ComplaintsforEvolve

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Made a booking through Expedia.com on May 14,2024. I expected to be dealing with Expedia instead I received a confirmation email from Evolve saying my reservation was confirmed Confirmation number: ******** - for a 6 night stay, from June 30 to July 6. I logged on to the expedia site hoping to make a change to the booking, I would not be able to stay the full 6 nights, and accidentally canceled the booking. I contacted Evolve immediately to explain the mistake and was told to contact expedia because they made the reservation and I did. I explained to Expedia that I did not wish to cancel the booking, only make a change and canceled by mistake but I was told the cancelation had already gone through so I asked for a refund. Instead of the expected refund, I was told evolve doesn't do refunds. So asked if I could not get a refund, could I just keep the booking instead? I asked that exact question to both Evolve and Expedia. After hanging up on me purposely twice, I finally connected to an Evolve rep and only after threatening to keep calling every 5 minutes until someone talked to me, I was again told to deal with Expedia. After several back and forth emails with Expedia, I received this final message on 6/23/24 Hello *******,Greetings from the Expedia US Customer Support Team.As much as we wanted to fulfill your request, please note that Expedia US is subject to the rules and restrictions of our vendors and we do not have the authority to change or override their policies.We know that the resolution provided is different from what you have expected. Our apologies will not suffice what had transpired to your trip.However, please know that our operations team will continue to do our best to improve our customer service procedures so incident like this will not happen in the future.We appreciate your understanding regarding this matter and look forward to assist you to your future travel.Regards,***** C delvchawla3 Expedia US Customer Support Team

  

  Business response

  07/03/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for taking the time to resurface this issue. When initially reaching out to Evolve, you communicated your intent to cancel the reservation and were pointed back to your booking distribution site - Expedia - to do so. Once you requested Expedia to cancel the booking, and it was successfully completed per the cancellation policy agreed to upon reservation creation on Expedia's site, Evolve later heard back stating you wanted to reinstate the booking but just change the number of guests which again would all need to be done through Expedia.

  Separately, we can confirm that Expedia never reached out to Evolve about honoring the reservation. We at this time suggest going to Expedia to remediate the situation as Evolve is 3rd-party in this matter and has no responsibility to the actions taken - or there not taken - by Expedia.

  Thank you,

  The Evolve Team

  Customer response

  07/08/2024

   
  Complaint: 21896738
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Expedia did attempt to reach Evolve. I have attached the final notice email that I received from Expedia stating they were unable to reach them, and there was nothing they could do If Evolve did not respond. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **************************************

  

  Business response

  07/30/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for following up. As we understand that is what your booking distribution told you, attached are records of cases and calls correlated to your booking. As you will see, there is no call nor email case from Expedia which is standard within Evolve processes to have should they have reached out to our team. Either way, again, because a chargeback was opened, we cannot continue working this case as your financial institution has withdrawn those funds from Evolve's account while they review your dispute. This process can take your bank up to three months to settle and the decision is completely within their control at this point.

  Thank you,

  The Evolve Team

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am seeking a refund of $1,327.19 form Evolve because the property we rented did not have a working lock on the front door when we arrived and we did not feel safe there. The attached document has all of the details. I have contacted the *** via Linkedin and email and have had no response. I also contacted their head of legal and have not received a response .

  

  Business response

  07/03/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out and notifying us of this matter as we take this safety concern seriously. As we here at Evolve uphold our properties to strict expectations in line with our 4 Core Property Standards, we have identified the matter raised and are working diligently with the Owner to update the property to follow safety protocol. Please note that we have issued you a full refund which will return to your form of payment in the next 3-5 business days due to this. We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused, and truly appreciate your time in alerting us of this situation.

  Thank you,

  The Evolve Team
  
  

  Customer response

  07/15/2024

   
  Complaint: 21894918
  
  I am rejecting this response because I have not received the refund.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  07/25/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for following up with us. We reached out to your booking platform, Homes & Villas by *************** (HVMB), to understand why you have not seen your refund. HVMB has provided Evolve a timeline of 3-5 weeks for you to see a refund processed to your original form of payment. We apologize for the delay, however encourage you to reach out to HVMB for status updates as Evolve already released funds to them on July 3, 2024.

