Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  11/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  WE RENTED A CONDO FOR ******* AND FEBRUARY. WHEN HURRICAN *** HIT WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE ** AND SEE THAT THE CONDITIONS ARE NOT SAFE TO BE GOING TO FLORIDA SO WE CALLED 3 MONTHS IN ADVANCE TO ADVISE THAT DUE TO MY ***** CONDITIONS WITH MY LUNGS MY DR. HAS ADVISED THAT ITS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO GO TO FLORIDA WITH THE CURRENT CONDITIONS YOU ARE HAVING WITH THE *** AND WATER DOWN THERE. I REQUESTED MY MONEY BACK THAT WE PAID TO HOLD THE ROOM WHICH WAS OVER ****. THEY WLL NOT RESPOND TO MY EMAILS OR CALLS, HE REFUSE TO REFUND MY MONEY AND KEEP EMAILING ME THAT THEY ARE GOING TO CHARGE THE REMAINING ********************************************************************************** OCTOBER DUE TO THE CONDITIONS OF THE **** AND MY DOCTORS SUGGESTIONS PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED DOCUMENTS I HAVE SENT TO THEM ALONG WITH A REQUEST TO CANCEL THE RESERVATION WHICH STILL HSA NOT BEEN DONE AND THEY KEEP ATTEMPTING TO PROCESS MY CREDIT CARD FOR AN ADDITIONAL **** WHEN THEY KNOW WE ARE NOT COMING AND HAVE WRITTEN NOTICE THAT WE HAVE REQUEST TO CANCEL THE RESERVATION AND REQUESTED OUR MONEY BACK. ITS NOT SAFE FOR ME TO BE IN THIS ENVIORNMENT RIGHT NOW DUE TO PREVIOUS HEALTH ISSUES HAVE HAVE HAD SINCE 2020 DUE TO COVID. MY LUNGS ARE SEVERLY DAMAGED AND I HAVE A DAMAGED IMMUNE SYSTEM DUE TO HAVING SEVER COVID IN 2020. PLEASE HELP US!

  Business response

  11/21/2022

  Hello *****************,

  Thank you for your message. I understand your situation very well however we have a signed agreement with a cancellation policy and no trip insurance was purchased. 

  I also noticed you have started a chargeback with your credit card company which we will fight. 

  Kind regards, 

   

  Roelens Vacations. 

  Customer response

  11/22/2022

   
  Complaint: 18437609
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  11/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We booked a 2 week stay thru Airbnb at a beautiful property in ********** managed by Roelens. They refused to send updated photos of the property after the Hurricane and will not respond to any messages. They are also not responding to the AirBnB Support Representative we have working on this case. As you can see from the photos we obtained, the property is drastically different than advertised on the site due to damage to the landscaping, pool cage, and deck. They claimed guests are staying there however the house looks empty and in poor condition. They have our $7k deposit and will not cancel our reservation despite the house needing extensive work AND expect us to pay an additional $7k to keep our reservation at the end of December. It is clear they want us to cancel so they can retain our deposit. Roelens Property Management has other BBB claims against them due to their unethical actions. We believe they are avoiding our messages and being dishonest about the house and damages. We seek a full refund due to these extenuating circumstances and false advertising, lack of communication and poor business practices.

  Business response

  11/07/2022

  *****,

   

  We received your inquiry for a full cancellation for your stay at Villa Casa Del Sol in December / January. We have given you the option for a credit in the same property at a later date within 1 year of the original stay. The property is missing the pool cage from the hurricane, other than that there is no damage. 

  We are offering this to all bookings who are impacted from hurricane ***. This is not our fault, it is an act of God. 

  We are sorry for the inconvenience.

  Kind regards, 

  Roelens Vacations Team 

  Customer response

  11/12/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  ***************************************************

• Initial Complaint

  11/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We were displaced by Hurricane ***, we were forced to rent from Roelens Vacation Rentals in **********. We are paying full price for a three bedroom house that does not have a working refrigerator. We have tried several times to contact the rental agency but they have blocked our phone numbers. They have replaced the broken fridge with another broken fridge.

