoulders. Personally I will not rent from the vrbo.com site again.

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Picnicman
ID
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Mar 26, 2011 6:25 am EDT
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Hi HappyMom. Comment 1 was the result of a bad decision to work with what I've discovered to be a not very scrupulous marketing company that promises link-backs. Then I was notified of a response and comment 2 was all I really had to say. Certainly not happy about it but no way to remove it. Thankfully there shouldn't be any more dubious things like this that floating around as we caught it pretty quick.

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HappyMom
Fort Worth, US
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Mar 25, 2011 10:59 pm EDT

"I've used cross-pollinate.com, a small niche company that personally inspects their properties and takes a lot of responsibility."

Wow, Steve, are you seriously advertising your own company on this forum?

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Picnicman
ID
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Feb 06, 2011 10:02 pm EST
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Very good points. Ironically, my wife is from Puerto Rico (and I'm a big surfer). Maybe it's fate telling me to trade Europe for the Caribbean?

Steve (Picnicman)

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portiaperu
Sudbury, US
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Feb 06, 2011 5:39 pm EST
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I am a homeway and vrbo vacation rental owner and I am a traveler that has rented properties throughout the US and Europe with satisfaction (I've rented in Florida, California, Maryland, New York, the Southwest, London, and mulitple cities and towns in France and Italy.)

The key to protesting yourself when renting is to communicate with the owner or property manager. Ask questions and get specific answers. If you don't get the answers or assurances you need, move on to another property. The person that represents the property should be able to answer your questions in detail - don't accept vague answers to questions about the property amenities, neighborhood and services in the local area, and proximity and travel to attractions. General answers could be a tip off to a scam.

Don't make assumptions about a property. Have multiple conversations and ask as many questions as you need to determine if it is right for you. Request addition photos of the interior and exterior. Many rental properties present limited pictures of their best features online.

An equally important key to protecting yourself is having a written and signed rental agreement that outlines the terms of your stay: rental payments, security deposit, and cancellation policies. Ask about liability insurance. and request proof if you have any concerns.

Ask how maintenance and repairs are handled during your stay. What are the responsibilities of the renter, property manager, and owner when there is a repair to be made? For example, how does the owner/manager handle a broken washing machine? A house cleaning that doesn't happen on time?

Do your research. Make certain the property exists using online resources such as google, zillow, and various town records (many assessor's office records are online). Call the town or city offices and ask if their is such a property if you have any doubts.

Beware sending cash or wiring funds ! Do not be rushed into a "deal". If it sounds too good to be true, it's a scam. Vacation rentals are a good value and often offer hotel-like amenities for less than hotel rates; but a property that is priced lower than the prevailing market rate is suspicious. Beware a bargain!

Don't avoid vacation rental properties because of one bad experience. There are many responsible owners that are opening their homes to visitors for truly memorable vacation experiences.

R @ Edgartown, MA
www.freewebs.com/katamadelight

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rincon_puerto_rico
PR
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Feb 06, 2011 1:08 pm EST
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Homeaway.com, VROB, and TripAdvisor, are money hungry web sites, the more they listings they have on their site the more money they generate with ads and people who list their rentals. The point is, "Home Away, the parent company to VRBO.com" MOST of their listings are from people's Rentals that are Illegal, and if they were to loose ALL the peoples listings that are Illegal there would be no web site. TripAdvisor is the same, if you ever stayed anywhere, just post it there and they post the rental on their site..Legal or Illegal, doesn't matter to them..Its all about making money.

How would you like to stay at a place from one of these sites, and lets say you get hurt, or theirs a fire, something happens to you.. Do you think the owners care? They are trying to save money by avoiding spending money, Because they are Illegal, they are not spending money on things like permits, bond insurance, fire permits, and just Insurance in general. They operate like they are legal like collecting tax money- anywhere from 3%-22%, that goes into their pocket rather than sending it to the local government or the state they live in. The only winner is the owner.. UNTIL they are caught. They should catch all these people that are Illegal and FINE them, Most been operating for years, and collected a lot of money over the years, and even collected tax money and electric surcharges that were never reported.

