Ingrid R.

I made a reservation and the next morning, the property owner cancelled it - citing the unit is under construction and will not be ready. However, VRBO charged me $168 service fee. When the charge showed up on my credit card, I contacted them via the first chat - but took forever to respond after each question... agent, "What is your name" and when I immediately responded, it would take minutes for her to reply back with "what is reservation and property number" though it was listed in the chat window. I disconnected and started another chat... needed someone who wasn't going to make me wait after EACH response.

In the second chat, same thing... minutes delay... I started inserting "time check 8:39" in the chat to monitor how long she took. Here's an excerpt:

Excerpt from last chat... in asking VRBO to reverse the $168 service fee for a reservation that was never confirmed. I made the reservation and homeowner immediately cancelled it.
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*** Agent: Which means they have a different platform, but since you've stated that this reservation is cancelled the service fee or Vrbo fee will automatically refunded to your account.
*** Me: when?
*** Agent: It just take 24 days to be reflect on your card statement.
*** Me: so your system shows it?
*** Agent: Since they have a different platform I can identify on my end but I can assured to you that once the booking is cancelled the service fee will be refunded as well.

A few minutes later...

*** Agent: The rental you have booked was being managed by an Integrated Property Manager that has their own booking and payment system. From the time you entered your card information, the system will prompt you to pay for the HomeAway Service Fee due now and the rental cost will show as due to Manager. This appears on the check-out process. Once the booking got accepted, the only amount we take from your card is the Service Fee which in your case, it has been charged on your card. For the rental cost, you only be paying for the partial amount less the Service Fee.
*** Agent: So you need to contact the manager directly.
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But when I immediately started typing a response, Lyn (the online chat agent) disconnected me.
*** Agent: The agent has disconnected from this chat session.

I'm confused because she said different things...

"Vrbo fee will automatically refunded" AND
"It just take 24 days to be reflect on your card statement" AND
"once the booking is cancelled the service fee will be refunded" AND
"Once the booking got accepted, the only amount we take from your card is the Service Fee which in your case, it has been charged on your card."
--- although the booking wasn't accepted as it was cancelled.

I am now contacting the credit card agency to dispute the charge. I don't need to get the run-around in using VRBO's dysfunctional system and POOR customer service... REALLY?

The online chat deliberately posted a message and immediately disconnected the chat? That's exactly like hanging up on a phone call.

Looked to match bins previously purchased from Staples - as they need to stack so the base needs to align with the top of another bin.

Did research online and found a few stores which were 30+ minutes away so I ventured out. When arriving, the bin matched the style number online but the product in the store did not match the online pic. Both had the same model numbers though. (Oh, and different online price which was more expensive... but of course, the staff said to ignore it.)

Sales rep called another store and cited the other store had 20+. I asked for them to confirm it matched the pic. Sales rep said they cannot do that. Spoke to manager who then asked rep to call other store and get a visual to see if items in store matched online pic. After doing so, they confirmed the item in the 2nd store did NOT match online pic. The manager remembered the bin had an upgrade 6 months ago - though it no longer allows stacking with the previous model. Online pic was not updated.

No worries... emailed customer service asking to find the legacy model. Their response was:

"I am sorry for the inconvenience. You can place an order online for the item. (Add info about how to order the item - though I provided them the link to it.) We can accept the product for return if it is not what you need."

My response was, "I want to know where to find the legacy item and NOT get the run around of ordering online and then return. I already got the run around from 2 store locations... wasting my time already based on the pic online. Why would you offer another solution to inconvenience me again?"

So it wasn't enough for a customer to do my due diligence of finding the product online, confirming it's in the store, driving to the store, having the one store follow up with another store, and then emailing them - asking for help?

They want me to order it online and if it doesn't match, return it?

Why would I be further inconvenienced. It will be easier to buy a whole new set of stackable bins from someone else.

Quick responses from Staples... provides a TON of inconvenience for the customer... and MORE cost if you're purchasing online. How does this company stay in business?