ComplaintsforAMI Locals LLC

• Initial Complaint

  12/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Renting a house for Christmas 755 jaracnda on **** ***** island and the rental company AMI Locals part of Prime Vacations who rented me the property, have not addressed or fixed the issue Im experiencing I.e no heat in the pool or spa, as well as heat in the house. Ive called 4x about the above and finally got them to turn up the heat in the house, but I still cant enjoy the pool or hot tube ********* disappointed since Im paying $2,000 a night and have a baby with us.

  Business response

  01/05/2023

  To this guest and to any readers, we are sorry that this experience was less than 5-stars. We truly strive to provide every guest with a wonderful stay in our properties. Unfortunately, rental homes are homes at the end of the day, which result in normal household issues. It is our responsibility to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. We were happy to resolve this guest's issues and provide a refund for the inconvenience. We consider this matter closed, and we hope to earn this guest's trust back in the future.

• Initial Complaint

  11/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Checked into an AMI Locals property on 11/2 that was advertised as having a heated pool. On 11/3, notified them the pool was not heated and shared a picture of the pool heater that was off & appeared to be worked on but left unfinished. On 11/3, they responded saying someone would be out soon (nobody showed up). They kept saying someone would be out after following up multiple times over multiple days. Late afternoon 11/7, a new heater was finally installed - On 11/8, our first day of being able to use the pool workers showed up when we were actually getting ready to use the pool for the first time since it was finally warm, advised us the pool had poor acid readings and they needed to add acid and we would not be able to use the pool for an hour. Basically, we barely had half a day of the ability to use the heated pool as advertised - Our check out date was 11/9. I've shared with the business what I thought would be fair return compensation for the issues experienced - Every time I follow up the response is "your stay is being discussed & you will be hearing from us ASAP" It's been 7 days since we've checked out and 9 days since the return compensation I asked for was discussed. I'll also add: the dishwasher did not work the entire stay, blinds were missing and not working in certain locations. I paid AMI Locals around $8k for the property - They asked what fair return compensation would be and I asked for 50% ($4k) return of the $8k - We would not have stayed at the property if the pool was not heated. It was the sole reason we stayed at the property. Please assist with return compensation with the business as they're clearly not going to handle without more formal complaints. I will attach a picture of the original pool heater. Thank you.

  Business response

  11/17/2022

  We have contacted this guest to resolve their concerns. We and the guests have agreed on a refund, and feel this is resolved and closed at this time.

• Initial Complaint

  11/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We rented ****************************************************************************************** from 10/22/22 thru 10/29/22. This property was advertised as Handicap and advertised as having an elevator since there were so many, many steps. My husband is handicapped and cannot climb steps. We were told the afternoon before that the elevator was broken and could not be used. They offered other places in other towns but were no where near comparable. We were hoping they would try and repair it during out stay but that never happened. There was not one bathroom with grab bars which is a handicap necessity. Door handles were falling off, showers not working, (one bathroom was flooding with leaks from the shower). We had No Internet or TV for almost three days. The Hot tub was not working, pool had problems, etc +++++. This was advertised as a "Luxury Beach Front Property" and was anything but. Our payment for the week was $10,563. I called with problems almost every day. I e-mailed a two page letter with all the problems we had and never heard back from one person. I again phoned today to see if there were going to give us any compensation and was told "no". This was a falsely advertised property and we should be compensated for all the problems we incurred on what was supposed to be a family birthday celebration. I was told there would be some compensation which has not been received this date. At least a refund of half of this fee for the inexcusable condition of this property being rented should be given.

  Business response

  11/08/2022

  The guest's dates of stay were 10/22 - 10/29, 2022. Prior to arrival, our ***** Services Team notified the guests that the elevator was down, and the repair date would be after their departure. They were given an option for relocation less than 10-minutes away from their original property but declined. It was made very clear to the guests that they would not have access to this amenity during their stay as it was a safety issue. We informed the guests upon arrival on 10/22, 2022, that we would compensate them for this loss. Our office contacted these guests over ten times during their stay, documented in our recorded phone lines, as we wanted to ensure they felt as taken care of as possible. All other minor issues reported by the guests were taken care of by our on-site representatives within hours of the original reports. Our ***** Services team notified the guests of their refund on 10/26, 2022, 3 days before departure. Our team refunded the guests $902.27. The refund was processed back onto the card on 10/28, 2022. A ***** Services agent spoke with this guest on 11/7/2022, when they acknowledged their refund and asked for more to be refunded (again, on a recorded phone line). They were informed, as they already had been, that this amount was final.

