HomeAwayReviews 1,748

I am a property owner that used VRBO for a decade with excellent results. HomeAway acquired VRBO and forced new fees and conditions on property owners in order to continue their listing. When I moved my subscription, I was told by the HomeAway rep that online booking was an option for renters, but they could still rent directly from the property owner. Today, HomeAway deactivated my listing. When I called, I was told that online bookings are REQUIRED and not optional if I want to retain my listing. Online booking adds 9% to the rental charge that the renter must pay --- or the homeowner has to discount to keep their listing price competitive with hotels in the area. Plus, the homeowner has to pay 3% credit card fees. The result: I am paying higher fees to list my property and getting 12% less rental income if I want to keep my property price competitive. The 9% service fee is unreasonable and the homeowner should have the choice to be paid by check or to use a credit card. This is price gouging on HomeAway's part and the number of negative reviews are showing it.

As a homeaway owner advertising 2 vacation rentals with homeaway/vrbo for the past 9 years, I am very disappointed the company has changed its flat rate listing pricing. NOW, they charge guests 9% more and they force owners to let them take all the payments but their credit card fees are very high. I was paying much less taking credit cards through Paypal. They also erased one of my properties due to an error they made and refuse to reinstate my add unless I pay them an additional $349 fee. Its turned into a horrible company. Too bad, I really liked it but now I am switching my properties to airbnb

Hello, Long time HomeAway/VRBO homeowner here - property #*******.

I've spent a little over 2.5 hours discussing with your "resolution team" the fact that for 7 years my Silver Mill Keystone condo was listed under Silver Mill's address along with all the other properties located at 140 Ida Belle Drive. Today, however, it is no longer listed there with the other 17 2-bedroom units who have also been listed there for the past 7 years. Something drastic has changed causing my property -- and only my property -- to not be seen right along with all other units in Silver Mill. VRBO support have suggested that there's no way to include my unit at it's stated and physical address (like the other 17 Silver Mill units with whom I compete). One agent hung up on me when I asked if remedying this issue required an act of Congress or legal action. I find this treatment and explanation troubling to say the least. Rather than correct this location flaw in their system, they would prefer -- indeed fight to sustain -- my listing in "Dillon, CO" which is 10 miles away from the physical address listed. I'm baffled by their support team's resistance to correct the information and search results. When a company becomes so rigid that they reject basic facts and logic, it's probably time to move on. I've asked three times for a call from someone at VRBO who has a deep understanding of their search system and who can explain precisely why they have no desire to list my property where it is physically located, a seemingly defenseless argument. No managers are apparently interested in this unwinnable argument. This flaw in search (which has arisen only recently) is killing our reservations; our repeat customers have contacted us by phone indicating they thought we had removed our property from the rental program. That's how bad our specific findability issue is. Any have any recommendations for a better service. Bill & Sheryl French Silver Mill 8210, https://www.vrbo.com/*******

DO NOT book your next trip through Homeaway! I have no idea how they connected my trip with an email address that I never use, but that is what they did. We booked our trip, and it was cancelled the next day by the homeowner. I guess when someone books a cabin, it doesn't take the cabin off of the site and leaves it up as available and STILL ALLOWS someone to book it. The cabin owner allegedly sent us an email telling us that the cabin was rented just minutes to us booking it, but I NEVER RECEIVED AN EMAIL. No emails regarding confirmation or cancellation. I found out TWO DAYS before my trip that it had been cancelled. To top it all off, the employee from Homeaway who was dealing with me figuring out what was going on was completely rude. He had no time for my questions, he seemed irritable and annoyed. He wasn't sorry or apologetic for the mistake. He blamed me for the problem, even though, I had no idea that my cabin had even been cancelled. Then he said it was my fault! I will never book a trip through this website again, and I advise others to book elsewhere.

VRBO's new format is a constant frustration. I cannot find anyone to talk to unless they are trying to sell my something. My listing states that we only rent over the holidays but I'm getting 5-10 emails a day asking for 3-4 days. They have taken deposits from potential renters but from renters that only want to rent for a few days. Then I have renters calling me and yelling at me for being unprofessional after I've emailed them back about the minimum night stay. In order to have a better profile> I'm spending a great deal of time having to re-email and call back renters who say they have put a deposit down on our property. I can't believe VRBO is taking deposits without my approval. So frustrating!

Better off getting a hotel! The owner canceled and would not return my money. Said the company was defrauding his account. After trying to get my money back via credit card fraud, 20+ calls, 3 different case numbers, 20+ emails, providing copies of everything from my license to responses from my credit card company, I'm now using their money back guarantee which I was told today still hasn't been approved (5 days later). Did I mention if approved, I will get my $2100. 00 back in 2 to 4 more weeks via a check in that mail? Unbelievable! Customer service options to get another home isn't available, and a lack of controls in place to ensure customers are refunded in a timely manner! Stay Away!

