Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/15/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We booked the end unit (5B) at Dunes Villa, Santa Rosa Beach in November 2022 for an April 15-22 stay with 7 middle age women. Due to a variety of mobility issues, the end unit would allow easy access to the walkway to the beach. On Monday, April 17th, workers started dismantling the walkway. On Tuesday, heavy equipment was brought in the move sand from the parking lot to the area under the old walkway and front deck. This meant that we had to walk 100 yards (out to the main road), walk through another condo unit and to another walkway which was 100 yards away, through a locked gate (for which we didn't know the code) and then down the stairs to the beach. We were notified on TUESDAY, April 18th that the work would be starting. I spoke with thee Community Manager (Sea Breeze Management) who told us that Benchmark was informed of this work in March and that 5A and 5B SHOULD NOT BE RENTED. The noise was deafening throughout the day and because the pool is in the parking lot, the pool couldn't be used either. We went to the Benchmark Management office 5 times, we've called and written letters asking for compensation. We were offered $100, less than $15 each) . We will NEVER rent from Benchmark again. They were totally unresponsive to our situation and they denied knowing about the construction ahead of time.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/10/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We rented this house through **** ********* ********** because it had a pool. However we were unable to use the pool due to one of the walls covered in algae. I reached out about this everyday of our stay and was told someone would be out to clean it and no one ever showed up to clean. I also called the office number and no one ever answers that phone I left a voice mail and no one contacted me back. When I sent a text about wanting a refund a lady did call me back but was no help and would not give me any emails or phone numbers so that I could speak to someone personally. I contacted **** and was able to benchmark’s email which they never responded to . I have all the text messages and more pictures if you need them. I am looking for a partial refund for not being able to use the pool for the entirety of our stay.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/08/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Called April 30th, within mins of 4 pm, could we check in, answered YES. Showed at 3:45, code didnt work, waited 5 min, code didnt work, called customer service had to unlock via internet, unlock the door after 4. Minutes later, Benchmark said there was an issue, call customer service. Called, said AC was out. Asked if could stay, AC not an issue. Said no, we had to get out. Second Condo, on third floor overlooking driveway, called, said this was horrible, have to walk up 3 floors with dogs, overlooks parking lot and asked if anything else was available, said no, need to stay there or cancel. Received VM 20 mins later, now after 5, said a cottage was available. Asked about added charges, told about $40. Now 6 pm, on 3rd rental, cottage, gravel road, no pool. Now after 6 pm, no longer available. Next day, walk to beach, bit away, down gravel road with construction all around. Got to beach access to find out must cross a lake to access beach, walked through waist high water, got to beach, which was difficult for us. Decided beach too difficult to access, didn’t want to stay, so called customer service, explained situation, said not staying, leaving in the morning. Told customer service we should be compensated for this, said would help, but couldn’t, so asked for a manager to call. Left next morning. Called again, asked for manager, told manager would call back, but didn’t. Received text driving home. Responded about a manager calling me, again was told one would, but didn’t. Drove back 13 hours on Weds, no call or credit applied. Reached out Thurs, asst mgr called, told me not receiving a credit, tried to blame on dogs, but original reservations included pets, tried to say otherwise, she hung up. I sent a screen shot about reservations included 2 adults and PETS, she responded a credit was made for $317, but has not been credited. Horrible experience and no credit for this whole mess, which is on their end, wouldn't event compensate 1 penny, so wrong.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/10/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We stayed at a property managed by Benchmark April 1-8 and it wasn't a great experience. The home and location were perfect but we had several issues arise during our stay that was never addressed or taken care of. The pool was never cleaned the whole time we were there and there was no pool net for us to clean the pool. I reached out to Benchmark and it took them days to respond I got a generic response when they finally responded. The wifi in the home never worked and the service in the home was horrible. We reached out the first day regarding that and we never had someone come out and correct the issue. It took them days to respond once again and they told us to just unplug it and plug it back into the. Which we tried before even considering them. We had a federal agent in our group and he had zero access to any of his work within the home. I understand it's a heavy travel time with Spring Break, but good customer service goes a long way and no resolution to any of the issues is not acceptable. We will not be staying at another Benchmark Property due to these issues.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/11/2023

