Vrbo Reviews

After being a platinum member for a number of years, I suddenly see my placement moving down the list. When I asked the question why, I was told it was for a number so reasons. I don't use their quotable rates where a traveler can create their own quote. My reason for not is I like interaction with my renters. It gives me the ability to do some due diligence and some selling. I don't use the online booking service where a traveler can automatically book. We're not a hotel. We're particular who we rent to, and have a rental contract and releases to be signed. We don't use their online payment system, which I would use, but can't because I don't use their online booking service. They say I respond too slow. Well, if it's a spring breaker, whom I will not rent to, yes I may be slower. I also have other business interests, so I'm not sitting there just waiting for inquiries to come in, but if I use the automated quote system, what does it matter?

Unlike AirBNB, VRBO seemingly does no due diligence on its listings or owners. While looking for a two week summer rental, I found owners who have never rented (He said: "we have had 38 inquiries and never rented."), inquiries that go completely unanswered, and listings that have not been active since 2007! Clearly VRBO's pay model is to have listings, not to create happy transactions. Last year we found a vacation home through VRBO. The owners were complete novices, not even telling us there was a gated entry that required a code. Then they were annoyed when the system called them on their cell phone whenever we wanted to come back in. It took two days before they gave us the code to enter. It seems there are a lot of listings where people THINK they want to rent but aren't really interested. VERY frustrating. Good idea - poor execution.

We reserved a property in Charleston SC in late January 2015, paid a 50% down payment and cancelled the rental the next day. We have not received a refund more than 1 month after the cancellation. The rental was for a period at the end of May and the beginning of June 2015. The home owner refused to refund our down payment because he is in litigation with VRBO HomeAway for $29,000 in unpaid bills. He has withdrawn all of his properties from the VRBO site.

VRBO listing #396131 - Carmel, CA. We rented this cottage for 3 nights during this last week and were a little disappointed. The couch was so low that you couldn't get out of it once you sat down, the rugs were old and not clean. The instructions for using the TV were almost nonexistent. The master bed was very uncomfortable and sagged in the middle so we both woke up with sore backs. The front porch cover has a rotten post holding it up, seems like this should be fixed. I know you can charge a premium in Carmel and the location of this cabin was amazing, 1 block from the beach, it needs some TLC to warrant any return visitors.

This is an accumulation of events since we subscribed with them. I manage three of our rentals and overall I have been very unsatisfied and frustrated with them. First of all their yearly subscription is a deceiving. According to the initial statement the yearly subscription is $349 vs. 10% of pay per booking fee. Except that they don't tell you that there is a 3% credit card processing fee, so you are only saving 7%. There was another unscrupulous instance with them. We had a large rental come in, since this was early on in my rental it was unexpected and after doing the math we decided to just sign up for the yearly subscription.

We were trying to rent a property for a three day weekend. We found one we liked and the dates were available, so my friend paid the full $900. She was then told that it actually wasn't available, and it has taken days to refund her money. It hasn't happened yet, so we found another property that showed available. I emailed the owner and called. She said she would email me the contract. She then sends me an email stating that the property was actually booked. Look, if you can't manage your stuff, or don't have time to make updates, don't list your home.

Have tried to rewrite a review of a VRBO property, VRBO site claims to be down over a week. Can not revise review at their suggestion, all they talk about is phishing or to list a new property. Can't get anyone to answer me.

We had renters move into our home 1/1/2015, and payment to our account (via their third party vacation pay) should have been dispersed immediately. We receive a bounce back saying our credit union account was invalid, therefore we needed to provide another account number. On 1/6/2015 I did exactly as they asked and on 1/8 it was confirmed that my bank was updated and all payments would be deposited to that account. We received our first payment 1/20/15 and the second payment was never dispersed. I didn't receive a call or anything regarding this payment (they basically just sat on it) until I called 2/5/2015.

VRBO.COM, HOMEAWAY.COM & VACATIONRENTAL.COM IS A SCAM FOR OWNERS. These people took my money, and did NOT provide a secure site so I got a lot of Fake inquires, and one on behalf of a stalker that I had, and she sent me a fake client that video taped my home, made copies of my keys, took photos of my windows and doors, & stole some personal paper work and then left. She then demanded a refund and we ended up in court! She also sent fake letters to homeaway.com accusing my 2 Million dollar home with slander & Lies. Homeaway locked my account, took my monies, didn't refund me and will NOT give me their legal dept. info so that I can sue them! They do NOT ask the travelers for their info, picture, computer IP addresses that should be a given, so anyone can write you and try to steal from your personal info, and come to your home and pose as a traveler!

My family and I picked a VRBO rental. We booked online and waited for confirmation which did not come. The lady listed as owner but from a realtor apparently doing the rentals. Not exactly by owner as it indicated, I got an email from Jimmy **, realtor confirming we had booked for the dates we requested. His information said to call to confirm, which I did right away. He said fine. He would mail a contract. We booked our plane tickets based on having a rental locked in.

I wanted to rent a condo in New York City. It was called "Condo with Two Balconies in Chelsea." It was listed at $700 a night. There is a duplicate condo that is listed for $1900 a night in the New York listing. The name and other info of where to send the bank transfer keeps changing. Originally, it was to go to a bank in South America. I do not believe that this is a legitimate offer. I have not replied to their requests for money.

My husband and I booked this Siesta Key studio after reviewing it online on Dec. 7th 2014. When we contacted the owner she advised us that it was available for the entire week and if we stayed for the full week, she would give us a better price. We accepted. When we got there we were shocked at the amount of space. There was no real space to have a cup of coffee or a light meal or even a sandwich or glass of wine. It was impossible for two adults to sit there comfortably. The "bistro" set would work well if you were small children. The A/C unit had no heat and of all times, it was so very cold.

We started at the end of October trying to list our vacation home. It is a very straight forward rental in a popular vacation spot. We have had utter confusion and virtually no help from them. I think the problem is with the payment site they use which is YapStone. YapStone even began mailing copies of someone else's personal information (tax returns, utility bills, and property deeds to us). I am very uncomfortable that such a large company with such stringent listing details could make such a huge mistake.

I have moved from 11 out of 465 rentals in my mountain resort area to 65th place under their new ranking system. I have a 100% Quality Listing and the maximum dollar, Platinum subscription. My calendar is always up to date. I called, complained and was led through a series of steps to examine the situation. I got a very good thorough review of the situation that supposed displayed that there were no errors nor wrongdoing. What I see however is that out of the first 59 listings ahead of me, only two have any rating stars; I have 13 5-Star Reviews in my first year. Of those 59 only three are listed "By Owner." The gentleman I questioned called them "pay-by-booking" meaning VRBO only get paid if the property is booked.

No deposit refunded after time stated, tried over 10 times TO contact with owner & VRBO.com. 1st 3 days, no hot water. Last 2 days, cockroaches. Pictures taken. Contacting atty. Marco island, Apollo 407, marco island, FL.

I have been advertising my rental for several years with VRBO. Originally it was great. I listed my property, people inquired and I responded and made reservations. Now with VRBO's "new dashboard" and other "upgrades" and this new "listing quality", I am very disturbed. Even though I have responded to the inquiries by going to the dashboard and getting the emails and responding directly and getting reservations, I got a "low listing quality" because I didn't respond through their dashboard. Also, I began getting emails saying the VRBO had sent emails to my guests without my consent or knowledge until after the fact. So I now respond ONLY through the dashboard so as to keep my "listing quality" higher, because "your listing quality score is the most important factor that influences your placement within search results which can improve your performance and help you provide a great booking experience with your guests".

Made a deposit on a vacation rental advertised on VRBO. It turned out to be a scam. VRBO will not take any responsibility for the lost deposit. They admit the property was a scam and delisted it but will not help me to recover my deposit. They are not a responsible organization and I would not trust anything advertised on their site. They make no effort to check on listings.

VRBO has been very good for us. FLIPKEY and many some others charge the renter and the owner. VRBO does not. VRBO has allowed rental agencies on there which is hardly "BY OWNER." I tried to stay in the Orlando area and there was nothing by "owner," maybe they will catch on. As an owner I had to provide information which they verified but you as a renter can easily check online or call the county's tax office and get an owner's name. If the owner will not provide an address call VRBO, typically they are helpful.

I used to be a big fan of VRBO having used their services since 2003 as a home owner and even earlier for renting vacation homes. But recently they completely messed up when a renter was "accidentally" refunded the entire amount of his stay. When I promptly alerted them to the fact that the website had a glitch they initially said they would fix it but later said that it was too late and that we would have to re-bill the customer who has now magically disappeared off the face of the earth. They then blamed us despite written evidence that the refund would only be for the security deposit. Clearly they had not done due diligence on the customer who was a late booking and are making me pay for their mistake.

I have been advertising my property through VRBO for the past 11 years. Over time things have changed drastically... rates jumped from reasonable to thru the roof. Did not complain too much as I was getting a fair amount of booking thru the site. A few years ago they were bought out by HomeAway and things have gone down hill ever since. There are so many hoops they make us jump thru as home owners. The worst, most egregious thing that they have done is FORCING you to place an instant BOOK IT bottom on your site or they down grade your site positioning. It's bad enough that they are charging over a $1,000.00 a year, they add insult to injury by forcing you to not only pay the highest amount for a decent position but then they want to become your new business partner by sticking their hand in your pocket by forcing credit card fees.

