ComplaintsforSouthern Vacation Rentals

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Facilities Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I found a six bedroom, six bathroom rental called Villa Del Carmen through Souther Vacation Rental’s website. I paid $3650.58 upfront for the my stay from 6/9-6/15. When I arrived on the property the air conditioner in the pool house, I.e. 6th bedroom/6th bathroom, had the air conditioner set at 91 degrees. We turned the unit on and thought it was pups cool down in a couple hours. Unfortunately, that was not the case, the air conditioner never cooled the room and as a consequence no one could sleep in that room or make use the bathroom. We had to double up inside the main house and incur additional costs to put people up in a hotel because there wasn’t enough room in the main house. I reported the issue to the customer service line and they said they would send someone but that person did not show up until the following day at 4pm. That left me without full use and enjoyment of the property I paid for upfront for 48hours. When I called the customer service line again to complain and asked to speak with a manager, they would not let me. The Customer Service rep named Chelsea promised to refund me for the time I did not have access to the room and promised to give me a call back. I reached out to them via email several times since that call and each time they ignored my request to have the refund.

  Business response

  06/17/2024

  BBB Claim:
  Guest: Patsy *********
  Property: Villa Del Carmen
  Dates: Jun 9, 2024 - Jun 15, 2024

  
  Guest first contacted Southern Vacation Rentals on June 10th at 7:53PM stating that the AC is at 91 degrees and if someone couldn’t come out to fix it, they would like money back. We attempted to reach out to the guest but the phone number on file was not correct. We sent an email to the guests let them know that we were actively working on getting someone out to address the AC for them. Guest did not contact us back till June 11th, at 10:07am. The guest demanded the number to the property manager which was declined as all guest's communication goes through Guest Services. We then informed the guests that the AC was scheduled to be fixed that day and the vendor was completed by 2pm. We attempted to reach out to the guests regarding compensation, and they never contacted us back. I will issue a credit of $140.20 (30% of the nightly rate) due to the AC being out in the pool house for less than 24 hours. Please note that the pool  No further compensation will be provided.
  

  Thank you,
  Amanda ****
  Regional Director of Guest Services. 

• Initial Complaint

  05/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Week of May 12 - 18th The bed in the master bedroom was broken but put back together. It collapsed two nights in a row before we called maintenance. First night, we straighten the legs because they were bent and you could see scratches on the floor where this had happened multiple times. After the bed collapsed again, we bought a screwdriver put the screws back in - there were multiple holes where THIS HAD BEEN AN ISSUE. Once maintenance was notified, they brought in a new bed after 2 nights - then charged a damanage fee of $1000.00 - this was NOT RIGHT because the bed was in bad shape to begin with. In addition, this unit had a broken coffee pot, knobs missing on cabinet in kitchen, black mold on sliding door, ceiling fan that made noises, wend 6 hours without water - had to have maintenance in building twice and then the delivery .... went without being able to sleep in master bedroom for 4 nights. Speaking to customer service on 05/21/24, they said that the bed was not damaged on arrival - I BEG TO DIFFER. There is no reason for a kingsize bed to collapse, have markings on the floor where the frame legs had collapsed, broken ends on legs. It collapse TWICE, even after putting it back together the first night. I am registering this complaint to get the $1000 returned due to damages that were not at fault. It was a crappy bed to begin with.

  Business response

  06/20/2024

  BBB Claim: ********
  Guest: Michael ******
  Property: Island Princess #607
  Dates: May 12, 2024 - May 18, 2024

  
  After further investigation, we will agree to this guest's request to refund the damage charge of $1,000. Please see the attached receipt of the credit issued to the guests.
  
  Thank you,
  Amanda ****
  Regional Director of Guest Services. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We arrived 10/7/23 at 7:30 pm at Destiny Beach Villas #10B to find the unit not clean, smelled of mildew/mold and infested with mice/cockroaches. There were mouse droppings in every room in the unit including on the kitchen countertops, floor & inside cabinets. Additionally, there were dead cockroaches on the floor as well as I killed a cockroach that was running on the floor within a few minutes of our arrival. See attached pictures of initial text with business at 7:36 pm central time, mouse droppings, cockroaches & a unit that wasn’t cleaned. Contact was promptly made with Southern Vacation Rentals via text/phone call & was told there was nothing that could be done until a manager checked out the unit. When I spoke with a manager on Monday, 10/9 he indicated that since we checked in after 10:00 pm on 10/7 there was nothing that could be done that night which was a lie. We arrived at 7:30 pm on 10/7 & immediately reached out to get this taken care of. The most disappointing part of this whole experience is that we were not offered a comparable unit to stay in & Southern Vacation Rentals left us hung out to dry to find our own lodging accommodations for the night of 10/7; shame on Southern Vacation Rentals. We finally found a room available at the Hilton Sandestin Beach & Golf Resort and had to waste my wife’s hotel points to secure the room. When we hadn’t heard from Southern Vacation Rentals by 12 noon on 10/8, we were forced to get the room at the Hilton another night to ensure we had a place to stay. All Southern Vacation Rentals had to do was to find us a comparable unit in the area to stay in until another unit became available at Destiny Beach Villas. Horrid, appalling, pitiful & pathetic service.