  Please see response attached. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/05/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Our family of 20 reserved Ocean View Oasis from Benchmark Management for our annual Thanksgiving gathering NOV 22-27 expecting a working elevator and kitchen appliances functioning to support our celebration dinner. When we arrived with our luggage and food for our five night stay we found a very clean and well appointed vacation rental but the elevator we had counted on – wouldn’t have rented without – was inoperable. Given the health and ages of most of our family members climbing flights of stairs is both difficult and dangerous, not to mention carrying luggage and supplies for a Thanksgiving feast. We promptly called and left a message with the maintenance answering service requesting repair of the elevator. We did not hear from anyone and so we called again Wednesday morning and left another message with the maintenance answering service, stating we now had SEVERAL issues that we had identified since our previous call to include a dishwasher with standing water/food particles, but we stressed the urgency of our need for a working elevator. The man sent to repair the elevator was not able to fix it and left saying he would contact some one else. We received no further communication from him or anyone from Benchmark Management. Since we had left messages with an answering service we expected a return call from management at some point with a report on the status of the elevator repair and so we could then communicate the additional issues we had discovered directly to them. We believe a 25% refund on our $13,740 reservation is reasonable compensation for the danger and inconvenience resulting from the unavailability of the elevator combined with the other numerous inconveniences. We have contacted Benchmark but have received only inferences that we were at fault for not making more calls, excuses, apologies and promises for better service in the future.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/04/2023

  We have attached a response to the complaint.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/17/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 18491109, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  ***** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 01/24/2023

  we will be reaching out for her address today to mail a check as we are unable to refund via credit card at this time. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/08/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Date of stay: 10/3/2022 - 10/7/2022 Location: Monterey Condos, ****, Seacrest, FL Complaint: we booked a four night stay at a 3 bedroom condo on the fourth floor through Bemchmark management. Upon arrival, we saw that the elevator was under renovation. We have two small children and had to carry them and all our things up four flights of stairs several times a day. I Calle Bemchmark about the issue. They claimed they notified us of the elevator issue on 9/26 but I have no emails or notifications on the app concerning the issue. They said they would file a claim and respond in a few days. We never heard back. I called again and was told they closed my case and would do nothing. My rental agreement was for a condo with an elevator. I expect partial reimbursement as they violated that agreement. They told me the issue was with the HOA, but I did not sign a rental agreement with the HOA. We should not have to pay full price for something we did not get.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/13/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  January of 2022 we rented a condo that slept 8 for our July vacation. On our way to the condo Benchmark called me and told me we had to switch units due to the original one having mold. The new unit was not what I reserved, paid for or wanted, It only slept 4 instead of the original unit sleeping 8. It is bait and switch. After conducting a walk by it did appear the my originally booked unit was in fact occupied.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2022

  September 18, 2022
  
  Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida, Inc.
  
  RE: Complaint Activity Review
  ******* ******
  Confirmation# 7G8V7
  Arrival: 7/23/2022
  Departure: 7/30/2022
  Unit: Beachcrest 1203
  
  
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  Ms. ****** booked her reservation with us on January 16, 2022, for a unit at the Beachside Condo complex. Prior to Ms. ******'s arrival, our inspector discovered mold in the unit that she originally booked, so our Guest Relations staff called to let her know of the unfortunate event and informed Ms. ****** that we would need to move her to a comparable unit for her stay in accordance with the rental agreement that she signed. Not only did we provide Ms. ****** with a comparable unit, but we upgraded her to a Gulf Front unit. Due to the inconvenience, we also refunded Ms. ****** 10% of her base rent.
  
  In conclusion, since our staff followed the procedures set forth in our rental agreement and we provided a 10% refund, no further compensation will be given.
  
  Thank You,
  
  Chip *****
  General Manager

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/19/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  It was not a comparable unit I booked a gulffront unit that slept 8 and they switched me to a unit that slept 4.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/08/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We arrived to a vacation home with the backyard under construction. We were never notified prior to our arrival or during our stay as construction workers made entry onto our property several times. We found construction nails in and around the pool. The fence bracing had nails sticking out creating a safety issue. The concrete saws and dust limited our use of the property due to the dust. The noise of the construction the property was very loud. We were told by the property owner who's home was being constructed directly behind the one we were staying in he had been in communication with Benchmark Management as well as the property owner of our vacation home several times. He couldn't believe we weren't notified prior. We were informed they had to build the concrete wall spanning the entire back of our property the week we were there so the following week the fence could be removed when the actual owner was there due to liability. They had moved the privacy fence several feet into our property so the concrete wall could be built on our property thus how they accessed our property during our stay. No Benchmark is not responsible for construction on neighboring properties but they are responsible for construction on their rental properties. They knowingly deceived us and falsified the home as evident by the pictures not being updated even though the home behind it has been under construction for over 1yr. We have a video as well documenting the egregious nature of this event. After paying $4000k they offered us only 371.77 after I sent multiple emails and calls and put us off during our entire stay and week after.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/26/2022

  August 26, 2022
  
  Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida, Inc.
  
