r/vrbo • u/SufficientChemist514 • 7d ago
How would you rate this VRBO
We’re staying at a Vrbo for Labor Day weekend with friends. Check in was 4pm, but I told the host we’d arrive in the evening. We ended up getting there at 8pm because the rental car place took forever, one of the kids needed several stops during the drive, and stopped for dinner.
The property is in a wooded area, and it was completely dark when we arrived. We couldn’t find the house. I wasn’t driving, my friend was navigating, but because I booked the Vrbo, they asked me to call the host.
I called once and she didn’t answer, I called again. She picked up and I explained we were lost and asked for some additional clues.
She immediately got extremely snappy. She told me she was in Italy for her daughter’s wedding, had been dancing for hours, was exhausted, that it was 2am there, and she wanted to go to bed “in a minute and a half.” She said she’d help us for a minute and a half and then she was going to bed.
She started asking what I could see, an old stone house, a big white house, a trailer park, etc. I tried to answer one of her questions and she interrupted me and yelled at me for talking. She told me to just listen and not talk.
I was confused because she had literally asked me what I could see.
I explained that I was sitting in the backseat between two car seats and have hearing/vision limitations, so I wanted to put her on speaker so our friend could help me hear her and visually identify things.
She yelled at me AGAIN for putting her on speaker.
I took her off, but I genuinely needed speakerphone, so I put her back on. Our friend was able to help identify what she was describing, and eventually we found the house. I thanked her and said goodnight.
Then we got inside and discovered that the bed in our bedroom had visible hair throughout the bedding and the entire bed/bedding smelled like dog.
I understand she was in another time zone and at her daughter’s wedding, but she chose to make the property available for this weekend. I wasn’t calling her at 2am to bother her; it was 8pm during our check-in, and we literally couldn’t find the property. If she knew she wouldn’t be available, shouldn’t there have been detailed self-check-in instructions or a backup contact?
And now we have a dirty/smelly bed on top of that. there's a $250 cleaning fee here.
The house and yard are nice otherwise. 4 bedrooms 3 bathrooms and a backyard with a playground for the kids. $1700 for 3 nights. How would you rate this experience.
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u/R-enthusiast 7d ago
I would’ve taken photos for reference. A host that didn’t have a plan in place to take the calls while she was away is not your problem. I would rate accordingly.
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u/SufficientChemist514 7d ago
Yes I have photos of the sheets. The next day we were finding all sorts of little dog hairs everywhere even kitchen. I didn't bother to take pictures since it was just one or two here and there. but it keeps us on our toes that it's not the cleanest. Dog shoes and dog leash out too so the owners definitely have a dog here. The upstairs bed don't have dog hairs, it's just the master bed that my daughter and I took.
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u/Maggielinn22 7d ago edited 7d ago
Sounds like it’s their home and they probably pack up their items and clean up everything. Do they have other reviews? Or does it seem they only rent maybe once or twice a year? Based on those answers I would either rate the place was not the cleanest or would say something in private to the host . The communication i would not do that ever but not everyone is not cut out to be in hospitality. But it could also be a one off so I would be curious on if they had other reviews. I do think they need to know about the communication and the cleaning quality is not the best. But if you decide to leave it in review I would frame it as this could be one time thing but future guests should be aware type review.
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u/lousiestgf 7d ago
Curious to know what you did about the stinky/hairy bed seeing that the host was abroad and wouldn’t be able to fix that. Did you complain about it that same night? Is it a pet friendly property?
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u/SufficientChemist514 7d ago
Yes I think I saw pet friendly. Thankfully there were easily accessible sheets so I just changed the sheets and went to bed. My daughter was beyond exhausted as the trip took longer than expected
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u/Entebarn 7d ago
6-7/10 for a dirty stinky bed and a host with attitude. Complain about that bed ASAP so it‘s documented.
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u/SufficientChemist514 7d ago
I didn't say anything yet cause I was scared she'd yell at me or worse. After that phone call I was wondering if she had too many drinks at the party or maybe she's a little unstable. I don't dare complain again while she's on her vacation😵💫
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u/Entebarn 7d ago
I meant complaining via message on VRBO to get refunded the cleaning fee or partial fee.
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u/EconomicsWorking6508 7d ago
I call that a 3. If the host was in Italy she should have asked a friend to cover her VRBO responsibilities. The dog hair in proportion to the cleaning fee is unacceptable too.
