ComplaintsforSouthern Vacation Rentals

• Initial Complaint

  08/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  I rents this condo at Gulf Dunes through southern Vacation Rentals for the week of July 30- Aug 6th. Upon check-in condo was misrepresented and absolutely disgusting. Water leak marks on ceiling, ceiling fans covered in dust that look like it hasn't been cleaned in a year, inches of dust all over door casings, furniture different , trash all under sofa, mold all over balcony. I have spent the majority of my vacation calling ( I have call logs, text messages and pictures for proof) for them to offer me compensation of $201 and I paid $3600 and some change for the condo.) Housekeeping didn't even show up until day 3. I would like to send you pictures.

  Business response

  08/02/2022

  ****** Family, I am sorry to hear that your initial experience at Gulf Dunes was not up to standards. Our team has rectified your housekeeping issues. We had a team onsite by 10am the next morning and have continued to assist you and your family with any other concerns you have had. We refunded you for the cleanliness concerns, this is all the compensation that we will be providing.
  
  Kind Regards,
  -Your Southern Team

  Customer response

  08/08/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  I have not received a refund as of 8/8/22. You might have had a team out by 10 a.m. to fix one concern, but it took 3 days to address all concerns. One person came to clean the mold one day and completely ignored other filthy items. Then another person came the next day and cleaned something else, and then the third day another person came to clean the rest of the filth, all the while I was having to contact Southern Vacation Rentals for follow up. Still haven't received the last request to speak to a manager, nor have I received the refund that I was told was processed on 8/2/22.
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Day 1-We arrived at the unit A303 for early check in that was paid for, we realized the dryer didn't work by a napkin that was placed on top of washer with "Dryer out of order wont dry" wrote on it. Guest Service(GS) was notified about dryer, and they said they would let Property Mgr.(PM) know, we also notified them on the phone that the unit was not clean. Ashley has a daughter Mady who was diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroblastoma. She has battled HARD for over 6 years with several relapses in between. Mady just relapsed again after having two sets of clear scans a couple months ago. After hearing the news she was told recently she made a bucket list of things she wanted to accomplish this summer a beach trip to Fort Walton/Destin was on there because she never has been to those beaches. A clean environment is important for her immune system, not perfectly clean but chandeliers with caked up dust, walls with liquid streaks on every switch, bedsheets that have sand in them before we used them, and stains on furniture, is not acceptable. Day 2-hadn't heard a response Ashley sent another text to GS. GS said in a text message a new dryer would be delivered Tuesday. They apologized, offered compensation but not a set amount until they knew how many Days, we would be without one. We asked for towels since it was 8 people and they only had 8 in the unit and this was now Day 2 with the possibility of having to wait 2 more Days to be able to wash anything, so we needed fresh ones. They sent someone over that afternoon with a bag of towels and a 30-min warning. Day 3-Still no call from PM or a Mgr.. Day 4-evening without a call from PM or a Mgr. with Southern Rentals Ashley text GS for an ETA on the delivery of the Dryer. GS said PM has not given them a time and they can't advise us on one. We were never called at this point, never given a time of when someone would be there. Around 3pm, two southern rental workers showed up no call just knocked until someone answered the door, which was the kids, as we were still on the beach. We leave the beach to come up and they don't have a new dryer they have a part, more specifically it was a motor. No one had been in unit to see what was wrong with the dryer, so it didn't make sense how they could bring a part after telling us it was a new dryer. The part didn't fix it as a matter of a fact the older gentlemen said, "I'm surprised you all didn't get shocked when you touched it because the wires was open and touching". That's an issue in itself especially since there are children in that condo. Ashley text GS because we needed to speak to a Mgr. only communication had been GS that WE contacted. A Mgr. calls and speaks to Ashley. The Mgr. said a new dryer would be delivered and we didn't have to be there as we were going out to eat on OUR VACATION, he didn't give a time they would be delivered. So again, we didn't know when people would be in our unit but the Mgr. said we didn't have to wait. When we get back from dinner a dryer wrapped in plastic and Styrofoam and a washer was delivered, the people who delivered them placed the washer and dryer in the middle of dining area on opposites sides of room. The dryer was placed upside down as you can see in the photo attached with the text messages of Ashley and GS asking them why they just put the washer and dryer in our unit and didn't hook them up. Once we get inside the condo and realize they aren't hooked up text photos immediately. GS replied "thank you" when Ashley sent Photos she asked how we are supposed to get our laundry