The people that get hurt are the real business owners that do have their operating permits trying to conduct business. Trying to compete against ALL the new Illegal Rentals popping up all over the place. Yes the Illegals might be putting cash into their pockets, but they forget that the tax money collected is to be for promoting Tourism in their town, state or country. If the state doesn't have funds for advertising Tourism on TV, magazines, billboards..etc. how will people know about your little Illegal Rental... Thats right, ALL the Legal rentals that are paying permits taxes etc... are flipping your bill so that your rental gets discovered..

I live in Rincon a small surfer town in Puerto Rico. I have seen an increase of rentals here, and over the last 4 years it has turned into one gigantic rental of a place. Since, ANYONE with a picture can place a couple pictures of their house, condo, apartment, or what ever, And post them on a web site and presto. They start their own business of being a rental property.
Hell, for that matter I can take a picture of my neighbors house, put it on a web site, cause I know he goes on Vacation during the summer, and use it to make some extra money.. OR not just collect some security deposits and tell them you double booked and offer a different time period.. There are a lot of scammers out there too..
Illegal rentals are stealing money from me and my family and taking food off my table... AND ALL should be FINED. Let them cry, Since they will not come forward and pay permits to be Legal.

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Picnicman
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Feb 06, 2011 11:08 am EST
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There's a lot of good properties on VRBO, but there's no accountability of what sort of service you'll get once you arrive. The same goes for many sites that operate in a similar vain - like homeaway.com, etc. I've used cross-pollinate.com, a small niche company that personally inspects their properties and takes a lot of responsibility. It seems there's loads of new sites to find vacation rentals, but very few of them are actually involved in assuring that your vacation is good too. Too much focus on the planning of the vacation and not enough service during the actual stay.

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VRBO bedbugs infestation

The place is infested with bedbugs. We told the property manager, Jennifer Mohrman and she accused us of bringing the bugs in. My friends' daughter turns one today and still has a huge disgusting rash from these bugs. At 200+ night, one would expect a clean place to lay your head down...instead our trip was a nightmare! Worst part is that, she isn't going to throw those mattresses out and I am sure this problem will continue if she doesn't.

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VRBO take your chances staying here

We were excited to stay at this rental because the reviews on VRBO all sounded so wonderful. Didn't know at the time that VRBO owners have control over posting their reviews, so potential renters will never see the negative reviews. Our experience definitely turned negative during our stay, and has soured our memories of the trip to the point that we will probably not rent another VRBO again.

Two things happened. First, this rental advertises "a secure GARAGE PARKING, which is heated in the winter time, with RESERVED PARKING space (Floor/level 1)". WOW, this is great in theory. The problem we had is that on our 2nd night there, someone else parked in the reserved parking space for our rental. After discussing the situation with the on-site office manager, we were told we could not have a pass to park out in one of the many spaces out front (the easiest solution for all), nor could we park anywhere else BUT our supposedly reserved spot. She was not very helpful since we were renting from a private condo owner, and the office manager was there to represent condo owners who used HER services to rent their condos vs. VRBO. A towing policy was posted on signs in the parking garage for those who violated, so we had to call a tow truck to remove the offending vehicle, and my husband wasted 2 hours of precious vacation time dealing with the tow truck process so that we could just park our car for the night. First tow truck was too big to fit through the garage door opening, and we had to wait for a second truck to show up. Then we had to worry about having damage done to our rental vehicle, keying or whatever, due to an upset owner of the towed vehicle. It cost this guy $250 to get his car back. So lesson here is (1) definitely don't park in anyone else's reserved spot, and (2) heaven forbid that someone else park in your reserved spot as you will get stuck wasting your vacation time to arrange for towing so you can park your car. I'm not blaming the condo owners for this incident personally, but just noting it is a "benefit" - ? of this rental that can turn quickly into an undesirable situation for you.