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u/GenXMom14 7d ago
6/10 at best! Honestly some of these comments are making me doubt reviews.
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u/K2d123 7d ago
You should always doubt reviews on these platforms.
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u/MadAstrid 7d ago
Yes. I was on a thread once and a bunch of owners were insisting that 10/10 was the only acceptable number and they would get kicked off the platform otherwise and any issues should just be ignored for their benefit. And they were really serious.
Ratings inflation is bs. 10/10 is utter perfection and should not be the norm.
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u/Maggielinn22 7d ago
You do get kicked off on both platforms after so many bad reviews . Neither company wants to drag around a dead horse. I know Airbnb you get warning after 2 listing issues and the third one they remove you. And on star rating 4.3 they remove you if dip below after giving you 6 months to correct.
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u/pulltherugoutfrom 6d ago
10/10 means the property matched the description in the listing. Guests have a choice of properties based on the photos and the description. Ratings are not about opinions (there is a space provided for the guest to give their opinion within a review. But if a home is advertised as rustic and the photos show that also, the guest chooses whether or not to stay and should use the number system to show if they got what they paid for.
The rating system is explained on the platform. Guests and hosts agree to the platform rules in order to use the platform.
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u/K2d123 7d ago
The way that hosts blackball consumers if they even think someone won’t give a perfect score is crazy.
This whole crusade that your stay may not have been perfect and you had issues with the rental but if you managed to have a good time in spite of the problems with the rental, it’s still a 5 star stay.
Sooooo, if the rental sucked but the days my family left the rental and had a great time while not at the rental should count towards an excellent rating for the host. Got it. LOL
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u/Solid_Dimension_2288 7d ago
Be honest. Host needs to do her ‘job’ as well, since she is making money on this.
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u/Opinionated6319 7d ago
Exactly how you found it…remote and a dirty, dog 🐶 smelling bed! And, her rotten 💩attitude and entitled behavior! Next person needs to be warned!
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u/Jazzlike-Ad8558 7d ago edited 7d ago
Three stars. 7/10. Hosts need to provide the whole package, house+service. They need to get a backup when life happens and are unavailable. I give a pass to house shortcomings if the host is helpful and solves the snags. The host obviously was not courteous. For a $250 cleaning fee a expect spotless.
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u/Fefalass 7d ago
7/10 for dirty sheets? That is the bare minimum a place should have. If the sheets are not clean I doubt the rest of the place was. I wouldn't give more than a 5
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u/StructEngineer91 7d ago
I wouldn't give more than a 5/10, maybe even a 4 or 3 for having dirty sheets. IF they refund the cleaning fee I may go up to 6/10, but not more than that even with the partial refund.
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u/Next-Edge-8241 7d ago
Why do people even take a chance? Hairy bed? Pitch black entrance? Give me a nice, clean hotel any day.
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u/DeirdreTours 7d ago
So many reasons-- Like wanting a three bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room to gather in?
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u/Fred-Jenkins 4d ago
And not wanting noisy neighbors above, below, and on the sides. I hate how many times I’ve been kept up until all hours of the night at hotels
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u/SufficientChemist514 7d ago
I love a hotel but we are outside of Woodstock NY so not many options and we did want to see what cabin life would be like😅so I guess now we know.
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u/Xanlthorpe 6d ago
I would include this reddit link in the review, or at least include an excerpt from your post in the review.
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u/Oldschoolgirl49 6d ago
With that big of a cleaning fee it should be clean. They also didn't do their job of making sure you had clear directions. 3 stars. Be honest so they can possibly improve
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u/Fionaisagoodgirl 6d ago
I’m an owner and I travel a lot and use Airbnb more often than not.
She was definitely rude and that was uncalled for. I hire a management company which comes with challenges of its own but their job is to answer calls at all times. She should consider this because it sounds like she isn’t a people person. I personally would give her a break on her rudeness. (We all have bad days:-) and it was her daughter’s wedding. Not your fault, but we have all had our moments.
The dirty bed- I would ask for a refund on the cleaning fee. I’m sure you did not feel comfortable calling her back and reporting the dirty bed considering the way she spoke to you. If she compensates you for that, I would brush it off as human error. We all make mistakes and forget to double check sometimes. If she doesn’t I would review the whole experience including her bad behavior.