  Business response

  02/16/2024

  BBB Claim: 21162602
  Guest: Ryan ***********
  Unit: Destiny Beach Villas 10B
  Arrival: Oct. 7th, 2023
  Guest contacted us at 9pm on October 7th stating that they would not be staying in the unit due to what they believed was rat feces. We made the guest aware that we would send someone over the next day to inspect the unit and schedule a vendor accordingly if need. On October 9th, we reached out to the guest and made them aware that we would provide them with the option to get a full refund or move to another property. The guest chose a full refund which was provided. The guest then came back and decided to move to unit 5A in the same complex. We provided them with a $538 discount and rebooked at a lower rate to make up for the issues they encountered within the first 24 hours. Guest accepted. I feel this compensation along with moving the guest was fair and we will not be providing any further refunds.
  

  Please see attached:

  
  Thank you,
  Amanda ****
  Regional Director of Guest Services

  Customer response

  02/20/2024

  
  Complaint: 21162602
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  Southern Vacation Rentals left us with nowhere to stay the day we checked in, 10/7 at 7:30 pm CST.  Southern Vacation Rentals is lying when stating we made initial contact at 9:00 pm CST.  Southern Vacation Rentals is lying when they stated we were offered to move to another unit at a different property, 10/7...we would have taken the offer to move to another property because we had no place to stay!  Again...never were we offered & given the option to move to another property for the night of 10/7 which was the day we checked in.  Contact was immediately made at 7:36 pm CST via text (including pictures of mouse droppings & cockroaches) letting Southern Vacation Rentals know that the unit was infested with cockroaches & mice; pictures submitted with complaint proves this.  We spoke with a representative with Southern Vacation Rentals, 10/7 at 8:30 pm CST & was told there was nothing that could be done until the next day, left us without lodging and we would be contacted the next day.  Without a resolution, 10/7 other than a manager would inspect the next day, we were left with no place to stay.  We were forced to find a hotel & use my wife's hotel points to check in at the Hilton Sandestin which equated to $800.00.  When we hadn't heard from Southern Vacation Rentals the next day, 10/8 by 12:00 pm CST, we were forced to get the room at the Hilton another night to ensure we had lodging accommodations.  Shame on Southern Vacation Rentals to not put us in a comparable unit for the night we checked in, 10/7.  Horrible service for a guest to walk into a unit to find mouse droppings & cockroaches all over the unit (I killed a cockroach running on the ground within a few minutes after arrival!) and not resolve the situation that night & find us a comparable unit for lodging.  When speaking with the manager 10/9, they said that since we checked in 10/7, after 10:00 pm CST there was nothing that could be done that night which was a lie.  Evidence to the contrary is clearly shown in the pictures attached to the complaint.  Compensation in the amount of $800.00 will be the only acceptable outcome to cover the costs of the hotel for the nights of 10/7 & 10/8 and Southern Vacation Rentals horrid, pathetic, pitiful service handling this situation.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Ryan ***********

• Initial Complaint

  10/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Southern Vacation Rentals failed to provide us with a safe, livable condo from Oct 3-10. I spent almost $1800 on a rental that was filthy upon entering. Urine stains on the sheets, broken door lock on the main door, broken door lock on the balcony door, rugs and floors so dirty that my feet were black, tripping hazard for the rug in master bynched up, broken trash can, mold and dead bugs in the doors. Requested cleaning supplies on Oct 3, waited for the property manager to show so I sat in the condo waiting for almost 24 hours losing out on beach time. We requested to be moved but the proeprty manager was new and didnt know anything. Stated a move request would bw done. But the CSM said property managwr to do, property manager said gyest relations would do it. A run around with no resolve. Then they offered a 10% refund, never submitted by them. Here we are on day 5 of our trip and were back to having a broken door lock, no one coming to fix it. So we lose out on vacation time sitting in the condo. The absolute worst experience of my life. I want my money back for this sham condo and sham company ive had to deal with.