Rented 2-bedroom, confirmed nonrefundable deposit 10/6/14 from Dec. 30 thru Jan/10. Re-confirmed in Nov. early Dec. everything fine. On Dec. 29th while attempting to get check-in information, I was told my unit was not available, however they had another they could supply. I contracted for a 3.5 or 4-star unit was switched at the last minute to a 1-star unit with no options because of PayPal 601 dollar non-refundable deposit. Arriving in apartment provided, I found expired lease where it had been rented for 4 times less than I paid 1 week earlier. Address ** Poblado Medellin, scam artist Jason **, Joseph ** **.

Here's what everyone - both owners and renters need to know - If a potential renter makes an inquiry on VRBO to a homeowner, the email is intercepted and then re-forwarded to the homeowner. That's fine, but there is no means for the homeowner to reach the consumer directly without VRBO intercepting and editing the email.

We used VRBO for a nice place in Wailea, Maui and it was great. We have twice used VRBO for summer rentals in Laconia, NH at a place called South Down Farms. Most recently (last summer) we chose a place advertised as "Immaculate". In fact, that same place is again advertised as "Immaculate" even though for us it was actually very messy and in state of heavy disrepair. My review of this place did make it onto VRBO's website, kudos for this. But the real estate agency that handles it, Bayside Rentals, has not included my largely negative review on its website.

I contacted an "owner" on VRBO - Paul from Indian Springs - about a house he listed on VRBO in Hawaii. After getting a "contract" I wired him the FULL amount (Bank of America to Bank of America, all in the US). We emailed, talked on the phone, etc. It turned out he didn't have any rights to the house he falsely presented on VRBO. I ended up talking to the owners and they had no idea who he is - he stole photos off their realtor's website. I bought renter's insurance from VRBO - I am in the process of doing the paperwork now. Stayed tuned - I'll let you know if the insurance works. I would very much like to reach Susan of Kansas City, MO who posted on Dec. 6, 2014 that she lost $5,000 plus to the same guy. How did VRBO let him post twice----or more?

I had a coupon for a discount on VRBO's ridiculous ad rates and after entering it, they told me it was for New Accounts only. When I called I was treated rudely and told the coupon wasn't valid at all. When I asked for a supervisor, they said there wasn't one there. Terrible customer service!

We stayed at a vacation rental place, which we booked via VRBO Dec 28-1st of January 2015. Found bats in the house and had to call security twice. Landlord refused to change the property due to unavailability but offered refund of money. Now on return and upon asking, he refused for refunding the money. We all including kids had a horrible time all 4 nights being away from home and could not sleep there. Nightmares at night. We could have moved to other rental but due to New Year none were available. I am very disappointed and my family is too. I want to inform people to be very careful with this rental company in trusting them. Need legal action against the people to make sure no one else ever stay there to avoid miserable situation.

Someone rented my condo and left a false review. After contacting VRBO on numerous occasions I was told the only thing I could do is post a response to the false review and it would not be removed. I explained to the VRBO rep. that I have proof in writing and email correspondence that the renter was not telling the truth and I would gladly share the truthful info. The VRBO rep. acted as if they couldn't care less about my situation. Wow! If I treated my long time customers the way VRBO has treated me I would be out of business. The fact that the false review has been allowed to go onto my listing page is unacceptable. I have used VRBO for 4 years now with only good reviews. Looks like I need to find another source of advertising my rental property.

We rented an apartment in Prague in October for December 26-29, for 6 adults and a baby. On December 22 the owner contacted us via HomeAway email and said there was a problem and they had to cancel the rental agreement and that we would be getting a full refund from VRBO. We contacted VRBO and the owner, both saying different things about who has our money and how we will get it back. It's been over 2 weeks and no money has been refunded, so now we are going through our credit card company to cancel it. We had paid full, half in October and the other half in December. The VRBO listing number 598548 is no longer listed on VRBO, and we have been very disappointed with the lack of help on this from VRBO. We have used VRBO in the past but will never do so again!! We were able to find a good place in Prague last minute through AirBnB.

I subscribed to advertise my home on VRBO.com, a HomeAway company, two years ago. I never liked how unresponsive HA/VRBO was to any concerns and requests I had, but I was happy enough there and it generated a lot of business for me. But now HA/VRBO is changing certain policies and twisting the arms of we homeowners (who also happen to be their paying customers). HA's business model is a very cynical one: they woo the nonpaying users, Renters, and abuse the paying customers, homeowners, to that end. They put homeowners in the position of having to work for HomeAway/VRBO, NOT the other way around.

Vacation rental in Crystal River, FL - We rented this apartment in July for the month of Jan. 2015. We sent the owner $350 deposit as requested. This was the last we ever heard from her, despite numerous attempts to contact her. On Dec. 27, we received a call from her - after we decided we had been scammed and changed our plans. We declined to send any more money and instead, cancelled our reservation. She, of course, is keeping our deposit and we are not only out the money but everything is booked now and we have no place to stay. This was a very unhappy experience for us and VRBO did pretty much nothing to help us. I made a formal complaint against the owner to VRBO "security" department and have yet to hear back from them. I'm told I can't write a negative review of the property since we never stayed there!! Beware of dealing with this company. It runs a shoddy and dishonest business.

I have had a few guests stay in my apartment that came from the listing I had on VRBO. Everyone of them gave me a 5-star rating and only had good things to say about the place and neighborhood. Recently, a lady from Canada stayed in the apartment and she complained that the apartment was smaller than what she saw online and that in fact the apartment advertised online appeared to her to be an assortment of different pictures from several other apartments. This was a complete fabrication and totally incorrect yet VRBO unlisted my property and then sent me a letter stating that I am permanently removed from their website and that I can never advertise there again. They also forfeited the fees that I paid to list the property.

I booked two properties through VRBO. One owner, Sean **, canceled my reservation without any explanation, but at least he refunded my money. The other owner, Andrea **, kept my money for over four months, then canceled my reservation because she no longer owned the house. That's right, she held onto my money for a reservation on a house she no longer owned. When I called VRBO, they said there was nothing they could do, even when I pointed out that Andrea **'s listing still appeared on their website.

We requested a condo reservation through VRBO which was not approved by the non-responsive owner in time (short notice booking) so we contacted VRBO to cancel the request (which is not a true reservation until it is accepted by the owner). They agreed we would not be charged and said they would contact the owner directly. 3 hours after we booked another condo the owner of this first condo accepted it and charged us, even though he knew it was cancelled and VRBO had confirmed the cancelled request on the phone. VRBO again confirmed on the phone that we would not be charged, but it would take 7 days to refund.

My wife called the owner Kim ** about a property in Hawaii on Maui Island. She was very pleasant, so we decided to book and pay in full about 7 weeks before our trip. I received an email with a LINK to the rental agreement. It wasn't really an agreement, it was more a list of things to do when we arrived in a scroll box. I saved this page on my web browser. About 12 days before our rental, I get a call from the owner, saying I needed to sign some paperwork, including an agreement. I looked in my spam folder and didn't find anything resembling an agreement (it was all one-sided rules) that also said I would pay for all electricity if the bill was over $120. This was something new I'd never seen before. When I went back to the link of the original contract, it was now completely different. So I sent VRBO an email asking for the "agreement" at the time I paid, and told the owner I would get back to her in a few days. She freaked out, and sent an email at 11:00 PM, demanding that I sign the agreement before midnight. The next day, I asked for clarification on the demand and she just canceled my reservation, stating she was keeping my money.

Rented a property on line and was then sent confirmation email also requesting payment in full to be sent to a bank out of the country which turns out to be a fraud. The money was sent then days later an email from VRBO saying that they had suspicious activity on this particular rental. Now dealing with banks trying to retrieve my money $3000.00 Also dealing with FBI and International Police for cyber crimes. Be aware of these scams and do not send any money until all is checked out. VRBO does not guarantee any monies if this happens only up to $1000.00 after all other possibilities exhausted. They are not very helpful when questioned - they said this does happen a lot. Great look for other ways to pay if you either directly with the owner by the old fashioned method of a check which can of course be cancelled.

I have listed my property in Mexico with VRBO for many years, listing # **. Apparently another company called HomeAway has recently acquired this company. There was no notice given to me about this change of ownership or new requirements so I could check my listing and get up to date on any new procedures. The website is totally changed and hard to navigate.

Beware of Paul from Indian Springs vrbo scam 206 N Ocean Dr. October 2014. We "rented" his villa. Thank goodness we had to cancel and did not send him the remaining $5200. When we canceled he never called us back, never replied to emails, removed the property from VRBO. He robbed/scammed us out of $5200. We are still going to prosecute but wanted to post a warning. Don't do business with him.