done and GS Reply was there might be a 24hour laundry mat close by. Day 5 -Myself and Ashley got to a laundry mat about 15 mins away from condo spent time away from our family on our Vacation 45 mins to wash 45 mins to dry and 30 to fold the clothes. It Cost Liz and Ashley 34.00 at laundry mat and receipt was sent to GS. On our way back we see a store front with Southern Vacation Rentals on it, so we stop to try and talk to someone in person. Camille (as she told us Is her name) was at the door she was already familiar with our situation because as soon as we said about the dryer, she knew our room number but told us that wasn't her property, but she would make phone calls. She also said this condo has been without a dryer for 3 weeks prior to us being a tenant. So, they knew about it before we came and never once notified us. We were not given a time they would be there they just happen to go when we went to office to complain. They couldn't install the units because they said they didn't have hookups they did move washer and dryer into closet in kitchen. They told Ashley we will be back this afternoon to finish hookup. Never said the unit was upside down never said unit was messed up. Day 6-After being told, they would be back the previous evening to hook it up, no one showed. Ashley text GS a text about when are the guys coming back to hook up the washer and dryer. She sent photos of how dirty the unit was again to let them know the complaints go further than the napkin we found on Day 1. Southern Vacation Rentals sent 100.08 to Ashleys Card on file. She asked them if it was for the cleaning fee or was that our compensation. They said that's all they could refund, and Ashley told them she does not accept that. Then GS said" we apologize that you feel that way there was a washer/dryer delivered to your unit. When the PM came back the dryer was found in different condition than it was left and was also moved from where it was left, which is what has caused the delay. You have been given a refund of 100.80 and we will not be offering any more compensation regarding those thanks southern team" The PM never came to our condo if they did it was without our knowledge and without ever speaking to us. As previously stated, you can see the dryer clearly flipped over when it was delivered. At this point I would expect a PM to call us or Mgr.. Ashley text GS are the maintenance guys coming to install the washer and dryer? GS said they have not received an ETA. Day 7-GS texts Ashley "good morning, we tried to reach you by phone however we were unsuccessful we are reaching out to make you aware that a new dryer will be delivered today. We have also been made aware that we will not be charging you for the damaged dryer however we will also not be giving more compensation due to dryer being damaged this has been decided by the Management Team and the Property Management Team that dropped off the dryer in new condition if you have any questions you are more than welcome to call anyone here can answer this however we will not be reversing this decision thanks your southern team - GS" Ashley told them she has pictures to prove we didn't touch them and that she wants to talk to a Mgr.. GS stated someone will be there between 12pm to 4pm to hook up units. My son stayed behind while the rest of us went to dinner it was passed 4pm and no one showed up. I told him if anyone shows up because he is a minor to call us or text us and record because they already have told us different things then they said we damaged the dryer and I didn't feel like he needed to be there with other adults present that I don't know. He called me at 540pm and 606pm. The first one at 540pm they picked up the dryer they said was messed up, then they came back to install another dryer at 606pm. They installed it in such a way where we couldn't open the washer and that almost feels like it was on purpose which we have that on video as well how they left it. The issue I have and have attached the video. The Southern rental worker decided to confront my minor child and try to intimidate him to the point the other southern rental worker told him to stop its not worth it. Mind you my son was the only person there besides southern rental workers only child there all workers was adults. We spoke with a Mgr. her name was Georgia, I told her about the incident she seemed to want to blame my son the child. She also said we could call back after she offered 243.36 on top of the 100.08 already sent and the $34 for laundry reimbursement and Ashley, myself, and her husband Anthony told Georgia it wasn't good enough. She said Well that's all I can offer you. She said that if we have issue to call GS number and let them know. That's how it ended we told her we wasn't happy and she ignored it and tried to get off the phone as soon as possible. Day 8-We checked out at 7am, we left towels in bathtubs, emptied garbage cans, emptied fridge and made sure that we didn't leave a mess. Videoed the condo as we left it. This is the state we was in not a "miss the beach state" but a constant worry and stressed out one. This shouldn't have been the way our vacation went. We didn't pay 5107.00 to get treated the way we was treated disrespectfully and totally disregarded. July 18th 2022-I called GS at ************ talked to Janice and told her the issues, told her I was supposed to get a call from Georgia about the adult who was aggressive with my son Jeffrey and she said she will have a Mgr. call me its now Wednesday and still no call.

