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Vacation Rental Authority Reviews (34)

Documents redacted by Revdex.com Revdex.com, The last notice I received was a letter dated 9/29/stating that I had days to respond with more information Today (within the deadline) it does not appear I can upload any response or information, so I would like to submit them to you, via this email, please I apologize for my slow response time, which you will see is very unusual if you look at my history of responding quickly to grievances through Revdex.comBy way of explanation, it has been a particularly busy month with hiring, travel, training and industry conferencesI never received any phone calls, which I certainly would have answered or returned None the less, I am within the stated days of the date of the letter to respond with more information and documentation so I thank you for allowing the submission Attached you will find the signed contract between the [redacted] and Vacation Rental Authority, as well as annual statements for 2014, and In the contract you will see that all maintenance is at the "Owner's Expense," and all damage is the responsibility of the Guests We do our best to facilitate repair or replacement when there is guest damage as a courtesy, through use of CSA Travel Insurance, and typically that works great for all parties The 29% commission we receive for reservations covers many things, but the largest expenses are marketing and sales to book the many guests we booked for the vacation homeWear and tear is the responsibility of the Owner There is nothing in the signed agreement stating that we are responsible for the items mentioned by the Owner in this complaint Although we provide many services without billing or adding to the statements at all, you will see that there was a middle of the night emergency call in 2015, which was due to a potential gas leak There was no charge for this, although we got out of bed, drove there and stayed hours to make sure all was well throughout the whole time the utility company and firemen were thereThis was part of our included service Nearly every service we did accurately and reasonably charge the [redacted] , you will find we ended up refunding This was not because the charges were erroneous, but rather as concessions to try and keep them happy as Clients so we could continue to represent the house There was pressure and constant complaints, we refunded pretty freely Therefore, nearly everything you see on these years of statements was ultimately free to the [redacted] Those services were not free to VRA, as we paid for each ourselves out of pocket Unfortunately, the reason there is a problem now is because we ultimately refunded too often and cannot run a business doing everything for freePerhaps they believe they were in the right because we gave so many refunds, but in reality we're happy to concede now and then to keep clients happy As you'll see in the statements refund requests got pretty extreme As soon as we said we can't continue to pay for all of the maintenance you are contractually obligated to, they resorted to causing pressure through this complaint Thank you for your attention to this matter Sincerely, Cheryl L [redacted] Vacation Rental Authority vacationrentalauthority.com [redacted] 208-665-(Office)

This guest was informed of our cancellation policy that if a home is not re-booked for the exact dates that there is no refund dueRegardless of re-booking there is a 10%The original dates of this reservation was 7/20/2017-7/25/We were able to re-book 7/19-7/22/Which would only warrant a two night refund as it must be the dates in question to qualify for a refundHowever we refunded her the three nights in an effort to resolveAdditionally, we confirmed with her multiple times that the dates of 7/22/2017-7/25/were still hers if she would like to stay and that we would let her know if we were able to book them and refund otherwise the home would be clean and ready for herShe emailed our Guest Services Manager on March 12, 15th, 24th, 27thApril 10thJune 16th, 20th and then on August 3rdEach time she checked in she was informed that the dates of 7/22/2017-7/25/were still hers and had not been re-bookedOur correspondence was that she would be contacted ONLY if the dates re-booked and she was due additional refund other wise she should come and enjoy the home, she was aware of thisAlthough, under investigation I do see that she was over charged on the 10% cancellation feeI attached the signed guest agreement which depicts our cancellation agreement and would be happy to provide anything else you may requestI will be processing an additional refund to this guest in the amount of $for the over charge on the cancellation fee

