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  • Report:  #1232829

Complaint Review: Emerald Island Resort

Emerald Island Resort Vacation Destroyers Kissimmee, Florida

  • Reported By:
    Offthegrid — Owasso Oklahoma USA
  • Submitted:
    Tue, June 02, 2015
  • Updated:
    Wed, June 03, 2015
*Consumer Comment: You are totally unreasonable *Author of original report: Thank you for that *Consumer Comment: Of course...

We planned our vacation four months ago.  It was our third year in a row to visit the Orlando area.  This time would be different.  We liked the Disney area enough to move down here.  We coordinated a seven bedroom home through VRBO.com, and found a place in Emerald Island Resort.  It wasn't intentional that we ended up there for vacation, nor did we think it mattered what subdivision the home was in as long as it was close to Disney.  

We pulled in to the front office to register our group's vehicles.  We were asked how many vehicles we had, and we said five or six.  We were told that up to six were allowed.

We had decided that this year, we wouldn't be moving back to Oklahoma, so we emptied our 4000 sq ft home.  I told my wife that we were downsizing like a tornado hit us.  We bought a little 16ft enclosed trailer, and I made her put what was valuable to her in it.  Everything else goes.... and we got rid of it all.  

We drove down with our three children from Oklahoma to Florida - a three day drive at 60mph, me driving the trailer behind the truck, and she in the 2011 Traverse.  Mom and Dad Flew in from Seattle.  Danielle and her family from Seattle too.  Christine and her family flew in from Tulsa, as well as Davy's girlfriend Breonna.

We had done this before, and knew how the rental system worked.  But this was a first for us.  I had come in with the family and filled the place with groceries and got the barbecue goin for dinner.  Everyone arrived.  I made space for the truck and trailer, and went back to the Disney Resort we had stayed at to pick it up during the storm. 

I came to the gate tonight at around 10pm.  My paperwork was in the other car.  I was already registered, but the security guard didn't seem to know that.  He said no trailers were allowed on the property.  That it was an HOA rule.  So here I'm paying $1600 to stay in a 7 bedroom home with a pool for a week, and I can't have a trailer in the driveway, or on the road, or anywhere on the acreage.  

The owners of the home live in Canada, and they are the ones who rented it to me.  Yhe HOA is specifically for vacation properties, but it was the front desk that checked in my first vehicle, and who had asked me how many cars we had.  Noone ever asked about a trailer.  This is supposed to be a vacation resort, and it's often important to accomodate extreme situations.  This is one of those.  I mean, I'm sure not many people travel to a high dollar rental on a $20k trip with an expectation of needing a trailer for their goods.  But there on the entrance:  no boats, no trailers, etc. 

Security offered that I could park the trailer at the tennis courts as long as it's gone by 9am.  I refused to unhook it from the truck, and parked the whole truck there with trailer locked to it. They say that after 9 it will be towed.   They wouldn't let me through the gate to the home with it.  I have things in the trailer that will need to be transferred to another vehicle to bring them into the home.  I don't trust it setting in some lot where they won't claim responsibility for things that turn up missing. 

At this point, I don't feel like staying here or doing Disney.  I've been parted with our family things.  I want to leave the home in search of a better place that offers good cusotomer service, but that would ruin the vacation for everyone.  

If I were to ask for anything, I would ask to park in front of the house which has plenty of room. The frustration is about to get out of hand, and the compensation could be everyone for their time and the vacation:  About $50k in all.  If they prefer compensation to customer service, that's up to them.  And that's about where I'm at right now.  

They blocked me from getting back to the house and wouldn't let me through the gate.  My children were home, one special needs, and it was supposed to be a 20 minute trip away from them.  Instead the security guard blocked traffic for 20 minutes while dealing with me and the "no trailer" rule.  Good for you mr. security guard.  You got to be a rule man, and put me on the phone with a boss who said exactly the same thing.  "No Trailers."  You kept me from my kids and my evening.  My time is worth more than you could imagine.  And now it's spent here in frustration.

Report Attachments:

3 Updates & Rebuttals

Robert

Irvine,
California,
USA

Of course...

#4Consumer Comment

Wed, June 03, 2015

First off let me just say that contrary to what you think I do not now or have I ever worked for this company.  But your reaction is pretty much standard when you get posts contrary to what you want to believe.

I do want to continue to thank you for putting all of the extra "fluff" even in your update.  Too bad you failed to answer a few key items.

For one, what was done with your trailer that first day and why did you wait until 10PM?  I have an answer for you that hits the nail right on the head.  You knew there were no trailers allowed, that is why you failed to mention the trailer when checking in.  That is why at 10PM you figure you could give them a "sob story" and how urgent it was to get back to the house figuring that the Security Guard would just let you in.  That is why you keep refering to "extenuating" circumstances and how they should make an exception for you. Unfortunatly you miscalculated and ended up parked on the Tennis court.

So let's look at the rest of your update.

You stated that your Special Needs child needs both you and your wife to handle her.  So since you are basically saying that you and your wife can't spend more than 20 minutes apart without causing serious issues.  How exactly did you make it on a 3 day trip with you and your wife in separate cars?  The answer of course is just more drama to make your case look more sympathetic.  Oh and before you go off and don't think I understand.  I am more famiair with people with special needs than you could ever imagine.  But I would never use them to try and gain sympathy.

