I’ve been using VRBO for years and never had an issue with finding a nice rental property. However, that all changed this month. I rented this house from Master Vacation Homes about 4 months ago for a Business Retreat for my business partners. A week before check in, they sent me an email saying that this property is not available but they can get me into a similar house. One week before checking in! Because I already had people coming into town, I couldn’t cancel - it would have been difficult trying to find another house. So I agreed to their substitute house. What a BIG MISTAKE!
The house was AWFUL and DIRTY: there were black marks and stains on every area of the walls, there was ripped wallpaper, the house had an old and rancid smell to it, the pillows didn’t have pillow cases on them - so who knows how many people put their heads on there without it being washed- the pool table, foosball table and air hockey table were all broken, the furniture was cheap and flimsy so it wobbled every time we sat on it, and the beds were stained and dirty…and that isn’t the half of it. But I don’t have room to write everything that was wrong about the house!
The reservation manager Vivian was equally as horrible. I immediately called the company and also sent an email with some pictures of the house when we checked in. Vivian responded without any type of professionalism or empathy for the situation. All she could say was that if we didn’t like it, we could check out and get a refund. Wow! Easier said than done. Where was I going to go when all of our Business Partners were coming in that same day and have made plans months in advance to be there?!?!? I think the company BAITED AND SWITCHED us. We paid for one property, and then at the last minute they switched us to a lesser quality and dirtier property. If I had the option to post pictures, I would so you could see for yourself the horrid condition the house was in. The other property I was referring to is listed as “7 bedrooms/ 5.5 bathroom Solterra (5288 OA).” Although the owners/company will probably change the name once this review is posted to hide the identity of the house.
I hope no one else has to go through what we had to go through. Please be CAREFUL and take HEED. DO NOT RENT FROM THESE OWNERS/PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY. I filed a formal complaint with VRBO as well.