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because:In correspondence with VRA's response A cancellation with a 100% refund was not an acceptable solution to the issue considering we had driven hours with an infant and had signed a contract for a specific home of specific quality in a specific location all for reasons that had to with the family trip that was plannedFinding an alternative on Friday night would have been nearly impossibleAs a business the expectation should be to honor your contracts just as I did on my endThe offer for [redacted] is was not for two rooms but for one, again for six people who wanted to get together and spend time together with a seating area this is not a viable optionYes, we were offered two options I don't feel I should be penalized for higher end finishes when this is not what I requested in a far inferior locationsAgain the responsibility falls on VRA to provide a comparable product considering they were at fault of double booking a condoI was in fact offered by Cheryl another property for the last two nights, we did not take this as I would still have been unsatisfied as it would have required a move of our family and belongings after 4pm on Saturday only further interfering with our planned family get togetherThis would have not prevented me from filing a complaint as I feel that the contract was not honored and there should be a concession for the severe inconvenience of the drive and extra expense due to thisYes we had a beautiful cabin, not disputing but in a location so far away it impacted the enjoyment of the tripThere was no outdoor areas to walkAgain we never had an issue with our original accommodations, other than the other woman who was thereA concession was not provided in the upgrade as this was a last [redacted] to provide us a place to stay with an exhausted infantThe expense impact was significant in the extra gas going back and forth to the Spokane airport, Uber/Taxi for my husband to play golf at The [redacted] , meals and prep that had not been anticipated to be provided as we were in a very remote locationTime spent in the car that had not been anticipatedAlso to be clear, its a pretty significant issue that VRA gave access to condo to different families, this could have resulted in something more significant but my husband and small baby were fortunate that the lady who was in the condo while when we walked in on her was a kind and understanding individualI want to be clear we never asked for a nice place we wanted something of comparable qualityFor an average of $per night this is not an unreasonable requestAlso the condo is not double the nightly rate, a quick search shows Riverview retreat at $and CDA view Cabin at $per nightI'm hoping that this further explanation it can be seen that there was a cost associated with this severe mix upI've attached a map indicating the difference of where we originally booked and where we ended up Sincerely, [redacted] - [redacted]

I believe this owner is well-meaning, but has misunderstood the undue concessions we have agreed to and paid in the past Perhaps they now believe such items are really our responsibility, rather than just a nice thing to do to keep a good client happy Following is an outline of how we consistently handle damage When there is guest damage, we repair the given damage at our expense with no questions asked Repairs may be scheduled immediately (within an hour) or scheduled out months during the back to back Summer season, depending on when the next guest is coming in, how fast we can get parts, and how pressing the item is for enjoyment of the home Then, we file a claim with CSA Travel insurance for reimbursementRepairs are made and claims filed on a regular basis, including for the property in questionOn occasion when there is no reimbursement, Vacation Rental Authority is out the cost of parts and labor as we typically do not ask owners to pay for guest damage we have repaired Wear and tear is the property owner's responsibility and expense We submit bids which include details on the scope of work, and once accepted never go over the bid amount This case was no exception, as the owner accepted the bid and scope of work in writing for their deckWork was completed in a timely manner by a licensed, insured and highly ethical contractor who was not notified by the owner that they were unsatisfied All indication on my end is that the deck was done exactly as requested and on budget, but this cannot be verified (or disproved) because the deck has unfortunately been altered since the completion of our work I know from personal experience that he would have made it right at no additional cost, had he been given the opportunity Whether purposeful or not, the owners racked up disproportionate and unreasonable expenses throughout their house by not involving usWhile they are always welcome to update their home and furnishings at any cost, this approach negates our ability to verify and inspect for guest damage, complete needed steps for insurance coverage, and minimize out of pocket expenses for all involved Our policy is to fix the problem when one exists We have not agreed to, and do not as a rule, reimburse owners for their elective purchases or unapproved contract work I am truly sorry this owner is unhappy, and wish them well in their future endeavors

[redacted] ,We will not be offering a full refund for the non-re-booked nightsThere were multiple communications with you that if the nights were not re-booked that you were welcome to stay, we also communicated the nights that were re-bookedWe refunded you an extra night that was not actually due (per re-booking agreement) which was an additional $Your cancellation agreement was clearly outlined as to the policyAt this point we have completed the following as well as offered additional compensation to end a situation amicably with you, where we followed the guest agreement you agreed to and signedWe have issued three nights refund (when we only re-booked two) in the amount of $- We have caught a mistake on the cancellation fee being billed at $that should have been $180.47, issued the adjustment for the difference of $We have also offered you two free nights towards a five night reservation with a nightly rate comparable to the home you booked, $before taxes and feesYou have rejected all amicable offers and wish not to honor your end of the agreement you signedThe offer of the two nights towards a five night reservation of comparable home does not expire and I have added the notes to our system, we will honor it whether you have rejected it or notThis is the offer we will stand by our side of what has already been doneI am sorry that a compromise could not be reached