My wife saw a listing for a girl’s weekend in New York City. It was for a Chelsea, New York City Apt. - sent deposit to owner Susan. When they arrived from Tampa, Fl., they picked up keys and told the address. When they arrived, the listing was not for the apt. they saw online. This is what we call Bait and Switch. Do not use VRBO.

I called in to HomeAway customer support (I'm a homeowner) on a Monday morning and waited 20 minutes in queue. The agent, after hearing my need, put me on hold for an unknown reason. I said, "Hey, don't drop my call please and don't subject me to a perpetual hold." He said, "Of course not." But 19 minutes later (that's a total 39 minutes), they dropped my call!! This is not my first unsatisfactory experience with their customer support. Now I'm back in queue at 11 minutes and counting.

We stayed at this rental Casa de Corazon in San Diego. Athena and "bo" ** are the smooth talking owners. It was not as advertised. It was in the ghetto instead of the gas lamp district as advertised. There was a fence up all around and one had to put security code to get in gate! Not to mention the Mercado grocery store had a cop walking in parking lot as well as one in store. Yowzers. Scary!

Beware of renting a VRBO listing for a particular 2 bedroom Ocean & Canal Front home on Cudjoe Key. The manager on the listing took our deposit (almost a year in advance) made out to her realty co, it was cashed, and when the time came to pay the rest, we were told the realty company she had been working for went out of business, that the place was rented to someone else and and we couldn't get our $500 deposit back! We don't know whether it was a scam or negligence but we're out of our vacation rental And $500. We spoke to the new rental agency, the original realtor, and wrote a letter to the actual owner (looked up his name on the tax records) with no success.

I have used VRBO for many years successfully. However, I recently had a listing on VRBO from Greece (#3670066), fraudulently use my credit card information and had to contest the charges through my credit card company when VRBO would not act on my behalf. They are STILL listing the property and the property is phishing for more money from me by sending payment links for money I do not owe as I am not renting their property, nor have I agreed to in person or in writing. I contacted VRBO AGAIN to let them know that this company is phishing for money and they see no problem with continuing to work with this property.

A traveler booked my apartment on October 28 and paid by credit card. Payment was received on the same day by VRBO. Today, November 14, I didn't received yet my payment. I called VRBO and, after 20 minutes of waiting (their call service is horrible!) a lady told me she didn't see the booking I was talking about and suggested me to call Homeaway. After insisting she finally found the booking, she saw the payment and she couldn't do nothing to direct my payment to my bank account. She suggested me to call Homeaway. I am waiting them to reply. VRBO is keeping $1,017 unauthorized, and he doesn't know how to credit it to my bank account. I don't have words to comment this. If you are a property owner I wish you good luck. I will never work again with them.

We stayed at a home in Boca Grande, FL because it had all perfect 5 star reviews. We found the home to be not so clean. Since our grandchildren were coming, we washed all the tile & wood floors, and the water was very dirty. We were allowed to bring our cat. During the night, we would hear her chasing something and growling. Each night we would open the 2 drawer dishwasher and find about 10 cockroaches running in them. We started checking around the home and found some very large ones either alive or dead under beds and under curtains on the floors. We also found them in the shower during the night. We also found many baby ones in pictures frames on the wall. Our cat also chased a mouse a few times, which we could not catch.

Airbnb 3.0% gross rent; Admin hours: Airbnb takes about 1/10th the time to deal with vs VRBO (Airbnb system is more efficient facing hosts). Apparent reasons for the above performance differences: Airbnb site has broader internet coverage, extensive language support, more professional presentation to guests, better guest/host review/feedback system, easier for hosts to use. Airbnb is more complete comprehensive system.

We have stayed at a number of places, typically in the $150 to $250 per night range, in Utah, Montana, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and now St. John, USVI. We have always had a positive experience, until now.

I have been with VRBO, HomeAway and VacationRentals for my two villas in Florida for the last four years. I currently pay $3,000 per year! Whilst I have been getting bookings, the customer service is disgustingly poor. (And mine is a Platinum subscription!)

We have been an owner of a VRBO property since 2009. This is the only property we own and we try really hard to accommodate our guests. Lately VRBO has been making "improvements" and thus making it very difficult on the owners to accept payment and reservations. They have thrust upon us a new feature called the Hospitality Manager, with no warning or any kind of guidelines of how to use it. It gives guests the ability to access certain features of our rental, directions, codes, and such even before they have paid the balance of their stay.

I have read some of the comments on this site. I both list on VRBO and rent from VRBO. I have had good and bad experiences renting. I also read other property descriptions on the website. I personally have rented twice with poor to terrible (did not stay there) rentals. I am amazed at how people in the area I have a rental, "stretch" the truth about access to golf courses, beach clubs and extra costs. I am very honest with my listing, pictures, descriptions and reviews. I wish there was a better way to have people describe their listing more truthfully. In my case, I just let the experiences go and did not complain to VRBO.

I have been attempted to post a review on a rental property I acquired during the renovation of my home in the month of September. To my surprise I have been unsuccessful in doing so as it would appear that if you try to be honest about your experience (the good or the bad, in my case VERY BAD) VRBO will not allow you to post anything unless it is a "5 star" rating. I have tried countless times in posting my review but no matter how many times I revise it and edit it in order for it to be posted VRBO has always declined in posting it for one reason after another. It then occurred to me to review the reviews on VRBO both pertaining to this particular property I had rented and also in general.

We rented a cabin in the area of redwoods state park in California in August. We went and had a nice time, despite assurances from the cabin owner he still has yet to return our deposit. When we went to post about it on the VRBO.com website, they censored our review, even though we said nice things about the cabin, but mentioned we were frustrated we were unable to recover the deposit. I can only imagine what else they have censored form their reviews. So do not trust their reviews on their homes for rent because they censor negative reviews. Hurting their customers in favor of the rental owners.

We have rented vacation condos for years in the US and abroad with absolutely NO problems. We have been treated very fairly and found the property owners very helpful in all regards. I was really surprised with the number of negative complaints some folks wrote about. It has not been our experience at all. We have had no reason to contact VRBO or HA on anything to-date. Have we just been really lucky? We try to deal with the rental property owners directly when possible. I did note that when I tried SEVERAL TIMES to submit a very positive review for a property we stayed at, it never was printed on the owners' listing.

We rented a vacation home VRBO #3690334ha in Fort Lee, NJ for 4 days in summer 2014. We are unable to get our $1000.00 deposit back. The owner who was very nice before renting stopped returning our calls, texts and emails when we tried to call her to get the deposit back. It's been more than 2 months, we have just filed a formal complaint with VRBO. Let's see what they can do.

The Lambourne 725 Pine st Unit #304 San Francisco, CA 94108 - Enjoyed my stay there. There was a $350 security deposit. They didn't return the money to me. I complained about 6 weeks after my stay was over. The owner didn't respond. When she did she wanted to refund me $327. The VRBO management has been no help. I would stay away from this renter and VRBO in general. They will RIP YOU OFF!!!!!!!

We tried to rent the following property on VRBO.com in #59461 on 7 rue du Marc Antibes. For seemingly no reason, the manager became unresponsive except for smug phone texts saying she would be in touch shortly. She never did respond to my requests for an email account for a PayPal payment. Has anyone had trouble with this listing before? I worry that it is a scam despite the reviews...

My family rented VRBO 240500 in Stowe Vermont. We were asked to provide a separate check for the (very large) security deposit of $750. Prior to our arrival I wrote the owner and asked if we could bring our dog. She replied IF I was willing to pay for additional cleaning costs. However, I was able to find another place for my dog while we were traveling and did not bring him. The homeowner met us at the house and took us around for about 30 minutes, telling us to take off our shoes, how to open and close the windows and window coverings, how to work the tv, etc. She could clearly see we did not have a dog with us, did not ask to see a dog, did not ask about a dog, and was there when the rest of the group finished emptying the car. When it came time to get my security deposit back, she had cashed and KEPT the check, saying she was keeping it because we brought a dog.

I was with both VRBO and HomeAway for over 12 years! They treat the owners like they don't care a stitch! They do not protect both owners or renters from deception. They are merely there to take your money. BEWARE OF VRBO.

We rented 102 State Street, Rehobeth Beach this summer #292418. Two weeks before check in time we emailed and called the owner to find out how we would be obtaining access to the property. He never did respond. VRBO told us not to worry, that they vet their listings. We found a kind local realtor who went to the door of the property and the current renters called us - they did not find out until one hour before check in time. Frustrating as they had coolers, out of town guests, etc. The morning of move in day we finally heard back. At the end of our stay we took pictures to show that we left the house in excellent condition. We never received our deposit back - neither did the past renters, in spite of emails and phone calls. We feel this guy is scamming people and are disappointed with VRBO as well. The travel editor for the Washington Post tried contacting VRBO and the owner as well, with no response.

First, let me start by saying I have three homes I rent in vacation areas. I always get back to inquiries within hours, even while traveling. If I do not have what the renter wants I let them know so they do not waste time AND I may have gained a client for another time period. The few time I have attempted to rent homes - worldwide - and any of these websites I have come away disappointed, disgusted and weary. Rarely are the calendars updated or correct as to bookings OR rates. What a waste of time! Some are deliberately left blank for months, years. Why bother?

