Gatlinburg Forum: VRBO Warnings

VRBO (now owned by Homeaway) has a new policy which helps protect guests renting properties through VRBO:

"HomeAway and its community of websites are committed to providing both homeowners and travelers the safest internet marketplaces for listing and inquiring about vacation rentals. Although all internet transactions carry some degree of risk, we don't want you to have to worry about listings on HomeAway sites. We want you to rent with confidence each time you inquire about and ultimately book a vacation rental using one of our sites, so HomeAway now offers what we believe is the leading vacation rental guarantee in the industry. The HomeAway Rent with Confidence Guarantee provides travelers protection (and peace of mind) by guaranteeing up to $5,000 of a traveler's payment in the event the listing is determined not to be legitimate in accordance with our policy. To take advantage of this guarantee, register your trip today and Rent with Confidence!"

Lisa

What does that cover and how long does it take to get your money back??????

Do you advertise your cabin on there dodgeball?

I have no idea how long it takes. Yes, I list my cabins on VRBO, Homeaway, and several other sites.

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Ok, before I head out in the park, I am a cabin owner on the NC side. Many, not all, cabin owners also have their own web site. I am not sure a scammer will take the time to create an additional web site to showcase their scam. They may, but I know the expense I incur maintaining and updating my own web site, so along with the trip insurance, having an indepdent web site for the place is also a good sign that it is legit.

With that said, I do have some friends in the NC and TN that only advertise with VRBO and do not invest in a seperate web site. They are good people and have nice places.

Paying by credit card gives you a modicum of consumer protection too. Don't let the scare of possibly being scammed disuade you from renting a cabin by owner. As an owner, we get the wildest scams to seperate us from our money. It is a two way street of trust of the owner and trust of the guest. Happy Vacationing.

Bob

Bob, that is so correct.

There are definitely more scammers out there thinking up ways to steal the rental owners money than vice versa.

From cramming our cabins and condos with unregistered guests, to stealing our personal property, to counterfeit money orders that we don’t discover are bogus till the bank notifies you weeks after the fact.

Trust me, owners are at a much higher risk of getting scammed than renters. Most people would be amazed at some of the requests we get.

We have been very luck though. Since I make it a point to speak directly to my renters, we have had very few problems.

Renters and Owners need to ask a lot of questions and keep their eyes open.

But we owners are very happy to have you renters !!

P.S. In keeping with TA posting guidelines, I must disclose that I am a Rental owner in the Gatlinburg area.

Thank You.

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