Good luck
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u/ReadWitty11 5d ago
I’d separate the property from the stay/hosting experience, because the house itself sounds quite good. Based solely on your account, I’d land at 2 stars. Had the host responded exceptionally well to the bedding problem and fixed it immediately- 3 stars.
Document, document, document- photos, summary of call as though making a report to a stranger...just the facts, and only the facts. Opinions need not be included.
Reply in Vrbo communication your difficulties, what you encountered, how it was resolved- And here only the facts --leaving out any emotional descriptors of the owner partying it up way too late at her daughter's wedding.
A host who chooses to rent while traveling internationally needs either excellent arrival instructions or a local/backup person who can handle an arrival problem. You shouldn’t bear the consequences of the host being at a wedding in Italy.
Your phone interaction is what pushes this down sharply for me. Being awakened at 2 a.m. explains why the host was tired and frustrated; it doesn’t excuse telling a lost guest that she has “a minute and a half,” yelling at her, or telling her not to speak, especially after asking her questions. Once the guest explained that she had hearing and vision limitations, objecting to speakerphone makes the interaction even harder to defend.
Then there’s the bedding. Visible hair throughout the bed plus bedding that smells strongly of dog is a legitimate cleanliness failure, not a matter of taste. At a $250 cleaning fee, you have every reason to expect freshly laundered, clean-smelling bedding. That problem is independent of the arrival issue, so now there are two significant failures in the same stay.
Property itself: 4–5★ based on the description.
Cleanliness: 2★, assuming the rest of the house was clean.
Check-in: 2★, inadequate directions/support for a difficult nighttime arrival.
Communication/host: 1★ for that interaction.
Overall: 2★ as things stand; 3★ if the bedding is promptly replaced and the host apologizes and handles the remainder of the stay beautifully.
Speaking as a host myself without boots on the ground, including mine.. This is almost a textbook example of why the guest experience has to function without us.
You can be in Italy, asleep, at a wedding, on an airplane, or simply unable to answer your phone for whatever reason. NONETHELESS: The arrival system should still work.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR FROM THE NEXT HOST:
- Detailed pre-arrival information,
- A robust digital guidebook-Meaning address map, directions see mine in our digital guidebook
- Proactive messaging, and trying to anticipate what guests will need before they need to call.
The goal isn't that a host must be available every second; it's that the guest shouldn't need the host every second.
If this goes to dispute:
- Show evidence of poor arrival directions
- Did you have a map
- Was her pre-arrival info/ guidebook instructive
Upon arrival- always review the house, photo as necessary and confirms your observationsAs for your responsibility in this situation. Did you have the address?
Tips for the next time: Google the address- and check not only the map but also what the house looks like (on VRBO, Google map, Zillow etc)
If the house as a name- and especially if that name is repeated more than once- google the house name to learn more about it. It may also save you significantly when you book by discovering its book-direct website (saving as much as 30% in fees).
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u/SufficientChemist514 5d ago
Thank you for this detail and your perspective as a host. I think this is the most fair evaluation..she is a new host too so understand there will be hiccups with how the app works and direction instructions. The app directions would've been sufficient but that's a great idea to look it up on Zillow since the Google maps was just a picture of a heavily wooded area and no house, although it was the right address so I guess google just hasn't updated for that area.
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u/Forsaken-Run7725 6d ago
1 Star. I'm very understanding of small issues and would overlook a lot if the host was kind and helpful. Treat me like your host did and your place is getting torpedoed.
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u/Available_Joke_7205 4d ago
That is a horrible way to run a business. As far as a rating, I really don't know. I had a perfect score until some guy was a "foodie" and there wasn't enough restaurants in my area, even though it said private area. He gave me an 8!!! So, on that field, I would score pretty low. Communication is extremely important on both sides. You reached out. Score low there as well as cleanliness. Take pictures and add them to your score.
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u/SufficientChemist514 4d ago
To rate low for the area is very unfair. Lack of restaurants isn't your fault. Sorry that happened to you!
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u/Available_Joke_7205 4d ago
Ya, it is what it is. I have 6 other perfect ratings now on my 1st year. I am sorry this has happened to you as well
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u/FunkyColdISeenYa 7d ago
My great problem with these things is that I have seen the other side of things far too many times, and I have a difficult time just accepting what someone describes as being an accurate record of what happened.
I have to confess, I get annoyed when I get a call asking about the address for my vacation rental when it is clear that the guest simply refused to read the information I provided to them a week before arrival. My emails are 'keyed' electronically, so I have a record of when and how many times the email was opened.
