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ResortQuest stings vacation home renters with huge cancellation fees, blogger says
Anybody out there have any dealings with ResortQuest, a vacation rental outfit that seems to book through a Web site called Vacation Rentals by Owner?Over at The Consumerist, a blogger posts a tale of getting raked over the coals in fees and strange taxes when his wife canceled a vacation rental booking the day after it was initially made -- and a good three months before the scheduled date they were to arrive.
When the poster's wife called ResortQuest to cancel the family's reservation, the agency told her that she would not receive any refund of a $330 deposit. Then ResortQuest sent a cancellation statement detailing a $95.70 "reservation fee" and $190.92 in "taxes" (so it would seem that these people got some of their deposit back).
The poster sent the usual angry e-mails off to the company, demanding an accounting of just who was assessing and collecting those taxes. It was only when he started asking these questions directly to customer service reps at ResortQuest that he was told by a "manager" that he would receive a full refund. But even then, the company initially refused to provide a confirmation receipt of that refund.
The story ends well for the blogger, but it does raise some concerns for those of us out there thinking of renting vacation homes in place like Florida, where this blogger was headed. Apparently nothing in ResortQuest's fine print detailed these cancellation penalties and tax assessments.
Anybody out there who can shed some light on ResortQuest, give Gadling a shout.
Filed under: Consumer Activism
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
lauraloops Apr 10th 2008 8:35AM
we've used VRBO a few times to book cabins in Kentucky and Michigan, and had good results. I think this is a case of "buyer beware," though.
Frogmarch Apr 10th 2008 8:45AM
I don't know anything about ResortQuest, but I've used Vacation Rentals By Owner on numerous occasions to book apartments in Spain, Italy and France, and never had a problem--in fact I've stayed in some interesting places and met some interesting people I wouldn't have otherwise.
That said, VRBO is mostly just a platform for arranging rentals between owners and travelers, and the person you end up dealing with may well end up being a jerk or just outright shady. The message as always: get it in writing, and read it carefully.
Jim Apr 11th 2008 11:32AM
Be VERY LEERY of any of these "resort" companies. Most are nothing more than glorified timeshare rentals. If you are looking to book a vacation rental stick with going direct to the owner. Call them, quiz them, get photos from multiple sites and check the local chamber of commerce on the owner as well.
Sites like vrbo and rentalo are a good start, but make sure the property owner is real as these guys have seen a big increase in fraud on their pages. That is why local, niche, websites are better if they exist in the area you are looking to visit.
One example is http://www.floridagulfvacation.com or find listings a http://www.vrwd.com
bobpaul33 Apr 18th 2008 7:56PM
I am familiar with ResortQuest in Hawaii and find them to be a fine and reliable rental management company. I wouldn't hesitate using them again and again.