VRBO is only a listing service. It doesn't own the properties listed, and it isn't responsible for the scams perpetrated by the people who list properties on the site. I do agree that VRBO should do better at enforcing truth in advertising and following up on reported scams or misleading listings. However the fact that customers are getting scammed by people listing property on Vrbo.com says more about the sad state of today's dishonest society than it does about Vrbo.com. As long as there's an opportunity to rip off people, someone somewhere will do it. The protection against rip offs is easy - pay with a credit card. No scammer is going to accept payment by credit card, because they can be easily identified and thereby prosecuted if something goes wrong.

In short, VRBO owner's email account was scammed and our money was wired to the hacker in UK. Then the owner phoned said didn't receive any $. Appears similar scam happened since 2011 at least, but VRBO & HomeAway are not taking any responsibility for what happened. So is the owner. Shame on this public traded company which so many people rely on as us.

Let me say upfront that we have used VRBO for a number of years to rent property in Michigan, Florida, and Alabama. The experiences have been positive; except for the most recent. We rented a house in Saugatuck, Michigan for a week recently and the pictures of the place were not representative of what the house currently looks like. There were a number of internal and external maintenance issues along with worn out mattresses, linens and pillows.

My husband and I needed a place to stay in London until our flat was ready. We sent inquiry after inquiry on rentals with no response. We tried the "Book Now" option, paid for the rental but we're then denied the reservation two days later. We still haven't gotten a refund. This service is misleading and not reliable. The "book now" option is not immediate, you pay then wait just like the others. I DO NOT recommend.

We rented a house in Aptos, CA. It was advertised as "Ocean Views from Every Room in This Chic Bright 2bed, 2BA Home in Santa Cruz". The pictures' great, price great, house was filthy and hazardous. There were no reviews and now we know why. We couldn't find a coffee pot, any dishtowels, dishcloths, washcloths or hand towels to begin with. The owner when contacted suggested we use paper towels and use the damaged French press that was there.

I've dealt with VRBO twice. The first time, the cabin was misrepresented. I asked specific questions about the property and was lied to in response. After spending 1 sleepless night in the cabin, the owner apologized and promised to refund all money paid minus the one night, but only refunded 1 night. The second time I tried to use VRBO, I dodged a bullet. I emailed about a cabin and reserved it for 1 week using specific dates. The website stated the price would be $894 including tax and fees. I received an email 3 days later telling me the cabin would be available on the dates I asked for with the price being $200/night plus tax and a $100 cleaning fee. I'm through with VRBO. It's apparent to me that they are either deliberately deceptive (crooked) or they are very irresponsible in the way they run their business. I'll waste no more time or money on them.

VRBO Luxury Escape Ucluelet B.C. - Since my husband and I were celebrating a birthday and our wedding anniversary, we were looking for a really special and secluded place. After a careful online search we settled on this VRBO. The pictures and reviews on the VRBO website were intoxicating! We paid more than our monthly mortgage to stay here for one week. The dream of staying here, after the planning, and then traveling 2,100 miles, disintegrated during our week-long stay and vanished by the time we left.

I had a terrible experience with a renter on VRBO. I just wanted to have a nice family vacation on the beach. The pictures were not reflective of the property, as it was older and had stained carpets. After I returned and emailed the owner on the status of my 500.00 deposit, she claimed we left the house in a filthy state and stained towels and linens. This was far from the truth. In addition to the 175.00 cleaning fee she claimed the cleaning company had to bill them for an additional 9 hours of cleaning and linens and bedding that needed to be replaced.

We rented a 3 bedroom condo in la duna la quinta California and it was not clean, no internet except what you could get from a nearby condo, no tv as advertised and foreclosure notices on the counters. Just noticed that someone did write an accurate review but it has been deleted today, so no point in me doing the same. I would suggest if the site shows no reviews, there is a good reason and to stay away!

It was by far the loveliest we've ever rented. The owners (Kim & Kevin **) could not have been more welcoming and warm. The cottage was beautiful; the kitchen, a cook's dream, and all within 200 feet of the Pacific. We hope to have the opportunity to rent again.

We rented a home in August for our vacation to Florida. The owner insisted upon coming over the first day we arrived after a road trip to pick up a signed copy of the rental rules even though they had been signed and sent electronically months prior. After the stay, the owner sent an email several days later claiming staining on her linens and extra cleaning. She even claimed there were oil stains on the garage floor and damage to a shredded boogie board she had left us. She said she would not refund my entire deposit. A day later, she emailed me that she would refund my deposit via check. She never sent a check, and VRBO did nothing. All they could say was I should dispute it with my credit card. Rhonda ** repeatedly harassed me because I left an honest review of the property. In her response, she lied as well. She said my dispute was dismissed even though I was refunded my entire deposit by my credit card company. Never went through VRBO. You will go through a similar nightmare and they will say they can't help.

I am an owner of a property listed on VRBO in Paris, France. I think I am typical of most who list on VRBO when I say that we do our best to provide an accurate description of the flat and that the pictures are recent. We honestly don't want people to stay there who will not be happy there. Perhaps unusually, we do not require a deposit and with over 75 different parties having stayed in our place over two years, we have only had one disagreeable experience (dirty baby nappies not carried out during summer) and virtually all our guests have said they were very satisfied.

VRBO ** - Tulum Mexico home. We tried to post the review below. Were told today they won't post it because it does not help travelers. It is honest, and truthful.. and it does help people be safer. Review # ** Not the vacation we expected. Casa Dos Bahias is new and well-appointed. It's somewhat secluded with open lots on each side, near the end of a dead end street. We had a pleasant stay until we were robbed the final night.

I recently booked an apartment at vrbo.com for my family vacation. But the day before my scheduled arrival, the owner informed me he had to cancel my reservation because of emergency. As a traveler, you'll never want to be in this kind of nightmare. It is even worse that vrbo.com/HomeAway told me they could do nothing about it except letting me file a complaint to the owner. In vrbo's own words, "we are an advertising venue".

I paid for three nights. I was given wrong code to get in. It was after midnight - no one answers my call. I looked for the security guard, no to be found, so I stayed with friends. The next day I was given new code – worked. The master bath has no water to toilet - six people had to use the second bath. Called management. I was promised some refund. That’s was a lie. Its place where you pay money and get poor service. It’s rip off place. Place was clean, no issue. The second day we were lock out - the code did not work. So new cod were given to us. Not worth what we paid and trouble.

I tried renting a unit at the MGM signature. Went through all the proper channels, rental agreement, spoke with owner only to find that it was a scam. This "owner" did not own the unit he was trying to rent. I complained to VRBO. They not only did not list the negative review but continued posting the unit for rent. The original owner complained to me saying that I slurred his good name because he hadn't posted anything on **. This was a scam. I was able to track down the original scammer thru research and provided VRBO with his name, phone number, and address. VRBO did not take action and in fact continues to post this unit with not bad reviews. I have had many letters back and forth with VRBO but they obviously don't care.

This website does NOT allow to post a review that contained a complaint or has one star. That is why whatever you has only 5 stars. We rented a condo from a landlord "David **" and he didn't refund our security deposit for according to him "several scratches on the mirrors behind the couch". This was all made up to just keep your $500 security deposit. I've submitted 6 reviews to VRBO.COM and each time they said: The review you submitted does not meet our guidelines and cannot be posted. Thanks.

I have a rental property listed on VRBO and I have rented many VRBO properties for my vacations. I am completely satisfied with their customer service. Their representatives are knowledgeable, courteous and there is little or no hold time when I call. My yearly fees have not increased over the last two years and my listing remains where it has always been relative to other listings. I find their "Book It Now" option helpful both as an owner and renter. I also list with Airbnb, but find VRBO's preferable since I set my own payment schedule and cancellation policy. Also, unlike Airbnb, I am not required to write a review of my renters before being able to view their reviews of me.

I rented a house on a lake for two weeks for my family. The reviews on VRBO for the house were very nice. The house is actually dirty and smells of cat urine. I tried to post a fair but negative review of the rental house but VRBO is not posting my negative review. The company keeps sending me emails asking to review the vacation rental and I reply by resending the same review. I cannot trust the VRBO site at all. I will never use their service ever again. Here is my review:

We recently rented a property through VRBO in Jackson Hole, WY. The property was managed by Mountain Property Management. Four days before we were to arrive in Jackson Hole the management company emailed me to say that they had just become aware of a siding project at the condo and we wouldn't be able to park in front of our unit. I immediately emailed back and told her I was concerned about noise and parking, she offered us a 1 bedroom unit (not suitable for a party of 5) or a 4 bedroom house (more expensive) in town. Since neither of those options worked we continued on with our plans. We had children driving in from Salt Lake City and another flying in from Denver.

VRBO has begun using an illegal process to block Owner access to people inquiring about properties. Then they steal the listing to guarantee a commission. They require you participate in online booking or lose standing in the listings. The cost to advertise 9 years ago was $150 per year per property. Now it is $1200+ to keep a standing that we should have for seniority. I called today when I realized that all my correspondence with guests was blocked, and they were booking without my consent. They acted shocked, but I see they are doing it to everyone. They put me on hold for 30+ minutes then disconnected. What they are doing is illegal, and should be looked at by the authorities. They will lose their client base fast as word gets around.

