Vrbo Reviews

They had sent me three messages saying my final payment was past due. What final payment. I went to the detail of my booking and several other charges were listed including host fees, service fees, etc of which none were listed when I originally booked. I had no idea that I had a balance. I never once received an email from VRBO letting me know that the owner had messaged me. I reached out to the owner and after a back-and-forth conversation and speaking with two supervisors from VRBO, the owner said they would refund me. I then noticed that part of the payment had been applied to my One Key cash credit. Since I no longer want to use VRBO, I contacted them and was told that this could not be refunded. Apparently, they are owned by Expedia who also owns Hotels.com and who knows what all. I then went to Hotels.com and booked a hotel room. Very deceitful company and the owner as well.

We called back because Anish asked us to stay at the property and did not tell us when we can leave. I then spoke to Samia and informed her that we left since we needed to make alternate arrangements, however, I did ask to speak to a manager. She transferred me to Amar, who hung up on me. Then had the audacity to send me to the survey. What were you expecting? A raving review?

Fast forward to last night, I get an email from Yusuf, he said that they were closing my case since I received a partial refund. To which I replied that I should have been fully refunded and that my experience with them has been less than satisfactory. At which time he made the decision to call me at 915 PM (My dogs and I were getting ready for bed) and keep me on the phone for almost an hour going around in circles to only offer me a $120 refund. WHAT is $120.00 going to do for the out of pocket cost to book a new hotel. I told them we need to get off the phone because we are going around in circles and Vrbo isn’t doing anything to make this right. I also advised them that we will not be using Vrbo again. $120.00 will not make me change my mind for the horrible service. Vrbo can go kick rocks and I will certainly NOT book with that honest Daniela again!!!!

- unpleasant smell throughout

**Most concerning of all** The main AC unit (a ceiling unit) blew pink insulation out of the vent all over the dining room table and the rest of the unit. My daughter has allergies and was definitely experiencing some respiratory issues due to the insulation particles blown throughout the apartment. She could not stay in that apartment any longer and could certainly not wait for a repairman–especially not knowing how long that could take.

Given the unacceptable state of the apartment in general, combined with the AC issue we chose to vacate the property after realizing the insulation particles were blowing everywhere and the AC unit was leaking water from the ceiling onto the floor of the kitchen/main living area. All of this was documented/photographed and shared with the host as well as VRBO customer service. The fact that neither the host or VRBO customer service thought that breathing insulation fibers was not an immediate health concern is quite baffling. I am in the process of seeking a refund for the reservation. We stayed one night (only because our arrival was late in the evening) of a six night reservation.

VRBO would not refund our money or help us find another property. They just kept us on the phone for hours as our pets became ill and dehydrated as VRBO kept promising to help us. They only gave us the runaround for hours on the phone transferring us to different people hoping we would just give up. Our one cat still is so sluggish from the waiting she will not eat. We finally went to a hotel, got 2 rooms and we will NEVER use VRBO or anything like it again. our traveling friends will know about this also, Along with my with many poor online reviews we plan to write. VRBO is nasty now!

The elevator was completely out of service for 12 hours— something that is genuinely unsafe for people my mother’s age. I immediately contacted the host and VRBO support to report the unsafe condition. No one fixed it. The elevator stayed broken and access a long hallway to another building to use their elevator was locked by security. That wasn’t the only problem. The pool area was crowded and chairs held by guests for the entire day even when no one was using them. The “beach service” promised in the listing was for old chaises with dirty, moldy cushions full of sand, rarely available in a crowded in little area of the beach. The unit itself had broken tiles on the balcony, and furniture that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in months, and dirty kitchenware in the cabinets.

After we checked out I left an honest, detailed 1-star review explaining exactly what happened. A month later the owner’s agent “Stay Away” reached out and offered me compensation for the “terrible stay.” I thought, okay, at least they’re trying to make it right. I responded and we started discussing an amount. Then, without any further conversation, the same agent filed an extortion report against me with VRBO, claiming I was trying to “blackmail” them by leaving the review and asking for compensation. VRBO removed my review. I never initiated a conversation with them. I never said “pay me or else.” I simply accepted their offer to discuss compensation after I had already posted the review in good faith. This is exactly why I will never trust another VRBO property again.

The platform lets hosts and their agents weaponize the review system. They dangle compensation to get negative reviews taken down, then turn around and accuse the guest of extortion the moment it suits them. Meanwhile, travelers — especially families with elderly members — are left dealing with unsafe, misrepresented properties with zero real accountability. If you’re thinking about booking through VRBO, read every recent review twice, screenshot everything, and assume the worst. Because the “trust” they market is completely broken. I learned that the hard way.