ComplaintsforVacasa

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked a vacation rental in *********, ** through Vacasa on June 18, 2024 for dates July *****, 2024. On July 9, 2024, I received the email attached explaining that they did not advise travel due to Hurricane *****. I reached out to Vacasa to see if they were canceling my trip, and they told me that I could either keep my reservation or cancel it and file a claim with my trip insurance. I explained that I should not have to file trip insurance for something outside of my control. The other option was to continue with the reservation to a city without power where every other hotel is not allowing reservations. I think Vacasa is making me file a claim so that they can keep all of the money I paid and let the insurance company pay out my refund, which is completely unethical. I am not sure if BBB can help me, but Vacasa was extremely unhelpful and I think is just collecting funds rather than refunding on a stay where the property and local area is impacted by a natural disaster to the point that there is no power in the region.

  

  Business response

  07/17/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share these details with us. We are sorry that you were unable to make your trip due to the adverse weather conditions. Our cancellation policy and rental agreement note that we do not refund for conditions that are not within our control, such as weather. This is why we suggest that our guests purchase trip insurance. The trip insurance helps guests recuperate the cost of the reservations for situations such as this.

  Customer response

  07/17/2024

   
  Complaint: 21970143
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I received an email from Vacasa stating that they did not advise travel to the area, but when I called, Vacasa refused to cancel the reservation. Even though THEY initiated deterring us from the area, they put the responsibility on me to cancel so that they dont have to provide a refund. If the house was not operable due to loss of power (we called several businesses nearby and were not able to get ahold of any of them due to them not having power, so we are certain the house did not have power, either), Im not sure why Vacasa thinks we couldve resided at the property. 
  

  The adverse travel scenario was not due to typical weather but due to a hurricane/natural disaster and loss of power to the area. This does not seem like a scenario in which I should have to use travel insurance and wait weeks on end to maybe receive a refund. This seems like the responsibility of the homeowner to provide a house with electricity (which they couldnt) or else cancel the reservation (which they didnt). 
  

  Vacasa was putting us in a corner by making us either 1) keep the reservation, drive down to ********* with my two children, to find out the property was without power, or 2) cancel the reservation and then keep the money I paid, forcing me to go through travel insurance to maybe receive a refund. This is slimy and inconsiderate of the consumer, and someone needs to stop this company from taking advantage of a natural disaster to capitalize on keeping consumers reservation deposits. 
  

  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  

  Business response

  07/22/2024

  Once again thank you for sharing this information. Again we do not provide refunds for conditions that are not within our control It is stated in the rental agreement. Guests do not have to purchase travel insurance however if they do not and adverse weather, natural disasters occur, they are not able to recoup the cost of their reservation. This is why travel insurance exists. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 6/29/24, I booked a vacation home through booking.com for $897.92 for July *****, 2024. It wasnt until AFTER I booked that I received notice from Vacasa (manages the home) that I needed to sign a one-sided, unconscionable rental agreement that outlined trip insurance requirements as my ONLY protection. I was not made aware of this at the time of booking only AFTER. I was already trapped. Unfortunately, the home was on the Texas coast and was hit by Hurricane ***** 3 days before our trip. The peninsula experienced snapped poles, down power lines, road closures and flooding. There was no access to basic human needs like water, food, or gas. ******** groups in that area said power was not expected to be restored (if they are lucky) until the day AFTER we were to check-in. I agreed to rent a home with electric, A/C, working appliances, hot water, etc. FOR SPECIFIC DATES. Vacasa COULD NOT provide that. Vacasa has breached their contract and obligation to me as they are incapable of providing what I agreed to pay for. Yet, they are refusing to issue a refund.They offered a credit to be used within 30 days at the same property which is completely unreasonable for several reasons:-I cant just go on vacation whenever I want.-I scheduled this for when I could go, no alternative dates. -I dont know if it will even be available as it could have sustained hurricane damage.If they can make this exception to their rental agreement, then they can most certainly refund my money as an exception also. For 4 days now, they have unwavering on refunding my money for a product/service they can no longer provide. They have been a nightmare to deal with. Ive sent countless messages through their text platform and demanded a refund at least 15 times to no avail. They have done nothing to resolve this. They are ripping off innocent people!

