Professor Yaffle

I have had a nightmare with VRBO over the last few weeks. In short, a premium booking made 6 months in advance was canx by VRBO at 10 days notice due to licencing issues (despite them reassuring me a week prior that there were no issues with the booking whatsoever). I was travelling remotely at the time, and was not able to make an alternate booking on VRBO because a) there were no suitable properties on the website, and b) I could not reach traveller care to discuss the case (30 mins on hold on an international cellphone from a remote national park, and I failed to get through...).
I had no choice but to book hotel accomodation at an additional cost of $1,500, which I fully expected to be covered by their traveller care programme. Since reaching civilisation, I have been given the massive run-around by VRBO. Whilst some of the 'resolutions agents' are very helpful, the Trust and Security Team that deals with these cases arent interested, refuse to discuss the matter and just keep quoting T&Cs at me.

I feel that my best course of action is a direct email to a C-suite level person within VRBO / HomeAway. Does anyone have any experience of complaints escalation with these guys, or any direct senior contacts? PM me if you can.

Thanks in advance.

Often1

If you are convinced that the t&c obligate VRBO to pay for your self-help, then stop arguing and act. If you are not convinced, forget it.

You are based in the UK. Just use MCOL. Forms, including the Letter Before Action, on the website. If the T&C don't support your choice, you will get the boot and may be assessed costs. So, read carefully.

Professor Yaffle

VRBO seem to be entirely US based. Can I serve a claim against their parent, HomeAway, who have a corporate UK presence?

lhrsfo

I very much doubt it. If you were paying in $, it looks like you were transacting with an overseas company over a property abroad. Just because the overseas company has a separate UK operation (remember that the parent company is Expedia which is itself a US company), does not provide any real UK locus to the transaction.

Imagine you went to a McDonalds in the US, bought a hamburger and then wanted to sue them. I cannot see that, because they have branches in the UK, there would be any reason to sue here - same situation.