• Initial Complaint

  09/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  We booked a condo at Edgewater Beach Resort through Southern Vacation rentals on 9-7 for 3 nights. When we arrived we found wet towels had been left in the washing machine and the smell was terrible. We also noticed we had no wi-fi or cable TV that worked. The guest bathroom tub was also barely draining water out after the kids 7 and 8 years old took a shower. After multiple calls and text they told us at 8:40 pm that no one could come out that evening to address any of the concerns because all the workers left at 5. I asked to be moved to another room that didn't have all these problems and they refused to move us. We asked for a refund so we could book through someone else and they also refused that. After several calls and messages the next day the local property manager for Tower 1 came out and he showed me a message he sent Southern Vacation rentals on Wednesday telling them the fiber optic cables to the unit were cut and it did not need to be rented until it was corrected which would not be until next week. We were assured they would "make it right" but could not offer us anything until after all the issues at the condo were corrected. I told them they wouldn't be corrected until after our trip was over and they said that was their policy. We were told to expect a call on Tuesday 9-12 and have never received one. We have asked for someone in management to call and no one will respond. Seeing the messages telling them to not rent the condo and them doing it anyway and taking our money and refusing to move us or refund it i feel this was outright stealing our money. I keep calling hoping they will make this right but no one will respond.

• Initial Complaint

  09/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I booked a four night stay with Southern Vacation Rental beginning 9/9/23-9/14/23. My flight landed at 11:06 arrived at the rental to find cockroaches in the home. We killed one that fell from the ceiling, and flushed it. The other ran under the master toilet and one was on the bed. I contacted Southern Vacation Rental requesting to move to another place and the said they didn’t have any available. I said I would not be staying and wanted a refund. The agent said that shouldn’t be a problem once the manager had reviewed. No one has called, so I called to settle up with them this morning 9/12/23. So I called them to be informed that I didn’t give them adequate time to address the situation and that they could only offer me a 30% refund which came to like $356. I’m like what was I suppose to do stay there and have them crawl on us in bed. And the lady Christina (not sure if that how she spells it) said that I could have went out and got bug spray and sprayed a house I had just arrived at that was suppose to be clean and ready for a stay and in a healthy condition that I’m sure the health department would not want us in. She also wanted to call it s palmetto bug which is in fact a cockroach. Please advise what more I should do. I have pics of dead ones around the bed and the alive one as well. Thank you, Mrs. LeJandie *****

• Initial Complaint

  08/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I was wrongfully charged by this company on 5/10/2023 for $80 for a cigarette burn in their couch after renting the property for a week. No one that was staying there with me smokes so the burn had to have happened before we got there. I have asked for proof of the damage and it was not provided. Instead they have just stopped replying to me.

• Initial Complaint

  08/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  We rented from Southern Vacation rentals for my daughters Softball Tournament at the Edgewater Resort as most of the team was staying at that resort. Upon arriving, the floors were sandy, at first glance it looked clean-ish, you can tell the baseboards, and molding, cabinets and what not have not been dusted or wiped in years. Every wall had some type of marking or substance on it. The molding in front of the tub had clearly been broken for a long time and it was moldy. There was dried up tooth past on the bathroom floors, dried substance of some sort by the window, and let me tell you the BUGS, there were little mites everywhere, worse was the kitchen and bathroom. They were in the cabinets, on the counters, in the sink, on the trash on the washer and dryer. They were everywhere and not just a few dozens and dozens. We could not use any of the dishes because the dishes in the cabinet had bugs all over them. We did not complain right away as we had a pretty busy schedule with softball and family coming into see us and daughter play, but the next day an exterminator showed up, we were not told they were going to be there nothing, exterminator said they spray often, they came in and sprayed for roaches and mites. It DID NOT WORK as they sprayed on Monday of our stay and by the Saturday we left I have videos of the how bad the mites still were. We had to keep all food in the fridge, as if anything was left out whether sealed or not there would be bugs all over it. Tried reaching out to the business and said because we did not complain at time of stay, they could not compensate us, I simply asked for our cleaning fee back, because hte property was NOT cleaned and there were bugs bugs everywhere, and they said we could not be compensated because they could not fix the situation while there, well there was an exterminator there to help with the bugs which we were not told about and it did NOT HELP, it is as if the spray made the bugs mad and more showed up, just excuses.

