| Vacation Rental Complaints [Tag : Vacation rental] |
| 11. |
A WARNING about Renting this Vacation House in Phoenix (VRBO #50260)!
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BEWARE VRBO #50260. In Jan 10, we entered into a rental agreement with Mrs Jean Coffey (a real estate agent) and Dr Kyle Coffey of Issaquah, WA for their house in Phoenix, AZ. The house was normally rented by the month, but with no Jan occupancy of the property the Coffeys willingly agreed to a “last minute” rental for a one week period commencing 18 Jan 10.
On 18 Jan a major winter storm shut down our transportation hub and we were unable to get to Phoenix without incurring significant alternate transportation costs. I called Mrs Coffey that morning to discuss options. She agreed to a postponement for a week to be determined later in 2010. She retained our cleaning & refurbishing and rent monies for the later week. So far, so good.
In May I called to arrange for a week in Nov 10 that was convenient for her. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy. Coffey reopened negotiations on what I thought was a done deal. After many follow-up calls and e-mails, she indicated we could only rent for a minimum half month even though she had no bookings for Nov. She also said we had to pay an additional $90 for cleaning & refurb, on top of the $90 already paid. We settled on a 12 day agreement. When the contract arrived, it called for 11 days for the price of the 12, and demanded yet another $90 for cleaning & refurb (for a total cleaning bill of $270). So much for the week postponement.
I questioned the additional charges. She realized we were unwilling to enter into an inflated arrangement. She decided to return our rent payment. She said she would be retaining the $90 because it was spent on cleaning and refurbishing in advance of our planned arrival in Jan. Interestingly, the Coffeys were the last to inhabit the house in early Jan.
Three weeks later Coffey decided to renege on her decision to return our rent.
The Coffeys realize we are prepared not to let this rest. In the interim, I have offered them the opportunity to make things right, which I will report here. Further action is being considered. Until that time, do not trust Mrs Coffey to keep her word; in fact, be very careful about entering into a rental arrangement with them unless you are prepared to forfeit some of your funds.
9 September - I am pleased to say that the owner has had third thoughts and chosen to do the right thing. She has returned the rent as initially promised. I appreciate the support provided by the site.
Date Added: Aug 24, 2010
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| 12. |
CRAIG SIEGEL - Misrepresentation and Fraud
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My wife and I arrived on December 28, 2010 for a three month stay. We immediately determined that the supposedly solar heated pool was stone cold. The owner said it was all due to the very cold weather. We paid him for the rental. On the first warm and sunny day, the pool was still stone cold. I then discovered that the solar panel system was in "bypass". I turned the system to "active" and immediately discovered multiple geysers on the roof. I have since spoken with a neighbor who attested to the fact that the pool heating system was defective long before our arrival. This "upscale" vacation rental is equipped with (1) ripped screens on most windows and on the pool cage, (2) hinges falling out of doors, (3) soiled and badly torn upholstered furniture and (4) a kitchen equipped with dishes and utensils more suitable for a Boy Scout outing. Some of the tears in the pool cage are large enough for our Labradoodle to walk through. None of the doors or windows can be opened because of these defective screens.
Despite the owner's statement in his listing that the rent includes cleaning and pool maintenance, the owner has just informed me that I am responsible for the cleaning and pool maintenance DURING our stay. The owner claims that the beach is just a walk away - make that 2.1 miles away in each direction.
On the positive side, the owner did not insist on a security deposit. Now we understand why. It would be extremely difficult to add to the damage in this house and have it be noticeable. The absence of a pet cleaning surcharge should have been a dead giveaway as to the underlying condition of this property.
BE WARNED: My wife and I have discovered other vacation rentals in the Sarasota, Florida area being offered by this owner. Unfortunately, we have also just discovered highly negative reviews of his properties by previous vacation renters. Please go to vrwd.org. The owner has now changed the spelling of his surname in order to create confusion. Before sending the owner of a vacation rental any money, it has become obvious that checking references extensively is a necessary step.
P.S. I forgot to also mention further significant safety issues with this vacation rental. They are all basic construction code violations. However, because this is a detached single family home, no government agencies in Florida (County of Sarasota and the State of Florida) are interested in helping to resolve the following safety issues. In many other places, the county, city or state would intervene and possibly prevent occupancy until the safety issues were corrected.
The safety issues:
1) No smoke detectors;
2) No Fire Extinguishers;
3) Improper electrical outlets near sinks (not GFI);
4) No telephone in the house for emergencies;
5) Plumbing fixtures reversed.
Date Added: Jan 6, 2011
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