  Thank you,

  The Evolve Team

• Initial Complaint

  06/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My wife and I booked a house for 5/19-5/26,2024 in **** ,**. A few weeks before the scheduled stay,Evolve cancelled the reservation due to the home owner selling and closing on the property. Of course,this is not Evolves fault.Since it was close to trip time,Evolve sent a couple of potential substitutes stating they were similar to the original. After looking at the pictures provided,and reading the five or so reviews,we chose the property on ************** Since there wasnt a whole lot of time,they wanted the payment. I sent them $1414.00 Upon arriving in ****,we went to the home. First,the reviews said it was a nice quiet neighborhood. It was a scary looking neighborhood.We entered the house with the code provided and the first thing we noticed was the smell. Looking around,you could see it wasnt clean either .The bed spreads were worn out,the kitchen was sparsely stocked with dishes and the stove was dirty.We decided that this place would not work and we couldnt stay. We called Evolve and told them we couldnt stay there. The Evolve rep said okay and that we should try Airbnb as they take last minute reservations.We locked the door and left We called Evolve the next day seeking a refund. They said the owner of the house said he would not give us our money back

  

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for informing us of your experience. Evolve is dedicated to ensuring every guest has a stay that lives up to our 4 Core Property Standards, and diligently investigates reports that questions the integrity of this promise. In this instance, our team did set expectations that the requested refund was not guaranteed while vacating the property. Additionally, the documentation provided demonstrated minor issues for some of the concerns, but primarily reiterated that the home was as-advertised when comparing to the listing photos deeming a refund unwarranted - as minor wear-and-tear (ex. glass stovetop that is still useable despite some markings) - is to be expected in short-term rentals. If you have any questions about this, we do kindly ask you to respond to our Guest Experience teammate that had been diligently working with you previously as they will be able to respond to you in real-time.

  Thank you,

  The Evolve Team

  Customer response

  06/28/2024

   
  Complaint: 21867551
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  The place had a bad odor which I guess you cant see in pictures 

  I have stayed at short term rentals three times previously and non were in the condition of this place

  We also didnt stay there. We opened the door,looked around and said there was no way we were going to stay here and called Evolve . The person on the line suggested I try Airbnb .We then left. There was no mention that we wouldnt get our money back 
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************

• Initial Complaint

  06/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I made a reservation for 8 days, 6/21-6/29/2024. I called 6/7/2024 and was told we could change the dates up to 48 hours before check-in. I attempted make this change on the evolve website. Their website showed that this would result in a $81 travel credit for a future trip, but their website kept experiencing an "Error" when I tried to complete this transaction so I called and talked to their incompetent customer service and was told it would be $200+ more and couldn't explain why the website was different. I cancelled my reservation for 6/21 because their website said I would be issued a future travel expense for $223.24 so I was going to use that $$ to add on my extra day at the end to change my reservation from 6/21-6/29 to 6/22-6/30 as desired. They subsequently refused to give me the travel credit despite looking at their website with the cancellation policy in front of me stating that if I cancel within 48 hours of check-in, a future travel credit will be issued. Supervisor was arrogant, non-empathetic. Will never use again and will advise my travel host of this!

  Customer response

  06/18/2024

  I'm writing to you in regards to complaint 21856222.
  I received the confirmation that it was forwarded on to Evolve.
  I just wanted to note that I'm not disputing my whole amount paid, I'm only disputing the $223.24, which I was charged for on 6/15 for changing my night from 6/21 to 6/29 which, per the evolve website inside of my trip hub, I should have been able to switch (and received an $81 credit) or I should have been issued a future travel credit for when I cancelled 6/21 and in turn use that money to book 6/29.  See attached for a screenshot from the evolve website in my trip hub stating that a future travel credit will be issued if you cancel by 48 hours prior to check-in.
  I also just wanted to add that my hopes are not only for this to be made right financially to me and my family but also that their website be updated to accurately indicate what their real policies are and for the ignorance (both in knowledge and empathy) of their customer service representatives to be addressed.
  In addition to my BBB complaint and review, I have also left negative reviews through BestCompany and Trust Pilot, I hope to be able to update these with an adequate resolution.
  

  
  

  

  Business response

  06/20/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out about your experience. When booking on Vrbo, the cancellation policy agreed to stated, "Guests can cancel for a full refund up to 14 days before check-in. Outside of that, guests can change dates at the same property up to 48 hours before check-in but any amounts paid are non-refundable." As you cancelled the night of the 21st on June 15, 2024 (five days before check-in which was outside the refund window), this is why you did not receive a Travel Credit as the terms provided the refund ineligible and can confirm Evolve has not encountered this problem previously with other guests. However sympathetic to the confusion during your efforts to change dates, we have emailed you a future Travel Credit - which is good for two years - in the amount of Friday's nightly rate in hopes that we will have the opportunity to provide a better experience for you in the future.