  Customer response

  11/09/2022

   
  Complaint: 18371049
  
  I am rejecting this response because: this property was not ready for guests nor safe for guests. The door handles were fixed but continued to fall off.  We were greatly inconvenienced by not having Internet to be able to work or TV for almost three days.  The showers still continued leaking and the master one was also broken.  We had called several times prior to our arrival to ensure that the elevator would be working and was told it was.  They had weeks to have it repaired. (It was not even rented the week before our arrival, why wasn't it checked when the prior tenants weeks before left).  They have an INSPECTION team wouldn't they have seen it two weeks prior to our arrival if it was broken. They have on the website that it is for handicap and should not be if they do not have the necessary requirements for a handicapped individual.  (Elevator/Safety Grab Bars).  We were not told until the "AFTERNOON" before that the elevator was broken.  We had booked a beachfront property and nothing offered was even comparable to that and what was offered was much longer and farther than 10 minutes away. And we booked a property in *************** because that is where my family wanted to go.  And yes between myself calling and them calling it may have been 10 calls but they were always told our problems and continued to say how "sorry" they were for the inconvenience and tried only to fix the door handles.  There was never a plumber sent who would have repaired the leak and master shower the correct way instead of bandaiding things.  When you rent a property for over $10,000 for one week or any property for that matter you expect that you are getting at least what you are paying for and AMI did not provide a safe, carefree, in "good" condition rental. I am extremely disappointed that not one person replied to the e-mail I sent listing the 10 problems we PUT UP WITH during our stay.  How they came up with the $900 amount for a concession I have no idea and it certainly was unacceptable. I did not see it posted until after I sent this complaint. I was told about the $900 but said we were disappointed with that amount and whoever I spoke with said she would talk with her supervisor. (Why would she even have said that if in fact she felt the same as I did).  I would have thought being a reputable rental agency the size of AMI would do anything to create good will and have offered at least half or even a third for our inconvenience.  Their reply is disappointing and very unprofessional and if anything, certainly does not create good will. It's too bad I did not check with the BBB before we rented with AMI because we would have seen the numerous complaints filed. A happy customer as we know gives good reviews and an unhappy one well they know!!  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  Business response

  11/10/2022

  We offered to relocate these guests at no charge, they declined. We responded to all in-house issues within hours of the reports (with exception of the WiFi - as this needed to be handled by the internet provider which is out of our control), and we refunded a substantial amount of this guest's stay. We feel as though we responded to and rectified this guest's issues as timely and efficiently as possible. We are very sorry that they did not have a good experience, as this is never the feeling we want for our guests. This being said, our team was in constant contact with her from before her arrival to after her departure, and kept her aware as possible of all of the steps to her issues, including our resolution which is final.

• Initial Complaint

  10/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Rented a home on **** ***** Island Oct. ****. Upon arrival, the following issues were noted and reported to AMI Locals: refrigerator not working, WI-FI (and therefore televisions) not working, two bedrooms without electricity or power, private pool heater not working, spa/hot tub heater not working. Our total was $2,800 for four nights. We asked for $1,400 refund (50%) and were given $672 refund.

  Business response

  10/24/2022

  This guest stayed from 10/9 - 10/13. Upon arrival, they notified us there was an issue with the *** When ************** got to the property at 9:28 pm it was 69 degrees in the home. On the second day of their stay, they reported their fridge was not working. That same day, we had a loaner refrigerator delivered. The partial power outage (due to the hurricane prior to their arrival) was taken care of on the third day of their stay. The internet had gone out (due to the hurricane prior to their arrival), and the soonest available timeslot for the internet provider to service was the fourth day of their stay. We do recognize that their pool equipment was down (due to the hurricane prior to their arrival). For this reason, and due to the partial power outage for two days of their five day stay, we refunded a little over thirty percent of her booking cost. Guests can always request a certain amount of compensation, however, per our Terms and Conditions, we are not required to provide any. We did refund, again, thirty percent of her base rental fee.

