Has anyone had a bad experience with VRBO?

[hollypoast]

I am looking for a rental for October. I've found a listing on VRBO I like and the price is right but the owner seems very anonymous. There are also no reviews for his properties. I have rented through VRBO before and have always had good experiences however all rentals had feedback and the owners listed a little blurb about themselves along with a pictures, etc.

Am I just being paranoid? I know VRBO guarantees the rentals but sometimes getting companies to make things right when its gone badly can be a hassle.

Has anyone had a bad experience with VRBO? Given the info above would you book?

 

[tsme]

I've never had an issue before with vrbo. If you're worried call the owner and speak with him/her. There should be a number. It might give you a better sense of the person and ease your mind.

 

[Lynne M]

Moving to the Orlando Hotels board, where vacation rentals are discussed.

 

[patty57]

I've rented quite a few times from VRBO and Homeaway. Never had a problem, however, I don't love the lack of reviews. Also, what do you mean by VRBO guarantees their rentals? You can buy something through them, but other than that, there are no guarantees that I know of.

 

[sympatico]

I've rented quite a few times from VRBO and Homeaway. Never had a problem, however, I don't love the lack of reviews. Also, what do you mean by VRBO guarantees their rentals? You can buy something through them, but other than that, there are no guarantees that I know of.

http://www.vacationprotection.com/?aff=vpharenter&tab=Carefree-Rental-Guarantee

 

[patty57]

Yes, that's the "buying something" I was talking about. I wasn't really clear. You can purchase an insurance plan through VRBO. I don't think that VRBO automatically offers any protection other than a plan you would purchase through them. Maybe that's what the OP was referring to?

 

[hollypoast]

Thanks for all of your responses. I called the renter and left a voice messages asking for references, etc. He emailed me back and said the rental is not available for my dates even though on the VRBO website my dates show as open. Suspicious, I think.

So I will move on and find another property.

 

[patty57]

You'll find something. I tend to go with my gut on these things. If I have any uneasiness at all, I move on to another rental.

 

[coastgirl]

Agree with Patty, go with your gut.

I had a similar experience this time--perfect villa, good price, calendar showed "recently updated" (as in, the day before I was looking at it), and when I contacted the owner said "sorry, it's booked; we don't use that calendar. But here's my website with LOTS of available properties", none of which were comparable to the one on VRBO. In that case it seemed like a classic bait-and-switch. I sent an email to VRBO complaining about the owner, but haven't heard anything yet. Even more suspicious that it's booked when you ask for refs. May be perfectly legit, but hmmm.

I am disappointed by the number of owners who don't keep their calendars up to date. Am willing to cut some slack right now, as we are just through the holiday season, and one-day turnarounds may not be practical. However...

Have rented before, and agree on the general points--reviews matter, and look for a responsive owner. I have also gone the extra step of checking tax records, but don't bother anymore, as my other criteria seem pretty good at weeding out the hinkiest looking ones. I like that VRBO has reviews, and also like reviewing Trip Advisor, though they tend to have properties at the higher end of the cost spectrum. (Cost and value don't always align...) Many places seem to have listings on multiple sites, and/or have their own sites, so I can often get multiple sources of info.