Frustrated with VRBO
Jan 15, 2015, 12:16 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 43
Frustrated with VRBO
I've been a long time user of VRBO, but lately it's become more and more frustrating. My main qualms are two-fold...
1) No easy way to sort listings by price. You can sort by WEEKLY price, but if you're on a shorter trip there's no way to sort by nightly price. If you sort by weekly and the unit hasn't listed a weekly amount, they don't show up in the search at all.
2) Inaccurate prices on the listing page. This is the real pain in the butt. Even when you search with dates, the prices VRBO puts on the listing page are sometimes the lowest price at any time, not the price during the dates you're actually searching.
For instance, this listing shows up as $1995 per week on the search results page for my dates. It even shows $1995/week on the actual listing page, with my dates (8/15 - 8/22) right there next to it. But then when you click "Book" or "Detailed Price", it suddenly shows the weekly price as $2695 plus taxes and fees.
The Homeaway side of things is even worse. This listing shows up as $347/night on the search page. However when you actually go to book the unit the price shows up as a base of $6000 for 7 nights, plus taxes and fees. That's $857/night, almost 3 times the price it showed on the search page!
The really frustrating thing is that vrbo/homeaway lets renters input their pricing on a tiered structure based on the dates. So they HAVE the proper price in their database when you search by date, they just choose not to display it.
Either way, I love vrbo's inventory but it's gotten way too time consuming to have to click on or even have to go half way through checkout on each and every listing to find out if it's even in my price range when they could have just put that info right there on the search/listings pages. Are there any alternative sites that do this properly?
1) No easy way to sort listings by price. You can sort by WEEKLY price, but if you're on a shorter trip there's no way to sort by nightly price. If you sort by weekly and the unit hasn't listed a weekly amount, they don't show up in the search at all.
2) Inaccurate prices on the listing page. This is the real pain in the butt. Even when you search with dates, the prices VRBO puts on the listing page are sometimes the lowest price at any time, not the price during the dates you're actually searching.
For instance, this listing shows up as $1995 per week on the search results page for my dates. It even shows $1995/week on the actual listing page, with my dates (8/15 - 8/22) right there next to it. But then when you click "Book" or "Detailed Price", it suddenly shows the weekly price as $2695 plus taxes and fees.
The Homeaway side of things is even worse. This listing shows up as $347/night on the search page. However when you actually go to book the unit the price shows up as a base of $6000 for 7 nights, plus taxes and fees. That's $857/night, almost 3 times the price it showed on the search page!
The really frustrating thing is that vrbo/homeaway lets renters input their pricing on a tiered structure based on the dates. So they HAVE the proper price in their database when you search by date, they just choose not to display it.
Either way, I love vrbo's inventory but it's gotten way too time consuming to have to click on or even have to go half way through checkout on each and every listing to find out if it's even in my price range when they could have just put that info right there on the search/listings pages. Are there any alternative sites that do this properly?
Jan 17, 2015, 9:24 am
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,271
Adding to the frustration, recent years have seen a proliferation of illegal rentals being listed on VRBO, Airbnb, et al. With Airbnb being the most guilty of allowing this.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhue...s-are-illegal/
As more and more cities crack down on illegal rentals, you need to do your own due diligence to insure what you are renting is a legal rental. That can add yet another level to your frustration and take longer to do than check prices.
Arriving to find the place you rented was shut down last week for being illegal, leaves you standing in the rain with no roof over your head.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhue...s-are-illegal/
As more and more cities crack down on illegal rentals, you need to do your own due diligence to insure what you are renting is a legal rental. That can add yet another level to your frustration and take longer to do than check prices.
Arriving to find the place you rented was shut down last week for being illegal, leaves you standing in the rain with no roof over your head.
Jan 19, 2015, 8:10 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: Delta Gold, Alaska Gold 75K, LATAM Black
Posts: 3,393
Adding to the frustration, recent years have seen a proliferation of illegal rentals being listed on VRBO, Airbnb, et al. With Airbnb being the most guilty of allowing this.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhue...s-are-illegal/
As more and more cities crack down on illegal rentals, you need to do your own due diligence to insure what you are renting is a legal rental. That can add yet another level to your frustration and take longer to do than check prices.