The second thing that happened concerned the king-size master bed. My husband (6' tall, 190 lbs. - normal weight!) went to lie down for a short nap on the afternoon of our last full day. After a few seconds, the side board of the bed collapsed. It was made of some type of softwood, with large grain variations and knotholes galore. The sudden drop actually jarred my husband's back. We called the local property manager (Rob) immediately, and waited 1 1/2 hours for him to show up. He looked at it and noted that the weak point seemed to have been a rather large knothole right smack in the middle of this sideboard. We sent the condo owners a cell phone picture of the damaged board. The condo owner husband quickly texted back that he was sorry for the inconvenience, and that it appeared to him as well that the knothole was a weak point AND stated to us that he was a safety inspector for his career. THEN, the real problem started. The condo owner wife called me about 2 hours later, and started making accusations that my husband or I must have stood on the side rail to cause it to fail. I told her we certainly did not. She was wanting us to pay for the damages, claiming we had CAUSED the problem. If we had caused any damages, we certainly would have paid - we are honorable, church-going people. But we had done no harm. If a 190 lb. person lying on a bed results in the bed collapsing, then one has to question the integrity of the bed. When inspecting the bed after the collapse, while the property manager Rob was there with us, it was noted that the bed had no vertical supports underneath the mattress and that the bed side rail had an inferior quality wood that was used to support the horizontal slats underneath. Most of the weight to support this bed was resting on these side rails. Paired with all the knotholes in the wood, it was clearly an accident waiting to happen. I'll save you the long story of the next few days concerning all the phone calls and e-mails from the condo owner wife seeking payment from us. Bottom line, she deducted the money from our $400 security deposit to repair this faulty bed. We came away from this experience grateful that something more expensive had not failed during our stay - a heater, a refrigerator... as we obviously would have been blamed if it had occurred during our stay.

So do yourself a favor. Don't assume, like we did, that just because a VRBO has favorable reviews that you will have an enjoyable experience with that rental. Truth be told, if the condo owner wife had been more sympathetic and understanding, we probably would have offered to pay for some or all of the damage of this faulty bed on our own initiative, just out of human kindness. But she insisted on falsely accusing us of CAUSING the damage (which we did not do), and that does not make for a very conducive environment for reaching a settlement. I would not rent this VRBO again. The owners operate under the company name of JMD Vacation Property Rentals (or JMD & Associates for billing purposes). Their names are Jeff & Maureen Kleinfelter, and the condo address is 5519 N. Lillehammer Lane, #1403, Park City, Utah.

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Update by abadmemory
Jan 15, 2011 9:14 pm EST

For some strange reason, it seems that complaints posted on this site mentioning a VRBO situation automatically get forwarded to VRBO.com immediately. I had to edit my complaint to remove the VRBO.com that just mysteriously showed up under the title when I posted my original complaint. So the first sarcastic comment posted here was probably from someone in association with VRBO.com. They are quick to jump to their defense.

So again, we spent 2 of the 5 nights of our vacation stay having to deal with issues specific to this condo. Not fun. If the attitude of the owners had been less accusatory concerning the faulty bed, we probably would have just blown off the whole towing incident, and not registered any complaint. What a shame - it was a lovely condo in a nice location, but anytime you have a security deposit at risk, YOU run the risk of having it used. And there is very little you can do about it. Think we'll stick to hotels in the future.

Update by abadmemory
Jan 14, 2011 3:55 pm EST

I'm not saying it was VRBO's fault. I'm saying we had a negative experience with the parking situation with this rental unit and with the attitude of these condo owners - who do use VRBO to list their property. I left many details out in an interest of not having a complaint listing a mile long. The issues I addressed would be of concern to anyone looking to potentially rent this unit. And as I told the owners, there was no "hide the cannoli", to use your rather vulgar expression, during our 5 day stay. My adult son was footsteps away in bedroom #2. This was not a romantic trip, it was purely for the fun of skiing and snowmobiling with my husband and son. Your comments reveal your immaturity.

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This VRBO owner withheld our security deposit because she miscalculated the actual cost to heat the pool during our stay. The rate she offered was $15 per day and she tried to cover her $450 monthly gas bill with our deposit. She was not available when the microwave stopped working, she did not call me back when I had questions about the gate and accused u...