  Thank you,

  The Evolve Team

  Customer response

  06/20/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  06/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Evolve charged a cancellation to my credit card without authorization from me. In the emails provided you can see I did cancel a reservation made to my property however it was due to flooding in ************. In my emails with ***** you will see this is discussed along with him stating we would not get charged. Then 2 weeks later we get charged (also uploaded) and Evolve states there has been an update to requiring proof. This is not in their policy as I have uploaded nor was it a requirement when I cancelled which was addressed in my conversations with ******** and *****. I did send them the proof regardless. Now they are not refunding as they state Airbnb needs to approve cancellation. As you can see in my emails to ******** at Evolve my contract is with Evolve not Airbnb.

  

  Business response

  06/16/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for pointing this concern out to us. Please note that policies internal to Evolve have recently changed as Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com have started imposing cancellations charges - up to 100% of the reservation total - upon Evolve when it is initiated by the owner/Evolve. Policies have thus adjusted so that Evolve is able to collect supporting and required documentation to waive these fees and Evolve is working diligently to update the verbiage on this additional page. We are pleased to see you were refunded 100% of the cancellation charge upon documentation receipt on June 6, 2024. We apologize for the inconvenience however appreciate your understanding in the matter!

  Thank you,

  The Evolve Team

  Customer response

  06/17/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  HOWEVER, I would like to point out that the change in their terms as shown in my emails between the Evolve Employees happened AFTER I cancelled the rental due to flooding. For them to state there were changes is irrelevant to me being charged.

  Just glad it's over and I cancelled with them.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  06/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We have been in the vacation rental space for 8 years with a 5 star rating in 3 states. We decided to find PM to help us scale our business to a fourth state. We engaged Evolve. What a nightmare:1) Lack of transparency and inconsistencies in their internal policies so it is difficult to get proper help from their "Success" team when they give conflicting information.2) We are listed as a quiet retreat space as an alternative the raucous downtown ********* scene. We have a no parties rule and Quiet Hours because we are in a serene historical farm community Our clients are looking rest and discretion (some are recuperating out patients from nearby hospitals) and all of this is clearly stated in our policy and description with Evolve including an "age requirement" to book with us. 11 of the 12 bookings we received from Evolve were under the age, threw parties, that ended up with complaints and damages broken antiques, glitter in our carpets and vomit in our beds. 3) When we filed our complaints Evolve refused to fulfill them, despite providing the requested proof of pictures and receipts.5) Evolve is charging us $250 for cancel a contract they breached repeatedly, plus 50% fine on the terrible future bookings we cancelled in an effort to protect our property and reputation.6)Evolves' Success Team (****** and ****) both blamed Airbnb for Evolve's inability to vet or uphold any kind of standards in booking.7) Evolve is shoddy, wide net marketing without any vetting. The Owner still has to do EVERYTHING else. We spent HOURS on the phone with EVOLVE over multiple failures to deliver, incidents with destructive rowdy underaged guests, and now EXTORTED FEES for cutting bait. In a word, Evolve is "AWFUL".

  

  Business response

  06/04/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for following up with us as we would like to address your concerns. As we found only 2 bookings that were associated with underage/noise complaints out of the 12 bookings had, we always encourage owners to open Incident Reports for said issues straight away to communicate with Evolve the situation faced. Furthermore, as was outlined during the onboarding period, we have a strict process regarding our Property Protection Program that must be followed to successfully complete claims. The 3 Incident Reports opened were ineligible for reimbursement due to: no documentation providing proof of cost; were for missing items as well as under the $50 threshold minimum value; proof of cost does not list excessive cleaning costs and the Damage Protection Program does not cover tips to Service Providers. 

  We would also like to take this time to clarify that there was no charge for termination of Evolve ********** Services as you were with Evolve for 1 year - this fee only applies when cancelling within the first 3 months of contract. While we do understand you chose to cancel all future reservations instead of honoring, Section 10.3 in the ********** Agreement does outline associated Cancellation Fees which was accepted by you when establishing a relationship with Evolve on 5/25/23. These fees are industry standard as Distribution Partners impose a cancellation fee on Evolve when owners cancel reservations and partially covers those fees Evolve faces. Moving forward, please continue to direct all questions to the Owner Success Advisors you have been working with as they will be able to answer all clarifying questions.