  

  Business response

  07/17/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share this information with us. We are sorry that you were unable to make your trip due to adverse weather conditions. Our cancellation policy is clearly laid out in our listing as well as during the booking process and we recommend that all guests purchase trip insurance as situations such as this can arise at any time. That said, our records indicate that you have been refunded in full.

• Initial Complaint

  07/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  June 22, 2024 - June 26, 2024 Please see uploaded pdf below.Vacasa has offered me a 1% discount. I have asked that somebody from their company please call and give me an explanation on how they came up with this amount and I am still waiting for a response. At some point, is it acceptable for me to bill them for my time that they have wasted?

  Customer response

  07/11/2024

  Case #******** 
  
  ******,
  
  Just wanted to give you an update on this.  Last night, ******* from Vacasa finally returned our call with an offer.  She offered 50% off the stay.  While I personally think we should have gotten 100% off due to the unsafe environment and lack of items that were stated on the website as available, I quite frankly am done.  The issue should have been resolved on day one.  We should never have been allowed to stay in the house with the exposed wires, lack of washing machine, no a/c upstairs, hookah pipes, etc.  And when we declined the 50% off after 1 night and then were told they "rescinded the offer", we felt we had no choice but to stay.  We didn't have another $4,000 to fork out for another place.  Vacasa dropped the ball on this and should definitely be called out on it and held accountable.  And like I told ******* on the phone, if Vacasa rents this out to another renter and hasn't fixed the issues that were reported and somebody gets hurt, I will be the first to testify.
  
  Not sure what BBB can do from here since it's been resolved, but definitely not a company that looks out for the safety of their guests.  And I am guessing the building department of ******* would love to know that a business is renting out a house that has multiple building code violations.  That would probably result in some huge fines.
  
  Thanks for helping with this.  Always good to know that somebody cares and is willing to help even when you feel like you're banging your head against the wall.
  
  Let me know if you need anything else from me.
  
  *****
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My family used Vacasa to book a vacation rental- Bike to ********- in ***************. Our dates were from May 29 through June 3, 2024. We chose this particular property because it had a listing of wheelchair accessible as well as limited mobility. I had a stroke and use a wheelchair. For short distances I can use a ****** if someone walks with me to prevent falls. This was false advertising. The property had a step up from the driveway which was inconvenient but that is not the biggest issue. The layout of the house had no possible way for a wheelchair to maneuver around the sharp turns needed to access either the bathroom or the bedroom. So we tried using a standard size ******. Once again the bathroom door opening was too narrow to fit. My family had to physically support my weight in order to get me into and out of the bathroom. There was no way to use the bathroom independently. An advertised wheelchair accessible properly should not require family members to physically lift a disabled person in order to use the basic necessities. On the Vacasa website it defines an accessible property. This property did not meet any of those definitions. When contacted they were not willing to refund any of the money for the aggravation and inconvenience except for $200. Over a month later it is still listed as wheelchair accessible. *** asked them many times to remove that so no one else who is disabled has to find out the first time they need to use the bathroom that they cannot. There were other issues with the property like ants, a shower that didnt drain, a sinking floor upstairs, a broken dishwasher, dirty towels etc. However, advertising as a wheelchair accessible house and not being true is false advertising. We chose this property specifically for that reason. Vacasa has been less than caring about the issue.

  

  Business response

  07/17/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share this information with us. We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. We do not have any record of you reaching out during your stay to report wheelchair access issues. Our team did come and address an ant issue you reported, they also assisted with the door. But there we have no record that you reported the wheelchair access issues during your stay. As this was not reported to us, and we were not given an opportunity to assist, this is not something we would provide a refund for. The ****** was offered and declined. That said,we would not be willing to offer anything further.

  Customer response

  07/17/2024

   
  Complaint: 21964575
  
  I am rejecting this response because a complaint about wheelchair access was made.  When we had an issue with access to the property because the code was not working the man who helped mw told me he was our local contact and if I had any further issues to contact him.  I told him about the wheelchair accessibility thinking he was the one I needed to contact. 

  Attached is a copy of the text I sent to him.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  

  Business response

  07/22/2024

  Once again thank you for sharing this information with us and again we apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. There is no date on the screenshot, so while you may have mentioned it we dont know when exactly additionally, you didnt ask for assistance. We would not offer anything further.

