Property was listed on VRBO but (apparently) was an Expedia property that I booked on VRBO. Arrived at the property, dropped off our luggage and went to a friends home for a few hours. Came back to discover that the front door hadn't locked. We tried locking it for the night upon returning and it wouldn't lock (it was broken). Contacted the host and was told we'd have to wait until the next day at 10:00am for the maintenance person. So we slept in an unlocked unit in an unfamiliar city and state. We didn't feel too safe that night. And to top it off, we couldn't go anywhere the next day until after the maintenance person arrived and a locksmith had to be called to fix the lock so that we could then start our day around noon. We only had the unit for 2 nights so 1/2 of the only full day that we had in the area was wasted waiting for the VRBO we rented to get the front door lock (temporarily) fixed. There was WAY more issues then that and when I got back to my home a few weeks later I contacted VRBO about all of the issues we experienced and after much run around I was finally able to issue a complaint and asked for a full or at least partial refund ($400 which was 1/2 of what we paid). After 2 months of getting the run around from VRBO on multiple attempts to find out the status of the issue, always being met with the same canned answer of something like "rest assured our team is working to resolve your issue", VRBO finally escalated the complaint and I was immediately told that refunds are "at the sole discretion of the property host". Of course they are!To top it off, the fact that it was a property that was listed like a hotel with several units (apparently that's how to know this is an Expedia property) that makes it an "Expedia reservation made through VRBO". Which in the end means that I can't even write a review for the property on either Expedia or VRBO. The only place I was able to write a review for this property was on Google and TripAdvisor, and anywhere else I can find to do so. But not on the only platform that ensures that the guests writing the reviews actually stayed at that property (for the most part as I'm sure there are ways around it where the host can get more positive reviews for themselves). In the beginning of me trying to issue my complaint I kept being told by VRBO that I needed to contact Expedia. But when I contacted Expedia I was told that because I made the reservation through VRBO, that I had to contact VRBO. So I was being given the run around from BOTH VRBO and Expedia. I would be willing to bet I will get a reply for this review from VRBO and it will be met with yet another canned response about how they "understand how important it is for me to provide feedback on your experience" and how they "understand that this situation may feel frustrating" and how my "feedback is valuable, and they want to thank me for sharing my experience with them, as it helps them improve their platform and the services they provide". Even though all of that is clear BS. VRBO is all about the host and not the guest. Stay FAR AWAY from using VRBO!!!