  Thank you,

  The Evolve Team

• Initial Complaint

  05/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Evolve manages a property in ********************, ** called ****************** (#*******ha). The description is extremely misleading and it lies about a few of things. We spent $1000 to stay at the property. It says there is a kitchen, there is not. Its a microwave and an air fryer on a table in the lanai and a very small grill on the outside deck and a hose on the side of the house as a sink. Says Doesnt have an inside kitchen, most of the kitchen is outside, but there is no kitchen at all. Its a complete lie. It doesnt say anything about animals on the property, as a matter of fact it says no pets allowed. There is a dog and rabbit (which was lost in the house somewhere). My son and I are extremely allergic to animals and he had an allergic reaction to the dog.. The owner, who lives on site upstairs, never goes upstairs. She wouldnt stop following us. When we arrived, her dirty laundry was hanging on the furniture in the rooms we were staying in and she knew exactly what time we were arriving. It took 10 minutes before anyone even answered the door to let us in. Evolve had to handle it and offered us a refund. When it came time to pay up, they changed their tune and started asking us for pictures as proof. By FL law, we cant take pics of the property. Additionally, it shows us that Evolve has never actually checked the claims of their property before advertising it. After the fact, we checked reviews over the last 4 years and MANY people said the same thing that the listing is misleading and lies about a few things that we can corroborate. Evolve then refused to refund us, even though we couldnt have stayed there if we wanted. The animals removed that option for my son and I, because of very bad allergies. We want a COMPLETE refund and they need to rewrite the listing to be clear and honest. Furthermore, the host should not be able to inject themselves into your vacation, as it shows in many of the reviews that she did the exact same thing to them.

  

  Business response

  05/31/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for resurfacing your concern here. As a number of points made were advertised on the listing prior to booking, we do take the presence of undisclosed animals on the property serious as this violates our 4 Core Promise Standards of As-Advertised and Safe. We have identified the matter raised and are working diligently with the Owner to update the property's advertisement. At this time we have issued you a full refund which will return to your form of payment in the next 3-5 business days. Should your Booking Fees not be automatically refunded, please reach out to your booking platform (Vrbo) as Evolve does not have control over those funds and remittance will need to be done between the two of you. We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused, and truly appreciate your time in alerting us of this situation.

  Thank you,

  The Evolve Team

   

• Initial Complaint

  05/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I booked a booking through Airbnb for evolve. I had to have a change in locations so I asked if I could transfer my deposit to a different evolve property. The customer service told me I would have to very with the property owner. I contacted my reservation host who then contacted the owner and she informed me that he said he was fine with allowing me to transfer my deposit. Based on this, I booked the new property with evolve. After contacting evolve again they pretended to not be able to reach the owner to confirm. I called and wrote several times and after over a week they said they reached him and he was not going to allow the refund. After he had already agreed and this was the sole reason I booked the more expensive evolve property (simply to not lose my deposit). I could have booked another airbnb property for cheaper. Yet now Im stuck with evolve just because they convinced the owner to change his mind. I am very disappointed in the customer service of this company and will never recommend.My deposit was $358.59 and now its a complete waste. I would like them to transfer this balance to my new reservation like the property owner originally agreed to do.

  

  Business response

  06/04/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for taking the time to inform us of your experience. As we have investigated this matter in great length, there is no documentation showing that Evolve nor the owner authorized a refund of your down-deposit to switch properties; while you may have rebooked an Evolve property, all the homes are owned individually by different owners. In this case, the change in homes was a cancellation for one owner with a Strict Cancellation Policy and a new booking for a different owner. While we understand this is confusing, we are happy to let you know Evolve has granted a one-time exception to the Strict Cancellation Policy and refunded the down deposit of the first booking. Please note that Airbnb processing times for this are quoted to be 5-8 business days to return to your form of payment. If Airbnb's Booking Fee isn't automatically refunded, we ask you call them as Evolve has no control over those separate funds. We again apologize for the confusion but look forward to hosting you later this month!