I've used vrbo a few times. It was ok. The place is always smaller and some quirks with it. BUT, lately I'm tons of realtors and or property managers are sending messages. Where did the owners go. It's become ridiculous. They say they don't have the place I'm looking at but others. I almost was scammed by a company or man in London until I became suspicious and investigated further. Google it. So beware of messages or calls coming out of London through vrbo.

Cabin at Lake Murray, Oklahoma, 1/2 mile to Lake Murray Lodge. Arrival date: 07/24/2014. Departure date: 07/27/2014. Travelers: 2 adult(s), 2 child(ren). My family and I stayed at this location on July 24-27. It was fantastic!!! The cabin had everything you could imagine. And our son brought his friend, and they camped upstairs in the loft room, and played all the board games the cabin provided, and played outside on the tether ball pole. They had a fantastic time, and were so ecstatic to see the cabin even had a pizza pan to bake pizzas on!! The cabin is fully stocked with all kinds of dishes, and linens. Please keep this lovely cabin clean when you leave so we can enjoy this cabin again! The beds were very comfortable, and the owners were so nice. We will be back again!! This was a great trip!! Thank you for sharing your cabin with us! Thank you.

The cabin was very dirty. It has not been kept up with faulty plumbing, worn, broken-down furniture, torn lamp shades, torn wallpaper, dirty stained carpet, and even a gummy worm stuck to the top of the ceiling fan. There were light bulbs missing, switches that didn't work and general disrepair. The cabin was a mess. I do not recommend for anyone.

I won't even give this company a star. We rented a villa in Florida emerald island number 2641. Be very aware that the pictures you see of this villa is not what you get. We arrived to find holes in microwave. Three chairs round a table for four people, a games room that you could not use, ripped pool table, no tips on the cues and when you tried to get the cues of the holder the whole thing falls off the wall. Old broken pool chairs and tins of paint and an old table tennis broken by the wall. The place was full of dust window sill you could write your name on them. The drawers were all so full dust and sweet wrappers and soda cartons. We had to empty the dishwasher from last guests. Curtain rails removed and not replaced when my granddaughter tried to close her curtains that fall on her head. Ice cream or yogurt dried in on the sofas and side tables. List goes on and on. Ann and Gary who own this website say it is nothing to do with them, all they do is rent you the house for the owners so not there problem. ALSO BE VERY AWARE THAT THEY WANT YOU TO PAY THROUGH THE BANK. YOU THEN HAVE NO CREDIT CARD INSURANCE.

Rented a home found on your site. Contacted you and entered the information for the owner to approve. Received the call from the owner and he explained he never used your process and he will decline the request to proceed with sending me the contract. The listing has been off VRBO since 2012 with NO Reviews. Arrived at the rental to find it was not ready for us: dirty dishes, food in fridge, no internet, leaves and dirt on side of window AC, garden was not kept at all and glass everywhere. We had to go buy light bulbs and go buy some pots and pans as there was nothing available to cook with. Painting tape left from whenever, moldy smelly towels in the dryer. Overall a sad experience. Pictures were taken. Owner informed. Even had some realtor show up at the door without warning (one of them was rude). This property is in East Hampton, NY.

I wanted to rent 4 nights (check in Sat, check out Wed) during the dates listed as "EARLY FALL PAY 3 GT 4 6 GT 7." The weekend nights were listed as $99 (Fri, Sat) and the Nightly rate was $79, so the advertised cost should have been for 1 weekend night and 2 weekday nights + 1 free night ($99 + $79 + $79 = $257). I contacted the owner with the dates and two other questions. The owner wrote back without answering the questions, and a quote for $560 (!) - Rental Rate: $356.00, Mis. $7.33, Tax $32.05, Sub-Total $395.38, Refundable Damage Deposit $100.00, Cleaning fee: $65, Total Quote Amount $560.38. In this case he said that the $7.33 "mis" [sic] charge was for 1/2 of the charge that the credit card company charged him. Also, he said that instead of paying through the VRBO system, we would need to leave $65 at the house for the cleaning services.

I was charged a $25 fee through VRBO while attempting to pay for a home. I received no information from VRBO or their parent company, Homeaway. The homeowner let me know that payment had been denied, although there was no reason given. When I followed up with VRBO, they said that they could only hypothesize that I had made an error while inputting payment information, but that they had no idea what the error was and that there was nobody for me to follow up with. I did not find out about the $25 charge until attempting to get my damage deposit back from the homeowner, who had been charged by Homeaway. I therefore did not get my damage deposit back in full.

In Waikiki Grand Hotel this guy called Bill ** is trying to rent this from Portland posing as the owners representative. It's a scam as he presses for payment once you inquire and when I asked for info to confirm his representation he said it was suddenly rented for those dates yet on the site calendar there was no one booking it.

Renters beware: Property # 566770 on VRBO and property # 114538 on Vacationrentals.com. These numbers are for the same property. We had a rental agreement for this property in Hawaii through VRBO. Agreement was signed, confirmed and we had paid our first payment. We rented early to be sure to get our choice of properties. I checked the property availability calendar after we had our agreement - to be sure that our dates were added to the calendar. I found the dates did not match our rental agreement. I phoned the renter and was assured that our dates were secure. Since we had found a great rental, our friends (not knowing our exact dates, just that our dates were the beginning of February) emailed to rent the same condo after we had left.

I am a owner of condo in Florida and my unit is listed through vrbo.com. I pay plenty of money to be on this site and recently they have changed the format which hides emails of the inquires which makes you forced to respond through their "dashboard". I noticed that I was not getting responses to my emails and I found out that the people interested in my condo were never receiving my emails. Called vrbo and spoke to a representative that had no idea what I was talking about and when asked to speak to a "supervisor" there was no one available to take my call but someone would call me in 1-3 days. You can imagine how upsetting this was to me under these circumstances that I was losing renters. Finally I received an email from them stating that all emails were going through and that I was pretty much fabricating the story. OWNERS BEWARE...... RENTERS BEWARE. I think this company is being run out of someone's garage!!!

My husband found a great ad online for VRBO vacation home rental in Sandpoint Idaho. Turned out the owner not only charged the $650 rental upfront to my visa but later sent an email with a email address demanding an additional $300 for what he called a security deposit to be sent to his address in the form of a check and after the checkout date he may or may not return the deposit depending on the cleanliness of the rental. We'll I thought about it for a while and spoke with my City official friends who said this is a scam especially since it was not disclosed on the VRBO website condition of agreement. Later I emailed the owner and expressed my concerns about disclosure in the original contract and that he breached it and we will not be renting his property.

Used VRBO to rent a houseboat in Sausalito for Labor Day. They took the deposit plus stupid fees out of my bank account -- i.e. carefree guarantee and property damage fees -- didn't rent the property to me probably due to some day rule that wasn't published and are attempting to keep the fees. Like What?? We weren't there to damage anything and what was carefree about stealing **. Total $70. Stay away from these jerks. I will be battling you.

We rented a 3 BR/3 BA unit located at 1412b West Beach Blvd in Gulf Shores, AL Found on VRBO. Location and layout were accurate. Amenities were lacking: no DVD, no DishTV, sketchy plumbing, etc. The dishwasher could not open because someone put in a full-sized fridge that blocked the door. The agency suggested moving the refrigerator (in front of the BR door!) to get to the DW. Worst customer service ever. Got the run around. Owner unavailable. Two service guys came to fix TV and left immediately saying they didn't know how to fix it. No returned calls. We filed a complaint with AmEx to hold payment. Also filed BBB complaint. Tried VRBO but my bad review got hung up in a supposed update to their system. Ha ha! The manager told my sister we could complain all we wanted but they had already got their payment. Then the internet died (to keep us from complaining more!). Nice beach but stay away from Liquid Life.

We rented VRBO number 14143 located at Harbourwood Villas, Sea Pines in Hilton Head Island. This villa is described as immaculate at the VRBO website. The owner apparently has 86 excellent reviews. That is why I chose the property for a week's vacation.

As an owner of vacation rental property in Costa Rica, I have listed with VRBO since 2007. My current ad was changed by the company and now reads that I am located in Pasadena, CA. Therefore I am getting a mountain of requests for the property based on the low Costa Rica prices. As of yet, I have not been able to contact either branch of this company and make corrections. Part of the problem is that the potential rentees are not reading the content of the ad itself but the initial headline places my property squarely in Pasadena, CA. I apologize to all for the inconvenience and continue to try to rectify this problem.

I recently wrote and submitted a two-star review for a VRBO condo stay in Charleston, SC. When I received the email and clicked on the link to verify my review, the message said, "The system is temporarily down while we are making updates to our site. We will be back up shortly so please check back. Our apologies for any inconvenience. The VRBO.com Team."