  Customer response

  07/27/2024

   
  Complaint: 21964575
  
  I am rejecting this response because as of today, July 27, almost 2 months later you are still advertising this property as wheelchair accessible.  You are fully aware that is property is not.  From the front entrance through the gate there is a step up and you are aware of the inaccessible bedrooms and bathrooms yet you have refused to change the listing. I am happy to send you the full text thread to show I did contact your company about the issues.  I am fully aware that you do not care nor will you do anything to make up for the problems we experienced however, I will not let you say anything that is false in this report so I will once again state my case with truth.  We picked this property solely for two things- 1- Wheelchair accessibility and 2- the size of the property for my family.  We had 11 people coming and this property was the right size.  I researched your website to see what "accessibility" meant to you.  Your website is very clear that is means that the doorways and hallways are wide enough for a wheelchair.  It also says that from the front of the home it can be accessed with a wheelchair.  The gate opens up to a 3-4 inch step.  The hallways are not wide enough nor is there enough turning radius to get a wheelchair through it to access the bedrooms or bathrooms. The bathroom door was so narrow that a ****** could not even fit.

  Now here are your excuses- 1- I did not take photo evidence as my son and I were lifting my husband from his wheelchair, down the hall, and into the bathroom.  *******, I did not take a selfie.  I was more concerned with taking care of his needs. 2- I didn't tell you about the issue- Wrong- I did. You now have proof. I cannot prove what was said in a phone call, especially if it was not reported to you or noted by your employee, but my text is clear. The text is dated May 31. I am happy to send that if needed.  3- I didn't let you find me a new location- Well that is partially true.  I was unaware that was an option. When i made my complaint, your employee did not offer to find another location that would suit our needs.  He simply said he was "sorry to hear that".  I  did look online to see if there was anything else nearby that was wheelchair accessible and big enough and saw nothing. You claim you have other properties, I'd love to see where you would have sent us. 

  You continue to advertise this property falsely as wheelchair accessible so obviously you are not taking my complaint seriously. You have not been helpful in making things right. You have chosen not to address this issue but instead keep making excuses as to why you are not accountable for this listing being false and our stay being extremely difficult.  I will also be contacting ADA.gov to let them know of this false advertising.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  07/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We paid a high sum to rent a vacation home. We rented the home last year when it was under a different rental company, and had no issues. This year we rented the same home, but the homeowners had switched to Vacasa to be their rental company. Less than 24 hours into our vacation, I was trapped in the elevator inside of the home when it stopped working. We called Vacasa and they sent someone out the next day who only flipped the breaker a few times and declared he couldnt fix it. An elevator repair company was supposed to come out the next day, but never showed up. Vacasa stopped returning calls about fixing our elevator and never made a move to fix it. We went the entire week without an elevator, which was very hard on our special needs/disables child with mobility issues. He had to climb 3 flights of stairs the entire week, which was far more challenging than it should have been. My mother, who was at the same beach couldnt even visit all week, because she cannot do stairs due to a disability. The elevator is listed as an amenity, and was the reason we booked this house 2 years in a row. Not having that elevator when we have 2 disabled individuals that struggle with steps, was anxiety causing for everyone involved. Vacasa will not respond to our requests for money back, and while we were on vacation the week of 6/29/24-7/6/24, made no moves to fix the elevator, or communicate with us that we wouldnt have an elevator all week. They stopped responding to our calls. I want some money back as they defaulted on what was promised with this home rental, and considering we paid a lot for that house to be in working order. An elevator is worth a lot to a family that has to have it.

  

  Business response

  07/17/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share these details with us. We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. We have reached out to our local team to see if they will approve compensation for the elevator issue. We appreciate your patience while we wait for their response

  Customer response

  07/17/2024

   
  Complaint: 21963776
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I am not willing to close a complaint based on the business saying they would ask the local team if theyll compensate us for the elevator issue. That was actually something they were supposed to do while we were at the beach. They didnt address that, just as they didnt address fixing the elevator. I have been asked to be patient, so who knows how long it will be before they do anything. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  

  Business response

  07/22/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share this information with us. Again we apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. Our records indicate that our team has been in contact with you about compensation.

