Debbie Tewell, VRBO listing #209817 VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner)--Listing#209817 Vacation home deposit scam!--Rip off! Internet
We booked our stay for labor day weekend 2009 at this vacation home through VRBO.com, listing #209817.
http://www.vrbo.com/209817
I booked directly from the owner on the phone and paid $1345+$500 security deposit.
She seemed pretty nice on the phone and the house is large and nice inside.
Before we left, we cleaned up the whole house and even vacuumed every room and carpet. I am expecting my deposit back but she informed me I have done a lot of damages to her house so she forfeit all our deposit. I was in shock and she send me pictures of some scratches on an old library table. I swear none of us has done that damage to the table and we should have seen the scratches during our stay if it was there before we left. She has two almost identical houses next to each other and I wonder if she took the pictures from the other house, or even worse, she did that by herself just to get our deposit($500). She also complained about we hook up game to her large TV in the living room. She never told us anything about the TV prior to our arrive (she had plenty of time to) and instead put a very small sign by the TV saying don't play games. We arrived late midnight and some of us wants to hook up a Playstation 3 to the TV for blue ray DVD and games, without noticing the sign. The next day I saw the sign and stopped my friends from playing games. So the hookup is accidental and no damage was done. I believed she secretly watched us during our stay by peeking through the glass door (she stayed two blocks from where we are staying) which was a violation of our privacy. She also claim the TV remote in the bed room is not working and it worth $100. First of all it is a very common remote and you can get it for $15 from walmart. 2nd we never even tried to turn on the TV in the bedrooms. During our stay the owner refused to provide trash bags and laundry detergent for us.
In summary the owner (Debbie TeWell) try to scam our $500 deposit by falsely accusing us of damages we haven't done. The vacation home we stayed looked nice but the owner and her behavior ruined our good memories.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Lei
Nashville,USA
Ms Tewell! Please stop lying and accusing already!
#3Author of original report
Tue, October 27, 2009
I asked Debbie Tewell if the dogs could have done it because at that time I didn't know it was the tall table! My two dogs were hanging around us in the sofa area and I originally thought the other short table was damaged! She moved the table to take the picture and I didn't recognize it until later. My dogs are too short to even reach the scratched table, let alone making deep gouges across the surface!!!
I told her after I figured out which table that was and she ALREADY KNEW IT. Now she uses this against me just as all the other little word games she have played.
An accidental hookup of the TV wouldn't 'Damage" it and I am no magician to damage her remote control in the main living room without touching it. I already told her we didn't notice the sign at first and we stopped gaming the next day after we found it. A sign of Letter sized paper hiding among other DVD players and VCRs is NOT "AN OBVIOUS BIG SIGN" as she described.
The scratches were not done by me or anyone in my group.
She kept accusing me and used the words like "damage, ruin" for the scratches and unplugged DVD players, and this is from someone who claims herself respectful.
I don't know if I am the one and only dissatisfied customer, but I do know one thing: My comment on www.VRBO.com was deleted before it ever showed up.
If everyone is so satisfied with their stay, why there are only 4 comments on the listing?
Tewell asked me at least 3 times during my stay to leave her positive comment on VRBO.com and I believe she had told the same to all her previous customers.
One last comment, Ms Tewell, I am also a respectful person unless I am pushed to a point. I enjoy my family, my friends and my life and I DON'T "going around and destroy someone's property" as you described in your emails to me. I have stayed in at least 5 properties in the past two years. I never left a scratch to their properties and received my deposit 7 days after departure. I do respect and appreciate the work of rental home owners but I guess I have learned a lesson from this incident.
No matter how nicely someone talks or acts, bring a video camera and take pictures of the property upon arrival.
Debbie
Foley,Alabama,
USA
!!This is a hoax by Lei Zhu and he Damaged Debbie Tewell Property!!
#3
Fri, September 18, 2009
Mr.zhu rented my house The Lovely Blue Dolphin Manor #2 for the labor day weekend and after he checked out I personally cleaned the house and my library table that sits close to the front door behind the loveseat has been ruined. There is gouges in the table and not just little scratches Zhu is saying there is Mr.zhu is saying in his complaint that is just an old library table but I hate to bust his bubble but I don't have any old furniture in my houses and also I didn't move any furniture from Blue Dolphin Manor #1 to Blue Dolphin Manor #2 thats another lie he is telling.I'm a very respectful person and I dont dare to rip people off.I'm in the business of catering to people and making them feel special. I let Mr. zhu know right away about the damages and also sent him pictures of the damages. He would have had to be blind not to see the damages. The library table cost me $700.00 and Mr. Zhu's deposit is $450.00. Mr.Zhu brought two dogs with him and he ask me did I think his dogs could of done the damages and my reply was it could be possible. My opinion is that his dogs done the damages or his video component did and he knows he is responsible and just don't want to own up to it because he doesn't REPECT other peoples property. All he thinks about is his money and its got nothing to do with money it is respecting other peoples property and by the looks of my library table he didnt give a hoot about my property. I have had several people stay in this same house with this same library table and most of them took pictures inside the house this summer and even the people that were in the house before the zhus checked in took pictures also and if you would like I will get in touch with some of my guest and prove that the same library table was in there and was not damaged.
He also said the only thing he put on the library table was his billfold and his wife put a purse on it. I told him no way a purse and billfold done the damages.I furnish one roll of toilet paper and 2 bars of soap per bathroom and one garbage bag in kithchen and it doesn't say anything about suppling laundry soap.I also have a big sign posted in the living room about no video games hooked to big screen and what does mr. zhu do and go right ahead and hook the game up anyway.I had to get someone in to repair the big screen also.The remote control was broke also.Thats what I'm talking about the disrespect of other peoples property.
Mr.zhu has done the damage to my house and he will not receive any deposit. I'm standing firm on my decision. I have a right to protect my property.Mr zhu is the one and only person that has ever complained about The Lovely Blue Dolphin Manor and he just found someone that would stand up against him to protect her RIGHTS as a property owner..All I can say is property owners beware.