  Business response

  11/07/2022

  Hello ******,

   

  We received your issue about the fridge. Our handyman did come out and checked the fridge. The fridge was unplugged and works just fine when plugged in.

   

  Kind regrds,

   

  Roelens Vacations.

• Initial Complaint

  10/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  i booked through VRBO a home in ********** Florida for October. About 2 weeks before we were scheduled to arrive Hurricane *** came through. We contacted Roelens Properties, in the beginning they were very quick to respond to emails telling me they would issue a full refund in about 10 business banking days. That did NOT happen. I emailed again after the 10 business banking days & have heard nothing!! My credit card company has issued me a full refund but I would like to make people aware that they are not good at keeping their word or doing what they say they will do. They wanted me to sign their agreement right away & pay them right away but they do NOT do the same.

  Business response

  10/29/2022

  Dear ******,

   

  We are very sorry for the incident and have offered you a credit towards a *********** that is valid for 1 year. The hurricane is considered an act of God, nobody wanted to have a hurricane nor could avoid it. We are very sorry and our cancellation policy is in force other than the full credit towards a ***********. 

  Sincerely,

  Roelens Vacations Team 

• Initial Complaint

  10/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have rented a house through Airbnb managed by Roelens, 11/29-11/26/22. I have requested several times through the Airbnb app, direct email and voice mails for them to address my concerns about the rental property which sustained damage to the outside of the home during Hurricane ***, not a single person has responses to me from Roelens. While I understand no one can control hurricanes. Roelens is unwilling to refund our deposit from Airbnb. We were going to the area for vacation and much of the surrounding area - *******, Capitva ******************* will be unuseable for the beaches and activities. I would just like them to do the right thing.

  Business response

  10/29/2022

  Hello ********,

   

  Thank you for your message. We understand your concern with your upcoming booking in November for Villa **************. At this moment, we can offer you a credit for your stay for the same house at a later date within a time frame of 12 months from the hurricane. (Sept. 28). Let me know what dates you choose for your stay in Villa **************. Other than this, our cancellation policy is in force. We do offer trip cancellation insurance at the time of booking. 

  Kind regards, 

  Roelens Vacations Team 

• Initial Complaint

  10/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We have a vacation rental planned for 10/22/22 check in, in ********** through Roelens Vacation rentals. We rented the house through Airbnb. Airbnb said the only thing they could do was ask the owner if they would give us a full refund. We have asked for a full refund, and we are told no refunds will be given even though this area is in a state of emergency. We understand not everyone has power yet and basic supplies are difficult to obtain at this time. We chose this house for the surrounding amenities, including 5-minute walk to the Boat House tiki bar and grill, where we planned to eat all of our meals at as we did not budget/plan to rent a car nor plan to buy groceries and cook. Roelens is refusing to give us a refund even though the house currently has no electricity, and everything in the listing, the reason we rented the place, was destroyed by Hurricane ***. We thought they would cancel on us due to the current state of emergency in **********/*** County, but they are saying the house had minimal damage and will be ready for us by our arrival on 10/22. We cant believe this company is so greedy that they would allow us to vacation in an area that is distressed and under these conditions. We were not vacationing in SW Florida just to stay in the home, it was for the area and amenities that were described. We are asking for a full refund of $3,644.17. The ****************** is under curfew between 9:00PM and 6:00AM. This Ordinance is in effect as of Friday 10/07/22 until the current state of local emergency is rescinded. When we ask questions about the property/area, they do not answer our specific questions. I have all of our correspondence with Airbnb and Roelens and I will upload them. Please help us get our money fully refunded. Thank you, from us. Roelens Vacations ************************************************************************************ ************** www.roelensvacations.com

  Business response

  10/12/2022

  Hello *****,

   

  We understand your position in regards to the damages at Villa ********** and surrounding areas. Hurricane *** passed through on 09/28 and did indeed some damage. In the meantime the owners and Roelens Vacations can confirm you that power and other utilities have been restored in the area and also at Villa **********. Most of the damages could be repaired and cleaned up immediate, other damages like a damaged pool cage will need some more time.

