FlipKeyReviews 138

I have 2 listings with them, they say they charge 3%. The total for the booking was $2509. I was to receive $2200. Where is the $300? The 3% fee was $113. I have tried to email them several times, they say I have to pay the 3% fee, and the guests fee which I don't know what that is, and they collect my taxes I think. Why and I paying both fee's. AND, they don't let you communicate with the guest until they book. So, I may get 5 - 18 yr old males wanting to rent my condo which I don't rent to under 25. No way to screen

Extremely incompetent staff including managers, supervisors. We listed 1 of our condos and felt from the beginning that it would be a huge mistake. First week in March, paid in full for an annual subscription. Spent many hours completing the info, uploading photos. They took our money but never ACTIVATED the listing.
Numerous emails and calls. BIG WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY. End of March and now I have to file a dispute with our credit card for a refund.

I have had to deal with very incompetent staff when I try to get any sort of assistance by phone. I have received many lies from their staff when I have tried to deal with my issue via email... Guests have departed from my property months ago and have paid Flipkey for their stay... but I have not been paid by Flipkey! I am very unsatisfied with the customer service... I am fed up with having to run after my money... this is theft!

FLIPKEY

I booked a unit with Paul in late April/early May only to receive an email 3 weeks before my travel date, stating the unit is not available because he needs to use it personally. Then he offers an alternative unit that is a sufficiently smaller than the unit I originally booked.
BTW - This is the second time, he has changed units and I feel this is a bait and switch. After expressly my disappointment not only for me but the other 4 adults in my traveling party, that 5 adults sharing a single shower would be difficult, I would accept the alternative unit because my travel date is approaching quickly.
HIS REPLY- HE CANCELED MY RESERVATION I made a personal phone to him and was told that he wanted to avoid an negative review so he decided it was better to cancel my reservation. What are my options? Now I have to find an unit that is more expensive and is 20 mins. Bus ride from the area of the original unit

I made contact with customer service and was told that the guarantee does not cover this type of situation. After 3 emails, I received a reply email, and all the rep did she cut & paste the "guarantee" off the website.
What are my options? What are my right? THEIR REPUL: I have rent a different unit. So it 3 weeks out from my travel date and I'm still without a place to stay...

I wrote a review about my experience and the post is still pending 3 days later. WHY? I wonder if the owner has to review the post first?

Disappointed to say the least!

http://www.flipkey.com/crystal-lake-condo-rentals/p*******/

http://www.flipkey.com/chicago-condo-rentals/p*******/

TRIP ADVISOR and Flipkey -FRAUD
I booked apartment in central London via Tripadvisor paying also for their "peace of mind policy" insurance (88 $). I gave visa card number and instead of blocking money on my account they collected it immediately.
I tried to contact the owner Martin C., I wrote him several times on his e-mail stated on flipkey but he did not respond. So I called the number provided in booking and man picked up: he said that I got the wrong number, that he is Martin indeed but he does not rent any apartments...
I tried to find property on flipkey or trip advisor but... It was not listed anymore... They removed it as they "found out that this individual does not have right to rent those apartments" but they were happy to keep my money on tripadvisor account (quite profitable business if you think about number of clients) and they didn't bother to inform me about the situation!
I contacted flipkey and they said they will "cancel" my booking of non-existing property and return me money. I got 1 day to find a hotel in London and I do not have to mention that prices were overwhelming.
Trip advisor returned my money (US$2358. 00) after 10 days (payment on 4.04, return on my account on 18.04) but... I am from Poland so to my horror I noticed that I miss 910,47 PLN (about 300 $, which is actually half of my monthly salary) - there was the spread!
I paid the insurance so of course I complained to tripadvisor to give me back that difference: without any result, they said that they reimbursed fee in full (so even if that was totally their fault, I had to bear the cost of this transaction. Their insurance is obviously meaningless. Contact with support desk is not so easy and stress I had trying to find accommodation for 5 people just before departure was terrible.
It is a disgrace for renown service to behave like this. So: never ever again!
Summary:
- seek other agencies DO NOT book via Trip advisor or Flipkey, - they do not take any responsibility of whatsoever they advertise, just your double fees you are paying
-never give them your card number- they do not block money like booking.com but collect it and keep on own account. They call it safe way- think for yourself for whom it is safe and profitable. Pay after arrival and if it is not possible, seek other accommodation (that was advice from their support desk 1 day before my departure, when money for my hotel in London were still on their account!)
-do not bother with this insurance- it is worthless- they said it covers up to 10.000 $ but just try to get something of cost you paid (actually they should also give me back money for my hotel- it was much more than cost of this apartment)

Refund policy: Canadians beware!

Paid in full with Canadian credit card for a rental in Canada, which was cancelled by the owner two days later due supposedly to a calendar error. Refund received ok, but $150 less than I paid. Flipkey says because the money was converted to US and then back again to Canadian for the refund, they cannot and will not do anything. Amazon, Sears, and others seem to be able to handle this kind of thing correctly and fairly with their. Ca sites. Very surprising from a company like Trip Advisor with international aspirations.
Canadian (and other non-US) customers be warned! Book through a site where you can pay in Canadian dollars.

I found tripkey through trip advisor and at first it seems like a great site. You can find rental properties for less than what you would pay at a bed and breakfast. I was looking to stay at Carmel, CA or nearby in Monteray or capitola areas and they did have entire 4-5 bedroom homes available for what I could only get a single room at a B&B. I was close to estatic upon finding this out. Then here comes the part where tripkey is a next to useless website. I had to contact the owner myself and arrange the stay. They have this form you fill out and the owner is supposed to contact you but I never heard from anyone. I have no idea what happened or if anyone of them received my information to call me. How can you plan a trip without a secure confirmation? I think this site is good in theory but they need much more time to really get the owners on board for this to really work. I would prefer to just pay tripkey and have the home secured for my use. In the meantime there are better places to rent a home than tripkey.