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  As someone who works in commercial property management, I know exactly what good customer service looks like, especially when there are issues. Terrible customer service, with absolutely ZERO resolutions throughout our entire stay. Every time we reached out about an issue, we received the same canned response: "Our team was advised and will reach out to you as soon as possible." Our stay was from 7/3-7/7 (2024)Early Check-In Denied: We arrived around 3 PM after traveling all day with our dog. Despite the listing stating that early check-in might be an option if available, we were flatly denied access, even though the house was clean and empty. To add insult to injury, the code to enter didnt even work until after 4 PM.Unkempt Yard: The grass hadn't been mowed in ages, with weeds towering above our knees. We contacted them on the day of check-in to get the grass mowed, especially since we had a dog with us. Despite daily follow-**** the grass was never cut during our stay.Dirty Towels and Questionable Cleanliness: The cleaning crew left dirty towels hanging in the bathroom. When we pulled out a "clean" towel, it had hair stuck to it. This made us question the cleanliness of all the towels and bedding. We reported this immediately but received no resolution.Pest Infestation: The back deck was infested with roaches and sand fleas, and inside we had to kill numerous roaches and spiders. Clearly, the property had not been properly exterminated. We did get a text the evening before checkout asking if we wanted them to come and spray. By that time, we were packing up and told them to wait until we vacated in the morning.Lack of Basic Supplies: For a house that cost so much, the lack of basic supplies was appalling. We had to purchase hand soap, salt and pepper, paper towels, and there was only one spare roll of toilet paper. When you spend that much money on a rental, its baffling that these essentials are not provided.

  

  Business response

  07/16/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share these details with us. We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. Our records indicate that compensation in the amount of ****** was provided and refunded through the airbnb platform which you booked with.
  
  

  Customer response

  07/16/2024

   
  Complaint: 21957728
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the refund was from airbnb not from Vacasa. Vacasa has agreed to pay back all the fees we paid out to them which was roughly about $400 (Vacasa cant for some reason give me the exact amount) 
  
  They claim this has been submitted to airbnb to refund as of 7/13 however I cant seem to get a straight answer from Vacasa on what was submitted for processing. Please see logs from calls on Saturday where they said they would process the additional refund and then then text from today they said its been sent, but yet wont disclose the amount. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business response

  07/21/2024

  Once again, thank you for sharing this information. Our records indicate that ****** was refunded to you via the airbnb platform.

  Customer response

  07/22/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed and confirmed the "new" refund is accurate and posted to my account.  The response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Rented a house through Whimstay which was actually a Vacasa rental, for a family vacation. We had issues from the get go. After calling multiple times to see if we could get early check-in I was told this property was excluded. It would have been nice to know that ahead of time. Upon finally checking in, the bunk beds on the third floor were broken and completely unuseable for my children. The main reason we booked this rental is because we had 4 children and there were 2 sets of bunk beds. We contacted Vacasa immediately and was advised it was a known issue and they would be replaced by Tuesday or Wednesday of our stay (we were checking on on Friday). Well no one ever came to replace them. There were no useable pans in the rental - most were very worn and should not be used. We ended up buying a pan at the store. The grill was completely filthy and we thought need a propane tank. Someone came out and apparently it had to be hooked up to the gas via the house. However, half the grill was unuseable (burner didn't work) and we had to spend time cleaning the grill. There was also only a few pieces of silverware. Not enough for our entire party. Luckily someone came out and brought new silverware for us. Finally, I mistakenly forgot some clothes there. My fault and I contacted Vacasa, and only a few pieces came back to me after I paid for shipping. Guess someone chose what they wanted to keep. That's my fault for leaving them there. What is unacceptable considering all the issues is that I contacted Vacasa asking for a refund and only received $500. I feel that $1000 refund is more acceptable considering that 2 of the 8 beds were unuseable and we paid over $4000 for the rental. I'm not sure how Vacasa came up with $500 but that is not acceptable. I contacted Vacasa again to ask for an add'tl $500 and was told that I needed to contact Whimstay. After contacting Whimstay, they reached out to Vacasa again and after a week I was told no again on the addt'l refund.