Revdex.com,I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this does not resolve my complaintFor your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.What the person said at the rental company is almost entirely false, these people are cluelessThat said it was in good condition and well maintainedI guess rotten tires and boards on the patio is well maintainedUnbelievableAll I asked was a phone call from them and they won't even do thatRegards, [redacted]

Our company hired multiple vendors to immediately fix the items reported by this party Each 3rd party vendor confirmed that the appliances and home systems were working as they should be, and the party's claims to the contrary were false These complaints resulted in a boat discount worth $300, which they requested due to their "inconveniences" and were provided by us at our expense prior to being made aware of the scam After placing a single day reservation for watercraft, paying for 50% of a one day rental, and signing a contract which very clearly states the duration and return time/date, they failed to return them for a full hours after they were due Multiple team members contacted them within 1-hours of the time they were due, to clearly explain the situation and that they must be returned, at which time they repeatedly hung up on us and verbally refused As a result, unrelated Guests (with valid reservations on the second day) were necessarily refunded while the watercraft were at large, leading to both lost income and disappointed [real] customers The options left us were to call the police and press theft charges against this party, or charge the additional day at the same highly discounted 50% rate We chose the latter However, since they have charged back the second day to their credit card, legal proceedings are underway and theft charges are back on the table This has been a very unfortunate situation for all involved

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: The ad mis-represented the rental as a four bedroom. It is a three bedroom. Real estate laws have a strict definition of what constitutes a bedroom. Fortunately, I have time stamped photos of everything that you claim to have "fixed" including the shower handle. The owners' "style" choice for the deck railing is against safety code, for good reason, because someone can fall to their death given the height of the deck. I have photos of this as well. It's really unfortunate that you treat your customers so poorly and conduct dishonest practices on a business and personal level, ignore and then lie about legitimate complaints from customers. Sincerely, [redacted]