  Therefore we have offered you a flexible solution and a credit for the same amount good for 12 months in the same villa. Our cancellation policy on your rental agreement which you signed on August 10th clarifies that no refunds are given within 45 days prior to arrival. We always offer trip cancellation insurance as an extra layer of protection. 

  This might not be the solution you are looking for but it is the solution i have available at the moment. Hurricane *** was an act of God for which i cannot take responsibility. 

  Kind regards, 

  Roelens Vacations

  Customer response

  10/13/2022

   
  Complaint: 18194425
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I am rejecting this response because:
  Roelens has refused to answer any of our questions in regard to us asking you to give us a full honest assessment of the area surrounding the home, so that we could make an informed decision to cancel in time to get at least half of our money back.  We have explained that we need to make a decision before we board our cruise in two days as we will not be able to do anything during that time. This is very wrong, Im attaching our back-and-forth messages so everyone can see what I am talking about, in the event you come back and say I am lying, well I have proof to support my valid complaint.
  You have ignored our emails via Airbnb, except for the two times you did respond, however you avoided answering, not a single question, that we had asked about the pool,and area. This tells me you dont know the answers to our questions, or you dont want to reveal how bad the area is.
  
  When I last called you, and the only time I have spoken verbally to Roelens, I was told that staff were sent to *****, so that they could have electricity and Wi-Fi to be able to work. If the property management company is shipping staff out of an area, why would it be ok to let a family vacation in that same area? Also, I was told that the home had minimal damage and you said that you could not,
  guarantee that the hot tub and or pool would be available for us to use during our stay. When I continue to ask about the pool in emails, you dont answer me, so I have to assume the answer is no. Sounds like a dream vacation destination!
  
  You have posted on ******** that you have rented 50 vacation rentals to clean-up crew for the area. Cant you list ours and still get money? Should I put my family in unsafe conditions during a time that we have worked hard for serval years saving our money and vacation/leave from work to be able to do this. My husband is following the ********** Neighborhood ********** on ********. He will be sure to share some of what the people who live in the area where your Airbnb vacation home listing is located.  As of today 10/13/22, people are reporting devastation in the area. Including that people are seeking advice as folks are on the fence as to or not to decorate the house for Christmas this year:
  
  As I drive every day seeing the devastation in our area, I dont think it's appropriate for me to build a display this year.
  
  Im planning on lighting up my house. Bringing some light to a grim situation.
  
  Our neighborhood has been marked by loss of incredible proportions including loss of human lives. Lighting up the neighborhood seems inappropriate to me.
  
  We feel like we are being held hostage to have to stay in a house, that had minimal damage,but the surrounding area has collapsed, under state of emergency, City curfew,supplies (gas, groceries, etc.,) and all of the things we planned to do are no longer an option due to the destruction Hurricane *** did on **********. Why wouldn't you cancel vacations for folks just out of human decency? No one would want to vacation in these conditions. With Covid-19, I noticed just about everything that I had paid for, booked, and or expected, were all refunded and or offered 2 years out. This was because it was not fair to make people pay for something they cant experience as expected. I also did not purchase insurance then
  
