"I have used VRBO and Homeaway in the past and had no problems with the rentals. On my latest trip, I learned less than 2 weeks prior to rental that the home was not in the town listed on the website but in a town 25 minutes away. I was unable to reach either VRBO (customer service is a black hole as stated in other reviews) or the owner to get clarification. When we arrived at the property, it was a wreck. The owner originally listed it 9 years ago, moved far away from the location, and had done no maintenance (leaky ceilings, filthy carpets, holes in floors, mold everywhere were just a few of the issues). I was unable to reach VRBO at all for help. I finally called the owner who responded to my voicemail. She offered a full refund, then later said she wouldn't do that because we stayed there. (We had no other choice on a holiday weekend and no help from either VRBO or the owner to find other accommodations; one of our group had to leave early because the mold brought on serious health issues).
I repeatedly tried to reach VRBO by phone and mostly couldn't reach them and when I did, I got absolutely no satisfaction. "

"After using them few times and having a good experience with property I would recommend them. My recent experience was not pleasant and owner did not return security VRBO said they would help as go between with owner. After sending our complaint had to continue to call and email them only to find out follow up didn't happen. Cant speak with Manager and just keep hearing "don't worry" well I am worried I am out $500 for a dishonest owner. We have tried 6 times to post a negative review as a warning and followed all their rules and they have yet to post our review. Now I know why the warning we needed isn't there. Taking case to court."

"VRBO and Homeaway are owned by the same company and share the same customer service telephone system. I am a homeowner with a rental property and it is from this perspective that I write this review.

First of all, if you need to contact customer service for anything, plan on a long, long wait on the telephone. It is like entering a black hole. You might need to call because your site needs renewal, or to problem solve their search engine (which does not use Key Words, despite its claim) or a variety of other unexpected reasons. When you do reach someone they are very nice and can be helpful, but should you need higher level support, you need to hope they call you back (usually they don't call back unless you send multiple e-mails, and even then it is questionable. If if they do, hope you are available, because the only way back to them is through the endless waiting on the phone line. They do not provide any direct way to reach the person who called you. They say, "feel free to call us back if your issue is not resolved. They really should be advertising that they guarantee a long wait for customer service no matter when you call, 24 hours per day.

I actually switched to VRBO from Homeaway due to their terrible customer service (for two weels before my listing was scheduled to expire I had sent e-mails asking for assistance (they promise 24 hour turnaround - HA!. It was not until after the listing expired that I received a call. Only after I switched to VRBO did I realize that they used the same support phone line.

The site that the owner needs to input information is confusing as well, It is very easy to think that you listed three bedrooms and two baths and later discover that it only recorded 2 bedrooms and two bath, making your listing unfindable by someone who is looking for a 3 bedroom rental

So seller beware if you plan to use VRBO or Homeaway."

"Middle-man vacation property rental. We rented a house through them in Colorado....worked okay, although the house reviews seemed overinflated by the site."