Arriving to find the place you rented was shut down last week for being illegal, leaves you standing in the rain with no roof over your head.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhue...s-are-illegal/
As more and more cities crack down on illegal rentals, you need to do your own due diligence to insure what you are renting is a legal rental. That can add yet another level to your frustration and take longer to do than check prices.
Arriving to find the place you rented was shut down last week for being illegal, leaves you standing in the rain with no roof over your head.
I also live in the same house that I host from so surely I don't want you showing up at my house angry because you don't have a place to stay.
And I wouldn't get paid.
There is a 0% chance of your example ever happening.
Jan 19, 2015, 9:25 pm
#6
Moderator: Hilton Honors, Practical Travel Safety Issues & San Francisco
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: San Francisco CA
Programs: UA, Hilton, Priceline, AirBnB
Posts: 11,005
It's not common but does happen.
No responsible host would let you show up a week after being shut down. That is a very dramatic example.
I also live in the same house that I host from so surely I don't want you showing up at my house angry because you don't have a place to stay.
And I wouldn't get paid.
There is a 0% chance of your example ever happening.
I also live in the same house that I host from so surely I don't want you showing up at my house angry because you don't have a place to stay.
And I wouldn't get paid.
There is a 0% chance of your example ever happening.
And we're not talking responsible host here obviously. It has happened to several friends of mine in Europe.
That said I do like airbnb .
Jan 19, 2015, 10:34 pm
#7
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I'm more shocked by the idea that Airbnb is renting shared rooms and hostel-like space. The Forbes article sounds like some of these listings are basically flop houses.
Jan 21, 2015, 8:45 am
#8
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 904
I believe both Airbnb and Flipkey escrow the money and give nothing to the owner until the day after check in. VRBO and Homeaway do not so the renter may be required to prepay a deposit, then the remainer in cash on arrival. In this latter case the renter could be out money if the place shuts down.
Airbnb has a filter for screening out shared spaces, although it is not the default.
Airbnb has a filter for screening out shared spaces, although it is not the default.
Jan 21, 2015, 11:03 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
I believe both Airbnb and Flipkey escrow the money and give nothing to the owner until the day after check in. VRBO and Homeaway do not so the renter may be required to prepay a deposit, then the remainer in cash on arrival. In this latter case the renter could be out money if the place shuts down.
Airbnb has a filter for screening out shared spaces, although it is not the default.
Airbnb has a filter for screening out shared spaces, although it is not the default.
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/544
i thought vrbo/homeaway had a guarantee but it seems like insurance
Jan 21, 2015, 11:51 am
#10
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Programs: Delta, Starwood, Hilton
Posts: 455
From the airbnb website. I have reserved a rental from their website and this is how it works.
Guests pay Airbnb when they book a place
Airbnb releases the money to hosts 24 hours after the guest checks in
Using Airbnb’s payment system is required to make a reservation, and it helps ensure that both parties are protected under our Terms of Service, cancellation policies, Guest Refund Policy, and other safeguards. Paying outside the Airbnb system is not secure, and we cannot provide access to these benefits when reservations aren’t booked directly through Airbnb.
To help cover the costs of running these services, Airbnb automatically includes service fees in each transaction, alongside some government-required taxes like Value Added Tax (VAT) in certain places.
Guests pay Airbnb when they book a place
Airbnb releases the money to hosts 24 hours after the guest checks in
Using Airbnb’s payment system is required to make a reservation, and it helps ensure that both parties are protected under our Terms of Service, cancellation policies, Guest Refund Policy, and other safeguards. Paying outside the Airbnb system is not secure, and we cannot provide access to these benefits when reservations aren’t booked directly through Airbnb.
To help cover the costs of running these services, Airbnb automatically includes service fees in each transaction, alongside some government-required taxes like Value Added Tax (VAT) in certain places.
Jan 21, 2015, 12:57 pm
#11
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: New York City
Posts: 4,002
Yes, this is true, but if you want to go to a city that is expensive, or during a huge event that soaks up all available rooms, then you (at least I) might be happy for this type of accommodation. I have stayed in a shotgun house in New Orleans that is somewhat similar to a hostel in that you have to walk through others' rooms.
Jan 22, 2015, 12:30 am
#12
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
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And while I haven't looked very hard at said site, agree that I would not have a problem with staying at place for reduced cost - unless it's a walk through arrangement.