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VRBO vrbo listing #292327

15 Highland Ave located in Los Gatos, CA is listed on VRBO #292327. This house is misrepresentated. We prepaid 2 months rent in total $9, 200. We lasted 17 days in the house. There was no central heating. An antique floor heater that would only keep the living room warm if we kept all doors closed to other areas of the house. Each room had recessed heaters that were from the 1950's made by a company called Wesix that went out of business years ago, and looked like a fire hazard if turned on. The kitchen did not have any heat. In the morning even the heated room (living room), required a blanket to stay warm. The sheets in one bedroom were thread bare. We bought and left 2 sets of sheets, and a mattress topper, since the twin bed was so uncomfortable. We were instructed to refrain from opening certain windows in the bedrooms. Thus no circulation of air. A mildewy smell was present throughout the entire house, which we noticed when we moved out and had to wash our entire suitcase full of clothes to get the smell out. There were cable wires coming through certain bedroom windows, and that is reason why we could not open them. As regular VRBO users we rely on the integrity of the presentations. This house should be delisted. We will be suing the owner, Teresa Spaulding. We have several photos of the inside of this house to back up our complaints and would be happy to share with anyone that is interested.

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Jan 06, 2011 5:43 pm EST

I don't know the specifics but as an owner of vacation rentals I would discount such a comment. I've had people complain about being cold in Tahoe in the winter when the temperature in the p property was documented to be over 75F! What's needed is a site to warn vacation property owners about BAD RENTERS.

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VRBO security deposit theft

The owner of this property makes a habit of stealing guests security deposits. The property was returned in pristine condition and he has refused to return our security or respond to any of our phone calls or emails. He's a thief. Do not rent this property. VRBO has allowed him to turn off feedback so that renters can become future victoms of his scam. Beware.

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VRBO hideous rental

This owner, B. Skinner, has 4 listings including this Garden Apt. They are all in a state of disrepair on the outside and I assume they are not much better than this one inside. There are no pictures of the kitchen or bath online for a reason. The kitchen is way beyond antique, with a water heater in the corner "masked" by a broken trellis & fake ivy. The floor is so slanted that things roll out of the fridge. The kitchen has no usable counter space for preparation and is poorly equipped by comparison with other units I have rented. The bathroom has a sink from the late 1800's--the only place I have ever seen such a thing is in an unrennovated brownstone in Brooklyn--cracked marble with iron stains all over it. The shower is a small, old, metal stall with a door that does not close properly. The steps to the upstairs bedrooms (& where the bath is located) are so steep that a child or someone with a hip, respiratory or cardiac problem would have difficulty negotiating them. The larger bedroom has a musty odor--and this at the end of an unusually dry/hot summer. Although the ad indicates a a washer as part of the amenities, it fails to mention that while it is on premises (housed outside in the original "outhouse"), you must pay to use it. The outside of the rental is as run down as the inside: brown leaves all over, weeds, overgrown ivy and dirty patio furniture. One parking space is included in the rental, in an area carved out of the property. Unfortunately, 2 other renters from the main house must park there as well and the area is not large enough to fit 3 cars comfortably. Be prepared to jockey your car back and forth over a dozen times to get in/out of a spot. The only positive thing I can say about this rental is that it is in a good location 1/2 block from the beach.

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VRBO property misrepresented, filthy, stopped payment on security deposit check

1) This property is being represented as lakefront, which it is not.

2) It is filthy (and I'm used to staying in 3rd world hotels), unwashed, unvacuumed, and personal property literally piled in corners. Plus it stinks like dog, altho it is represented as being pet free the owner, Susan Slavik, keeps her dogs there. Refrigerator full of opened, out of date food. Cabinets and closets stuffed with the owner's personal property, no room for the renter's things.

3) The property was double booked so Susan Slavik asked us to move out 2 days early. She wrote us a check as refund for the 2 days we had already paid for. When we attempted to cash the check at Susan's bank, she had reported the check as STOLEN! and had the bank confiscate the check! So of course we couldn't cash the check and she didn't even have to pay a stop payment fee.

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VRBO no refund of deposit/non responsive

It has been over four months since we stayed at a VRBO vacation rental home at Lake Tahoe and they still have not refunded our deposit. Agent won't answer phone and no other way to reach them except through a website and that won't respond either. There was no damage and they have not even provided a response to that effect either. Rental claimed to have wireless internet (no wireless router present), and hot tub (tub could only get to luke warm after several hours). Complained, but once they had the money, no response. Don't trust these people.

