Complaint Review: Allen Ghalamdanchi - Galveston Texas

Mr. Ghalamdanchi stated that he held the resevation for 6 months, however, from May 20 to 9/6 (cancellation date), that equates to 3 1/2 months. Secondly, he stated that he contacted me many times informing me that he was happy to change my dates free of charge; I guess 1 email 9/8, advising me of his cancellation policy and would re-book for another time constitues many times. Thirdly, he accused me of slander and libel in an email to the VRBO webmaster stating that I used profanity and would not stop hollering profanity on the phone. I never spoke to him or Sharon on the phone regarding the cancellation, so it's a little difficult to claim I used profanity. One phone call was placed to a phone number written in an email from Sharon, which was typed wrong (1 number was typed incorrectly). I phoned another number which was listed in their advertisement of the rental which their daughter answered and said I must want her monther and gave me the correct phone number. I called that number at approximately 8pm on 9/8, and left a message that I had not heard anything with regard to the cancellation, refund, etc, and what could I expect? (these words are from memory so may not be exact). I don't think a message of that nature is profane. The next message I received from them (Allen) wasan email on 9/8, 9:18pm which told me of their cancellation policy, re-rent for that week, or to re-book for a different week. Mr. Ghalamdanchi maintains that I was cancelling because of Hurricane Ike hitting Galveston. If he would go back and read the email of 9/6, it clearly states that Hurricane Ike potentially would be hitting the SW coasof Florida where I reside. The Hurricane cone on that day should the entire west coast of Florida, across the states on the gulf of Mexico and included the Houston/Galveston area. Three days later, 9/9, the National Hurricane Center projected 5 days out that Ike would be hitting the area around Galveston to New Orleans. I don't need to lie or do any name calling such as he has done in his rebuttal and email resonse to VRBO webmaster. I understand that he feels he has no obligation to refund the deposit of $ 418.75. In fact, in a recent response to an email of his, I told him it was the principle of it, not the money. If he were to refund that, it probably would be donated to the people of Galveston. I hope Mr. Ghalamdanchi is done with his name calling of me and accusations of slander and libe against him since it is clearly him that has made the libelous statements. Sincerely, Maurine

Allen Your rebuttal is absolutely ridiculous. The TX Governor has been on NATIONAL TV stating massive destruction in the areas impacted by Ike making landfall. That means the property probably will not be habitable after the storm. At the very least you will have some storm damage to repair before you can allow anyone to rent it again. Would you still withhold your renters deposits? And just say tough - you have to pay anyway? These people have a valid issue !