  Business response

  08/29/2022

  ***Document Attached***
  
  See Attachment/File: BBB Case 19062525.docx

  Business response

  08/30/2022

  Ashley Kelsoe
  Waterscape #A303
  July 9th - 16th, 2022
  
  The first communication from the guest was due to a door code not working which was addressed within that phone call and they were able to gain access to the unit within a few minutes. The second communication with this guest that same day was due to a note left on the kitchen counter about the dryer being out of order and we would be installing a new one within the next few days. The guest never brought any cleanliness issues to our attention at that time.
  On July 10th the guest contacted us to bring by some additional towels and washcloths due the out of service washer and dryer, we delivered towels to them that same afternoon.
  On July 12th the guest called in stating that they have not had a working washer and dryer since the first day they arrived. The guest demanded compensation for this issue. We advised the guest that as soon as we knew how long they would be without a washer and dryer we would make sure the compensation provided matches how long they are dealing with the issue at hand. The guest then requested to speak with a manager at that time. One of our Guest Services Supervisor contacted the guest back within 9 minutes from placing the request. The supervisor then advised the guest that the washer and dryer would be delivered later that day for them. They were provided a time span of delivery from 430pm - 830pm. We then reached out to the guest at 432pm to make them aware that the delivery was now on the way and one of our property managers would be there for the delivery. At this time our property managers supervised the delivery. The guest contacted us back at 9pm stating that the washer and dryer were delivered but not installed. Guest continued to use profanity and rude language while speaking to our customer service agents throughout the phone calls. They also brought up getting her attorney involved. The guest asked where they could wash their clothes since they have been without a washer and dryer for 4 days. We then advised the guest of a 24/7 laundromat in the area and let them know we would happily reimburse them for this added expense.
  On July 13th the guest contacted us back supplying us with a receipt of $34 for the cost of having their clothes laundered. The guest demanded to speak with the owner of the property. We advised the guest that was not an option as the property is privately owned. The guest then asked for the Property Manager to call them directly. We advised the guest that the Property Manager does not handle customer concerns and we would be happy to relay any information to them. We assured the guest that we would provide them an update once we hear back from the Property Manager on when the install would take place.
  On July 14th our maintenance technicians came out to the unit and noticed that the washer and dryer were moved and damaged. They then left the unit and contacted the owner regarding any warranty that they could have it replaced. They advised the guest that they would be back later to complete the install. At that time the owner contacted the delivery company as well as the warranty company. The guest then provided a list of other complaints about cleanliness and shower jets not working on the shower head. The guest provided 3 photos of what they stated are cleanliness issues. One was different color light switches. The second was a dusty fake plant. The third was a couch that had no signs of cleanliness issues. Due to the guest being 5 days into their reservation and at that time first mentioning cleanliness issues we provided the guest a refund of $100.06 due to the cleanliness not being up to their standards. The guest then demanded more money back for all the other issues they experienced. They requested to speak to a manager again due to the refund amount.
  On July 15th another Guest Services Supervisor contacted the guest at 10:41am and left a voice mail as well as sent a text stating that we tried to reach them but were unable to reach them on the phone. They then made the guest aware since the washer and dryer were damages by them, therefore delaying the install, we would not be providing any further compensation at that time. We then informed the guest that we were having a brand-new washer and dryer delivered to the unit that day and would be taking out the damaged washer and dryer. We provided another window of time for the install of 12pm-4pm that same day. Guest called back at 11:13am and demanded to speak to another supervisor. The Guest Services Manager then contacted them and left another message due to them not being able to answer. Advised the guest that we have documentation showing that the washer and dryer were inspected at the time of delivery. At 7:23pm that same night another supervisor reached out to ensure the washer and dryer were delivered and installed that same day. The guest then became escalated stating that the maintenance person that was there was rude to her son, and they have it on camera. The supervisor called the guest and apologized for any rude behavior and issued a refund of our service fees totaling $375.64.
  We did not hear from the guest for the remainder of the time with us. The guest has contacted us numerous times starting from July 18th - August 19th demanding more money each time. As of today, we have issued this guest back a total of $714.28 for all the issues they encountered. The guest has stated that they will be reaching out for legal representation multiple times. We advised the guest since they were pursuing legal representation, we would no longer be able to assist them.
  On August 19th, 2022 we were made aware that the guest has disputed all charges with their credit company. Charges are still pending arbitration.
  
