VRBO bait and switch - WWYD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:We have a property on VRBO and only now did we update our summer rate for next year with our beach house.

The owner just has nit updated their winter rate for next summer. But OP knew that because the rate was likely too good to be true.

I would have done the same thing. Tell OP that this is our summer rate which we just updated and give her the chance to book at correct rate. If she doesn’t want to, she can cancel the booking. If she doesn’t cancel within 1-2 weeks, then I would as the owner.

BTW, full payment was likely not made by OP if it’s VRBO. It’s a despot which would be refunded. And the owner likely won’t see any if the money until after OP has actually checked in.

OP again - I did not know that. Why would I know your seasonal rates if you haven't posted them anywhere for me to see. YOU are the offeror of your property for rent. This is basic contract law. Legally this is a bait and switch under most deceptive trade practices acts.

When I was irritated with the whole issue but was fairly resigned to being practical and letting it go, but the people dogpiling on me for something a mistake that wasn't at all my fault makes me want to sue this host just to make a point. God.

Go ahead, sue VRBO and the host and waste your time and money. You won’t win.

Neither VRBO or the host intentionally mislead you. Nobody sets sumner rates 9 months before the season starts. It’s a clitch in the system that automatically carries the winter rates forward. The host responded right away and offered you a refund and the property at the correct market rate.

Sounds like you should just book a hotel if you can’t deal with something like this and typical online vacation rental stuff.

This is nonsense, any rental site lets you set the dates your property is available and the rates the property rents for on those dates. Even if for some strange reason it doesn't let you set variable rates in advance and forces you to only have one rate at a time, then it's the owner's responsibility to delist their property for the dates they don't want to rent it out at those rates. This is 100% on the owner for being too lazy or stupid to properly manage their bookings. If it's available for booking at an advertised price, that's the price.

This. It's like at a store, if the wrong price tag is on the item, the store honors it because it was their mistake, not the consumer's.

The owner made a mistake no doubt. But he/she is not a store, and I highly doubt they are going to personally lose thousands of dollars over this. The “penalty” for cancelling on OP is minuscule. The posters on here stomping their feet about this just seem silly.

The only people I see stomping their feet are the rental owners saying it’s OP’s fault. I don’t disagree with you otherwise, which is why no one should use VRBO or AirBnB. They have zero customer service or guarantees, and you might as well send money to a random listing on Craig’s List.

I recently read a Twitter thread by a woman who had her home destroyed by a renter and has received zero support from AirBnB, so I don’t think I would want to rent my home through them either, for that matter.

I read that woman's tweetstorm too - I kept thinking, how could you have an airbnb and not have those little alarms that you can put next to your toilet detect water? Also didn't she have regular homeowner's insurance? was she actually counting on the airbnb policy as her ownly coverage, yikes!

Then there is the guy in CA who has an Airbnb squatter who paid for 3 months and has now been there 2 years and is refusing to leave! Or pay rent!

That woman is a professional squatter who’s done this before.

He’s taken her to court and the court sided with the squatter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just chiming in that just because you cancel within the cancellation window at VRBo does not mean you will get your money back. I’m in month three of trying to get back the $2000 that was charged upon booking. VRBO says they can’t get the money from the host and the host is not responding. vRBo says I have to dislocate credit card . Not automatic in any sense.

This happened to me and Vrbo was useless & said I was on my own. I (eventually) did get my money back from my credit card — luckily I had documented everything carefully, but it took about 6 months. The “VRBO guarantee” is worthless. You pay a fortune in fees for nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People saying it's too early to book July 2024 are nuts. Twelve months out is totally in the normal range for family vacation planning. We currently have trips booked for Thanksgiving, Christmas, February, April, and August. I did the August booking for next year as soon as we finished the trip in August of this year.

No, booking 1 year ahead is not normal for the overwhelming majority of families planning vacations. You are an outlier.

Depending upon the location this is very normal.

signed,
a longtime OBX beach house owner

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People saying it's too early to book July 2024 are nuts. Twelve months out is totally in the normal range for family vacation planning. We currently have trips booked for Thanksgiving, Christmas, February, April, and August. I did the August booking for next year as soon as we finished the trip in August of this year.

No, booking 1 year ahead is not normal for the overwhelming majority of families planning vacations. You are an outlier.

It's totally normal in high tourism areas.