VRBO Question about Reserving

[NewDisneyLover]

Hi, I have a question for those of you who have booked with Vacation Rental By Owner. I have rented 2 vacation houses in the past. I usually book with a deposit and pay the balance when we arrive. I t seems that most of these houses on the VRBO website have to be paid in full 60 days before arrival. Is this safe? Has anyone ever encountered problems by paying up front? I guess I'm afraid that we'll pay and get jipped. I'm sure these are honest peopel but I'm still wary seince I've never done it this way before. If you can share your experience I'd be so grateful, thanks!

 

[Robinrs]

This is a personal choice but it's something I never do. I have elderly parents and a young child and a crazy job, I never pay completely up front. I remember once making a reservation two months ahead of time and the people wanted the money right then.

There are too many other options to do that. IMHO, it's only good for the seller, not the buyer. You decide.

 

[Lakul]

Many of the villas on websites like VRBO are owned by a family who have the one villa, like myself. Looking at it from the other way round. If we left final payment until the day the guest arrives and they change their minds, we have no time to offer the villa to another renter. This would not be good at peak booking times eg: Easter and Christmas. Payment by the renter shows commitment to the booking. In the UK if you book a holiday or flight through a travel agent they usually have to be paid 10 weeks before departure.

Going back to the original question, I always try to speak to our guests before they book. That way we get to know each other and you can ask all your questions. You could also speak to their management companies or get referrals from past guests. On our website we have a 'Verified Villa Owner' logo which gives futher confidence to potential renters.

Unfortunately there will always be people in all walks of life that will take advantage of others, but we villa owners are a friendly bunch to deal with.

Most people I know who have stayed in a villa would not got back to a hotel.

Best wishes with whatever you decide

 

[Brooke Glen]

We recently stayed at a lovely vacation home in Wyndham Palms. This was our first time staying in one and our accomodations far exceded our expectations.

I spent countless hours researching our options and decided to book with Global Vacation Services. I liked that I was able to view each individual home on their website and could make a reservation for a paticular house. I like anyone planning a vacation have a fear of the unkown and was very pleased when I opened the door to the house and found it was exactly as pictured on their site. Global Vacation Services

Good luck with your research

We pray your Disney Vacation is as memorable as ours was.

Brooke & Glen