  In your Airbnb listing you mention the ******************** Bar and Grill at least 3 times or more, as a 5 min walk to access, as well as to access the pier, yacht club, and beach.  We chose this house to be able to walk there and eat all of our meals, avoiding renting a car.  The pier, the yacht club, renting a boat to go to ******* Island, all of the advertised amenities, are no longer available. The right thing to do is to cancel our accommodations and fully refund us. I cant imagine an owner, or property management so greedy that they would force a family to spend their hard-working money and vacation leave to go to an area that is under a current state of emergency, FEMA is there, most every store and restaurant are closed to rebuild and or repair back to its normal state, and the ****************** is on a curfew from 9pm to 6am. Does any of this sound safe? Wouldnt the right thing to do, be to offer a full refund? I know you didnt cause the hurricane. If we had been there when it happened, I could see us not getting a refund as under the unexpected Natural Disaster. But the fact of the matter is, the destruction *** has done in the area, makes it an unsafe and very sad place to vacation there. We no longer want to vacation in a destination under these conditions, Im disgusted that anyone would even think that this is ok.
  
  We booked on 8/10/22, and the 45-day window including weekends, for a refund would have been 09/25, we contacted Airbnb on 9/27 (47 days including weekends). You did not respond. We contacted Airbnb because their AirCoverage, states that if you arrive at the house and the listing is not as described, they will refund us or find us a similar or better home. We thought that given they are already aware of the destruction and things not being as described that they would go ahead and assist us. We already knew that the listing (reason we were going), was no longer as described. Or to flat out ask you to give us a full refund given the circumstances? They indicated that they thought that you would give us a full refund because we were only 2 days past the full refund date, and because,we had yet to cancel. 
  
  If we do cancel in the next day, we still have to pay at minimum 50% for the house, and then turn around and pay full price for another house, in a safe area. At this point,because Im complaining, I am not even sure that if we cancel, that you will actually refund us 50%. You will likely come at ** with another reason as to why you cant refund us even half, which is under our current agreement through Airbnb and is available until 10/15/22, when we will be at sea.
  
  Since Airbnb wont help us like stated in the guaranteed Aircoverage assistance if the home is not as described, and you wont fully refund us even though you already know,if we do go there, I will be complaining about the listing as not described.Then, we are supposed to call Airbnb and ask them to help us then? I think this sounds like an evil game between you and Airbnb, so no one is on the hook, and you all get your pot of our hard-earned money. Why would we want to waste our vacation time, trying to get Airbnb to help us as soon as we arrive? This is not cool,and Id love to speak to Airbnb management but every time we have asked for someone to call us, no one does.
  
  So, we were 2 days off from the full refund cancelation date.. Who is so greedy and has no human decency to not honor a full refund, as it was so close to the deadline (off by 2 days), and given its conditions: no electricity, boiling water for safety, no access to the pier, **********, Boat club Restuarant bar and grill (where we planned to walk to eat all of our meals, and not rent a car) not possible to rent a boat and tour ******* and ******* islands, 90% of the restaurants are closed and in recovery, basic supplies are minimal due to the demand, the city has an ordnance of a strict curfew from 9pm, to 6 am, for safety, and the pool and hot tub, (the only amenity left) will not be heated and available per description in the listing for our use on arrival. If we just wanted to have a home where we could stay inside and have no activities in the community, we would have stayed home, and resumed Covid-19 lock down conditions. We are over restrictions and ready to indulge in activities,restaurants, nightlife, all activities.
  
  Yes, you offered for us to return in one year When the city is back up and runninghowever, all 7 of us are doing a two-week vacation, which we explained to you.We are on a 7-day cruise, effective Saturday 10/15/22. The day we get off of the cruise, is supposed to be our check in date Saturday 10/22/22 for 6 nights. We booked our return flight for two weeks, we depleted our accrued vacation/leave by taking off these two weeks, and you are offering us to come back in a year or less? Mayber you are rich, we are not, this vacation has been several years in the making and we will not be able to vacation for several years. I asked if you would honor more than one year, so we could save money and earn vacation leave from work, to be able to come back, and again you flat out ignored me and any single question, me and or my family have asked you.
  