Thank you for the opportunity to respond This guest called with complaints of dirty carpet and trouble with the a/c on the day of check-in As stated in the complaint, our Operations Manager, Kristine, quickly showed up on-site She was shocked that the carpet was dirty, but the sheets were not given to her as an issue At the time, Kristine had no idea why the carpets were dirty, but immediately offered a move to our only other home available, or a full refund so they could stay at a hotel, in an effort to make the guests happy Although we were very busy, Kristine gave them a personal tour of the other home For some reason that seemed odd to us, the guests insisted on staying in the original house despite their claims that the carpets were dangerous Although they appeared dirty, we had no indication that they were dangerous so our primary focus was helping the guests to feel more comfortable We vacuumed and learned that they could not be cleaned with a vacuum - we were confused The existing a/c was working, but the guest insisted on more a/c, plus a rug for their baby to sit on Both were provided the same night It is true that Coeur d'Alene was unusually warm during the time they stayed, and we purchased portable a/c units to supplement the cooling systems for many of our properties A/C units and fans quickly sold out of all stores including Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, Costco, everywhere, and we bought as many as were available They were spread out among our properties, including the one where the guest stayed This cost our company several thousand dollars, complementary to assist our guests get through the unusual heat wave Later we interviewed our housekeeping and quality assurance staff, and determined that the carpet was NOT in that dirty state at the guests' arrival Immediately prior, our housekeeping team had thoroughly cleaned the house including carpets per usual Subsequently, an independent quality assurance team checked their work Both teams attest to the carpet being in good, clean condition and "guest ready" There was no unusual substance on the carpet that couldn't be vacuumed...all was and clean For context, we clean and manage over homes in the area, and this was the only housekeeping complaint to date, with over check-ins for the Summer through July It was all strange, and the only possibility is that the guests had done something to the carpets to ruin them and make them appear dirty without the ability to be cleaned Still, we gave this guest the benefit of the doubt Instead of billing them for the carpet replacement, we submitted a damage claim on their behalfThis was an effort to save them money (in case damaging the carpet was an accident) Although we immediately provided fixes for their complaints, the guests continued to insist on staying at the original house and despite being unhappy Unfortunately, we started receiving mean, loud and threatening phone calls from the guests They showed up at our office, yelling, cussing and threatening, demanding a refund while insisting they would not leave the house they were complaining about It turned out they wanted the services without paying for them, and were willing to do anything and say anything to get that They said they'd ruin us with bad reviews and complaints to the Revdex.com if we didn't refund them the amount they requested It was so unbelievable we asked for their "request" in writing Attached you can see what they wrote, in terms of us refunding $400+ so they wouldn't smear us online We denied their refund request at first, because we provided fixes to the issues and they insisted on staying to fulfill their reservation However, when they started writing bad review after bad review we finally decided it was easier to give in and give them the money (see attached email thread offering the partial refund) By then, it was too late The guests then wanted more money ("50%") Finally, they began demanding a full refund, or the bad reviews and reports would continue In the email thread, they claim my husband Robert was mean and threatening, but this is backwards The guests were belligerent in the office and also over the phone, and my husband Robert stepped in because their behaviour was over the top Despite the guests indicating that he was the one threatening and yelling, this is simply not the case They were outrageous, loud and threatening themselves Robert is a professional, and acts as such In this case, he did have to push back to protect his employees from their continuous abuse He requested their demands in writing, told them to stop threatening us, and at one point he had to ask them to leave the office because they were causing a scene A refund simply is not reasonable, and the services they purchased were more than rendered We went above and beyond to help them When we finally gave into the original demand of 33% refund in an effort to stop their harassing behavior, they started asking for 50% refund Now, 100% There is simply no pleasing them We provided timely, complete service We spent a good deal of money trying to fix their complaints We offered a new place or full refund the day they arrived (prior to services being rendered) All were met with disdain, refusal and abuse at every turn Now, we have a carpet that needs replacing that the guests damaged, on top of the other expenses we incurred Any type of refund in this case is not warranted, and in fact they owe us additional funds for the new carpet if the insurance does not accept responsibility Attached you will find: "Gmail - Fwd: Attn: Robert L***" Email from guest demanding refund for a specific amount, or they would destroy us online When the amount was finally offered, they demanded more...all in the email This includes photos which show the carpet, and bruising on their kids which do not make sense to be caused by a carpet I hope this helps fill in the blanks, and if there is any further information you would like, please let me know Kind regards, Cheryl L [redacted] Vacation Rental Authority, Inc ***SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REDACTED BY Revdex.com***

We have no record of a reservation, payment or contract from this person for a vacation rental home (Potentially relevant: His wife rented a boat and refused to return it according to our signed contract, so theft charges and expenses due from the guest are currently being evaluated.)

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because: BAD Business! HORRIBLE Customer Service! I will be passing the word on
Sincerely,
*** ***

Dear Revdex.com,
I'm sorry for the delayed response
My understanding of this complaint is two-fold: the guest claims the home was not worth the nightly rate, and the house was not maintained
In terms of rate, I would say that the market value of this home for an August weekend is
very fair and reasonable at 300/nt for several reasons:
The home was accurately represented and the guest felt at the time of booking that it was worth paying the 300/nt price Proof that the home was well represented includes the high resolution photos depicting its clean but dated nature (see attached) Also, there are home-specific reviews right on our website giving it a star rating (NOT a or star): http://www.vacationrentalauthority.com/vacation-rental-home.asp?PageDataID=***#R... These reviews describe the ideal location and that it is a "character home."
The primary value of this home is not in it's finishes but in it's location, directly next to McCuen Park, Tubbs Hill and the Resort area of downtown (see attached map) The home is in very high demand during the Summer months (when this guest stayed), and of course that demand adds to the price Off-season, prices are much lower because demand is down The home in question is clean and maintained, but is indeed an older home I would again point to the accurate, high resolution images on our website (see attached)
Other similar homes are priced in the same value range during the high-demand Summer months That is further evidence that the home was properly priced for demand and the local market:
*** ***
In terms of not being maintained, this is simply not the case We have a full time, year round maintenance department that takes pride in its work Single family homes, such as this one, have so many appliances, electronics, lamps, faucets, etc that things may wrong now and then despite the best preventative care When something doesn't work, we respond very quickly at fix it In fact, I would put our timely response up next to any other management company and even next to any DIY owner renting vacation rentals We set the bar
Our guest services department received notification from this guest that the washing machine was not working properly during their stay We responded right away to troubleshoot, and in less than hours it had been fully repaired Throughout the guest's stay, we received several additional calls for a variety of problems that turned out to be false, including the a/c, the ceiling fan, microwave, and other items that had nothing wrong with them when we arrived It was puzzling, but we continued to respond on-site for these service calls from the guest throughout their stay Then, they told a maintenance tech that they usually get free stuff or discounts for reporting various items in disrepair, and that we owed him something In truth, we responded repeatedly to claims (which was expensive for us), and fixed what was actually wrong very quickly We provided the house and all services as represented
Despite common misconception, the vast majority of rental income goes directly to the private owner of the residence For management and guest responses we make a small percentage Due to the repeated responses to claims, our company actually lost money on this particular guest. It would not therefore be reasonable for us to offer any refund or future credits We wish him the best with his future travels
Thank you,
Cheryl L***
Vacation Rental Authority

