Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  January 21, 2023 we booked a summer rental property for July *****. When I booked the cancellation said 90 days but apparently if you book after January 1 there are no cancellations even though the reservation was for six months away. This business has deceptive practices. When i booked the option to pay half upfront was given- ($2300 of $4600). within 12 days of booking I needed to cancel because we have someone else joining us with a medical is*** and we need a second bathroom. I wrote in and called to cancel assuming we were way ahead of the cancellation window only to be informed we were slreafy past the cancellation window and they wanted payment in full.( another $2300!)7-the only thing that was offered was for us to move to one of their bigger properties for TWICE the price!8-this is an unreasonable cancellation policy, and the day we booked we shouldve been notified that there were no cancellations from that point. -according to numerous other properties in the area this is a completely unreasonable expectation -all other properties we have ever booked or that I checked with have a 30, 60 or 90 day cancellation policy. We have been coming to this area for the past eight years and this has always been the case.The rental agreement is in *********************** name, but ********************* signed it. Not sure if that makes it invalid. -lack of logic that according to them the amount was due in full because it was after January 1 but when we booked it allowed us to pay half.-very inconsistent -and lastly when I said we would not be able to stay at the property because we needed another bathroom -the property owner *** immediately lashed out and started sending emails saying that she was going to *** me and we were in violation of the contract and just went completely postal.

  Business response

  03/13/2024

  On January 21, 2024 The Houses On Manzanita Beach (*****) received a booking request from ********************* for a requested stay during July, 2024. The booking came directly from our website. On the website page, attached, you see noted "Please check with us before booking. Date restrictions vary." Further down the page, above the Policies button, in bold, it states "Rates, minimum stays, and policies vary by season and availability. Please check with us before booking your stay." On the Policy page, also attached, it specifically states in bold that summer stays, noted as June - September, require the full payment due by January 1 the year of the booked stay. Additionally, also in bold, it states the summer stays, noted as June - September, has a strict cancellation policy, which is stated on the page. While booking, the guest signed a Rental Agreement. After booking, the guest received an auto-generated confirmation stating within the text "Please check your Rental Agreement for payment, refund and cancellation policies. Those policies are seasonal and not flexible. Be sure to ask if you have questions." On January 21, 2024 ***** sent a text to "******" at the phone number provided by the guest indicating their booking Indicated a Saturday arrival, which was contrary to the policy of Fridays and Saturdays booked together. Could they move the dates slightly. The reply was positive. ***** then indicated they would send another Rental Agreement for review and eSignature. The correspondence record is attached with date stamps, and the applicable screenshot of the text has been included. On the Rental Agreement, which the guest reviewed and signed twice, on the first two pages it is prominently noted that we have seasonal policies "with stricter policies within such bookings as ******* and holidays." Under payments, it's noted there are three different payment policies with Summer ****** (June - September) requiring a full payment after January 1 of the year staying. This was reviewed and signed TWICE by the guest. on February 3, 2024 ***** received an email and voicemail from ********************* requesting the booking be moved to a different house which she specified. She indicated she would "love to have a second bathroom." At no time did ************ indicate it was a medical issue. See attached email. ***** responded the requested house was not available, but we suggested a house in similar size and cost of the requested alternative house, or another house which was larger. Those two houses were the only ones available with more than one bathroom available at that time. THOMB email, attached. We offered this move as a courtesy only, as guest was past the refund period. ************ was extremely surprised that a larger house would be more expensive than the smaller house originally booked. In response, she requested the booking be cancelled. ***** responded she was past the cancellation period, we had offered to move the payment to another house as a courtesy, but could not refund the initial payment. In fact, there was a second payment due and owing. ************ declined to make the payment as stated in the Rental Agreement. ***** did inform the guest that we would seek payment. There were several different conversations, wherein ************ became increasingly upset that we declined to issue a refund, regardless of the Rental Agreement signed by the guest. Which devolved into ************ slurred our religion, and several other offensive comments. Ultimately, the facts were provided to ****** and ********************* before, during and after booking. If the ***** found the policies to not be to their liking, they could have looked elsewhere for accommodations. ***** went above in trying to help them find something that would suit their request that they would "love to have a second bathroom." Never was it mentioned to us that someone in their party had a medical issue. The facts are as stated. The booking was made in the name of *********************. We communicated with "*********************." Not once we we told it was ********************* who made the booking in her husband's name, nor were we corrected when we sent text messages to ******. The facts remain. ******/********************* was informed of our policies, which they were fully informed about and agreed to. To the point that a Rental Agreement, fully stating the applicable policies, was signed twice by the guest.

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