Trying to secure legitimate rental in Phoenix AZ area. Continue to receive what may be bait-n-switch responses from some prospective owners/managers. Need reliable source. Not able to contact anyone running site; however, it appears they are not really looking out for the consumer. This site may be encouraging theft. Plan to research a bit more.

After renting a villa through VRBO, we filed a review of our stay which was negative, but accurate. We had to produce paperwork evidence of our stay (cancelled check, signed contract, etc), which we did. The owner claimed we never stayed at his villa - a blatant lie, but VRBO sided with him to our unbelievable dismay and the review was never published. Now we find out the villa owner has a criminal record and was just arrested again for impersonating a police officer and solicitation.

Tom and Pat Doss. Owners of Rockys Run Getaway Listed on VRBO - Me and 5 friends rented this house for our annual Lake Anna Memorial day weekend trip. Pros: house is Beautiful with a capital B. Amazing views and the home itself was very clean. For boaters you are roughly a 10 min. boat ride from Lake Anna Marina. Cons: At 9:15 am on Monday, our check out date, the owner comes into our rental. Does not knock but lets himself in demanding to know why we are still here when check out is in 45mins. Yes, we still had the place for 45 mins. The 6 of us all were yelled at and talked down to for 45 mins by both of the owners. Real professional. The owners are rude people. Everyone in our group was between 25-30. We did not trash the house in any way.

I had very much the same experience as April of Warington, PA (below). I paid a deposit for my reservation and paid for their "Carefree" insurance. I then got an email from VRBO saying the property was no longer listed and was not available. They were "investigating". Only thing from them after that was that nothing is covered by the Carefree insurance. Try to get your money back from your credit card bank. Well, I didn't need to buy your fraudulent insurance to do that. The 1 Star rating supposedly means I am "Angry". Well, I'm a lot more than that. How about adding a 0 or negative star for companies like VRBO/Home Away. The Carefree insurance is a complete fraud--they only pay off if they feel like it--but what does this say about the rest of the operation. I certainly would never do business with them as a renter or owner.

I own a vacation property that I have listed on VRBO. I pay top dollar for the listing so I can be "listed at the top of the page." In the past 72 hours, I have had 3 customers tell me they have been unable to pay by credit card. They receive an error message. I called VRBO customer no-service line and they tell me it's a problem with the customers' credit cards. Hogwash! Their solution? Have my customers call them, wait 10 minutes or more for someone to answer and then they will process the card by hand. What terrible service!

Do not rent from Glenn ** and "House of Dreams". He represents himself on VRBO as the owner when in fact I looked up the owner of the property we were considering in public records and another owner was listed. Additionally, he tried to rent us a "cancelled listing" by offering us a discount, but at the very last minute told us by phone that there would be some construction on the property. When we declined to rent under these terms, he called me all kinds of nasty names (whiny, greedy, etc..) and sent me a very unprofessional and alarming email. He is bait and switch. Beware!

I rented an apartment in Paris, France, through the VRBO site for last April 10-19. We paid the full rent amount that was required by the owner in advance, by bank transfer to an account under the his name. My husband and I were having a family reunion with my daughter and her family because they live in Italy. We arrived to Paris from Mexico City and went directly to the apartment's address, at 4 pm. When we arrived, we asked the manager of the apartment building for the person supposed to be the owner, ROBERT **, with whom I had been in touch for at least 2 months by email.

If I could give this a negative star, I would. I recently went through VRBO to rent a property at Bonnet Creek, in Orlando, FL. After sending complete payment AND paying for their "so-called" rental Guarantee and protection, I was notified 11 days before our trip to Disney by VRBO that the property listing has been removed and not to send any more money to the owner of the property. After several communications with the owner, who informed me that the money in Escrow was being refunded to all renters from now to the end of the year AND that that VRBO and HomeAway withdrew the rental property listing.

We list our rental condos on VRBO from 2009. VRBO worked perfectly first few years: good website, good Customer Service, a lot of Customers for us. But from the December 2013 VRBO has changed their search system and I, as the Owner who did NOT sign up for VRBO/HOMEAWAY payment system, have no Customers from VRBO anymore. I did not sign up for this system for the following reasons: 1. VRBO has NO Responsibility for deals between Owners and Travelers by their TERMS and CONDITIONS. 2. Now I am working directly with another Processing Company and I am responsible for any transactions. Plus, Money comes to my Bank on the next day. 3. My Customers can contact me at any time if some thing incorrect. From the other hand my Processing Company can contact me if they think that some thing wrong. In this case I will fax them the Rental Contract signed by Guest for proof the transaction. All very simple!

VRBO (Owners) is generally very, very good BUT don't trust them all. These listings "Infinity Bay Condo with Expanded Daily Breakfast Buffet Included!!!" #571740 and nine others ending in 42, 44,45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 are not owner rentals but are hotel rentals acting as managers. There is no owner to deal with for your rental. Rent only from those that say "Owner Operated."

I have booked about 10 VRBO listings and have yet to be disappointed. I don't discount some of the bad experiences folks have shared, and I'm aware that VRBO is just a listing service. Yet if you follow just a few guidelines to prevent being ripped off, you'll enjoy a great alternative to cramped hotels.

***WARNING*** In all our years of international and domestic travel, I have never received such unprofessionally and vicious treatment. Common chit-chat emails with Beth ** of St. John Guest Suites will be manipulated to her favor. BEWARE: If you book with St. John Guest Suites, and Beth agrees to a certain payment schedule, and you send your initial deposit with a tracking number (as per their contract) WHICH SHE CAN TRACK HERSELF, then you make all your air, car rental, VRBO insurance, etc., and you are proactive on tracking the deposit but see that it has gotten snagged by the post office and alert her of same and then you proactively advise her you are working with the Post Office for resolve, SHE WILL STILL CANCEL YOUR RESERVATION WITHOUT GIVING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEND ANOTHER CHECK.

I've used VRBO with good luck in the past. I've lived in Santa Fe before and even checked out the casita on Zillow - the purchase price was low - which should have been a red flag - while the casita is true to the pictures, the neighborhood/block is totally sketch/ghetto/barking dogs/24/7. Can't believe the 5 star reviews are real. Plenty of urban grit in America but if you want a relaxing vacation chose a B and B and not Casita Soledad - won't use VRBO again - definite buyer beware mentality - owners don't have to be accountable if bad reviews aren't published.

For the month of March 2013, my husband and I rented a house in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico using VRBO. Number 73526. The stove had a glass top which exploded first time we used it (extremely dangerous). The owner promised the house for the month of March 2014 and then proceeded to rent it to others without advising us. She has kept the entire $500 and not yet replaced the glass top over a year later. We found a solution for about $140 but she now refuses to answer our e-mails.

We rented a condo in Orange Beach AL VRBO159581 and put up a $350 deposit. They kept $90 claiming that we soiled a twin bed sheet. We asked them to give us a receipt for the sheet and they refused. There is no way that that sheet was worth $90 and I am sure that with proper washing it was still usable.

I have rented units from VRBO in the Cocoa Beach, FL previously with reasonable luck and service. However, unscrupulous owners have learned how to bend the system to take advantage of the customers, those trying to rent a unit via VRBO. I have used VRBO several times in the past. NOT ANYMORE. More often than previously, I have recently found that the owners do not fill in the calendars correctly and mislead the customers. The more desirous units are gone (maybe and maybe not) but are still listed as being available.

Why on earth would VRBO take a reservation payment and hold it for a month before releasing to the owner? Airbnb does a direct deposit after a guest has stayed the first night?

I used VRBO on the advice of my aunt, who has used them for years, to book a condo in Colorado for my honeymoon. I have to say it was a great experience. The site itself was very useful for really digging into a region, and narrowing down costs and amenities of the area. I was very nervous about using the site since I hadn't ever done anything like this before, but it all turned out well. As for the condo, it was great. I was able to email the owner of the condo we chose through the site and worked out time and rate. They sent the contract over, and I sent the money. Everything worked out well. Now anytime I look to go on vacation in the last year I have started by looking on VRBO first.

VRBO would not publish this review! I need to post this everywhere. VRBO would not help or listen. My daughter and granddaughter rented this house for three nights and stayed one. One word. Roaches. We found 5 large roaches before we had enough and called the owners. We stayed one very sleepless night then booked a hotel. The owner was agreeable to giving us a partial refund for our stay. We were told it was the season (and then something about roaches being attracted to the pool - what?). I still think it is unacceptable for a luxury house rental. No one should have to spend a night listening to sounds of cockroaches. To date, he has not refunded our damage deposit. (We stayed in one bed and would not go even into the other rooms for fear of what we'd find.) I had to write about this experience somewhere.

This would be for condo owner on 10th street, Vrbo.com, condo 477104. Word to the wise vacation home owners. This comes from a large business owner. When you sell your service, it's a good idea in order to make a sale to be polite to person looking to rent. This owner was rude and ignorant right from get go, then proceeded to yell at me when I questioned of how the lease worked. Will make sure this person does not rent to any of family or friends. Guess what, thousands of renters looking to rent... Why would we ever settle for ignorance and rudeness. Good luck ... and please look elsewhere.