  RE: Complaint Activity Report Case #19062733
  Katie Jones
  Confirmation# DWSNP
  Arrival: 7/23/2022
  Departure: 7/30/2022
  Unit: Coastal Living
  
  
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  This letter serves as Benchmark Management's official response to the complaint (19062733) filed by Katie Jones (RES-39541). Ms. Jones stated in her complaint that she arrived at the vacation home and there was ongoing construction in the backyard as well as construction debris in and around the pool. Ms. Jones also stated that due to this, that we, Benchmark Management knowingly deceived her party. Ms. Jones notified our Guest Relations staff of her complaint until 7/25/22, two days after her arrival at the vacation home. Once Ms. Jones notified our staff of construction, our team reached out to find out that the backyard neighbor was in the process of having a fence built and we were not made aware of the situation. In Section 22 of our rental agreement, which Ms. Jones signed, it states that, "Benchmark cannot predict construction plans in the area and therefore cannot be held responsible for any inconvenience. No refunds will be given in the event of nearby construction." However, our Guest Relations staff worked with Ms. Jones and did refund her 10% of her base rent that she initially paid which equated to a total refund in the amount of $371.77.
  
  In conclusion, since we did provide compensation for the inconvenience that Ms. Jones and her party experienced, we will not be providing any additional refund.
  Thank You,
  
  Chip Davis
  General Manager
  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/26/2022

  ***Document Attached***
  
  See Attachment/File: BBB Case - 19062733 - Katie Jones.pdf

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/29/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  To begin with we arrived late Saturday 7/23. There wasn't any construction occurring on Sunday 7/24/2022. Benchmark was closed 7/23 & 7/24/2022. We reached out to Benchmark 7/25/2022 immediately upon finding the construction was occurring on our actual property that we rented. I emailed 7/26/2022 again before calling 7/26 due to the construction nails and workers entering our property. I was then told by Becky and emailed by Benchmark 7/26/2022 our safety concerns were escalated to management and someone would contact us soon. No one ever followed up from Benchmark. I emailed 7/27, 7/28, 7/29 and called 7/29 again to be told we were #5 on the escalation board. I was then finally called by Rosa on 7/29/2022 and told that Benchmark's property manager for Coastal Living didn't communicate the concrete fence construction occurring on our property to the office of Benchmark nor did the property owner of Coastal Living. Benchmark was made aware 7/25/2022 by myself at minimum of the construction occurring on our property not just the neighboring property which if you read the reviews on Benchmarks website, Benchmark was made aware months before we arrived about the construction. The property under construction behind ours the project manager personally spoke with Benchmark as well as the property owner several times. As well they communicated with the owner of the rental home we were staying at. Regardless Benchmark was made aware 7/25 there was construction occurring on our property and safety concerns, but did nothing about it. Offering us 10% as an inconvenience is an insult, they've given a better refund to people with a broken stove. Benchmark is responsible for construction on the properties they rent which is what occurred. We were stuck in the middle of a construction zone during our stay Monday-Friday this wasn't an inconvenience this was a nightmare. Terribly intrusive with workers entering our property daily, construction dust, nails, and unsafe conditions. Benchmark violated our rental agreement. They deceived us to begin with by falsifying pictures and description of the property given the home under construction started 3/2021 behind ours more then a year before our arrival. Then to drive over 12hrs to find out your home/property has active construction occurring was devastating. My son was afraid to go outside with random men entering our property unannounced, and worried he would step on or find more nails. Reference the post 7/25/2022 on Benchmarks website about the construction of which they acknowledged. So, to say Benchmark was unaware is a lie. Benchmark isn't responsible for construction on neighboring properties, but they are responsible for construction occurring on the properties they rent. They should have never rented the home the week we stayed as the wall construction was planned in advance for that week which the property manager for Benchmark and homeowner of Coastal Living were made aware of. Given the homeowner for Coastal living was coming to stay the week after we left due to removal of the wood fence due to liability. So, to play dumb that Benchmark didn't know is a blatant lie, just so they could get one more week of rental income out of an unsuspecting family. We personally spoke with the project manager and home owner of the neighboring property who couldn't believe Benchmark hadn't notified us prior to our arrival of the construction occurring on Coastal Living property. That this was pre planned, and all affected parties were aware except us.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/21/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  ROACHES! ROACHES! ROACHES! Rented unit 605 at Beachcrest (July 16, 2022 - July 20, 2022, $1985 for 4 nights) through Benchmark30A and while the unit was updated it was overrun with roaches. We left in the middle of the night (July 17, 2022) to escape it. The roaches didn't emerge until late at night but when they did - they came from everywhere. When I contacted management for at least a partial refund I was told "Roaches are very common in FL and if it were just a few you should able to deal with it". While roaches may be "common" in FL they SHOULD NOT be common inside a condo. Especially a condo priced at the rate as Beachcrest 605. In over 30 years of renting condos on the gulf coast...NEVER had an issue like this. Shame on you Benchmark. I was also told by management that since I didn't contact them to rectify the problem before I left...there was no recourse on their end. Really? No one wants to wait around for the call back while roaches are appearing from everywhere. Besides, all they could have done was come spray a heavy pesticide (the next morning I'm sure) to ward off the infestation but who wants to stay in a condo smelling of chemicals?? Or even worse make the roaches come out even more as they are dying from the pesticide.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/03/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/27) */ July 27, 2022 Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida, Inc. RE: Complaint Activity Report Case #XXXXXXXX ***** & ******* ***** Confirmation# 0LNJP Arrival: 6/16/2022 Departure: ********* Unit: Beachcrest 605 To Whom It May Concern: This letter serves as Benchmark Management's official response to the complaint (XXXXXXXX) filed by ******* ***** (RES-XXXXX). Mr. ***** booked the vacation rental, Beachcrest 605, for stay dates 6/16/XXXX - X/20/22. Mr. ***** stated in his complaint that he and his party left the unit during the night on 6/17/2022 due to seeing roaches. On the morning on July 19, 2022, we received an email from ***** *****, and it stated that, they were leaving in the middle of the night. Our Guest Relations staff replied to the email stating that we were sorry to hear that they left and that although Florida is notorious for bugs, had they reached out to us before departure, we would have been more than happy to send out a professional pest service to rectify the issue. In conclusion, since Mr. ***** and his party did not notify our office letting us know there was an issue until after his departure and stated to us that they did not depart the unit until the day before their scheduled check-out, we are not going to provide Mr. ***** any refund or compensation. Thank You, Chip Davis General Manager Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2022/07/29) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) My wife talked with a lady from Benchmark this week and said exactly what I would say to Mr. Davis, "what are we to do while we wait for the pest service to show up"? I feel sure they are not going to come in the middle of the night. Staying in a condo while roaches seem to appear from everywhere is not exactly a comfortable environment and NO ONE wants to stay in it and wait. Lastly, it keeps getting mentioned that Florida is notorious for bugs...in over 30 years of going to the gulf coast for trips I have never had this type of experience with roaches. NEVER. So to me, that's a pretty weak excuse to use. My wife and I realize that Benchmark is NOT going to give us a partial refund...it's just how they choose to do business. So much for a first class experience and hospitality. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2022/08/16) */ We have read through Mr. ***** rebuttal and we believe that our initial response addressed all the issues and the final outcome. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank You, ***** ***** Cell: 850.512.1721 Office: 850.745.4555 benchmark30a.com