  

  Business response

  07/16/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share these details with us. We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. As there were enough beds without the bunks for the occupancy of the home, and the other issues were addressed during your stay. We would not be inclined to provide anything further.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We rented a beach house from 6/28-7/2, hosted by Vacasa, a vacation rental property manager and they turned out to be no help at all instead patronizing me and wasting my time. The ad for the home is deceiving, it is poorly maintained by the management company and the home owners have necessary repairs and updates to make. but the homeowners should be made aware of how their home and business is being managed It is badly maintained by the company they are represented by and to an extent themselves by not doing the necessary updates desperately needed. We arrived at 6 hours past check in and found the home filthy. The bedding had been changed but that's about it. When the company contacted me VIA text message 17 min after arrival (the strange lady jn the driveway when we arrived must have phoned them) I explained the situation and sent them the photos and they said they were working with the local branch to help me and they would be in touch. They messaged me at 11:30 p.m asking for additional pictures and info. I already sent pics/detailed info. Ot felt patronizing, I spent the 1st several hours of my vacation scrubbing a house that was supposed to be charming and cozy upon arrival, with cleaning products I had to purchase. I recieved no calls or messages until the day I was leaving requesting a review. Some issues I had, patio furniture falling apart, dangerous, I was injured by a broken chair, BBQ caught fire multiple times due to neglect, gate to the hot tub broken, several light-bulbs burned out no extras, debris in all the drawers, sinks and faucets had nasty build up, main shower was full of hair, head & pubic, thick with soap scum, floors were filthy, missing tv remote making the ** useless, thick dust, windows wouldn't close, missing most cookware, balcony railing not safe. I text them tonight they offered me 130 the cleaning fee. It was like a slap in the face. The way I was treated was not ok. They need to be held accountable

  

  Business response

  07/15/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share these details with us. We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. It looks as though some further compensation was approved, but didnt get processed. We apologize for that oversight and an additional ****** plus applicable taxes will be refunded.

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am in an owner of a short term rental, which I contracted with Vacasa to manage. Despite my attempt to work with them under the confines of the contract, they have been very poor at responding. They have mismanaged the property and promises made they were not kept other owners need to understand. This company is falling apart, and they cannot professionally manage real estate properties.

  

  Business response

  07/15/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share these details with us. We are sorry to hear that you are unhappy with our services. We have reached out to our owner support staff and asked that they contact you. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We paid to stay in ************ ***** Sunday July 7, 2024 - Thursday July 11th, 2024 through booking.com with a company named VASCASA. We booked the vacation the 17th of June. The past week or so Hurricane ***** developed and has quickly made its way toward the Gulf coast. The mayor of Port A sent out a Mandatory Evacuation for all visitors Saturday July 6th and everyone visiting had to leave by the 7th at noon. That's exactly the time we were leaving town to drive down there. I contacted Booking.com and *******. I haven't heard back from Booking, but ******* is outright refusing a refund or an exchange of dates. We had other members of family headed down there today we have all been directly contacted by their travel companies and told not to go and either given refunds or rescheduled dates. ******* is outright refused regardless of the fact that we CANNOT go because we risk criminal action or worse. We just want our money back at this point. Please help.

  

  Business response

  07/15/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to share this information with us. We apologize for any inconvenience you experienced. Were having some difficulty locating your reservation. If you would please provide us with the reservation confirmation as well as the name associated with the reservation were happy to follow up. 
  
  

  Customer response

  07/15/2024

   
  Complaint: 21952771
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  The reservation number is JPAR-6QKS. They can find the booking based on name and dates of stay as well which I included in the original complaint. This seems like an effort to drag it out. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  07/18/2024

  Thank you for providing that information. Again we are sorry that your trip was impacted by the hurricane. Our cancellation policy is clearly laid out on our listing page and we encourage our guests to purchase trip insurance as situations such as this can arise at any time. The rental agreement you signed states: Section L of additional terms and conditions:  Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, no refunds or compensation will be given and Vacasa shall not be liable to you for failure to make the property available for occupancy if the property is unavailable or becomes partially or wholly unusable for any reason outside Vacasas control, including but not limited to adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, mechanical failures, evacuation orders or other acts of government agencies, or utility outages. Vacasa advises guests to obtain appropriate and comprehensive travel insurance that covers Renter and all Occupants and that includes coverage for personal injury, illness or disease, and property damage or loss.
  
  

  Customer response

  07/18/2024

   
  Complaint: 21952771
  
  I am rejecting this response because as per booking.com who partnered with you we are covered because of forced circumstances (force majeure). Which covers emergency situations where it may be illegal or impossible for guests to travel to their booked properties. Regardless of travel insurance. Don't worry included a screenshot of the policy for you. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  07/22/2024

  Once again, thank you for sharing this information. Again, we would guide you to the rental agreement that you agreed to upon booking. No refund will be forthcoming.
  
  

*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. ↩