  Customer response

  10/24/2022

   
  Complaint: 18245674
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  There were inaccuracies in the response including:

  We arrived 4:30 PM on 10/9 and checked out at 9:30 AM on 10/13, which is a 4 day/night stay, not five. It should be noted that we did not have the issues resolved for at least half of our stay. Additionally, the loaner refrigerator was placed outside by the pool area. So, throughout our stay, we never had a working refrigerator inside the home. We had to walk outside and down two flights of stairs to access the refrigerator. Looking back at our conversations, the company was made aware of the refrigerator issue on the first night of our stay, not second as was stated in the response. 
  

  We paid extra to have a home with a private pool and spa. We were unable to use these for the duration of our stay, and would expect full compensation for this. Perhaps the difference of what we would have paid for a home without these amenities. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  11/02/2022

  **************** came to our Island to stay at one of our properties directly after a Hurricane.  We communicated with all of our guests that our area had not had power for up to 7 days proir to arrival; therefore, the pools would have been down for a period.  We explained we were working to bring all properties and amenities up to the level we know our guest deserve and are accustomed too.  

  Our guest were given the option at that time of rescheduling for another date this year or in 2023.   We understand it is hard to reschedule with families and travel plans and felt we were being as flexible as possible.  Our Terms and Conditions state we are not responsible for Acts of God and we do offer and encourage guest to purchase **************** through CSA Travel.  

  Upon arrival and her reporting her concerns, we extended compensation as shown below: 

  $672 is 30% of your base rental fee plus tax.Your base rental fee - $2,000 $2,000 x .30 = $600 $600 x .12 (12% tax) = $72 $600 + $72 (tax) = $672.

  We work hard and hope our guest enjoy their stay and time here.  Our T & C state we are also not responsible for mechanical issues such as a downed pool; however, we wanted her to know we appreciate her as a guest and extended the compensation.  

   

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Please allow this email to serve as an overview of our vacation stay at Palmetto Point, July 30 thru August 4th. The home itself was beautiful, though it was in very bad condition. I estimate that I was on the phone either via text or a call at least 20 times during our stay. We had housekeepers, plumbers, bug people, a handyman, and an upholstery cleaner all coming over during our intended vacation. We were and are very disappointed that AMI Locals would rent a house to us that was in this condition. We have video and photographs of various things in the house that were wrong if you would like to see them, but I think based on the vendors that came over-their feedback may suffice. My husband who is from ***** grew up going to **** ***** Island and really wanted to show our family. We request a refund for our stay in the amount of 60% off the total cost. 5-Star Beach House Luxury home for entertaining with fully stocked gourmet kitchen with plenty of room for several cooks and fully stocked with everything you need to prepare a gourmet meal...wasnt even a frying pan. Checked in Saturday (July 30th) at 4:00 PM Saturday night Floors in the house were filthy (bare feet black) - 2 maids came and vacuumed/mopped the entire house Sofas in the living room were filthy Kitchen sink faucet was not operating - **** came for an hour and tried to repair it but was unable to fix it. Had to use the bathroom sink for cooking/cleaning AC in master bedroom not operating/cooling and we were unable to sleep in the master bedroom The walls in the house were filthy, marks everywhere. Icemaker didnt work.Sunday (July 31st) Termite droppings on the stovetop - apparently coming from the vent area above the stove. Only able to use the front right burner to cook to avoid termite droppings in food. We would clean these off periodically, but they were always dropping onto the stovetop.

• Initial Complaint

  08/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We paid AMI Locals, LLC $4,863 for a 1 week stay at Starfish Cottage on **** ***** Island (202 ***********, ******************, **) and checked in on 7/30/22 with children. Issues reported immediately but never repaired include: *Non-working ice maker *3 of 5 indoor TVs didn't work ************ not working *Oven was horrendously loud and would heat for a bit then shut off (unsafe to use) Adding to the frustration: *WE had to clean kitchen counters and cooking area before use. *After sweeping and vacuuming, the floors were still so dirty they still left your feet black. *Numerous personal items left by prior occupants were found including but not limited to: underwear, toiletries and feminine products. *The pool was not serviced during our stay until the day before we were to check out so it was unusable from Wednesday until mid-day on Friday. *One of our children found drugs left in the home. *** was contacted immediately and repeatedly before the police were notified. We first spoke with *****, who said, "Just be glad it isn't needles or a gun as that happens frequently also. I'm going to inform management, contact the police and call you right back." Approx 1 1/2 hours later we called back and had start all over; as, there was no record of our call with *****. Eventually the police and a representative of *** came to the house. The *** representative told us, "We have to retrieve guns all the time". What? UNBELIEVABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE! Homeowners that are paying for property management services and families looking for a clean and safe vacation rental need to be made aware of these "common" occurrences. It's obvious the homes are not cleaned, inspected or maintained. We certainly did NOT get what is advertised and what we paid for. In an effort to negotiate a fair resolution, we have left messages for and emailed ***** (manager's name provided by *******) but she has been unresponsive.

