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Top > United States > Florida 
| Vacation Rental Complaints |
| 82. |
Nice house - too bad the owner is dishonest and rude
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NO RETURN OF DEPOSIT, HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!
We were so excited to find this property. Before our arrival, I spoke to the owner, Scott, on the phone several times. He was friendly and helpful. When we arrived at the house, the first thing we noticed was the odor of cigarette smoke. The home has clearly been smoked in. This wasn't a huge issue for us, we were still excited about our weekend in the house. Throughout our stay, we noticed several minor issues; the hot tub wouldn't heat, the "chef's dream" kitchen was missing several utensils that we needed for basic meal prep, and the crab net we were promised was nowhere to be found. We called the owner a few times to see if he could help us with the hot tub or the crab net, and received no response. We weren't too upset at the time. Before we left, we sprayed down all surfaces, vacuumed, deflated and folded his air mattress, washed and folded all sheets, washed and put away all dishes, and took out all trash... We even took several bags to a public dumpster because the houses' curbside trash can was full when we arrived.
The real problems began after we got home. Days went by, with no contact from Scott regarding return of deposit. Finally, a week later, I called at left a voicemail. Several days later, I received a short e-mail stating that the cleaning fee was $105, and he had an issue with an air compressor that had been left on and blown a hose... "not a big deal", in his words. He promised a followup call the following afternoon.
Fast forward a month. Yes, that's 30 days. I received a rude e-mail from Scott, claiming that the deposit would not be returned due to the $110 (that's up $15 from his first e-mail), a broken air mattress, and a nearly-ruined air compressor. I believe the exact wording was "Tell whoever left my air compressor on that they're lucky" it was fixed. The compressor had not been used during our stay, we tried to turn it on but it wasn't functioning. We called him that evening to find out about the cleaning fee change and air compressor issue. When asked about the change in cleaning fee, Scott became belligerent and began yelling and cursing, accusing us of leaving "s*** on the toilet" and leaving the house a terrible mess. He was obviously upset that he had been caught in a lie. Later that evening, he sent me an e-mail stating that the only other renters he's had trouble with were a group of bikers and a group of "towel heads". I was shocked and appalled at his racism and vulgarity.
I am very disappointed to report that this owner is extremely dishonest and unprofessional. My family had planned to see if the house was available to rent for several weeks in the spring, but needless to say, those plans have changed.
Date Added: Oct 27, 2010
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| 86. |
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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| 90. |
CRAIG SIEGEL - LYING IN TECHNICOLOR
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So, what could be bad about Vacation Rentals listing #14782 on Siesta Key, Florida?
Let’s start with the first word in the title of the listing, the word “exclusive”. One would think that this word connotes quality. Not in this case. Every neighbor on this street in Siesta Key, Florida (Sandy Cove Avenue), and we have now met several of them, has reason to be completely disgusted with Craig Siegel as a good neighbor. Siegel has done things with his property that have not been permitted, things such as building a gated wall around his property without proper preparation for drainage. One nearby long time neighbor of 40 years, when approached by Siegel, told Siegel to get off his property.
The Siegel listing declares the vacation rental rates for 5174 Sandy Cove Avenue as well as stating that “an 11% bed tax will also be included per state and county sales tax”. When I contacted Sarasota County about Siegel’s misrepresentation of this property, I discovered that Siegel had conveniently neglected to pay the Tourist Development Tax to the County. Sarasota County also referred the missing tax matter to the State of Florida Department of Revenue.
My wife and I arrived here on December 28th. The pool has not been cleaned in a month and a half. This has not been a major issue this winter because Siesta Key’s weather has been cool (make that “cold”) and the pool is not heated. The pool’s solar panels are totally useless. We allowed our dog into the pool on one warm day earlier this month.
Siegel's closing remark about this vacation rental says "you will not find a home like this for rent on Siesta Key!". THAT closing statement is the ONLY reliable statement in the listing.
Craig Siegel advertises this vacation rental under various pseudonyms. Beware of any vacation property that is advertised under the name of “Siesta Vacations” or “Siesta Resorts”. The vacation rental descriptions cannot be trusted.
Date Added: Feb 9, 2011
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