Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/05/2024

  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 booked a great Prominence 30A unit for spring break, end of March 2024 in the month of about October ‘23. We were looking forward to parking the car and tooling around the strip in a golf cart which our kids would’ve loved. We were willing to pay over our budget, the premium price we felt for the golf cart (bc there were plenty of units under our per night price without the golf cart) We received paperwork from Beyond Blue in December for the golf cart, asking for insurance and $500 deposit. Done. Two weeks prior to our stay we received a call stating “there is a glitch in system and there is no golf cart included. And we didn’t book inside the time the unit did indeed come with the unit.” We were shocked and beside ourselves. We would have never booked without a golf cart… that was part of the trip adventure for us. We pleaded asking them to work with us, meet us half way. “No.”was the only answer we received. Not even an apology. Not even a gift card to dinner. I went back into my searches and did see this was advertised as a golf cart unit. When we arrived, guess what. A golf cart in the garage with a brand new, dust free note stating “golf cart is for owner use only”. I get it. Fine. But this was a true case of Bait and switch. This unit was falsely advertised. The owner of Beyond Blue advertises herself as getting her owners the most out of their rental… this is how she does it. What a fraud.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/06/2024

  Thank you for giving us a chance to dispute, as this is a false accusation. Please see the list below as well as the attachments for proof.

  1) The guest stated that they made their end of March Reservation in October. This is false, as you can see in the attached screenshot that they made the reservation in December. I have highlighted the date in the attached screenshot.

  2) I attached a screenshot of the email thread showing when the golf cart was removed from our ad, which was in November. This was BEFORE the guest booked.

  3) The guest blatantly lied, saying they made the booking in October in an attempt to sway you, because they knew we had removed the cart from the ad in November. We were very transparent with them and provided all the information they needed in order to feel reassured that this was NOT a bait and switch.

  4) The owner has full rights to remove the Golf Cart from his property. Guests who booked this property after the cart was removed don't get to use it.

  5) The cart is still at the property and covered with a note on it that it is for owner use only. The guests disregarded this note and removed the cover. The did not respect our home rules.

  6) Our team apologized to them profusely and explained the situation, although it was not a mistake on our part.

  7) The ad DID advertise a cart prior to November 2024, and if the guest was looking at our listing at that time, they would have seen it. However they should have checked the ad again at the time of booking as changes did occur, and we have no way of contacting every customer who has previously searched this property and let them know that a change has been made. That is their sole responsibility.

  8) We mistakenly sent a golf cart template to the guest AFTER they made the booking with no cart, caught the mistake and notified them of the error and rectified it. This is when the guest saw an opportunity to try and get a free golf cart for their stay and have been harassing our office and employees ever since. 

  We have provided this guest the utmost care and dedication, but they failed to do their own homework at the time of booking, and then tried to get our company to pay for it. They were very rude to our staff who was only trying to help them, and refused to listen to reason and look at the timeline of events which clearly depict that there was no cart offered with this listing AT THE TIME OF THEIR BOOKING. Your help in resolving this matter is greatly appreciated as what this guest is doing is wrong and damaging. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/08/2024

  
  Complaint: 21533469
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the response is inaccurate in more ways than one.

  1. We did NOT "know" the golf cart was removed from the ad when we booked our stay.

  2. There was no level of "transparency" when we were booking that there was not a golf cart included. The only time we received a message that there was not a golf cart included and that there was a glitch in the system was 7 days prior to our arrival. Indicated in the companies screenshot attached. They notified us March 21 in an email.

  3. Beyond Blue states that we as renters "removed the cover" and had disregard for the cart. This is FALSE. There is NO COVER on the cart and didn't touch it once. We rented our own cart for the week. Also, there is no indication/mention of  this stated in House Rules.

  4. Whoever made the mistake is moot at this point. And there were no apologies. 

  5. We received golf cart paperwork information from Beyond Blue December 17, 2023 which communicated to us that the unit came with a golf cart which we originally thought. We.submitted all paperwork that was being asked including a $500 deposit. In no way does this display actions of us "looking for an opportunity to get a free golf cart". We were then notified March 15 the unit did not come with a cart and that Beyond Blue had a glitch in their system and the paperwork was sent unintentionally.

  6. We called Beyond Blue on a Saturday March 16 2024 in hopes we could come to a resolution. We did not hear back from the "manager". We called again Tuesday March 19, 2024 in hopes we could come to a resolution and/or COMPROMISE, and were directly told "NO." Which at that point I booked our own cart for the week because the golf cart was supposed the part of the fun for our trip! We paid $850 for the week. Never at anytime were we looking for "opportunity" or "a free golf cart". Suggesting that we have been harassing the office is totally ridiculous.

  The oversight of sending us paperwork for the golf cart, then receiving the deposit and insurance information should have triggered a phone call or follow up with us from Beyond Blue inside our 60 day cancellation window, providing the opportunity for us to reconsider our stay. That is at the fault of Beyond Blue.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  Brooke *******

  Business Response

  Date: 04/19/2024

  We would like to address each of the inaccuracies the guest has listed:
  

  1) We did NOT "know" the golf cart was removed from the ad when we booked our stay.