  I know you and the owner didnt cause or welcome the hurricane, however, all rentals in ********** for at least the month of October 2022, if not longer should have been canceled by you per the state of emergency, FEMA, boiling water, told that Electricity would be off for weeks if not months, city lockdown (Curfew) from 9pm to 6am, and most stores and restaurants closed for repair and or short on supply, should have warranted a full refund but clearly greed is in the way.Do unto others as you would want done unto you, would you, the owners, or anyone out there reading this, think that this is fair and or acceptable, here in *****************? I think not, we know it and you know it. I will not stop here, I will continue this fight, not just for a full refund of the money, for principle and to prevent others from experiencing exploitation and inhumane treatment, over greedy companies like you and airbnb.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  10/14/2022

  Dear ****************,

   

  The owner and the management company have offered you a credit and that is the best we can do today. If we go by the agreed terms of the agreement, we should not offer that. 

  Thank you,

   

  Roelens Vacations 

  Customer response

  10/24/2022

   
  Complaint: 18194425
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Your offer to come back in a year or less, does not gel with my life. 
  Unfortunately my employer will not credit me prebooked vacation time because of my pre-planned scheduled vacation. Also, I exhausted all of my earned vacation. 

  The airline will not credit me the cost of airline from ******* to ***** and to ******* from *****, nor give ** a year to redo it. 

  My  bookings.com will not credit me for the cost of the second home that I had to rent outside of ********** because Airbnb and Roelens refused to be humane and work with me and my family.

  The homes in **********, a good portion of them have been destroyed. The businesses are not open, there now are reports of flesh eating bacteria from hurricane ***. There are sinkholes in the area  as well as the major damage and clean up that still hasn't happened. Poritons of the yacht club neighborhood are still without access to Internet as reported today on Facebook.

  You should have canceled and refunded us, like many other vacation rentals have done, due to the disastrous conditions. 

  Your offer of a "credit" signifies that you want resolution that does not involve loss of income for no service rendered! We get nothing due to the fact that I will not put my family in the middle of a FEMA declared disaster area for vacation. I can hope that you in the future will find yourself in the same situation, at which point you can reflect and find the error of your greedy ways. 
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  08/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We booked a property thru Bookings,com, in the description it stated this property was pet friendly. Roelens Realty handles the property took our down payment of $1,013.69. Roelens then go back to Booking and states this property was not pet friendly. Bookings relayed the information to us and tried to accommodate with other properties but they were not accommodating to our needs. Roelens then turns around and cancels this property due to this not being pet friendly but would not give us our down payment back because we did not cancel due to their 3 day policy, Point being, we did not cancel, Rolens canceled on us because they could not accommodate us. They would not even try to talk to us to try to resolve the issue. Roelens canceled the property and then turns around and said WE did not cancel in 3 days. WE DID NOT CANCEL, they did. I have sent you a letter I have written up. Roelens cancel on us because they could not accommodate our needs.

  Business response

  09/01/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/26) */ This is the guest that made a reservation on 4/12/22 then on 5/2/22 the guest informed us that they want to bring 2 cats to the home. We informed him that we do not allow cats and he contacted booking.com saying we were going against our policy. I informed booking.com that our policy says we allow pets with approval, and he did not ask for approval before booking so we did not go against our policy. Booking.com let it up to us to provide a refund. The guest issued a charge back, so we are unable to offer a refund if we wanted to. Thank you. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/08/26) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) On 4/12 we did make reservations withbooking.com and Roelens for the property in question. At that time, they ask for how many guest and any special requests in the application. We then marked 4 adults and 2 pets ,that was marked in special request. That was then sent to Roelens and at that time they accepted our down payment. So they were aware at the time of the reservation being made. If they did not look at that until later is not our fault. We tried to contact Roelens to resolve this issue but as I stated before they would not speak to us. First Roelens said we did not cancel this due to their 3 day policy but case being they canceled on us Now they are changing their story and saying they did not know about the pets, when we have the form sent to them stating 2 pets. They are now trying to twist this around saying they did not know about the pets when right along they were saying we canceled and it was not in the three day policy. Further more on July 1, the bank did credit us the money on a temporary bases but on 8/15 they re charged our account. Roelens has lied to the Bank and is lying to you. We were trying to resolve this through our credit card co. But now we had to turn to you for just settlement. Maybe you should check Roelens record with the BBB and see how many times they have got over on their clients. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/08/29) */ I have no further comments. When a guest or potential guest does a chargeback on us, i cannot commit to any other compensation. I am sorry for the inconvenience this may cause, I apologize for the occurrence. Roelens Vacations Team