Now lets get to your vacation.  You said you had 10 days at Disney, and again with more fluff that you paid for it.  Really?  But lets look at the dates 7 Days in the Rental, 10 Days at Disney, and a month before you move in to your house.  Do you see any issues with that and what you may need to do with your trailer?  So yes there is a time to play and a time to work.  The time to play is after you find a place for your trailer.  By the way you didn't "loose" a day at Disney.  You are now living there and the tickets don't have to be used in 10 consecutive days..you could actually use it at the end of your vaction without issue.

But let me give you another suggestion, instead of spending just 10 days at Disney...how about an entire year.  For the price of your 10-Day ticket you are well on your way(in fact for some passes you paid more) to an annual pass.  that not only gets you in for a year but also additional discounts. 

Oh and if I read your update correctly, you are infering that since the security guard did not let you in that could be a dangerous situation.  Many people could see that as a threat and if someone from this company does see it they could use that as justification to kick  you and your entire family out.  Of course you are going to come up with a lot more rhetoric why that would be bad, and quite frankly I could care less as it doesn't matter...I am just giving you something to think about.

So how about this...put your trailer in storage and enjoy the time with your family.  Have fun...life is too short for you to stress out over something that in effect was caused by you "assuming" things that were not factual.

Thank you for that

#4Author of original report

Tue, June 02, 2015




Thank you, Sir Robert, for precisely proving what an oppressive organization you represent with that indignant response. Not only did it lack empathy, it was ridiculously defensive, reactive, and impulsive with no thought or display of customer service. A $1700 vacation investment is a major purchase for most people, and as a family with an extenuating circumstance, accommodating us for 7 days should not be beyond your reach. Anyone looking to do business with Emerald Island Resort should see this as a huge red flag and a deterrent. You Sir, have lost my business and my suggestion is that you educate yourself on customer retention, customer service, and ethical business practices.
 
Updated Details FYI:
It's 2pm the day after, and I have just finished finding a storage facility to park my truck.  I was told last night that if it wasn't moved by 9am, that it would be towed.  We scheduled vacation and 10 days of Disney Parks (and paid for them might I add).  This was first a vacation.  We liked it so much last year, we decided to move.  We have purchased a home on Sanibel Island, and have a month of vacation time to enjoy before moving in.  Don't presume to know what is vacation and what is move.  
 
My special needs child requires both parents.  No-one else, even family knows how to deal with her.  The fact that you barred me from entry made it so that I felt attacked and with-held from family, and from the late night dinner awaiting me.  Your guard was standing between me and getting to my daughter.  That's a dangerous place to put your workers in, don't you think?
 
This morning I received a call that my truck was seen still on camera, and needed to move.  I was sitting in it with it running when that call came in.  I told the gentleman that I hadn't found a solution, and was sitting on the phone trying to find a place to take it.  He suggested the Harley Davidson dealer, and that he had accomodated others before.  I called and spoke to the owner, Steve.  He griped about Emerald Island Resort and said that you have many disgruntled people with trailers looking for a place to park them.  He was upset that people used his place in the past, and said it takes the spaces reserved for customers.  He suggested I speak to the manager of Win Dixie Grocery store about their parking area.  I went there, and they said they don't own or control their parking lot.  They sent me to the office of the place that does.  They also said they have a problem with people from Emerald Island parking their trailers, and have had some impounded.  
 
It appears to me that the problem is chronic.  For us, we lost one day of Disney today (that is paid for) trying to deal with storing a 16 foot trailer (smaller than many cars).  
 
There's a bus parked by the house we're renting, and this is the scene coming in through the gate today:  







 
 
Apparently others have special priveledges when it comes to trailers.  



Report Attachments:

Robert

Irvine,
California,
USA

You are totally unreasonable

#4Consumer Comment

Tue, June 02, 2015

While it is great you gave us the travel plans for your entire family.  Even going to the level of letting us know how fast you were traveling on the Interstate on the way to Florida.  But all of this extra "fluff" does nothing for your report, as the only reason you did it was to try and gain sympathy for your situation.

 

Noone ever asked about a trailer.  This is supposed to be a vacation resort, and it's often important to accomodate extreme situations.  This is one of those.  I mean, I'm sure not many people travel to a high dollar rental on a $20k trip with an expectation of needing a trailer for their goods.  

- How many?  Apparently one.   You say he didn't ask about a trailer.  Okay but he did ask how many cars you had.   Wouldn't that have been the perfect opportunity to say.  Yes I have 5 or 6 cars and a trailer?  Not only that but why did you wait until 10PM to try and bring the trailer?  If there was so much room at the house why did you need to "make room" for it?   Oh that's right you are so concerned about things getting stolen from the trailer that you drove it all around Orlando and must have parked it at Disney for a day. 

Security offered that I could park the trailer at the tennis courts as long as it's gone by 9am.  I refused to unhook it from the truck, and parked the whole truck there with trailer locked to it

- So just how many other trailers were parked on the tennis court?

My children were home, one special needs, and it was supposed to be a 20 minute trip away from them.

- Umm..yet you have a house full of relatives including your wife.  Honestly that is just sad that you are trying to use your kids to make your situation sound more sympathetic.

As for your vacation being ruined.   Remember this wasn't a vacation...you packed up your house into a trailer and was NOT moving back to Oklahoma.  So any claims about how you just don't want to do Disney are meaningless.  After all what would have happened after your rental ended for that week?  Wouldn't it have been a bit smarter to actually look for a place too live?

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