  See Attachment/File: BBB Case 19062525.docx

• Initial Complaint

  07/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We are currently renting a condo at the Azure in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. We have not had a properly working refrigerator since we arrived 7/16/22. We notified the rental company Sunday morning and after trying their suggestions for allowing the refrigerator a chance to cool, they have yet to fix the problem! We have called everyday since Sunday to ask them for an update. We have been promised a service man will come out and no one has shown up yet. We also notified the company that the washing machine quit working in the unit as well. We are renting the condo until 7/23/22. We would like to be reimbursed for the coolers and ice we have purchased along with the groceries that needed to be refrigerated that are now ruined due to the lack of proper refrigeration.

  Business response

  07/26/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/21) */ We do apologize for the inconvenience, on July 20th a refund in the amount of $968.36 was processed. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/07/26) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) Southern Vacation rentals did refund the amount above and after the issue was not resolved by the time our trip was over, they are supposed to refund us $922 as well.

• Initial Complaint

  06/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We rented a condo Island Princess #615 on Fort Walton Beach from June 18-25. Upon arrival we noticed the condo was very warm. It was 78 in there. We waited for it to cool to 71 which we set it too. It never cooled. So we called the next day to the property management group to report the issue. We were told that they would be there tomorrow Monday. Nobody showed. Then we called again, they promised to send a technician out Tuesday. Nobody showed up. Wednesday finally the technician came & let us know the air conditioner needed to be replaced completely. It was 85 in there. We had to leave & go to a hotel. We had rented a 3 bed 3 bath condo so therefore we had to get 3 hotel rooms. We are asking to be reimbursed for our $4600 cost of condo as well as the $1100 cost of 3 hotel rooms. We had our entire family vacation ruined. We are so upset. We had many tears, stressful time. We also were told that we couldn't get our belongings out of our condo because they changed the code on the door, because we decided to get hotel rooms. Please help us get a refund.

  Business response

  07/21/2022

  ******* Family, we are truly very sorry that your experience with our team was less than desirable. This is not normal practice and unfortunately when there are AC issues we are at the mercy of licensed and insured vendors. Our team in fact called multiple vendors and continued to follow up daily and hourly to give more accurate information as we received. Your family was compensated a total of $2751.24. Our team did not lock you out of your condo, we were under the impression that you had departed and gone to a hotel. Once our guest leave and/or checkout we remove door codes for safety precaution. There was no ill intent in removing access and we by all means want each guest(s) to have all of their items before they depart. This is a very unfortunate event that happened to your family and has since been resolved.

• Initial Complaint

  06/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  We stayed in a rental condo at Portofino Tower 3-1209 from 6-11-22 to 6-18-22. We checked out on the morning of 6-18 before 7AM. It was just 4 of us - 2 Adults, 2 Young children. That afternoon on our way home we were notified via email that they were charging us $300 for damages to the microwave handle. They stated it was broken off. They attached a very zoomed in photo that appeared to be doctored and did not show the full microwave. We definitely did not damage the microwave. In fact that early morning prior to checkout, I inspected the kitchen, wiped everything down and turned off the under mount light on the microwave. I would have noticed damage. In the event we had damaged anything, we would have reported it as it would be the right thing to do. This is an unfair and unethical practice. We want to request a refund and that the company make this right. There is something unethical and fishy going on. We we will never again rent a property for the property management company. I attached the "doctored" photo that was sent to us. We asked for more photos to document their fraud which they haven't supplied.

  Customer response

  06/23/2022

  ***Document Attached***
  Email from Manager Georgia saying that they purchased and replaced the microwave yesterday and the current guests were unaware. This is not true. The current guests sent me the photos around 8:40 PM- you can even see the time on the microwave in the photo that Anthony sent us. They shared a receipt from Lowes with a timestamp of 7:32PM. There is no way they replace the microwave betweek 7:32 and 8:40 when the photos were sent to us. Anthony and his wife were there because she was feeling ill. They are not aware of any repairs or replacements and they stated the microwave was fine at check in with no damage.
  See Attachment/File: Upated email chain with SVR Management saying they replaced on 6.22.22 with WO and Receipt.pdf

