Anyone ever got ripped off

[kcarp]

renting a vacation home or knows someone that has?

 

[kilee]

To this point no- and we use www.vrbo.com for not only WDW are but other vacation destinationst too.

I'm not saying it couldn't happen, but it hasn't seemed to around here. There are a lot of steps you'd want to take to verify the seller owns the property prior to renting.

 

[tednvon]

Hi..very very few stories here about about problems going through owners...most of the bad stories are from rental companies where you do not know which house or housing developement you are headed for...there is NO excuse today for any company not being able to give you every detail about a home...If they say, we cannot tell you which house or where, I would go someplace else fast.
So, if you stick with the owners, your chances are excellent for a good deal...

As you can see from this board, many owners are selling homes as prices have skyrocketed. Usually, if a home sells, the new owner will stick with the same management company and you will see no difference in the home at all.

Don't be afraid to ask questions...those of us who have owned will try to be totally honest with you...


all the best....Ted

 

[isla bonita]

Glad this thread din't go any where I was thinking how awful this would be for both vacationers who had a lot of money stolen and not a good name to us home owners either. Glad to know all have had decent if not great experiences. Hope yours if you try it is painless. LOL

 

[snappy]

We have rented four different houses from four different owners since 2002. Each rental went perfectly. In each case I rented directly with the owner, 3 European owners, one American.

We even had the owners call us. I guess they must be worried about renting as well, I imagine they want to avoid having the place trashed by a bunch of young houligans.

I guess we must sound pretty tame over the phone.

I talked to the management company on 3 of the 4 rentals. It helped me ease into my comfort zone.

Also, we chose homes with reasonable rates each time. Even if we had been burned, it would not have been the end of the world.

Now, one of my aunts rented a huge house in Florida on the gulf, probably either Navarre Beach or the Destin area a couple of years ago. Their entire extended family including 5 daughters and several of their granddaughters' families all were going. They paid $10 grand for one week. The place was a disgrace. They ended up complaining and got their money back. It did ruin their vacation. They rented through a management company.

Before kids we used to head down to the panhandle each Memorial Day weekend with friends and never rented the same place twice. We found the more we paid, the better the place. Some were immaculate, some were horrible. We stayed in one place that amazing. You just never know.

 

[kcarp]

Glad this thread din't go any where I was thinking how awful this would be for both vacationers who had a lot of money stolen and not a good name to us home owners either. Glad to know all have had decent if not great experiences. Hope yours if you try it is painless. LOL

I'm glad it didn't go anywhere either. I just sent that large check the other day and was feeling a little bit nervous....lol