The owner for rental property ** took my initial deposit I'm February 2014 of 780.00 dollars for dates that were in June 2014. I cancelled my request 2 days after sending the money via Paypal. The owner did refused to refund the deposit and per the rental agreement she is required to return full refund if deposit if it is over 90 days before the dates home is rented. In addition the agreement states that it is in effect day of check in. Owner was upset that I attempted to retrieve my deposit through Paypal.

I contracted to rent this condo in July 2013 for the entire month of February 2014. Two days before my departure for Miami, I learned that this condo would not be available and was the subject of a fraud situation on the part of the owner, Ryan **. I had paid the deposit of 50% back in July through my credit card directly to VRBO. About a month before my vacation I noticed that VRBO had issued a credit back to my card for the deposit. I called the owner to find out what was the problem and he assured me that my rental was still intact.

I rented #363362 in Puerto Rico, which was a home in Dorado Reef and paid the deposit for my client. Now, that villa does not even exist and the number #3633662 is the number for a condo this guy is trying get money for from others he plans to scam. I went to the Dorado Reef folks and found out he never owned that property and was not allowed to work in their complex. I am a third party in this and I want to get the money refunded to my client so we can book something else for him.

First of all, do not just go by reviews posted on VRBO. They only allow you to post a review if you stayed at the vacation property. Regarding: Property #248063 - Casa de Duck - Georgetown Sands Road in Duck, NC. I had rented this beachfront house in Duck, NC for 1 week through this website in January for a vacation in May. I had paid half the cost as a deposit and the other half was charged to my credit card a few weeks prior to the reservation. This house was 8-bedroom which would accommodate a family reunion including family travelling from Florida and Maine.

First of all, do not just go by reviews posted of VRBO. They only allow you to post a review if you stayed at the vacation property. Regarding: Property #248063 - Casa de Duck - Georgetown Sands Road in Duck, NC. I had rented this beachfront house in Duck, NC for 1 week through this website in January for a vacation in May. I had paid half the cost as a deposit and the other half was charged to my credit card a few weeks prior to the reservation. This house was 8 bedroom which would accommodate a family reunion including family travelling from Florida and Maine.

Dirty, dirty, dirty. Emailed VRBO. Said I should have contacted them (I guess before cleaning up maggots??). I think they should have sent over a GOOD cleaning company and gone through the condo from top to bottom, end to end once they were notified. Can't quite sort out their policy. Garbage disposal quit and backed up and they were johnny on the spot to fix. But maggots in the living and kitchen areas and they don't respond other than to say sorry. The owner better get with cleanliness plan. Really wouldn't recommend this unit, even though great location, and has everything needed for long term stay. Who wants to live in filth? Want to make it very clear this has nothing to do with the Pono Kai. We have stayed there in other units several times, but always booked through Pono Kai and have been extremely pleased.

I rented a condo in Waikiki, Hawaii. The pictures and description were good. When we arrived, we found that the Lanai and windows were not to be used due to scaffolding, concrete drilling from 8am to 4 pm and general concrete rehab of the building exterior was the reason! The only air we could get was from a noisy AC which had to be on 24/7. The furniture was worn, uncomfortable crap. The dresser and bathroom had broken drawers. The doors to the bedroom were broken and missing hardware. There was no water 1 day and no hot water another day.

I took my family to Arizona on a family vacation during the Thanksgiving Holiday and paid for a 7-night stay at this property. The house is nicely furnished with modern decor and appeared to be just like the photos. Upon inspection we realized that there were several things either missing, not as advertised, or just completely unacceptable. From the moment we arrived we had to be in constant contact with the owners and their property team.

VRBO.com, TIDEWATER BEACH RESORT, PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL - I have pictures of torn curtains, rusted patio furniture, and others that prove this condo is not taken care of. I have video of maintenance guy fixing the front door commenting on the years of rot in the doorframe contributing to the lock failing. I had to repeatedly try to contact owner for entry code and gate code. I have repeatedly asked for my deposit back for over three months, but owner will not respond. DO NOT STAY HERE!

This place is great!! Jim, the owner, thought of Everything! Even the perfect Sunsets! The view from this place is a Killer View. Some people could walk to town, but we rented a Jeep, and the drive is within 5 minutes of Downtown, 10 minutes to the Park. We will be back to enjoy this fabulous villa. If you're looking for a place to have those memories of St. John's Island, check this place out. You won't regret!

NOT AS DESCRIBED ... mainly because HomeAway listing for this house was obsolete/out-of-date, RESULTING IN MUCH CONFUSION!!! NOT PRIVATE, owners family members (including individual listed as a violent offender on the State of Montana website) stayed in basement, resulting in sleeping difficulties, as well as anxiety. NO LAND LINE PHONE ... GARAGE LOCKED ... HOT TUB 90 degrees, with panel door to the temperature control locked. POOR COMMUNICATION, requested to discuss issues with owners, was not granted opportunity to talk to owners. In person, elderly lady and her son (caretaker relatives of the owners) were friendly and helpful, and blessed us with some very nice garden produce. The HomeAway listing said four bathrooms, one was labeled PRIVATE and locked (so no good alternate master bedroom option upstairs away from basement noises). NOT CHILD FRIENDLY! Interior and exterior railing spacing too far apart. Very nice house, otherwise, be sure to do your homework!

VRBO Property 322763 - Just a few of the cleaning issues: The bedding was dirty and pillows were disgusting. The towels smelled of mildew, as if they had been left to dry in the washing machine, requiring us to wash all of them. The stove wasn't clean. The freezer was filthy. There were dead mice in the BBQ. The downstairs patios were unusable because they had not been cleaned. The Jacuzzi had a layer of scum.

VRBO Listing #322763 - The place was dirty... would NOT recommend! Just a few of the cleaning issues: The bedding was dirty and pillows were disgusting. The towels smelled of mildew, as if they had been left to dry in the washing machine, requiring us to wash all of them. The stove wasn't clean. The freezer was filthy. There were dead mice in the BBQ. The downstairs patios were unusable because they had not been cleaned. The Jacuzzi had a layer of scum. I wish that I could post photos here.

As a self-catering apartment's owner, I had the worst experience in my life with VRBO website. In the moment I have signed up paying them more than 500 euros, a new system called "quotable rates" was just introduced (in BETA version, full of bugs). Shortly, it was impossible to me to use VRBO: because of a bug in their system, my listing randomly switched from the old rates system to the new bugged one, and as a result no one of my potential customers could see the correct prices (meaning, the price I wanted to show them) online.

Penthouse Emerald Isle Fort Walton Beach #152300 - False/misleading. Kitchen only big enough for 1. Baking sheets/pans were "black" & disgusting. No mini kitchen on other side: dorm size refrig & micro on shelf in bathroom, coffee pot didn't work, no toaster. Dining room cramped. Could not use extra table leaf because we wouldn't be able to move. Towels were old & raggy. Sheets thin; no mattress pad on some beds. Bunkroom mattresses old; rug padding under one of the bunks; unused TV on floor in corner. Second door opened into the bunkroom!!!

Please use caution when using VRBO.com. All they really are is an advertising site. They do not verify anything about a property being listed for rent and they will not go to bat for you if you get ripped off by a property owner. My friend (see her complaint - Di from Portland) and I had a horrible experience a few weeks ago. My friend won an auction (spending $152.50) to spend a weekend at this house in Rockaway Beach, OR. Before she could even reserve her weekend, the owner demanded she send her a $75 non-refundable cleaning deposit. Now, this isn't unheard of when renting a private residential property but having paid that, it would be reasonable to assume the place would be spotless upon arrival.

This is my response to VRBO property owner, Lisa **, on her email about my initial review: First off, YOU had a similar review written by previous renters who noted the microwave wasn't working properly. Last I checked, a Pyrex mixing bowl is made of glass. I certainly know not to put metal in a microwave. Secondly, my friend was not lost. She called to inquire if I had picked up the key because she wanted to make sure I had arrived before she drove all the way out there (I don't use a cell phone). In no way was she lost or did she ask for the code for the key. Also, why is it YOU were able to call my friend back in less than five minutes but when I called about the microwave about an hour or so later, YOU claim YOU didn't have phone service!

In the past, we have had very good luck with VRBO and have been pleased. This last experience was horrible and we felt like we were misled. This house had been apparently abandoned and had not been kept up. We had to rent our linens from a company not provided nor were we told this. We found so many things in disrepair or against code. I tried to contact the owner to discuss and show them the pictures we took but to date have not heard back. We have not received our deposit back and we left it in better shape than we found it. Rental by owner is not rental by real estate company. They were not very transparent and it has put a very bad taste in my mouth. I feel real estate companies should not be allowed to use this site. I feel I am due all of my deposit plus some of the rent.

We recently rented a property through VRBO for a trip to Destin, FL. The experience was awful and I would never want anyone to go through it. Take a look at these pictures and you can see how filthy the property was when we showed up. The carpet was stained and dirty, dust was hanging off the ceiling fans, curtains were stained with what appears to be vomit, and bird poop all over the balcony furniture. Also, the rental unit claimed to have wireless Internet access, but when we showed up there was no Internet. Contacted the owner immediately and he was very rude and refused to help us. His solution was for us to steal Internet from the neighbors. I asked him if he had recently seen the condition of the property and it turns out that he lives 600 miles away.