• Initial Complaint

  06/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In February, 2022, I booked a Premier Vacation Rental through VRBO, Ocean Overlook in Navarre, Florida. I was informed that my communication would be through a Property management company, Southern Vacation Rentals. The house was listed as 6 bedrooms with a private pool. The total amount I paid was over $14,000 for a week's stay. I texted Southern Vacation Rentals to make sure everything was in order for our check-in on June 11,2022 and was told the property was ready for us.We arrived at 4 pm and checked out the house which is beautiful. We began unloading and noticed the private pool was green with algae floating in it. I reported this immediately and was told the pool vendor would be out to check on it. My 3 grandchildren arrived but we were afraid to let them swim because pool was filthy! We waited Saturday night and Sunday and no one came. Finally Monday afternoon the pool guy arrived. We questioned him and he said the pool had been an ongoing problem for weeks. But, most especially in the two weeks before our arrival. He had talked with the owner about replacing pool filtration system but was rejected. The owner and Southern Vacation Rentals knew pool was in awful shape but we were never told. We feel they lied to us about a private pool being available but took our money anyway. We never were able to swim in the pool the whole week. The pool guy said it was unsafe. There was fecal matter as well as algae and he said not to let our children in the pool. We asked for a 50% refund but was credited a ridiculous amount of $1672.50!!! I sent a text telling them this amount was unacceptable and we wanted more monetary compensation. We believe they breached our rental agreement and basically advertised a private pool that was not available. We had to pack up and drive 15-20 miles using day passes at hotel pools to have a pool. . Owner wants us to take a free week between March and June, 2023; however, we can't make this work out. Please help us!!

  Business response

  07/25/2022

  A Refund of $7,360.12 total has been credited to guest account, no further price reductions will be made.

  Customer response

  08/04/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
  After asking for compensation for not being able to use the private pool, Southern Vacation Rentals finally credited my credit card for the amount I had asked for. Had to beg and report to BBB to finally receive what I asked for.
  
  Thank you, Better Business Bureau, for assisting us with this problem. We will never rent any property managed by Southern Vacation Rentals. They have zero customer service and do not care after they get their money.

• Initial Complaint

  01/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  We contacted Southern Resorts to book a condo in Destin back in February 2021. We had booked with Southern Resorts and stayed in Destin several times in the past. When we booked a long term stay for two months we were assured we could shorten our stay if we wished (as long as still at least a month long) and there would be a fee to do this ( approximately 140.00) as my wife did not know how much time she would be able to book off being it was almost a year in advance. We were told if we needed to make changes it would have to be done at least one month prior to arrival. Called September 30 to let them know we might have to shorten our stay...again no issues..told as long as 30 days prior we could but that fee would have to be paid to change this. Both reps seemed very knowledgeable in there job and very professional. Jump forward to when we find out my wife can take five weeks off and we call in advance to make the change and then I am told we cannot do this. This results in us paying and the condo sitting for 3 weeks. Asked to speak to a supervisor as we thought this would easily be corrected. Found out they keep there recordings of conversations, perfect, we thought this would get resolved. After looking into it the supervisor confirmed the September recording,that we had indeed had that conversation however they did not find the February conversation. After discussions with the supervisor, best they could offer was cancel two nights of the 3 weeks. I had said I was surprised Southern Resorts would not stand behind their employees and honor the agreement. I was told it is in the legal agreement that was sent to me. Not sure why I would go looking for something to contradict what I was told several times. As some sort of consolation I was told more than once these were "teachable moments". I am sorry but both previous staff members seemed very good at there job. Southern Resorts should make this right. Very Disappointed XXXXXXXXXX

• Initial Complaint

  10/13/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I reserved a condo online on July 1. I received a confirmation email with very little detail. The dates of the reservation were October 1-8 at the Enclave in Orange Beach. On October 7 I realized thru the portal provided two weeks before my stay that I was charged for two charitable contributions of $5 each. One to Ronald McDonald House and the other to Alzheimer's Association. I did not agree to these donations. I reached out to Southern vacation Rentals and asked the charges be refunded but they advised since I was in house they could not. I asked again and this time they said the funds had already been allotted to the charities. I asked to have a detailed accounting of when this occurred and they have not responded. I asked again on Monday the 11 and still no word. If this contribution cannot be refunded I at the least would like to be sure the money was actually given to the charities.

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