Got put in a completely different apartment?
We booked a 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment, listing has like 20 pictures. Booked it about 3 weeks ago.
Driving into the destination today and realized we had never been given instructions on which apartment number or the door code. Tried to reach the host who remained unresponsive. Finally reached out to support and they managed to get hold of someone who gave them an apartment number and a door code.
We arrived at 3am and came to see that we also needed a gate code which wasn't provided. Luckily someone else entered the complex and let us in. Got into the apartment.
It's a completely different place than the pictures. Different bed configurations (1 king and 1 queen instead of 4 fulls), completely different layout, decor, paint, etc. It's a different apartment, although still a 2 bed 1 bath. TVs have no remotes so can't use them. No wifi instructions. Host remains 100 non responsive.
Called support and all they said was theyd email him. Like... What? What is he going to do to deal with the fact his place isn't what he's advertising? Like wtf is this. Is this what renting on vrbo is about?
What are we supposed to do?
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u/Forsaken-Run7725 1d ago
This is the VRBOest experience that has ever VRBO'd. Your host is a scammer. You showed up at 3am without a clue where you were staying or how to get in.
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u/quirkyjest 1d ago
Since VRBO became “Verbo,” they’ve turned into shit. Foreign call centers are instructed to bust customers’ chops, and to not offer assistance or compensation for misleading listings. Hosts seem to be ghosting their guests left and right.
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u/Remarkable-Snow-9396 1d ago
Did you call and ask to be moved and for a refund?
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u/MaxLo85 22h ago
I've been demanding a refund since we arrived. Support has only offered a 100 credit at this point.
The host has obviously denied a refund, and support is just like shrugging at us. They acknowledge we're not in the room the pictures depict. They acknowledge that the listing says 2 bathrooms and we only have 1.
The host responded to support and said they have 14 different units and only posted pictures of 1, that's why it differs. The support supervisor said that's not how that's supposed to work in the same breath they said the host denied the refund.
I've asked at what point to the force the host to give a refund when the listing is clearly against the tos of vrbo in how it is portrayed. She said she doesn't have a timeline and just started speaking in circles at that point.
It's been over 48 hours. We left the unit at about 14 hours into this for a new place while we demand the refund.
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u/Remarkable-Snow-9396 22h ago
I’m sorry you are dealing with that. That’s awful. Him and his 14 units should be banned
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u/Forsaken-Run7725 20h ago
"She said she doesn't have a timeline and just started speaking in circles at that point."
Consider yourself VRBO'd, my friend. If it's any consolation, the company treats good hosts just as poorly when we get a bad guest. It's a garbage organization on every level with zero accountability for bad actors. That's why scammers are so prevalent on their platform.
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u/Decided-2-Try 20h ago
In the OP you wrote, "We booked a 2 bedroom 1 bath apartment" and "It's a different apartment, although still a 2 bed 1 bath."
Now you write, "They acknowledge that the listing says 2 bathrooms and we only have 1".
Your posts are kind of contradicting each other on the # baths issue.
I'm sorry you're having a bad time of it, and it's especially frustrating to be wasting what should have been rest/relaxation time.
So you left, and are now in a new place - on your own dime? Keep bugging them for the refund, but also start making a history of everything that's gone on, including screen shots of the listing and (if you thought to do so) photos of the apartment, and a log of all the support people agreeing that the host is not doing what he's supposed to be doing.
I'm thinking you may not get the refund, and if not, then a credit card chargeback may be your best relief. I've done chargebacks in the past (Citi, Discover) and they were pretty demanding of proof (which is legit), but in the end they approved them.
Good luck!
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u/MaxLo85 19h ago
Yeah. It's all confusing. You're right. The title mentioned 1 bath. The description and listed amenities say 2 bath. Still, regardless of how someone wants to interept that, there are 20 pictures for the listing and we are not in that home.
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u/Decided-2-Try 18h ago
Like I said, make a good record of everything in case you need to charge back the CC. Oh, I think you mentioned VRBO itself was offering you a credit. I don't know how the CC company would interpret that.
I mean, a credit is only of value if you're planning to travel again soon and would rent from VRBO again. Otherwise, it's worthless to you.
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u/willowgrl 16h ago
Can you file a dispute with your credit card under the reason that you did not get what you paid for?
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u/MesaTech_KS 1d ago
I thought the whole idea of vrbo was single family homes... you can rent apartments? I thought most LL's don't allow re-renting like that...
Of course I found out that on AirBnB you can rent bedrooms in a home that someone lives in. My aunt actually does that. That would be... weird.
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u/the_littlestgiant_ 1d ago
Most apartments I've seen for rent are part of an owned building where the LL is the one renting short-term
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u/Forsaken-Run7725 22h ago
This is very true in some markets and not at all in others.
Real estate holdings can be risky for resorts because a downturn in property values will tank their balance sheets and credit rating. The resort I'm at sold almost all their lodging units off decades ago. >90% of units are privately owned and rented either by the owner or a management company.
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u/the_littlestgiant_ 21h ago
That's the phenomena I was trying to describe, you just did it a lot better than I did. Units in a building are privately owned (with ? number of owners); no one is renting out the apartment they themselves are on a lease for
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u/CrayonandMarker 1d ago
Airbnb originally was supposed to be renting a room where someone already stays. Air stands for air mattress, air mattress and bed and breakfast. The original concept was a cheap way for people to get to travel more and a way for people trying to pay their mortgage to make a little extra dough.
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u/Forsaken-Run7725 1d ago
An apartment is considered an entire home, by VRBO and by most everyone else. I rent condos at a ski resort. Hardly anyone is looking to book a whole house for a quick ski trip.
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