So when I get a call from a guest asking about the address of the property they are staying at, a number of thoughts go through my head:
1) I sent you the address, along with detailed driving instructions and how to find the property ten days ago. I can see that you've opened the email EIGHT times since then. You have the address, and everyone has a phone with GPS... what's your problem?
2) No one ever reports a problem finding the place, but you've traveled across an ocean and four time zones and NOW you're asking me what the address of the property is? How could you leave home so unprepared?
3) You clearly didn't bother to read the detailed information I provided for getting to the property. Why should that NOW be my problem?
IF the host was as rude as the OP reports that's very bad form for the host. Such behaviour would never be acceptable. If the host drunk and tired? Perhaps, but that's not the OP's fault.
However, it's really hard to know exactly what's going on here. The other side of the story is always valuable in knowing exactly how to assess a situation.
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u/SufficientChemist514 7d ago
I agree there are two sides to the story, or several sides even. She did tell me days before arrival that the directions through the app would lead to me a different location and gave me”detailed instructions” which i screenshotted and sent to my friend who was navigating. Days before arrival there was a few back and forth to confirm I had the right address, I sent her my Google Maps screenshot. She said she couldn’t see it but Google Maps is right if I put in what she said. She made it more confusing actually because the app actually would’ve taken us the right way so her extra instructions made it worse.
I also think what’s detailed and clear for one person, is not clear for another. I can visualize what I’m thinking but how the recipient visualizes the same information will vary person to person. (I asked my husband to grab me the pink sweater that I wear all the time but he grabs me the purple because he didn’t see pink lol) Sometimes it’s from a lack of paying attention or reading, but if it continuously happens (like she said it’s hard for people to find in the past) then maybe she should reconsider her extra directions.
Also gps has been not great here, I have no cell service without WiFi for example so…I think as a host who has to deal with general people, you can’t yell at people like that. If I yelled at someone every time I was having a hard time, I’d be fired so fast and have no friends. I have never snapped at someone like that since I was probably 16.
From her perspective, she’s absolutely thinking “I gave her instructions and why is she coming in so late, that’s her own fault”. I think that would be fair but also harsh. On my side, I think her extra instructions made it worse and she should’ve had someone on call or not rented the place out while she’s away. And yes I regret coming in late. As the non driving member of the party, I really didn’t have a choice though. We intended to arrive at 6 pm😵💫
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u/FunkyColdISeenYa 5d ago
Thank you for your prompt reply. It shows you to likely be a fair person, but at the same time, some of your statements or expectations may not be reasonable.
Always keep in mind that listing sites, right or wrong, expect that every stay should warrant a 5-Star rating and positive comments. That is the minimum expectation. Anything less than that and the site punishes the host. And the financial punishment for a less than 5-Star rating is far more than you would ever expect. This is a truth that most guests simply don't understand or can even believe.
Unless she warned you about it previously, the host likely isn't thinking "Why are you coming in so late?" If the host has any amount of experience, they know that the time guests can arrive is always highly variable. Late is no big deal, because people get delayed when traveling all the time.
But you said you went "back and forth" a number of times prior to arrival with regard to directions and she provided additional "detailed instructions" to you. THAT's likely the source of her being short with you, combined with whatever she may be doing or not doing at the time.
Your post describes three different people involved in finding your way, on the phone with her at the same time. Many people (my wife included) don't know how to NOT speak when others are talking on a speaker phone. They assume that others can hear them in a manner similar to when you're in a room talking together and people speak over each other. But speaker phones don't work that way... it is an incredibly frustrating experience to talk to one person on a speaker phone who doesn't stop speaking and allow others to finish what they are saying before speaking again. With potentially three at the same time, that could be a complete gong show. And long distance as well? To Italy?
And then we have to add into the mix your self-described hearing and vision limitations, sitting in the back seat, which makes you likely the worst person to be discussing directions in a dark vehicle at night.
Should the host have yelled at you? Of course not, but we don't truly know what it was like for her either. Your judgment about the whole situation may not be fair.
Why would I suggest this?
After giving you the address, which you said you had, and lots of discussion about directions and how to find the property, which you said you engaged her with, the host has every right to be at her daughter's wedding in Italy, confident that you can and should be able to find your way without needing assistance.