I'm truly sorry for the confusion, as we absolutely do everything in our power to set up proper expectations and avoid surprises There are always going to be misunderstandings now and then, but it is in no way intentional or systematic Regarding the real estate industry, the guest is correct about strict definitions, and building codes for any new construction As the vacation rental industry falls within the hospitality and tourism industries, it has established it's own de facto definitions (see vacation rental listing websites world wide) Were we not to conform, we would be doing both the property owners and prospective guests a disservice.One way we are incentivized to be very clear in our listings is by having each member of our team right here in town Anyone making reservations personally visits the homes, and knows they will be looking each guest in the face, accountable if expectations are not metIn our experience with thousands of local reservations, we have been able to avoid confusion with more than 95% of guestsWhen confusion does (rarely) arise, we arrive on site and provide timely solutions.As an example, we were very available and provided fixes relevant to the guest's concerns on arrival The layout confusion was not brought to our attention until this Revdex.com complaint Had we heard about any misunderstanding of the home's layout upon arrival, solutions would be immediately presented We could have placed the guest in a different location more suite to their needs, or offered a full refund for nights not yet used Once a guest has willingly used the lodging services and had their full vacation, our options are limited Services have been rendered, nights used, solutions were available, and therefore rental rate still due.In conclusion, VRA considers it a substantial priority to have clear, accurate listings and educate each guest regarding our policy of providing solutionsSolutions may include hiring contractors, performing small fixes or providing alternate properties In appropriate cases full refunds are offered for nights not yet used, so the guest can find other accomidations if the ones provided are not suitable Thank you

Upon learning that the originally reserved accommodations were unavailable the following options were offered and made available to the Guest:
100% refund with cancellation
Accommodation at the local *** Inn, a nice hotel 1-blocks from the original rental
Two available properties
with occupancy of 6+ people, which were the only we had available for all nights of their stayBoth were more expensive than what they had reserved, one because of size and location, and the other because of high-end finishings and a spectacular view (no additional cost to Guest)
A third available property became available for the last nights of their stay, which was also offeredIt would represent a substantial upgrade on all fronts - location, size and high-end finishings (no additional cost to Guest)
The Guest opted for a beautiful new construction cabin, with nightly rate more than double what they had paid for the original rental condo As we are a management company that does not own the properties we represent, additional cost was incurred on our end to make things right Here is the option the Guest chose, and we gladly paid the additional cost in reparation: http://www.***
Although there was a minor delay from chetime at 4pm to 7pm, the Guest ended up with several good options (including full refund) and incurred no additional costs As we have already provided concession in the form of upgraded accommodations, the Guest opted for these accommodations rather than a refund, and the guest is not out any money in these dealings, no further concession is due or appropriate
This is a very rare occurance that the original rental is not available at the last minute, but at VRA we greatly appreciate our Guests and always make sure they are well taken care of to the best of our abilities
Thank you