Of course you have to be careful of the rentals but I admit that I trusted the site on the travel insurance. I bought the insurance without CAREFULLY reviewing the coverage. Little did I know that the standard TRAVEL insurance only covers Emergency Assistance Services, Concierge Services, Teladoc, Trip Cancellation, and Travel Delay. It's just too bad if you're already there and a hurricane arrives so you leave early. Why should travel insurance cover that? Silly me. Lesson learned.
I have used the site several times. That was the last.

Horrible. I did not stay here because this listing was removed by homeaway and it was never communicated to me even though I was confirmed and paid for in full. The property owner booked the same property for the same dates through another site. I spent over an hour on the phone with homeaway plus various emails only to get no where. Homeaway refused to help and would not even refund my money. They said it was all on the property owner to deal with it and issue a refund. RIDICULOUS seeing how the property owner did not even have my money, homeaway holds it until the stay occurs. I was unable to cancel, get a refund or stay here. It was also a time where the city was completely booked up. I ended up having to ask a friend if I could stay at her boyfriends place. Such a nightmare. And now homeaway has the audacity to send me an email asking how I liked my stay? Hah! I give a negative rating to this experience and the homeaway customer service and strongly recommend to everyone to avoid using this service in the future.

I made a reservation on this site and the homeowner was very nice and helpful. I had to cancel the reservation, and I have had nothing but problems trying to get my refund. I have been checking my credit card since the day I cancelled, when I called HomeAway VRBO they told me that I had to wait up to 10 days when I had called them there was still 3 days before the 10 days were up. The 10 days were up on Saturday I checked my credit card again today and there was still no credit. I called them again and they told me that since it's a holiday on Monday to wait till Tuesday, when I asked who I should call tomorrow if there is no credit on my card they told me to call them back but they told me that it had posted on October 3rd and it is now the 10th. I feel like I'm being scammed I feel like I'm going to be pushed off over and over and over again and I feel like they have no intention of giving me my money. I asked them if they were going to resubmit to my credit card tomorrow if I tell them that there is still no credit and they did not give me a straight answer. So I will be calling them again tomorrow if I do not have a credit and all hell is going to break loose if there's still no credit and they're trying to tell me that it was credited on October 3rd which was 1 week ago and I'm telling them it did not and they are not helping me to resolve this or pushing me off another day. I was very happy with the homeowner, but I will never use home away again. Not worth the headache.

We had a terrible experience with one of their owners they hook you up with. I won't get into detail about owner but I needed home away to help resolve dispute with owner. I tried calling to file a complaint through their system but got sent to call center in India. Person did not understand English. Called again same thing. Did a little research to get US phone number in Texas called multiple times could never get a live person even the oprerator. So went back and filed complaint through their email system. Got answer back from them that basically said to bad we can't help you all we do is charge you a service fee and bill property owner to put you two together and that's it, too bad. Don't deal with this outfit all they want is your money.

Up until this past February HomeAway did not charge a service fee to travelers who book through their website. But that has changed, rather than being up front about it the fee is not mentioned until one gets to the agreement. For someone who has been using HomeAway you may not even know of the fee. Oh it is there and once you submit you have incurred the fee.
I do not object to paying the fee, I object to the way HomeAway informs one of the fee.
It is clearly a way to increase revenues in sneaky, dishonest manner.
I am done with HomeAway, they are dead to me.

I hate vrbo, if you are a landlord don't advertise here please, I wasted lots of money, their rules are awful and screw us over. Hate vrbo, hate it!
They have this crap review system that allows costumer to give bad reviews and costumers use this against landlord to get crap for free and vrbo doenst care, they just want your money, go to a different website, don't advertise here, I willl not renew my add I wish I could know how bad they are before wasting lots of money and just getting dishonest costumers that wants free stay if not they will give me a bad review because vrbo allow them to act like a idiots. I HATE VRBO SO BAD, I WANT THIS COMPANY TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS, LANDLORD PLEASE BE AWARE DON'T ADVERTISE HERE.

Homeaway is a scam of a company. I sent in a reservation request on their site. Then they forwarded my request to their Canadian "affiliate" Canadastays for processing. However, Homeaway charged me a booking fee first, then I was charged again by Canadastays for the same service. Neither one will refund one of the fees. Canadastays tells me that if I had booked on Canadastays I would be charged only one fee. Then Homeaway shouldn't accept Canadian requests, just like Amazon.com send me to Amazon.ca.