  - It is the guest’s responsibility to check the ad at the time of booking for any changes that may have occurred. Hosts are not able to reach out to potential guests and let them know of changes which have been made to the ad.

  2)There was no level of "transparency" when we were booking that there was not a golf cart included. The only time we received a message that there was not a golf cart included and that there was a glitch in the system was 7 days prior to our arrival. Indicated in the companies screenshot attached. They notified us March 21 in an email.

  - We notified you on March 15th and you called us back about it on March 16th, which you noted below in #6. We were not aware that the system had sent you an automated email regarding a Golf Cart before that time. While the Golf Cart had been removed from the ad, pictures taken down and the Golf Cart Agreement removed, a trigger on our end was still active and sent you an automated email about the golf cart. It was not an intentional act. When we became aware of this inadvertent trigger email, we contacted you immediately.

  3) Beyond Blue states that we as renters "removed the cover" and had disregard for the cart. This is FALSE. There is NO COVER on the cart and didn't touch it once. We rented our own cart for the week. Also, there is no indication/mention of  this stated in House Rules.
  

  - We have looked back in the reports and see there was no golf cart cover on the cart at the time of your arrival. While we typically keep our carts covered, it looks like this was not the case here since it is inside of a garage. Our apologies.

  4) Whoever made the mistake is moot at this point. And there were no apologies.
  

  - We sincerely apologized that the trigger email was sent to you following your booking both over the phone on many different occasions, and also in the email which was sent to you on March 21st.

  5) We received golf cart paperwork information from Beyond Blue December 17, 2023 which communicated to us that the unit came with a golf cart which we originally thought. We submitted all paperwork that was being asked including a $500 deposit. In no way does this display actions of us "looking for an opportunity to get a free golf cart". We were then notified March 15 the unit did not come with a cart and that Beyond Blue had a glitch in their system and the paperwork was sent unintentionally.
  

  - The Golf Cart Template was sent to you AFTER you made the booking for a home without a golf cart. While this property had a golf cart at one point, the owner was uncomfortable with the liability and had us remove it from the ad on November 25th, 2023. You made the booking on December 17th, 2023, which is 22 days later. This cart was no longer registered by the time your booking was made. We refunded anything associated with that email and cart. You persisted that we had to supply a cart or issue some form of compensation, however none was due since you booked a home which did not feature a golf cart. You have since proceeded to leave a negative review about this even after we have shown you all of the evidence depicting how the cart was NOT present at the time of your booking.

  6) We called Beyond Blue on a Saturday March 16 2024 in hopes we could come to a resolution. We did not hear back from the "manager". We called again Tuesday March 19, 2024 in hopes we could come to a resolution and/or COMPROMISE, and were directly told "NO." Which at that point I booked our own cart for the week because the golf cart was supposed the part of the fun for our trip! We paid $850 for the week. Never at anytime were we looking for "opportunity" or "a free golf cart". Suggesting that we have been harassing the office is totally ridiculous.

  - You spoke to our reservations team on the 16th. The manager was not available to speak on the same day and was off for the following two days. The manager called you back on the 19th, which was the first day she was back in the office. Our team took this time to investigate your case to ensure that all details were accounted for and to find out what had happened. We followed up with an email on the 21st and apologized once again and sent you contact information to a local Golf Cart rental company. Furthermore, it is not acceptable to speak to representatives who are only trying to help you in the manner in which you did. We all work hard to take care of our guests, and the front desk receptionists reported that you were very agitated and rude. We deal with a lot of guests and know how to take a certain amount of “abuse” from guests. However your encounters exceeded those levels which is not alright.
  
  Again, this property had a Golf Cart at one time, and it was removed, so if you took a screenshot of the ad while it had the cart attached to it, that would not prove that it was in the ad on 12/17/2023. That is the only day that matters in this case because that was when your booking was made. We answered all of your questions with patience and understanding and apologized for any confusion which may have been caused. At the end of the day, you had booked a property without a Golf Cart, signed a Guest Agreement without a Golf Cart, and were hosted in a home without access to a Golf Cart. All of that is in line and as it should be. We apologize that you are having difficulty accepting this, but we cannot give you an answer other than what has been given.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/22/2024

  
  Complaint: 21533469
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  1. In no way can any of the phone conversations be considered "rude" or  "abuse". Prove this, or recant the comment. 

  2. "The Golf Cart Template was sent to you AFTER you made the booking for a home without a golf cart." This is Beyond Blue's error.  If you have a system that is sending false information to it's customers, again, Beyond Blue's error. 

  3. Deposit was refunded outside of our cancellation window. Unfair. Again, Beyond Blue's error.

  4. If you're running a business, there are no days off. 

  5. I'm having a hard time "letting this go", because upon investigation, similar incidents regarding "glitches in the system" and "golf cart use" have effected others who booked through Beyond Blue.

  I'm seeking a formal complaint with Better Business Bureau attached to Beyond Blue's profile for their failure to administer sufficient communications to their guests. It may read:

  Beyond Blue has a faulty communication/reservations system. Be sure to pay close attention to your reservation prior to booking. I recommend speaking with a representative to confirm your expectations of your travel stay well within your cancellation window.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  Brooke *******