Jeffrey K.

I am discontinuing three properties on VRBO and I am shocked with the management decisions this company has made over the past few months. I have found three excellent vacation sites with great traction and no hassle. I am a business owner and proponent of positive change, however, new management or the merger with Home Away has destroyed this business model... let me tell you why.

For the owner of properties... BEWARE

1. VRBO now holds homeowners security deposits, which belong to the home owner not VRBO. VRBO now controls your Security deposit. Yes, they want the interest income, but they also control "your" issues with your tenants.

2. VRBO now deletes your phone number and the phone number of your renter until the rental is booked. With one property, I have 36 positive reviews with one negative review. The negative review is a result of no verbal communication. Why, phone communication offers you the opportunity to spend quality time determining values of your guest and also making sure your property fits the requirements of your quests. This eliminates disputes, damage and creates long lasting repeat customers. This one guest did not read our description, which most do not, and complained that our home was isolated and not close enough to town and supermarkets (10 min away). This is what makes our mountain estate special with stream, privacy, waterfall, etc. and we communicate this attribute to all guests on the phone.

3. VRBO will tell you that eliminating the phone numbers is a benefit to both parties to protect against fraud and you are able to cancel the reservation after they book. Great, you can cancel the reservation, but they also still charge the credit card fee!

4. I have a property manager who has worked with VRBO managing our account for over two years. Last week she contacted VRBO and they wouldn't communicate with her. They wanted another letter, notarized, by me providing her authority... you have got to be kidding me as she has been with us for two years communicating directly. Also, when I called yesterday, I could barely understand the customer service representative. So unfortunate.

As a home owner, I have reached out to management of VRBO on several occasions and they will not offer modifications. As a result, the only way to express your dissatisfaction is to eliminate your homes on VRBO and try another site. Its a shame, since VRBO customers will miss a $6 million island home, $3 million 200 acre mountain retreat and $800k mountain house. There are plenty of quality sites and now I have multiple sites with tremendous traction.