Anyone ever been scammed on vrbo? Please help

[4forMe]

I would first like to say that I have used vrbo numerous times (for our Disney trips) and have never encountered a problem. That being said, here is my current situation.

My girlfriends and I planned a group trip Columbus Day weekend. We rented a condo on vrbo (per my suggestion) as we are traveling to an expensive area on a holiday weekend. The person we rented from had numerous positive and detailed reviews. We put our deposit down last December. In July, the owner contacted my girlfriend (who is handling the reservation) asking if she could switch us to a different home she owned as she is selling the condo. The new rental is larger and she would charge us the same price. The owner provided the link to the home. After reading through the reviews (all positive and detailed reviews), we agreed to the change.

Last week my girlfriend contacted the owner to confirm when the final payment was due. She also tried to look up the link to review the pictures of the house again and couldn't locate the rental on vrbo. When she goes into her vrbo account, the rental agreement is still there.

I suggested she contact the owner and ask if the link has changed and to send us the link to the new rental. The owner responded that she has removed the rental from vrbo as she plans to move into the house at the end of October. The owner has provided us the address of the house and has been extremely responsive to questions and suggestions for meals, sightseeing, etc. However, I am feeling alarmed by all of this and am afraid we are being scammed. I would hate to arrive at our destination to find there is no rental house, especially since hotels are scarce due to the holiday weekend.

Would you bail in this situation? I have found another rental (not in the desired, original location) about 5 miles away that is smaller and cheaper but would work for us. Would you bail in this situation on the owner? If it was not a holiday weekend and we could easily secure a hotel, I would not be as worried.

Does anyone know the vrbo policy on an owner not fulfilling their agreement (i.e. being scammed)? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[_19disnA]

I would try to contact the VRBO website to explain your issue. VRBO runs the website allowing renters and owners to connect, but they have been very helpful in the past when questions arose. The owner could simply show the new location as booked if she doesn't want future rentals, but perhaps isn't aware of that feature. VRBO could contact the owner directly to help you feel more comfortable about this situation.

 

[abdmom]

It does not sound like you are being scammed. The owner is being responsive and giving reasonable answers. I used to rent my condos on vrbo and have been in the exact same situation as the owner.

VRBO is just an advertising website. People stop advertising their condos for all sorts of reasons.

 

[mjkacmom]

I recently thought I was being scammed because the rental was in an area I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to visit (out of town family function, no hotels nearby) and the reviews were glowing! It was only an hour from home, so figured worse case scenario, we’d drive back and forth. It was great! Great set up, clean, 2 bathrooms instead of 1 (added the week before) - we’d go back (lakefront with a dock and 5 non motorized boats plus huge decks).

Dd17 and a big group of kids are renting a prom house for thousands over a long weekend (indoor and outdoor pools, hot tub, sauna). Pictures look great, but they did a live FaceTime walkthrough before sending a deposit.

 

[4forMe]

Thank you for all for your responses. I feel much better about the situation and will take the advice to not worry.

 

[CarolAnn856]

I'm sure you are feeling more nervous than you might otherwise because it was your suggestion to use VRBO. But I agree with everyone else...it doesn't sound like a scam to me. Have fun planning your trip!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I have absolutely no clue what vrbo is

 

[CarolAnn856]

I have absolutely no clue what vrbo is

Vacation Rental By Owner. It's a marketplace for people who rent out their homes or investment properties to others, often (but not only) for short-term stays.. If you are familiar with Airbnb, it's the same kind of thing. We've used both for vacations, and VRBO when my husband had a long-term assignment in another state. He stayed at the rental during the week and came home on weekends.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I'm sure you are feeling more nervous than you might otherwise because it was your suggestion to use VRBO. But I agree with everyone else...it doesn't sound like a scam to me. Have fun planning your trip!

I agree . There's extra pressure for everything to go well when you're the one that made the decision on where to stay especially if it's something new like renting from a new place.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

I don't think you are being scammed either. The owner's response is reasonable. I've used VRBO for years and knock wood have had really good luck. Last May I rented an apartment in London and then months later was notified by the property manager that the apartment was no longer available for rent. She refunded me immediately through VRBO. She apologized profusely and offered another apartment if we wanted in a different location but the new apt was not advertised on the site. I was in a panic and tried to find another one on my own because it seemed sketchy. Finally I relented and took her offer because I couldn't find anything in such short time.

The apartment, which she charged the same as the first place, turned out to be nicer than the original one and the location was excellent too. In fact it was the nicest place we've ever rented. I'm going back to London next month and the same manager is renting me a similar apartment for a steal because there's loud construction going on next door from 9 to 5. I don't care since I will be out everyday.