  Thank you,

  The Evolve Team

  Customer response

  06/07/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************************

• Initial Complaint

  05/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I rented this VRBO for 5 days, 4 nights through Evolve. It did not have properly working ** or washing machine as advertised during my stay. I was asked to be on the premise for 2 separate days for service calls to deal with the *** My signature is on the service call with Vivant for Saturday May 18, 2024. The owner of the condo lied and said he reimbursed me $40 cash which never happened. I have 4 adult children who were there with me and can verify this. Evolve Vacation rental did not help to resolve this as I had asked for a 1 night reimbursement which I feel is fair. I was refunded only $50. I paid over $2200 for this rental. I was left with the ** "hot wired" overnight on May 17, 2024 which is in the photos and the owner chose to leave it this way. This is not safe practice. My review for this property was never displayed on their site. I did not get services as advertised and no real attempts at a fair resolution.

  

  Business response

  05/31/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for reaching out and notifying us of this matter as we take safety concerns seriously. Please note that we here at Evolve have issued you an additional reimbursement to equate to one night refunded for the thermostat malfunction and will be returned to your form of payment in the next 3-5 business days. Beyond this, the documentation provided does show you were able to utilize the washer quickly after your initial attempt by closing the door gently and consider this matter resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience of the inoperable thermostat, and truly do hope we get the opportunity to demonstrate the expectations we hold of our properties in the future!

  Thank you,

  The Evolve Team

   

• Initial Complaint

  05/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked a home rental via the Evolve website in January of 2024 for a four-night stay over Memorial Day weekend (May *****) in ********, **. I communicated with the owner the Monday and Tuesday before our Thursday check-in. Over 2.5 hours into our drive to the home, we received an email that our reservation was cancelled by the owner because they were doing some remodeling. This was approximately one hour before our 4 pm check-in time. I promptly called Evolve, as their email listed some alternative options that were either too small for my family of four or did not offer the same amount of nights for the stay. I was basically told that they cant do anything because the owner cancelled. They said we would receive a refund in about a week, but didnt have any other properties to offer seeing as it was a holiday weekend. I spent over two hours in a random park on the phone with Evolve trying to come to a solution - I spoke to over four different people as the service was not great and calls kept dropping. Each one had a different solution, but none of which actually provided us with a useful solution to rectify what had happened. At one point after the third dropped call, I got an email that said we are having trouble reaching you, so the problem must be resolved. That was far from true. I ultimately spoke with someone who offered to pay a partial amount of a hotel stay for my family. This person also sent over options for different housing. But the costs were double what we had planned to pay for the original house due to the holiday weekend/last minute reservation. It is a shame that this company allows owners to leave renters completely stranded an hour before checking into a reservation they made months prior. If they are going to continue to allow this, they need to make it much more clear for renters, who I hope will work with another company that doesnt allow this.

  

  Business response

  05/31/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for following up with us about this matter. We apologize for the unforeseen cancellation, however would like to clarify the "remodeling" you were notified about was for a main pipe burst that cracked the home's foundation and caused major flooding as well as safety and health concern. Due to the severity of the situation, Evolve did refund your reservation in full on May 23, 2024 in addition to sending payment by check in the amount of your hotel receipt (this does take ***** business days to arrive to your place of residence as delivery times are dependent on **** services). In the future - regardless of booking platform - we would like to raise attention to clauses (similar to Section 11b of Evolve's Rental Agreement) that releases liability of distributions for unforeseen, last minute cancellations; we encourage you to review Rental Agreement terms prior to booking and purchase **************** for stays to mitigate impact should something like this arise again.

  Thank you,

  The Evolve Team

  Customer response

  06/04/2024

   
  Complaint: 21756328
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  That was the first time I've heard about it being a "hazardous" pipe issue - the voicemail I received from your company said "we just received notice from the homeowners that the home is no longer available...doing some remodeling." My most pressing question is when did Evolve get notified about this issue? Was it just one hour before our check-in time? Because I did exchange a few texts with the owner, mostly about the possibility of an early check-in, and the last one I have from the owner said that I should be getting a message from Evolve shortly. That was on the Tuesday morning before our Thursday check-in (I'm happy to provide screen shots of this). So when were you notified of this issue? One hour before our check-in or two days before? If you were notified two days prior to our reservation, that falls solely on your company for the lack of communication. I'd love to see proof of when you were given notice of the pipe issue. 

  And to your point on the refund, yes we were refunded as we should have been, but it's bigger than that - this ruined our big summer family vacation that I had planned in January. There has been little empathy from anyone on the Evolve team about this - it's been a shrug of the shoulders and being told "there's nothing we can do." I flat out would never recommend your company to anyone as I've now had two poor experiences with Evolve.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