• Initial Complaint

  04/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We rented a home in Cape Coral 12/18/2021 - 12/23/2021. There were many problems with the home and we were informed we would receive some sort of credit to the credit card used to pay for the rental. The rental cost: $4000.78. Our reservation number is ****** I followed up with Roelens numerous times and they do not return my phone calls, even after they tell me they will look into the issue. Upon arriving at the home in Cape Coral we found numerous issues with the home. They included: Wet carpets: Whoever cleaned the carpet left it soaking wet. It was uncomfortable to walk on the carpet which was throughout most of the home because our socks and/or feet would get wet. Bicycles in disrepair: We vacationed with four children and love to bike ride. Not one bicycle was functional. Clogged bathroom shower drain: The home had two full bathrooms and with the number of children with us two functioning showers are needed. Broken pool heater: We rented this home because it had a heated pool. A heated pool was a priority item for us because we rented in 12/21. Upon arrival, the pool heater was broken. After a couple of days, the pool repair service company fixed the heater and while making small talk we learned the previous renters complained to Roelens too because the heater did not work while they rented the home. So Roelens knew the pool heater was broken but rented us the house anyway without notifying us of the issue. Had we known the heater was broken we would have looked for a different home to rent or considered staying with this particular rental if the heater could have been repaired in a timely manner considering they knew it was broken Upon leaving the residence we shared our concern with a representative from Roelens and were informed we would receive a credit. So, I followed up with Roelens. I spoke with no less than three staff members who said they would get back to me. None of my phone calls were returned and we never received a credit.

  Business response

  05/23/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 12, 2022/05/23) */ Our cleaners are required to deep clean our homes after every guest, which includes cleaning the carpets. Carpets do take a while to completely dry out and the carpet cleaning was done the morning of your check in. We do apologize for that but we had to ensure the carpets were cleaned prior to you checking in. You did report a clogged bathroom shower drained and that was fixed the very next day. The owners decided on installing a new pool heater on 12/17, the next availability to install new pool heater was on 12/20 unfortunately during your stay. Consumer Response /* (3000, 18, 2022/06/26) */ I was contacted by Amy, a representative of Roelens, and she informed me we would receive a credit. A credit was never issued and she has not returned my calls. Her phone number is: XXX-XXX-XXXX Consumer Response /* (4200, 25, 2022/07/26) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I am not satisfied with how Roelens is handling my complaint. I was contacted by someone in the office and was informed I would receive a credit. I never received a credit and my calls to inquire about the credit I was to receive (according to Amy at Roelens) are ignored. Business Response /* (4000, 27, 2022/07/26) */ Hello, We want to apologize again for the inconveniences during the stay of the family Jaworowski, however we feel we responded to the issues. A new pool heater is not always on stock in peak season these days plus we always need approval of the owner. This is a big expense for an owner. The owner made the investment of a brand new pool heater. We looked into a credit however this was never promised and approved by the owner. Again, we are sorry for the inconvenience. Consumer Response /* (4200, 29, 2022/08/01) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The pool heater was broken and they should have informed us that the pool would not be heated. We would have made other arrangements since swimming in December is a little too brisk. In addition, all the bikes were in disrepair. We had children with us who like to ride bikes. In addition, if the carpets are so wet that you can't walk on them without getting socggy socks then they should wait a few days for the carpet to dry. It was very uncomfortable to walk on wet carpet for three days.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