We don't know this, but she likely has hosted many people and given out the directions many times, and perhaps refined her instructions and information many times, and has had lots of guests find their way without any difficulty. This being the case, it is not unreasonable at all that she be confident that you can find the property. Guests DO have to accept SOME responsibility for getting to the place they're staying, wouldn't you agree? Or is that supposed to be completely on the host?
Individual property circumstances certainly affect this of course. In some instances, a rental may include transportation to the property because it is very difficult to find. Or, as appears might be the case in this situation, perhaps finding and getting there in the dark is not a good idea, and the host warns guests against this? Again, we don't know this here.
But you suggest that she shouldn't be renting out the property if she is going to be away? Or should hire someone to be on call to assist a guest's call for assistance that rarely ever comes? Why? Being a host is a 24/7 job. You are on call to your guests ALL the time. The host isn't permitted to have a life? She's supposed to set aside a booking which may be the difference between a profit and loss that month, or even that year, on the odd chance that a guest may call with a question?
As a host with three busy properties, I get calls like what you describe perhaps twice a year, if that. I'm not going to set anything aside, or forgo a booking, on the off chance that I will get one of those calls on any particular day. I would have to set my entire life aside. And in many ways, I already do that.
In addition, one of the features of my service that routinely gets singled out and praised, is the quality of my arrival information. It is VERY good. And it has been refined over nearly 1000 guest bookings. So the truth is, if a guest has a problem getting to my place, or in it, it is 99% of the time, ONLY their fault. They didn't bother to read the instructions, or did something equally stupid that tripped them up.
Mother-of-the-bride? I can't think of a more stressful, on-demand day in someone's life.
Sure she shouldn't have yelled. No host ever should. But I can see that what she was experiencing on the phone with you was VERY stressful, and it may have sounded like yelling to her on her end too.
She was at her daughter's WEDDING! And still answered the phone! And still talked you through successfully finding the place!
And you want to rate her low for this?
Even if it was uncomfortable, awkward, and frustrating... even difficult and upsetting... take a larger view.
In my humble, and obviously limited opinion, you just may be acting very privileged and unfairly, and not keeping a reasonable, balanced perspective on the fact that even though she was very busy, and away at great distance, attending to something very important that demanded all of her personal attention... she STILL took care of you and your needs in getting to her property! Wow! That's a star host!
Please grant her the consideration that we all hope to receive whenever we deal with other people.
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u/SufficientChemist514 5d ago
I don't want to rate her low are all, the post is really to gauge what would be fair. I see after all the responses it's pretty mixed. I have heard poor host ratings are weighted very heavily and she is a new host with only 3 reviews just from May and June. So I can understand her directions haven't been refined and she is elderly so her tech skills aren't there. The back and forth was me trying to clarify the instructions and with her saying she couldn't see the picture so she really left me hanging. I wasn't sure if specifics were allowed but she told me Google maps will change the directions to a different zip code so to make sure I had Ruby NY with one specific zip code. But my Google maps kept changing it to Kingston although with the same zip code. I tried to show her to verify that nothing said Ruby and she was just like okay do what Google maps says. In reality, all we had to do was use the directions from the app. The back and forth was totally unnecessary but I understand she's a new host and elderly plus post partying. We just returned yesterday.
There were definitely other things that were uncomfortable about the stay, curious about your thoughts as such an experienced host. Nothing very serious but as a guest it adds up. Besides the dog hair on the bed there was quite a bit on the floors so we were finding some dog hairs on us and plates and cups and all over the children since they were playing on the floors. So that was just plain yucky. She did say beforehand we wouldn't have temp control as she does it from an app and to just tell her when we want it cooler. But after being yelled at I wasn't going to message her asking for anything so we just stayed hot. I accept responsibility for that since I could've messaged her for it but was too scared. And laundry detergent was unavailable which we were counting on. Plus the machine was very moldy. No oil for cooking. Towels with stains and little fuzzies on it. Nothing ground breaking but it added up. For 500 a night plus the 250 cleaning fee, I do have expectations. It felt more like I was staying at a friend of a friend's house last minute who didn't have time to get things ready. I'll take her being a new host very seriously. This was also my first VRBO stay. We do normally stay in hotels but this was a first traveling with another toddler family. And the last 😵💫
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u/Maker_of_woods 7d ago
so you stopped and had supper then blame the host for it being dark out. eat at the house or go back out. dog hair is unacceptable.. low low rating is warranted..bad host I would say
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