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Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:45 pm
by ccasebolt
Hello all,

Help - advice needed! Since this past June I've had a villa booked (thru VRBO) for this coming April. The entire balance was paid in full up front in June. This morning I received an email message from the villa manager telling me that the owners are planning to move into the villa full-time and it will not be available for my stay in April (!!).

The manager offered another villa in place of the one I had booked, but because the replacement villa is smaller and doesn't meet our needs quite as well as the one I had originally booked, I checked VRBO for other availability for the same week in April.

Much to my surprise/shock, I found the villa I had originally booked last June newly listed as AVAILABLE for my week at $100/night HIGHER rate (!!) It is also shown as available at the same higher rate after my week -- when the owners are supposedly going to be living there full-time (??).

Has anyone else experienced anything like this before? If so, what would you suggest I do about what I suspect may be an effort to get more money for a high-demand week that I had booked and paid for seven months ago?

Thanks in advance :)

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 8:10 am
by inuny
Within minutes of first listing my property on VRBO I received a frantic email telling a story similar to your story. Except in this one the owner decided to stay in the villa the week that the guests had booked. The creep didn't offer to help them find another place. They had never been to St John. Luckily it worked out for them.

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 11:17 am
by Agent99
I would contact VRBO customer service immediately and report the issue so they can investigate. Also if you can take a screen shot of the current listing showing availability for the week you already paid in full. You have a contract.

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 7:54 pm
by ccasebolt
Thanks. The villa manager took the listing down today, so I guess it must be true. She also sent me notification that my payment has been refunded, so after being all set and paid in full for 7 months, we're officially without a villa 2 1/2months out :( I've been looking but haven't found anything as nice that won't cost considerably more. Sigh.

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 8:36 pm
by Agent99
That is disgusting. I would have no problem naming that villa. Certainly one to avoid. I'd post it far and wide. And also investigate your rights.

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 10:34 pm
by Knolmom
Please be sure that all fees from VRBO have been refunded to you including the credit card fees. VRBO has been a bit of a rip off for awhile now. They certainly were helpful to people who needed refunds for u inhabitable villas after the hurricane, but other than that, their fee structure IMHO is terrible.

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 6:33 am
by ccasebolt
I'm seeing exactly that! The charges seven months ago were pretty straightforward; rate/night x #nights + tax. Now, in my mad search for another villa, I'm seeing that plus additional service fees, additional per-person fees, etc.

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 6:34 am
by ccasebolt
I'm seeing exactly that! The charges seven months ago were pretty straightforward; rate/night x #nights + tax. Now, in my mad search for another villa, I'm seeing that plus additional service fees, additional per-person fees, etc. I haven't actually seen the refund appear on my card yet, but the amount quoted by the villa manager in the notification was for the exact amount I had paid last June - thank goodness for that at least!

Still looking... :(

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 8:21 am
by inuny
VRBO charges the guest a percentage (5-9%?) as a service fee. To save money use Vrbo to find a villa then you can google the villa and try to find the management company (on st john) that lists the villa.

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:15 am
by tupelodent
As a villa owner I agree. Use VRBO for research then find the one you want on facebook or their website. Contact the property manager directly and you'll get a better rate and service.

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 6:07 pm
by ccasebolt
I've done exactly that - now working directly with the property managers. I've narrowed it down to two villas: Coral Sky and Sapphire Sunrise (formerly Casa Bueno); leaning toward Sapphire Sunrise. Both are more expensive than the cancelled villa, but I don't see that I have much choice at this late date.

Starting to feel a bit better

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 7:30 pm
by Pickle
This type of cancellation seems to happen occasionally. A few years ago we booked a villa almost a year in advance. Two months prior to the trip, the manager informed us that our reservation got cancelled. The villa was sold and the new owners were going to live there. It left us scrambling to find another villa that would accommodate our dates, budget and preferences. All the other villas that we had considered, even somewhat, were booked by then and we ended up with one that was not on our radar for the trip. Once we made the new reservation, we felt much better and relieved. The bonus was that "the replacement" has turned out to be one of our favorite villas... so you never know.

We stayed at Sapphire Sunrise in 2011 when the property was called Casa Bueno and had different owners. By looking at the current photos on their website, the interior doesn't appear largely different and the overall atmosphere of the property seems to remain the same. My husband and I did enjoy our stay.

Hope all goes well for you. :)

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 7:58 pm
by ccasebolt
Thanks Pickle! I'm starting to feel a bit better after the initial panic, but the situation still stinks! You're right; the others we had considered prior to booking the cancelled villa are now either booked or recovering from hurricane damage. I do like the looks of Sapphire Sunrise though; glad to hear that you liked Casa Bueno - makes me feel even more relieved, so thank you! :)

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:43 pm
by Knolmom
If this is any consolation, I recall the new owners of Casa Bueno( Sunrise) excitedly posting on here or the other STJ forum about how excited they were about purchasing the villa and their intermediate plans to do some upgrading and redecorating.. they seems to be very nice folks. If you have not spoken to them directly maybe you could do a search for their post. I recall that villa having the most dramatic views!!!

Re: Villa cancellation advice!! Help!!!

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2018 9:02 am
by ccasebolt
Knolmom - I just confirmed Sapphire/Casa Bueno. The villa manager said the same - all renovated, pool scheduled to be re-done next week. It really does look beautiful. Well, it was more expensive than the cancelled villa, but everything else seems perfect. I'm breathing easier now. Thanks everyone for talking me though this :)

79 days...