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/22/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My family and I, along with 3 other families, are currently stay at a beach house in Destin managed by Benchmark Management . We have run into several problems. I have attempted to contact Benchmark however, they are not helpful at all and have had very little communication or response. There are a couple of problems that are not minor ones. First, the stove DOES NOT WORK. Apparently, it has not worked for a while now because when I called Benchmark, they said a part had been on order for 6 weeks. We were not made aware about this until we were on our way down. This is completely unacceptable. We paid over 12,000.00 to rent the house. We planned on cooking and eating at the house all but 2 nights, bought our food and are not able to cook. So not only are we out that money we spent on food bought prior to our stay, we are also having to eat out. The two electric burners provided do not even boil water. There was also a small toaster oven provided that does not hold a pan bigger than a plate. The dishwasher is also not working. So whatever we do use we have to hand wash. Normally, not a problem but with 13 people, it is a big problem. Benchmark Management has not been helpful at all in resolving the issue.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/21/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/30) */ Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida, Inc. RE: Complaint Activity Report Case #XXXXXXXX ***** ******** Confirmation# ***** Arrival: 6/18/2022 Departure: 6/24/2022 Unit: 7 St. Martin To Whom It May Concern: This letter serves as Benchmark Management's official response to the complaint (XXXXXXXX) filed by ***** ******** (RES-XXXXX). As Ms. ******** stated in her complaint, during some of her stay the oven and the dishwasher in the vacation home were not operable. We notified Ms. ******** that both the oven and the dishwasher were inoperable before her arrival. At that time, we let her know that the parts were on order but that we did not have an estimated time of repair. At the time of notification, we refunded Ms. ******** 15% of her rent to her credit card on file, this amount totaled to a refund of $1,705.19. Ms. ******** emailed our team on 6/22/2022 stating that she filed a complaint with the BBB due to the appliances being out being unacceptable. On 6/22/2022 (during Ms. ********'s stay) we did have both the oven and the dishwasher replaced and both were operable for the remainder of her stay. In conclusion, since we did offer Ms. ******** 15% refund and we had both appliances replaced during her stay, we have made the decision to not provide any additional compensation. Thank You, Chip ***** General Manager