- Report: #606398
Complaint Review: Homeaway.com vacationrentals.com - austin Texas
Reported By:
ANONYMOUS -
, , United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Homeaway.com vacationrentals.com
1011 w fifth st. suite 300 austin, 78703 Texas, United States of America
Phone:
877-202-9331
Web:
www.homeaway.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
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Homeaway.com, vacationrentals.com homeaway,vrbo,vrbo.com,vacationrentals.com,vacation rentals,HomeAway Vacation Rentals HOMEAWAY ~ OWNERS BEWARE! austin, Texas
I was a happy customer of Homeaway until I found out their fatal flaw!
As owners we charge security deposits to cover damage done by guests.
I am now fearful to deduct the cost of damages done because of their ability to then retaliate an post negative reviews about your property.
Homeaway allows these slanderous reviews to be posted and gives owners almost no consideration. Owners are coerced into waiving fees for damage done because of the fear of retaliation.
By allowing this, they cripple the owners ability to enforce their rental agreements. As an owner we pay to advertize on the site.
We are the customers.
It is very upsetting that we, the customers who pay to purchase ads, are not given more consideration and have no control over what is posted on the ad page that we are paying for.
This is a problem.
The only recourse an owner had is to cancel the ad and to lose the money they paid to run it for an entire year. Homeaway does not issue refunds for the balance of unused time if you do this.
Homeaway is a Monopoly
Unfortunately, with huge investments from Wall Street, homeaway has bought up other independant sites and become a sort of monopoly.
One bad review can do a multitude of damage the reputation of a rental.
Other sites have better policies. VRBO allows you to Opt out of reviews and Trip advisers allows only reviews from guests that you request to submit one. I highly recommend Homeaway review & and amend their policy. It seem to otherwise be a good company with one fatal flaw. Remember your customers. I welcome anyone to visit our property and inspect it. It is beautifully furnished and kept in immaculate condition.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Cape Verde Info
London,Europe,
United Kingdom
Homeaway does give refunds
#2Consumer Comment
Wed, July 21, 2010
I was the victim of a deliberate attack by a holiday home renter on a site that Homeaway had bought in the United Kingdom.The holiday home renter had not even used the Homeaway site to book the holiday. But he chose to make an attack which suggested that everything in my advertisement was a fiction. This was untrue.But it made the advertising entirely value-less. I requested that Homeaway remove the untruth which under the law of England would be a libel and actionable through the courts as England has no equivalent of the Consumer protection given to webmasters in the US Courts. At the same time the holiday renter demanded $3,000 in compensation for a refrigerator repair which had taken 2.5 working days to complete.
The website refused to remove the offending passage despite emails to Brian Sharples ceo and Trey Herschap chief Counsel. The only recourse was to cancel the advertisement. Trey Herschap sent some horrible paper work to sign with disclaimers under Texas law. These have no jurisdiction in England and he was taken to task by the UK Trading Standards agency for his extra-territorial and predatory approach. Eventually they paid a refund. I agreed not to publish this fact but only under Texas law which happily does not apply to me. So keep after them.
Homeaway sityes are being deliberately targeted by extortionists due to their lack of protection offerred to advertisers.