  Customer response

  08/27/2022

  We have heard nothing from the business.

  Business response

  11/11/2022

  This guest stayed 7/30 - 8/6. They attempted to extend for an additional week but were unhappy with the pricing. After they were given their rate for extension, on the last full day of their stay, they informed us there was paraphernalia in one of the drawers in the bedroom. These notifications, for us, never happen, so we took this very seriously and immediately contacted the authorities to head to their rental to ensure it was confiscated to return the property back to the safest standard possible. The police were there within one hour of the guest's report, they were met with our Senior Maintenance Technician. After this situation, the guests informed us of other issues that they noticed during their stay, asking for compensation. The guests did admit that they had not informed us when they first noticed them, which made it impossible for us to assist them, as we were unaware. We informed the guests that we are unable to compensate for issues that we are not made aware of. We responded to the one issue we were made aware of in a very timely manner and were unaware of the others until right before this guest checked out. Therefore, we did not and will not be providing a refund at this time.

• Initial Complaint

  07/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We rented a house with a private pool on Anna Maria Island. Upon check in we noted the pool to be cloudy and appeared to have some algae. Notified the company within 40 minutes of checking in. It took 3 days to get someone out to look at it. They shocked the pool, which means it would be at least another 24 hours before it can be used. The communication was horrible, I often had to call and or text multiple times per day. After requesting to speak with someone from management, I was told at least eight times I would be contacted. It has been almost two weeks since we checked out and I've still yet to be contacted. So I essentially paid for a house with a pool for a week that my family was able to use about 2.5 days. If I had rented a house without a pool I would have paid at least $1000 less than what I did. I am attempting to get a refund for the difference but again can't get anyone from management to speak with me or return my calls.

  Business response

  08/16/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/01) */ This guest was contacted by our Guest Services Team Lead to rectify their concern with a refund.

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  May 17, 2022, paid in full $4532.39 for July 2-9, 2022, at the Islands West Resort, ******** ******** in Holmes Beach. July 3, I reached out to AMI Locals and let them know the unit was not satisfactory. Requested placement in another AMI Locals property that was cleaner and less run-down. No response was given to that request. Sent pictures of cockroach, dirt (on ceilings, walls, etc.), sticky and hairy gunk on floors and walls. On July 4, I was asked if there was anything that could be done in the unit to rectify the situation. The attempt to resolve the issue by sending cleaners in was not adequate or appropriate for the situation. I said no because it would need a complete cleaning, spraying for cockroaches, painting, upholstery cleaning and an overall refresh--all of which could not be done in a time frame that would be appropriate for a week-long vacation. On July 5, my family found another place to stay. We left the AMI Locals property at 3:00 pm on July 5. I notified AMI Locals on the same day. AMI Locals states it is their goal to provide guests with a clean and fully functional rental property. The website (********************************************************************) includes a description of the property and communicates what the company commits to provide. Some clearly false descriptions follow: "Brand-new Luxury Villas. Make yourself at home at this brand new construction 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom poolside villa! This top-notch home is beautifully decorated and has all the modern conveniences you could want." They did not provide truth in advertising. The images on the website were obviously very outdated. The couch on the website was fresh and clean, the reality was dark and dirty. It was so b I wouldn't even sit on it. The drapes had brown/red stains on the inside and were dark and heavy. The shrubs outside of the unit looked like at least a couple of years of growth. The front door was moldy. Asked for refund. Denied.