We inquired on a property to rent in Rome, Italy from the VRBO site. I called the owner in Chicago, IL and left a message. When I didn't receive a return call I clicked in the email owner tab and inquired about the rental. I received an email back in a matter of hours from someone claiming to be the manager. After several emails back and forth, we decided to rent the condo in Rome. The manager sent us the contract and wiring instructions to secure the rental. We filled everything out and emailed back and wired the money to the account per the instructions.

I booked a cabin through VRBO.com in Galena, IL, which was a really well-planned scam. Apparently, the owner's email was hacked and the scam artists faked the entire booking process. VRBO seemed very relaxed about it, and did not seem to have any intentions of investigating the fraud. Scams happen quite often through their website and still they don't send out a warning email once you inquire about a property. They said that they will reimburse me for a portion of my loss, but I haven't seen a penny from them after almost 3 months. I put my trust in their website to organize my 30th b-day party and after letting all my friends know about it (they took off from work and made plans for a long weekend out in the countryside), I was left with no place to go to (all cabins were booked around Chicago area) and with no more money to do it.

If I could give negative 0 stars, I would. Booked a 3 bedroom cabin in Big Bear for this past weekend for $650; total fraud. The money was taken out of my account almost immediately with no information on address, check-in time or access to cabin. Owner number listed on the site was not even correct or the same name...I contacted Home Away to try to find answers and they just give you the run around and I had to call 4 different phone numbers of the supposed owner...resulting in all the wrong numbers. Nobody seemed to care. No contact to VRBO either?? How is this site still afloat? The only thing that saved the day was Wells Fargo reimbursing the funds. I would never recommend this site or trust another one for those reasons either! BEWARE!!

Last year, we used VRBO for the first time. We made a reservation and sent the deposit. Just before the holiday was due to start, the owner cancelled our booking as they decided to use the house. VRBO would not let me post a review to warn others as they said I had not stayed there. They weren't in the slightest bit interested or helpful. Fast forward a year and deja vu! We booked in January, booked flights from the UK, and weeks before we are due to start our trip, the owner cancels. No sign of my deposit being returned and VRBO ignore emails. Terrible company who don't keep a check on the owners. They only seem interested in taking money.

I have been victim of a fraud scammer who charges her stay at your vacation rental with a stolen credit card then chargebacks herself after she leaves for the entire amount. Now, she did it again 3 months later for another $1,725. Do not accept credit card payments. It is a scam and the company will not aid in recovering your loss whatsoever.

VRBO #402506 located in Dillon Beach, CA. This was our first bad experience renting from a VRBO listing. We have rented several homes/cabins in the past and were satisfied. This house was filthy. The furniture was ripped apart and stuffing coming out and all over our clothes, so we couldn't sit on any of the furniture. The towel rack in the bathroom was broken and hanging from the wall. Not usable for the guests towels. The picture frames and the arms of the chairs were full of dust and debris. The windows were so dirty, we couldn't see out of them and it is an ocean view property. The bbq area was out in back with weeds 3 feet tall surrounding the grill, rusty old propane tanks with old beer cans sitting on the tanks. No amenities what so ever. No soap, no shampoo, no lotions, no laundry detergent and they supply a washing machine. We had to make our own beds upon arrival.

We have rented several places from VRBO in the past year and both had been a disappointment either because they were not like advertised on their site and/or had major cleanliness issues. We had decided not to rent through them again until someone I knew said she had rented this fantastic place in N.C. that was reasonably priced, clean, and the owners were great. We looked it up and after contacting the owners about the availability of the week we wanted, signed a contract and sent in our deposit. When we didn't receive a confirmation and their website still showed that week available, I contacted them. I was told yes they had our signed contract ID and deposit information but would wait until 4 weeks away to run the deposit on our card as it's easier that way in case something were to come up but rest assured our dates were secure.

VRBO Listing #92014 Mountain Cabin on a Creek in Ellijay, GA - Tried to post this review and of course owners deleted it. Vacationers please BEWARE!! Review #** Nice Cabin but Lacking Hospitality and Privacy. I had to take some time to think before deciding to write this review, but I think sharing my experience to potential renters is important, especially when considering investing in a vacation that you want to be relaxing and peaceful. We are a very laid back family and it takes a lot to upset us, so it is unfortunate that I must share this experience.

My family and two others planned a vacation at the Las Palomas Beach Resort in Rocky Point, Mexico this spring and agreed to a rental with owners of a condo through VRBO.com. While en route to the resort, I called an hour or two before arrival to confirm our condo check in time and was told we could check in early. I asked if the rest of our party could check in first since we were going to get in later and was told no problem. When we arrived our friends were waiting in the parking lot. They were escorted by the resort staff to their cars being told they couldn't check in till I arrived. Then when I checked in, the resort told us we couldn't get the room we had originally agreed upon with the owners. The owners were not available by phone to complain to them at check in. We hesitantly took the room as we really felt we had no choice.

My husband and I rent our vacation home using VRBO's website. Several of our renters have tried to post very positive reviews of use of our home; however, each time the postings have failed. This results in our home not being showcased the way it should be on the site and loss of rental income. The people at VRBO have been of no help in getting this resolved, have insisted that our renters try posting multiple times, which they have. But still the postings have failed. It is hard to believe that the person(s) at VRBO in charge of the website cannot resolve this problem. It appears that they just don't care. We pay hundreds of dollars each year to list our home on VRBO. Unfortunately, there is really no competition for them or we would leave VRBO in a heartbeat. May do so anyway.

1617 Cottage Cove Circle Cherry Grove, SC - We finished our VRBO week in beautiful, well appointed and furnished house. We left it in the same condition as when we first arrived. On Monday, I texted a couple of damages to the owner and informed him they were there when we arrived. He was aware of one and asked me to make an adjustment to the other which I did to prevent further damage. After returning home the owner called and said housekeeper informed him the carpets needed to be cleaned after our stay when in fact the carpets were stained when we arrived. He in as much accused me and my family of dropping food on the carpets creating the stains when in fact when we did eat there, it was at the table or on the porch.

I have had GREAT experiences with VRBO and because of those experiences, I have my own Vacation Home advertised with VRBO. I would say Buyer beware though.... There are several ways that funds can be transferred. I would say never wire money. I personally only use Reservation Manager through the VRBO website that has a guarantee of funds up to $10,0000.00 if fraud occurs. However, I have used PayPal with little problems as well and use it to pay my cleaning folks. As for the reviews being "fixed" so that no poor reviews show.... I can tell you that is NOT the case. Poor reviews (if you have stayed in the home) absolutely get posted. I can't speak to reviews that are not "real". I have many many reviews all 5 stars. However, some of my folks let me know via e-mail if something needs attention. I appreciate those e-mails. For some their VR is an investment, mine is purely a second home that I share with others. I love it!!

My wife rented a vacation home in Gloucester, MA for the week of July 13, 2013. We were very excited about this as this was our first time renting a home. I was planning on joining the family later in the week as my work schedule prohibited me from coming up with them. On arrival at the home, my kids observed dead roaches on the floor in several rooms. The family dog appeared reluctant to walk on the grass which appeared odd. Later that night, about three hours on arrival, a roach jumped from the couch on my wife and my son and the family pet started breaking out in hives/welts. My wife contacted the owner who acknowledged that he had sprayed the premises with pest control products in advance of our stay. He seemingly had no concern that the pest control may have caused an allergic reaction in my son and the family pet.

Sunbird condo, PCB, Florida - Unit was dirty when we arrived, old food in the floor, mouse droppings under the sink, bug debris in the kitchen drawers, dried food and dirty dishes in the cabinets, molded shower curtain. There were so many of the vertical blinds missing in the living room area that sleeping on the sofa bed was like trying to sleep in broad daylight, they were useless. There was construction debris, paint cans, etc piled up in the corner of the unit, the chairs at the dining table were falling apart, "art" work on walls was so faded you could hardly tell what it was, and it was broken, still hanging on the walls. Every time you open the dishwasher, it would fall forward because it was not attached to the cabinets. We had asked about being able to park a trailer with motorcycle on the property and the owner assured me it was ok, only to find out after we get there that the property does NOT allow any trailers.

I rented from 7/13 to 7/20 from Ms. ** - was suspicious at first because when I looked unit up the following week - VRBO had removed the listing - no reason given other than "she knew why and was working on it" - that should have been my RED FLAG. When we arrived there were 3 bags of dirty linen at the door - we called and they said housekeeper was tied up in traffic and would pick up. She arrived 4 hours later. Unit was okay - we did notice broken and shaky bar stools - cheap - but just decided not to use them. My Dad sat in his walker chair instead - and there was dust and sand on tile floors but that is not uncommon at the beach. We later found a pacifier and layers of dust under the beds. Did not find the BLOODY MATTRESS PAD until we were stripping the beds per owner's instructions before leaving - it was dried unwashed blood on pad but not sheet so obviously was there when sheets were put on.