In 20 years of VRBOs, I've never needed to file a public complaint until staying at Second Home in Denali, in Healy, Alaska.
Our party of 6 rented two homes in Alaska. We chose "Second Home in Denali" because we thought it was a quiet, luxury home in a beautiful location. We did not get that.
Days before arrival (after cancellation dates) I got an email that "construction is STILL going on at the apartment to the side of your rental." I wasn't sure what that meant, but since we paid 10 months prior, what to do?
RENTERS BEWARE: This meant full house renovation 9 a.m. to 5/6 p.m. Weekends included. The owners are building a separate apartment inside the VRBO just beyond a locked hollow core door. We listened to air compressors, nail guns, tile saws, contractor music and conversations all week. Dust seeped under doors. When I asked Ann to come see, she asked what compensation would be fair. When we told her half of what we paid, she started avoiding us. She denied each request to pause construction.
Ann reimbursed us half her profit in the end, but it's not half what we paid. She said VRBO takes too much. We are not satisfied. When she said my mother, age 79, should've napped at her house and closed the second story bathroom curtains if she didn't want construction workers looking in (they worked on all house windows), I decided to warn others. Ann and Terry were the only negative in an otherwise perfect trip of a lifetime.