The Guest did not respond well to the hotel idea, so I did not clarify the number of rooms However, the intention was as many as needed to accommodate their party My records show the Guest paid $309/night The rates currently showing for the View Cabin have been lowered for the end of peak season by the owner, so they do not reflect what they were for the July (the height of our season) They did choose a premium location min from Coeur d'Alene, but again multiple options right in downtown were also available to them
The Guest actually had the option of her original condo rental when we initially received her call, as we originally offered to replace the other party She said we "would never be able to clean the place in time" and therefore they preferred other accommodations
It is important to note that this was not a known double booking that could have been prevented by our company The other guest had booked for 2017, received confirmations and information about 2017, and then showed up for those dates in They arrived with a valid confirmation number and received entry info based on thatThe person who helped her did not notice the aspect, as naturally all check-ins are for the current year We did not know the unit was unavailable until the second Guest also checked in, having received entry information from a different team member based on their likewise valid confirmation
The Guest in this dispute was exceptionally and immediately taken care of, chose her own location, had a great place to stay, and we paid for the location of her choice We did everything humanly possible after the error was discovered, and apologized numerous times as well
Best wishes to her and her family for smoother travels in the future

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because:
*** *** is one of the three people (three families) on the reservationOne was *** ***A .pdf of an email confirmation to Mrs*** is attached hereto.
The corporation also rented us two jet skis and one pontoon boat for two days, then later claimed (despite clear documentation to the contrary) the rental was for only a single dayIt then attempted to add (fraudulent) charges to our credit card statement
Sincerely,*** ***

Hi P***,
Thanks for being patientHere is our summary of outstanding issues with VRA that we are seeking compensation for and the supporting artifactsTo be clear, there were a ton of other problems we had with them along the way, many of which we are owed additional money for, but they are of lesser priority and we are willing to write them offThere is also a history of bad faith and other spurious charges imposed by VRA, but we were able to reverse them with much communication and frustrationBeing as the items were resolved and non-actionable, we did not mention themBut, if you need this info for supporting evidence, we can put it together for you.
Regarding the contents of this document, is it possible to withhold it from the public viewable record and accessible by everyone on the Internet? It contains a lot of contact info and info about our Verizon account, contact info, and other details that we would prefer not to have releasedIf we need to redo it in a redacted format, we canBut, if it does not go out to everyone in the world, just for internal Revdex.com purposes, we are not concerned
BTW, this PDF has bookmarks to assist in navigating it
Thanks,
***
Documents redacted by Revdex.com

Documents redacted by Revdex.com
 
 
Revdex.com,
The last notice I received was a letter dated 9/29/16 stating that I had 10 days to respond with more information.  Today (within the deadline) it does not appear I can upload any response or information, so I would like to submit them to you, via this email, please.
I apologize for my slow response time, which you will see is very unusual if you look at my history of responding quickly to grievances through Revdex.com. By way of explanation, it has been a particularly busy month with hiring, travel, training and industry conferences. I never received any phone calls, which I certainly would have answered or returned.
None the less, I am within the stated 10 days of the date of the letter to respond with more information and documentation so I thank you for allowing the submission.
Attached you will find the signed contract between the [redacted] and Vacation Rental Authority, as well as 3 annual statements for 2014, 2015 and 2016.
In the contract you will see that all maintenance is at the "Owner's Expense," and all damage is the responsibility of the Guests.  We do our best to facilitate repair or replacement when there is guest damage as a courtesy, through use of CSA Travel Insurance, and typically that works great for all parties. 
The 29% commission we receive for reservations covers many things, but the largest expenses are marketing and sales to book the many guests we booked for the vacation home. Wear and tear is the responsibility of the Owner.  There is nothing in the signed agreement stating that we are responsible for the items mentioned by the Owner in this complaint.
Although we provide many services without billing or adding to the statements at all, you will see that there was a middle of the night emergency call in 2015, which was due to a potential gas leak.  There was no charge for this, although we got out of bed, drove there and stayed 4 hours to make sure all was well throughout the whole time the utility company and firemen were there. This was part of our included service.
Nearly every service we did accurately and reasonably charge the [redacted], you will find we ended up refunding.  This was not because the charges were erroneous, but rather as concessions to try and keep them happy as Clients so we could continue to represent the house.  There was pressure and constant complaints, we refunded pretty freely.  Therefore, nearly everything you see on these 3 years of statements was ultimately free to the [redacted].  Those services were not free to VRA, as we paid for each ourselves out of pocket.
Unfortunately, the reason there is a problem now is because we ultimately refunded too often and cannot run a business doing everything for free. Perhaps they believe they were in the right because we gave so many refunds, but in reality we're happy to concede now and then to keep clients happy.  As you'll see in the statements refund requests got pretty extreme.  As soon as we said we can't continue to pay for all of the maintenance you are contractually obligated to, they resorted to causing pressure through this complaint.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Cheryl L[redacted]
 
