Deborah V.

As a owner with five vacation rental listings with VRBO/Home Away for many years, I have been very unhappy with the new policies of VRBO/Home Away. These companies are now gouging would-be tenants with a new@10% "service fee" if the tenants book their reservation through VRBO/Home Away. These companies also try to get the tenants to buy expensive cancellation and damage insurance policies. Additionally, VRBO told me that it would soon be mandatory for all owners to have their reservations and credit card charges only through VRBO and that we would not be able to deal with our tenants directly.

As a result of these deceptive practices, tenants are no longer calling, and my bookings have dropped dramatically since last year. VRBO and HomeAway are no longer worth the huge fees that they charge, and I am looking elsewhere to list my properties and will not renew my listings with VRBO/Home Away when they expire.

The greed of VRBO/Home Away since Expedia bought them in December, 2015 is astounding, and Expedia is driving VRBO/HomeAway into the dirt.

I also wanted to let people know about a class action law suit filed on March 15,2016 entitled Ivan Arnold v. Homeaway, Inc. and DOES I-10 (Case No. 1-16: CV-*******) in U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, Austin Division in which Homeaway is being sued for breach of contract, breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing, fraud, fraudulent concealment, violation of Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Violation of Cal. Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Violation of Calif. Unfair Competitive Law, and Breach of Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing.

This law suit also asks for treble damages, injunctive relief, pre and post-judgment damages, exemplary damages, and attorneys' fees and costs.

The attorney who is the lead attorney in this case is Daniel H. Byrne of Fritz, Byrne, Head & Fitzpatrick, PLLC of Austin, Texas. Mr. Byrne can be reached at *******020 or *******722 and at *******@FBHF.com and I would suggest that anyone who is interested in participating in the class action law suit contact Mr. Byrne.

I know that I am certainly going to do so.