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VRBO owner violated contract

The owner of this VRBO condo has violated our contract by neither returning my security deposit nor communicating to me within 3 weeks of departure why not. I have attempted to contact her via email, phone and registered letter, but have had ZERO RESPONSE. She was very communicative when I was seeking to rent her place. DO NOT TRUST THIS OWNER.

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VRBO unreasonble owner - no refund

Tyra IV Riverbend Lodge
Breckenridge, Colorado
Vacation Rental by Owner Listing 206023
THE GRINCH THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS.
AVOID THIS PROPERTY OWNER LIKE THE PLAGUE

We planned a ski vacation for part of our child’s Christmas gift and were scheduled to rent this unit for several nights but were unable to fly to Colorado due a winter storm that closed the entire Southeastern Air Corridor. We requested that she call us to discuss the situation and she dodged us by sending and e-mail informing us that she has a strict policy of a 45 day advanced notice on all cancellations. It’s like she seems to think that we had some kind of control over the situation. We were more than willing to work with her in an effort to resolve this issue in a fair and equitable manner for both parties but she never gave us a chance.

She’s a truly evil and greedy human being. You shouldn’t have to look very hard to find a better property owner then this one.

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VRBO not exactly a vacation rental

We checked into this property for an extended period of time, expecting (given the amount we were paying) an upscale vacation rental. What we found was a home that appeared to be lived in. Groceries in the pantry, left over groceries in the refrigerator and personal items throughout the house. Photos of the owners, and other personal affects. The bathroom cabinetry was not not cleaned out properly and many personal items left there too (some not to be mentioned). The house itself has a very modern feel in its' furnishings primarily however the minimalist feel doesn't compensate for lacking of warmth and an overall feeling of "home". It appeared as though the owners started construction but didn't quite finish. There were holes in the walls where I am guessing lighting was to be installed but never quite made it. The garage was filled with junk and boxes, making it difficult to park our vehicle until after having to move it around. This property is completely NO FRILLS and leaves you with a feeling that at any minute the owners will be returning. The saltwater pool was nice however wasn't always working properly and after 1 week it started to smell like the Pacific ocean. The owners did not continue the maintenance while there, so we were responsible for picking up limbs from fallen trees and removing the garbage as it was instructed. We were charged additional for additional items that we did dispute such as an additional 110$ cleaning fee to scrub residue of the bottom of the tub however we never heard back from the owner.
My recommendation is that if you are looking for an upscale vacation home in lieu of staying at a 3 or 4 star property- this isn't it. Spend the extra money to get the quality of service, and the quality housing.

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About VRBO

VRBO, which stands for Vacation Rentals By Owner, is a popular online marketplace that connects travelers with property owners who are looking to rent out their vacation homes, apartments, condos, and other types of properties. The platform was founded in 1995 and has since grown to become one of the largest vacation rental websites in the world, with over 2 million listings in more than 190 countries.

One of the key features of VRBO is that it allows travelers to book directly with property owners, which can often result in lower prices and more personalized experiences. The platform also offers a wide range of search filters and sorting options, making it easy for travelers to find the perfect vacation rental for their needs and budget.

In addition to its user-friendly interface and extensive selection of properties, VRBO also offers a range of tools and resources to help both travelers and property owners make the most of their experience. For example, the platform provides detailed property descriptions, high-quality photos and videos, and reviews from previous guests to help travelers make informed decisions about where to stay.

For property owners, VRBO offers a range of tools to help them manage their listings, including a calendar for tracking availability, a messaging system for communicating with guests, and a payment processing system for handling transactions. The platform also provides resources and support for property owners who are new to the vacation rental industry, including tips for setting up and managing their listings.

Overall, VRBO is a trusted and reliable platform that offers a convenient and affordable way for travelers to find and book vacation rentals around the world. With its extensive selection of properties, user-friendly interface, and helpful resources for both travelers and property owners, it's no wonder that VRBO has become such a popular choice for vacation rentals.

Overview of VRBO complaint handling

VRBO reviews first appeared on Complaints Board on Aug 7, 2007. The latest review Host cancellation penalty was posted on Sep 11, 2024. The latest complaint won't allow negative honest post was resolved on Sep 08, 2014. VRBO has an average consumer rating of 2 stars from 301 reviews. VRBO has resolved 34 complaints.
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