Vacation Rental Authority
vacationrentalauthority.com
[redacted]
208-665-3728 (Office)

The vacation rental home in question is privately owned, and rented through our management company.  A maintenance team is available to assist with any issues that may come up at the property while a guest is in the home, so they can enjoy their vacation.
This particular guest called...

repeatedly on his day of arrival with concerns, the vast majority of which turned out to be non-existent when we arrived.  VRA quickly responded to these concerns by driving to the home, reviewing the situation and finding nothing to be done. Examples include the refrigerator which was at the proper temperature, laundry soap under the sink instead of on the washer, screen doors that were slightly finicky but certainly not broken or unusable, a "missing rail" that was actually a style choice rather than an actually missing rail, etc.  
The bathroom handle in question was legitimately in need of a contracted plumber, which we arranged for the same day.  It has worked well ever since that day, so any "inability" to use the shower does not make sense to me.
Once the guest's list of things "wrong" were addressed on the first day, there were no further complaints until after his departure.  It was at that time (after he checked out) that we learned of yet another laundry list of additional items (including the "missing bedroom").  At that time it was too late for our maintenance team to assist him because he had already checked out.  
The guest fully used both the lodging services of the vacation rental, and our hospitality services.  We provided on site service, fixed the shower handle in a timely manner, and provided a nice waterfront house with 4 separate rooms as described.  
Regarding the listing, this is the first time I have heard of any confusion over the way it is listed.  It is extremely common (vrbo, homeaway, airbnb, flipkey, etc) for a multitude of room types to be included in the number of bedrooms and detailed in the content.  This may include lofts, dens, bunk rooms, bunk houses, attics, finished basements and the like.  The guest mentioned nothing of his confusion over the bedrooms upon his arrival, nor during his many conversations with us over the phone and in person throughout his stay. 
Even though this industry standard is not something that has ever caused confusion with the thousands of groups we have hosted in our local area, I want to go above and beyond for clarity wherever possible.  To prevent any possible future misunderstanding I have added the word "open" to our listings for this particular home, so that it now reads "open bunk room" where previously it only had "bunk room."  http://www.vacationrentalauthority.com/vacation-rental-home.asp?PageDataID=969... /> I am sorry the guest had a tumultuous time for some reason, but no further action could possibly have been done and no refund is due.

Our company hired multiple vendors to immediately fix the items reported by this party.  Each 3rd party vendor confirmed that the appliances and home systems were working as they should be, and the party's claims to the contrary were false.  These complaints resulted in a boat discount worth $300, which they requested due to their "inconveniences" and were provided by us at our expense prior to being made aware of the scam.  
After placing a single day reservation for watercraft, paying for 50% of a one day rental, and signing a contract which very clearly states the duration and return time/date, they failed to return them for a full 24 hours after they were due.  Multiple team members contacted them within 1-2 hours of the time they were due, to clearly explain the situation and that they must be returned, at which time they repeatedly hung up on us and verbally refused.  
As a result, unrelated Guests (with valid reservations on the second day) were necessarily refunded while the watercraft were at large, leading to both lost income and disappointed [real] customers.  The options left us were to call the police and press theft charges against this party, or charge the additional day at the same highly discounted 50% rate.  We chose the latter.  However, since they have charged back the second day to their credit card, legal proceedings are underway and theft charges are back on the table.  This has been a very unfortunate situation for all involved.

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Description: Vacation Rentals

Address: 1001 E Sherman Ave, Coeur D Alene, Idaho, United States, 83814

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