HomeAwayReviews 1,748

We were excited to see a listing for a remodeled home in Calimesa, Cali, which was listed at 3:00 am. We booked at. 6:00 am, after thoroughly reviewing the pictures and claimed amenities. The charge went through so the booking was confirmed. I made contact with the owners, the Schwartzes, and when they responded, they claimed that the property was already booked weeks ago, and they cancelled our reservation. Apparently, the Schwartzes had time to do their research and decided we were the wrong hue. We are not paranoid, but all indication points in that direction. Expedia offered us a $50.00 coupon for our trouble. Really? Shame on all of you.

The management company and I had been communicating for a couple days prior to our visit. I told them we were coming for my sons birthday and would be having a pool party. Well when sent the email with the location of the home, they sent us to another house that was not the house that is listed, and then after a call to them, which they answered fairly quick, they sent us the right info. But we had access to a place that wasn't the place we had originally booked. Then when we got to the house, it was pretty and very clean, but the pool was terrible. Had a little pad where there was only a foot of water with these little pipes sticking up, the pool was freezing, and the hot tub wasn't filled but half way and was freezing as well. Then when I called management about it he said it wasn't working and the pool isn't heated. Then said we could get a full refund if we decided to stay elsewhere. So I called homeaway and told them the situation and that we needed to find another place. We left 20 degree Utah weather to come have a pool party. Not an ice cold pool party. Homeaway said they could only issue a refund with the managements approval. Well they put me on hold and came back and said we wouldn't be getting a refund. I started crying, after spending $1,200 for 3 nights, I felt violated. We were gonna have to find somewhere to take the kids swimming that was actually swimmable. Well I called management and told them how upset I was when I got off the phone with homeaway and they said "no where on our profile does it say the pool is heated or that the hot tub works." I was ticked. After some calls to the actual home owners, we got a full refund, thank goodness. But I will not stay with Homeaway ever again. We will stick to Airbnb and hotels.

I've listed my vacation rental on VRBO/Homeaway for the previous 12 years without any problems. Recently they've gone to only taking payments from renters thru a foreign banking service. I was concerned giving a foreign bank personal information needed and what they might possibly do with my personal information. I've currently been waiting over 4 months for payment that they've received from guest in July. Multiple calls to homeaway trying to get payment. Beware

I booked a condo in US for November 2019, VRBO and owner accepted my payment. When I call the owner for access to the property he told me that property has been rented till March! My vacation has ruined because of VRBO and their property owner. VRBO has no control over property owners / managers. It has been 2 weeks now I am trying to get my money back but no real action has been taken. Very bad experience so far. Bad call center & customer service. Don't use VRBO or HOME AWAY!

We were looking at what seemed like a nice property to rent. I had several questions and I asked the supposed owner if I could have a phone number to call them. He flat out refused and said I was phishing. Plus the way they try to get you to rent is by showing a price of 149 a night... and then no matter what time of year you click on the price is all the sudden 199 a night. The they have a "service fee" of 50 dollars and a "administrative fee" of another 35 and then a "lodging tax" of another 23 dollars. STAY AWAY.

I've used VRBO for several years; this is my 1st with Homeaway. Just learned that it is now VRBO/HA, and very frustrating to use (to say the least, dependent on your problem with them). Can you imagine that this "new" firm can't employ minimally-competent software people to establish a working email service? I couldn't email the owner. This time, on the 2nd try with a service agent via phone, she had the brililant thought to call the owner(Italy), and we conversed in this way - yay! This was important as we had to confirm our 1st meeting. Sooo happy with the luck I had with THIS AGENT -Thank you, "Charlie"(young woman)! The 1st via chat was dumb as a rock, and when he asked "did you try to call the owner?", I knew I reached his gray-cell limit, and my end of my patience ("if I could call, would I be talking to you now? - duh). ---This is very discouraging; I wonder how I will arrange our housing on our next trip, since this firm is now a "zero"? :((

In my Opinion Place was not clean for checking, AC control in cage and turn off at night, use surveillance to discriminate on guest and fabricate excuses to not return deposit. Home away don't help.
Booking with confidence isn't true. They are also VRBO

HomeAway collected double playment due to an ' error ' on their website. After more than one month and many phonecalls and emails we still have not received our money back. HomeAway does not respond to our emails and reminders and when we finally get somebody on the phone the person always claims 'it is under investigation by the technical team' and they cannot do anything more for you but asking for an update (which you subsequently do not receive). It looks like a big fraud to me. I will never use HomeAway ever again and strongly recommend you to stay away from them.

I had a problem after a rental that the owner had decided to not return all of my deposit. Trying to contact HomeAway is a nightmare and only after using Chat and more than 10 messages, I was answered, but actually not even considered my explanations.
They hide behind their rules' at all costs to protect their homeowners and give renters no ability to claim or explain. Airbnb all the way from here on out. HomeAway disgusts me at this point. Totally biased to their homeowners. They do not care about your rental experience at all. They completely took the homeowner at her word. They had no interest in my side of the story at all.
Just to note I have been using HomeAway since 1998 (!) but no more

I was sold a property but never got to stay there. I found out 2 days before our trip that we could not have the property that we paid for two months prior. While this is not Homeaway's fault, how they handled this was awful and completely u professional. Even though on their app I had a reservation they literally said I had no reservation. This is due to the fraudulent seller who told me I HAD to pay him via PayPal. Due to this, homeaway is taking no responsibility and is still allowing the guy to rent more properties! This was a devastating event for us and I will never use Home away again. HOMEAWAY = STAYAWAY!