There’s another guest in our vacation rental! Can we get a refund, please?

When Elizabeth Kimpel checks into her Vrbo vacation rental, she finds another guest there. Why won't the company refund her stay?

Question

My family booked a condo in downtown Toronto through Vrbo recently. Just before we arrived, we received a text that our reserved condo had plumbing issues and that they had assigned us another rental in a different building.

When we tried to check in, we found the unit appeared to be occupied by another guest. There were toiletries in the bathrooms, clothes in the closets and food on the table. We immediately notified the manager. His advice was to lock ourselves inside the condo and that they would send a cleaner. I considered this an unsafe suggestion.?

Also, the condo wasn't the equivalent to the one we had originally reserved -- it was smaller and had one less bathroom than the original condo.?

The manager insisted that we return to the property and promised to clean it. But we didn't trust him, so we returned the key to the concierge and found a different place to stay. We texted the manager asking for a refund. The manager replied that my husband had been abusive and that they would not refund the money. Can you help me get our $2,356 back, please? -- Elizabeth Kimpel, Potomac, Md.

Answer

Vrbo should have offered you a full refund when it couldn't provide the rental you had reserved.

Vrbo has a Book With Confidence guarantee that says if your property is "materially misrepresented" in the listing, it will help you book a replacement.

So what went wrong here? It looks like you worked with the property manager on the rental swap. When you needed help, you reached out to Vrbo in writing, but Vrbo just contacted the property manager for a resolution.?(Related: “Such a bizarre” rental experience on Vrbo — but do they even care?)

This isn't surprising. Vrbo sees itself as a platform -- an intermediary between the renter and the rental manager -- and only wants to get involved when it collects its fees. Apart from that, Vrbo usually sides with the rental managers, who are its real customers.

What to do if there's another guest in your vacation rental

If you ever find yourself in a similar situation again -- and I sincerely hope you don't -- here's what to do:

• Don't panic. It’s easy to get frustrated, but staying calm is absolutely essential. There may be a reasonable explanation for the overlap. (Related: Mold in my vacation rental! I want a refund from Vrbo.)
• Review your contract. Most platforms have policies that address overbooking and guest limits. If the extra guest violates these terms, you may have grounds to request a refund or alternative accommodations.
• Contact your host. A quick, polite message can clarify the situation. Keep it in writing to avoid any future misunderstandings. (Here's our ultimate guide to booking a vacation home.)
• Consider alternative lodging arrangements. If sharing isn’t working out for you, discuss options with your host. They may be able to offer a different property or assist in finding nearby accommodations.

Most importantly, document everything in writing. Take photos of the occupied unit. Keep all your text messages. You may need them down the road.

Why didn't Vrbo help you when you found another guest in your rental?

In reviewing the correspondence between you, the manager and Vrbo, I don't see any evidence that your husband was abusive. If anything, you were polite and direct. You just wanted what Vrbo had promised. Not a smaller apartment and not a condo that was already occupied.?

You could have sent a brief, polite email to one of the company's executives, asking for another review of your case. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the Vrbo executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.?

Here's my take on what should have happened. Instead of referring you back to the condo manager, Vrbo should have found you a comparable rental quickly. That would have fixed the problem and ensured your family had a positive experience using the rental platform. Clearly, Vrbo did not take its Book With Confidence guarantee seriously in your case. It can do better.

You reached out to my advocacy team for help, and I contacted Vrbo on your behalf. It apologized and refunded the $2,356 you spent on the occupied condo.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can’t. He’s the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes three nationally syndicated columns. He also publishes the Elliott Report, a news site for consumers, and Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service. If you have a consumer problem you can’t solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter.

This story originally appeared in the Elliott Report under the headline, There’s another guest in our vacation rental! Can we get a refund, please?