• Initial Complaint

  07/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On October 1, 2022, I booked a vacation with Southern Vacation Rentals for June 10, 2023-June 17, 2023; reservation number #2340694. We paid a deposit of $757.87 on October 1, 2022. We paid the remaining balance of $1,397.93 for the trip on February 12, 2023. On June 10, 2023 after approximately 10 and a half hours of driving, we arrived at the booked unit, Fontainebleu Terrace #332. Southern Vacation Rental’s website promised that the unit was newly remodeled and the website boasts promises of their “clean initiative.” When we entered the unit, it quickly became clear it was so dirty, it was unsafe to stay and that a simple, routine clean would not even make the unit safe. Please see attached pictures of: -Feces on the wall of the shower -Various stains/splatters all over the walls, baseboards, trash can -Dirty stovetop -A wet spot on the sleepersofa that we discovered was most likely from vomit (based off of the foul odor) -Dirt all over the door and walls -Rust particles, dirt, and other debris on the area rug underneath the sleeper sofa -Additional food drips, splatters on the kitchen cabinetry -Dirty grout in the shower -Used fake eyelashes and a used flosser in the toothbrush cup -Stains, drips, and dirt all over the base of the bed We immediately called Southern Vacation Rentals to explain the problem and we provided photos of the rental via text. They stated they would send a cleaner out. We determined that a cleaner would not be able to clean the unit an acceptable amount to render it safe to stay. We stated we would not stay in the unit and left promptly. Southern Vacation Rentals refused to give us any form of refund and told us to contact our travel insurance. This travel insurance only covered extreme situations such as injury, death, etc and they could not help us. We disputed both charges with our credit card company. They cannot recover the deposit $757.87 as too much time has passed. The dispute for the balance of $1,397.93 is ongoing.

  Business response

  07/21/2023

  BBB Case: 20345646
  Guest: Stevie ******
  Property: Fontainebleau Terrace #332
  
  Dates: Jun 10, 2023 - Jun 17, 2023
  The guest arrived to the unit at 5pm and promptly called our Guest Services Team and stated that the unit was not cleaned. We sent cleaners to the unit by 5:23pm to take care of all issues and the guest stated that they refused to come back to the unit and booked another property. The guest stated that they would be disputing charges with the credit company. We explained that we quickly addressed all issues, and the property was ready for them, and they refused to stay. No refunds will be provided. Our rental agreement states we require the opportunity to address any issues. The guest was aware of this when they booked. 

  Customer response

  07/24/2023

  
  Complaint: 20345646
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Southern Vacation Rentals is lying about what happened, including the times they stated in their response. As you can see from my attached image, they texted me back asking for photos at 6:00pm (after we called) telling them that the unit was not safe to stay in. 
  

  In addition, a routine cleaning would not be enough to make the unit safe to stay in, which is clear from the images I initially submitted. To make the unit safe and acceptable, furniture would have to be replaced. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Stevie ******

• Initial Complaint

  06/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Date booked: 03/19/23; arrival 06/10/23, departure 06/15/23 Amount: $2,286.92 There are not enough characters in this text box for me to describe the terrible experience I had with Southern Vacation Rentals. We were greeted immediately with the smell of mold. I notified them within an hour & a half and they said they would send someone to inspect. The room was not clean - I pulled the couch bed out & there were food crumbs all over the mattress & an old pizza crust under the cushions.The headboard was not secured to the frame & fell on my 5yr old as she got into bed. The mattress was so old & worn out, it felt like I was sleeping on a box spring. Mgmt would not move us to another room, even with sending multiple photos of mold growing on the metal grid on the ceiling, refrigerator seal, walls, in the shower, on the ceiling of the bedroom, and the wall inside HVAC closet was black. Mold has a very distinct smell & I am still baffled that they couldn't smell it because it smacks you in the face when you walk into the unit. I told them my daughter was allergic to mold & has an autoimmune disorder. Her nose had continuous thick, yellow snot hours after arriving, eyes were red & itchy, and her face was swollen. This could have landed her in the hospital & at the advice of her specialists, we relocated to another condo for health/safety reasons. My headache was gone within hours & her symptoms overnight. This is a health hazard for anyone & should not have been dismissed as dust. They told me there was no validity to my photos or claims, as my concerns were strictly cosmetic. A 3rd party vendor would test & results within 3-5 days would verify my claims were invalid. The statement upfront told me that it didn't matter what the results showed, if they even tested, they would be modified in some way to benefit them. If my concerns were cosmetic, why did they decide to spray paint portions of the metal grids I brought to their attention? Website verbiage attached too.

