When you are planning a vacation, sometimes you do not want to stay in a cold hotel room. That’s when vacation rentals come into play and can be viable options for travelers.
Fortunately, there are tons of options for such places with the help of platforms like Vrbo. Vrbo is a platform to find vacation rentals or lodgings in different parts of the world.
But while on vacation, the last thing you want to be is scammed. So, to discuss this issue, let us address this question first: Is Vrbo legit?
Vrbo Review
Vrbo was started in 1995 by owner David Clouse and his wife Lynn Clouse. It is a marketplace for online vacation rentals which was known as Vacation Rentals By Owners originally.
Home or vacation homeowners can list their properties for short rentals. While holidaymakers can rent them for a fee by browsing through the list.
In 2020, Vrbo was joined together with HomeAway as part of a single website. As of now, Vrbo lists more than 2 million properties for rent from across the world.
Is Vrbo Legit?
Like I mentioned in my introduction, it’s not fun to get scammed during your vacation. So, what I gathered is:
Vrbo is legit and a decent website to use for short time rentals. As long as you can keep in touch with the owners of rented places, you’re good to go. But do your research of the potential rental place before committing your money to Vrbo.
Now, before I conclude this part, let’s move on to their features.
What Does Vrbo Offer?
To put it in simple words, Vrbo offers properties for short-term rents. It is basically a platform where property owners can host and list their places for renting.
You can search by location, budget, and the number of specifications you want in a place. Once you decide on a place you can then communicate with the property manager for details and confirmation.
At Vrbo you can get many kinds of accommodations. The most common ones are:
- Houses
- Cabins
- Apartments & Condos
- Studios
- Villas
- Cottages
- Mansions
- Chalets
- Bed and Breakfast
How Does Vrbo Work? (For Property Owners)
To list a property on Vrbo, you need to first fill in some details about your place. Things like the price you want to charge, dates of rental, the rules to follow, and features.
You have to put up photos to show the place you want to rent. Vrbo will then connect you with prospective renters.
Don’t worry though, Vrbo has teams of helpers to guide you through the process and is available 24/7. Once you start earning you have to give them a small commission.
Vrbo Refund Policy
When booking a vacation, there’s always something that could go wrong before your departure. Hence, property owners usually charge a deposit that is refundable.
There is also a cancellation refund which is accepted only when you cancel within their time frame. The service fee is also another clause that needs to be paid but can be refunded.
If you decide to ask for a refund, be prepared to ask the Reservation Manager. It will take 7 to 14 days for a refund to process.
Vrbo Customer Feedback
Vrbo customer feedback is very important because it helps you to understand the pros and cons. So:
Trustpilot has a whopping 11,000+ reviews and they have a score of 3.3/5. The rating is average which means many people were pleased with the company. While some had complaints such as no refunds, wrong booking, and poor customer service.
SiteJabber has a very low rating for Vrbo with only 1.26/5 based on 1000+ reviews. Most had the same complaints that property owner faults were plenty. Among other such sites, Vrbo is only given the 95th position as ranking.
Vrbo Alternatives
Vrbo is not the only site on this planet for rental properties. These other two are the most popular among users and you can check them out.
Airbnb: Airbnb is an American company that specializes in accommodations for people around the world. Similar to Vrbo, you can also book hotels, condos, bungalows, ranches, etc at every budget. You can do your booking and payments, everything online.
TripAdvisor Rentals: TripAdvisor Rentals is another popular platform to book your perfect getaway. You can read reviews and search for your desired location or lodging. Be it a roomy villa or a fancy jacuzzi cabin you can find nearly anything here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1# What percentage of commission is Vrbo taking from owners?
Ans: Vrbo charges an 8% commission from each owner per booking. The 8% is divided among Vrbo manager fee with 5% and Vrbo processing fee with 3%.
Q2# Can you cancel Vrbo bookings without any charge?
Ans: You can get a full refund of the deposit if you cancel within 14 days before the date. If you cancel within 7 days before the booking, the refund is only 50%. There is no deposit return if you fail to cancel after the 7th day.
Q3# How to contact Vrbo customer service?
Ans: To reach Vrbo customer service you can try several methods. You can either call or email or try to reach through their social media handles. They also have a live chat option for immediate assistance.
Conclusion
So, let’s rewind this review; ‘is Vrbo legit?’ was the first question to pop up. The answer is still yes, Vrbo is legit because they do not run off with customers’ money.
However, reviews say that they still have some kinks to work out and those may hamper your experience. You need to do your own research on your chosen property before making any commitment.
So, with this review, I bid adieu to my wonderful readers. Hope you have a safe and fun-filled vacation with Vrbo (if you choose them).