BIG NOTE, PLEASE UNDERSTAND FROM START TO FINISH, HURRICANE IKE IS NOT THE REASON FOR CANCELLING LAST MINUTE. THE RESEVERATION DATES ARE 9/20-9/26 and Hurricane IKE will have past/gone/completed/finished by 9/14/2008, ONE FULL WEEK APART. THIS LADY MAURINE WHITE AND BARRY WHITE ARE JUST TRYING TO CANCEL AT LAST MINUTE WITH BAD CAUSE AND NOT EXPECT TO LOSE MONEY. THEY HAVE WASTED 6 MONTHS OF OUR TIME AND MONEY. DO NOT TAKE A VACATION RENTAL FROM THEM. THEY WILL CANCEL LAST MINUTE AND LEAVE YOU VACANT AND WASTE YOUR TIME. THEY WERE AWARE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE 25% NON-REFUNDABLE booking/initial deposit. IF hurricane IKE had messed/overlapped with their rental dates, this would have been a different story. We ARE HONEST & FAIR PEOPLE. WE WOULD NOT EXPECT NOR EVEN ALLOW vacation renters to keep their vacation rental if a natural distaster was imminent DURING their rental time. THESE RENTERS MAURINE WHITE AND BARRY WHITE ARE SIMPLY TRYING TO BACK OUT AT LAST MINUTE and came up with the best excuse they could. Hurricane IKE is NOT A threat and is FINSIHED/STORM DISSIPATED ONE FULL WEEK, 7-8 FULL DAYS BEFORE THEIR RENTAL. A DEPOSIT is required so people don't change their MINDS LAST MINUTE AND WASTE OUR TIME. WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID. We have been in CONSTANT contact with you. You WERE MADE AWARE when you placed your INITIAL RESERVATION in MAY 2008 that 25% is DUE on booking as NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT. I AM UNCLEAR WHAT PART OF NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT it is you have a difficult time understanding. We have contacted you at: [email protected] Barry White Maurine White 3013 Royal Palm Dr. North Port, FL 34288 941-429-8968 941-429-8779 And wasted HOURS trying to please your ridiculous request. Here's the picture. We booked our LARGE Luxury Vacation Resort Unit for you for the FULL WEEK of September 20-26th back in MAY of 2008. We KEPT and HELD that reservation LOCKED for 6 MONTHS. We had SEVERAL people inquire if dates which collided with your reservation were available and we had to turn down SEVERAL people over the past 6 months. Now you come to us, 6 MONTHS later, and want to cancel your reservation "I chose to cancel the reservation (via e:mail on 9/6)" just less than TWO WEEKS before your resevered date. We are UNABLE to re-rent your dates with SUCH RIDICULOUS LITTLE NOTICE. It gets better. Maam, Quoting your OWN WORDS.... "I subsequently sent another e:mail stating that I was surprised the fee would not be waived since the reason for the cancellation was do to Hurricane Ike" Maam, Make up your ignorant mind. Which is it? You FINALLY paid the FULL remainder balance on August 23rd. September 6th, you emailed QUOTING you are wanting to cancel due to a Hurricane IKE that is hitting the Gulf Coast 9/12 - 9-14. YOUR RESERVATION IS ONE FULL ENTIRE WEEK LATER MAAM. Hurricane Ike will have CAME And GONE LONG BEFORE YOU EVEN GET IN THE CAR TO START DRIVING TO GALVESTON. If there was damage or the island was SHUT DOWN, we WOULD have offered you full refund. But let's get the facts straight here.... YOU WERE NOT WANTING TO CANCEL DUE TO HURRICANE IKE. The DATES DO NOT MATCH UP. YOU ARE SIMPLY USING THAT AS AN EXCUSE TO TRY TO GET YOUR FULL MONEY BACK. We CONTACTED YOU MANY TIMES, INFORMING YOU that we WERE happy to CHANGE your dates FREE OF CHARGE. We do NOT control the weather. Somehow... you need to get it through your thick head, that you CANNOT BLAME us for a hurricane occuring your vacation week. September is IN hurricane season, YOU ARE CLEARLY AWARE OF THAT, SO DON'T PLAY COY/DUMB NOW. We did the HONEST and RIGHT thing, offering you AT NO CHARGE, a full replacement week or to move your reservation dates. You are absolutely ridiculous maam. We are being honest and fair people here, you are being flat out ridiculous. Again, I will state it again, your Cancellation HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HURRICANE IKE. It is a full 7-8 days apart. IF your dates HAD OVERLAPPED with hurricane IKE, it would have been a different story. BUT THEY DON'T and DON'T try to make it sound like they do. You can cry and blame it all on "the big bad hurricane" that's coming, but YOU and I both know the dates do NOT collide. Galveston (or ANY beach for that matter) is EXTREMELY peaceful and beautiful after a storm. The BIGGER THE STORM, THE MORE CALM AND CLEAN THE BEACH IS AFTERWORDS. YOU HAVE LOST OUT. YOU HAVE WASTED 6 MONTHS OF OUR TIME AND MADE SEVERAL OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES LOOSE OUT AS WELL. It has NOTHING TO DO WITH "Supposed" aftermath, you just are using it to back out at the LAST minute with no cost. Maam, what part of reservation do you not understand? you put a 25% NON-REFUNDABLE deposit down to create the reservation. For 6 months, WE turned down several other interested parties because of your reservation. We did NOT EXPECT you to cancel at the last minute, with just 2 weeks left. What were we of supposed to do? Take 5 reservations for the same dates and collect the 25% deposit from everyone (just in case the possibility someone cancels at the last minute) and then last minute refund 4 of the parties and only give it to one? lol. You are a joke. Recap: The STANDARD policy (not just for us, but for ALL VACATION RENTALS USA WIDE) 1) 25% booking deposit, this is NON-REFUNDABLE. ONCE THIS IS PAID, The reseveration HITS the books and is recorded, any further inquiries are TURNED DOWN. 2) 30 days from check-in date, FULL REMAINDER IS DUE. 3) Usually, after we cross the 30 days before your reservation start date, we offer NO MONEY BACK. NO ONE DOES. We gave you 75% money back and only kept the 25% as a cancellation fee. Now USUALLY, we do NOT OFFER ANY REFUND, PERIOD. WE SHOULD HAVE NOT REFUNDED YOU ANYTHING FOR CANCELLING LAST MINUTE. NORMALLY WE WOULD HAVE NOT REFUNDED YOU ANYTHING BUT AS YOU ARE A HUGE CRY BABY ON THE PHONE, WE PROVIDED a FULL 75% refund trying to please you and make you happy; which IS THE BEST YOU WILL EVER GET with cancelling with 2 weeks left, it is not enough time to secure new renters in September, but you are absolutely ridiculous. We were being NICE offering you a 75% refund with such ridiculous cancellation time. MOST people book MONTHS in advance, for example, you resevered 6 months in advance. It is not easy to have Last Minute Rentals. We do not WANT last minute rentals. You have SUCCESFULLY WASTED 6 MONTHS of OUR TIME AND MONEY. WE are the victims here, NOT YOU. Understand that VERY CLEARLY. Again, YOUR RESERVATION DATES DO NOT COLLIDE WITH THE HURRICANE, so stop crying that is the reason when it's not. We even went ABOVE AND BEYOND and offered to move/change your reservation dates (AT NO CHARGE). For FUTURE reference, do not make reseverations with people if you do not INTEND TO KEEP THEM. YOU WASTED 6 MONTHS of our time and money. Your reservation HAS been cancelled, You are UNWELCOME TO RENT FROM US & VRBO.com EVER Again, you HAVE received your 75% refund, you have yourself a nice day. Good Luck wasting other people's time.