  Business response

  07/10/2023

  BBB Case#: 20254624
  Guest: Cayla ********
  Dates: June 10th – June 14th 2023
  
  Guest contacted us on June 4th asking to move to another property due to the “dated photos”. We denied her request as this was not a livability issue but rather a personal preference. The guest called the day of arrival at 4:40pm stating “the unit smelled like mold”, and to provide pictures if she saw any physical signs of mold. The guest then called back at 4:52pm stating that she wanted a refund of the early arrival because there was not any luggage carts for her to get in earlier. The guest explained that this caused them to make multiple trips to the car to get their belongings move into the unit.  We explained we could not guarantee luggage carts and apologized for the time it took them to move in. The guest called back the next day at 3:46pm stating that the code was not working for the door. The guest then called back at 4:18pm demanding to be moved because the unit still “smelled like mold”. We informed her that the Property Manager came by and did not smell anything. We again, asked the guest to provide pictures and her response was “it’s in the walls”. The guest contacted us at 12:45am on the 12th , stating that they sent pictures of mold. (attached under work order#265963). We then provided the guest with the pictures that our Property Manager took showing no mold (work order# 265575). Guest then threatened to call the county commissioner and her legal team. We stopped all communications with this guest at this point. 

  Customer response

  07/10/2023

  
  Complaint: 20254624
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I never threatened involving law enforcement. Only that if the issues were not taken seriously, I would reach out to an attorney for legal guidance. It will not let me attach all screenshots of the conversation. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  Cayla ******** 

  Business response

  07/11/2023

  Please see previous response. No further action will be taken. 

  Customer response

  07/15/2023

  
  Complaint: 20254624
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Complaint: 20254624??I am rejecting this response because:
  I “see” your response. Obviously, there are multiple issues with management and due to the amount of complaints I’ve found on your company through BBB and other platforms, there must be validity to them. I do not know a single person that has looked at my photos and told me it was dust or a single person that walked in my room that couldn’t smell mold. It’s a distinct smell, just like sewer or spoiled food, you know what it when you smell it. The last person I spoke to on the phone is an agent who said moving units would have to be approved by a manager. I also asked for the headboard to be attached to the bed frame, as it fell over on my daughter, who is all of 30 pounds. This was never completed and my requests was never taken seriously. My daughter has an autoimmune disorder and she is allergic to mold. She’s never had symptoms like that before, so I called her one of her specialists. She does have an egg allergy that makes her face swell similar to how it was on this trip. If you’re allowing families to continue to rent this unit, you are putting your clients health at risk, especially those with compromised immune systems. Your last text message to me said you would have the results of a mold test completed by a third party. Based on the “the results will prove your claim isn’t valid” response, I know that if any test was completed (I’ve yet to see any results) it would be modified to fit your criteria. I also asked to be present during once of the inspections, which was rejected as well. “We are committed to focusing on the health and safety of our guests, employees, owners, and communities” comes directly from your website. Nothing about our unit was safe or healthy with mold present. “Southern's Clean Initiative is a thorough plan to ensure a clean and sanitary stay is in place for our guests and our owners” also comes directly from your website, yet there were food crumbs on the pull out couch, old pizza crust under the cushions, and overall just dirty. Vacation is supposed to be relaxing but this was an absolute nightmare. I’m sure I could speak until I’m blue in the face and your company could care less and it’s an absolute shame. For your review, I’m attaching photos I’ve already sent but that seem to be ignored. There is mold growing on the metal grid in multiple spots. The HVAC closet is black. The ceiling has black spots on it, which I’m guessing is from the air vent on the wall. There is mold in the shower and in the grout. None of this is dust. If it was, it could be cleaned. However, since it’s not, that’s why maintenance began spray painting portions of the metal grid after this was brought to your attention. I am a single parent who adopted my youngest from foster care. I’m tired and I’m exhausted. You have no idea how much I’ve gone through to get her to the point she is now, health wise. It has been years of doctor & specialists visits. Years of hospital stays and missing work because she’s sick. I get one week a year of vacation and I should have had an opportunity to relax. I deserve that and not only did your company not give two shits about my family, I was out almost $2,000 more for a clean, mold free unit. Thank goodness for **** and their wonderful property manager at Edgewater Villas. She was so kind, everything was clean, no mold was present, and she even checked on us to make sure we made it home safely. THAT is hospitality and exactly the type of person who should be managing properties. 
  

*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. ↩