  Business response

  08/17/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 11, 2022/08/01) */ Upon check-in, the guest reported issues that would have been easily resolved by our team members. We are always happy to respond efficiently and timely to any issues our guests face. This guest did not allow us to come in for any maintenance and/or cleaning assistance. Per our Terms and Conditions that this guest signed prior to departure: refunds are not guaranteed for early departures. Any early departure from the property and a refund to follow would depend on the rebooking of the property, this guest's property did not rebook for her missed days. We are unable to refund if we are not given the opportunity to resolve issues as they are brought to our attention. Consumer Response /* (3000, 13, 2022/08/02) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Could not have been easily resolved. New couch, new paint, deep cleaning, exterminating, etc. was not going to happen within the time frame of our stay. This is a case of false advertising. Pictures of listing were outdated and dishonest. Description included blatant lies. They did not provide what we paid for. AMI Locals has an obligation to provide what is advertised and what is advertised should be up-to-date and accurate. Pictures show what was advertised and the actual condition of the couch and outdoor area with height of shrubs and condition of lounge chairs as evidence of dishonest and outdated advertising. The description on the website at https://www.amilocals.com/anna-maria-island-rentals/villa-1-sailfish includes the following descriptions: "Brand-new Luxury Villas Welcome to Villa Sailfish at The Islands West Resort! Make yourself at home at this brand new construction 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom poolside villa! This top-notch home is beautifully decorated and has all the modern conveniences you could want. Inside you will find a cozy main living space that consists of a kitchen with full-size appliances, an eating area that seats four and a living room with a comfy sofa."

• Initial Complaint

  05/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Rented a property 5/7-5/21, agent is ami. Property is ************************ on ************. Listing on ami site says property has deeded beach access 4 minute walk to gulf beach. Called ami twice before renting to confirm deeded beach access 4 minute walk and was told yes. Checked in and could not find the beach access at the end of the road. Contacted ami sent screen shot of map with public access beach over a mile from property saying beach access. Called spoke with rep after 30 minutes told me beach access is about a mile away, public beach access. We can't go to beach without driving, find parking and walking more than 4 minutes. We paid a premium for this property for the short walk to the beach. The property listing is misleading as the first thing it list is the beach access, then staff confirmed twice only to arrive and find out that is not true. Enclosed screen shot of ami listing and text we received locating the public beach access we can use.

  Business response

  05/12/2022

  Consumer Response /* (3000, 5, 2022/05/12) */ Ami has resolved the issue.

• Initial Complaint

  05/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Don't use AMI Locals to manage your rentals or rent from them.We were celebrating our 15 year anniversary in a beach front condo unit that has a slider door and patio giving us direct access to the beach and to enjoy the patio. This was the main reason we wanted to rent this unit and spent the extra amount of money...so we could easily access the beach and use the patio. The day of our vacation, 5/7, we received a phone call from Rachel at AMI stating that the units slider glass door was broken and would not be useable. I was told that they could move us to a different unit or compensate us in some way since someone wouldn't be able to come and replace the door until 5/10, which was more than half of our trip. She sent us two different units, one was a house inland and another was a small condo unit on the bayside. We declined because both were not comparable to what we spent to be directly on the beach. She then suggested, as a resolution, that we stay in the unit and that they would pay for a dinner at Waterfront, which would be about $60. We spent $2,000 for the total trip and didn't feel like that was fair so we declined and asked her to speak with a manager. She then said she would call management and get back to us later that day. We arrived at our unit that day and never received a call back from her. At 9am the next day, on 5/8, I called AMI Locals and spoke with someone who told me that Rachel wasn't going to be calling back until 5/9. I was trying to be patient, but I was frustrated. 5/9 rolled around and still nothing. I called on 5/10 again at 9am and a male answered the phone. Told me the same story and said Rachel would call me asap. We had no idea when the company was coming to fix the door or anything. I then asked to speak with a manager. Again, I was told a manager would call me. It's 5:48pm and still no call. Also the company came and didn't fix the door like Rachel said. She lied to me and it is impossible to get in touch with anyone who cares.

  Business response

  05/26/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/11) */ Guest was called on the morning of arrival date to notify him the slider doors were not to be used until scheduled repair could be done. A repair was scheduled for slider repair for 5/10 with no ETA provided. Vendor was unable to complete repair securely enough for guest to use. We offered to move guest before arrival; however, he declined as he wanted to be Gulf front and we had no other options. We have communicated with guest on compensation for his inconvenience, purchased a gift card for a nice eatery of his choice, delivered it and arranged for a reservation at his request. Guest confirmed he feels we have accommodated his request for the inconvenience.

*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. ↩