Vrbo Owner 4+

This app and overall website is not good or user friendly for Owners. When you receive an inquiry and go to read it you have to log in every time, there is no user id memory function. It also takes you to screens of the latest tools rather than taking your directly to the inquiry. Lastly VRBO does NOT let the owner communicate directly with the potential renter. I want to vet my potential renters and see if they are good people and/or validate they have as many guests coming that they message through VRBO. VRBO does absolutely no background check. The site also gives the person, making the inquiry, the impression that they’ve locked in the property. Again, we want to make sure that our home will be in good hands. I’ve tried sending my phone number and email address and VRBO xxx it out. Earlier this summer I was on holiday and did not respond to an inquiry. Without notification, VRBO put my account on inactive status so potential renters could not see it. Even though I paid my $500 annual fee and I lost 3 months of active advertising. This site is unethical. The fees are ridiculous for the service rendered. If I were a website developer I would definitely create some competition for VRBO & Home Away.

Periodic glitches (can’t accept inquiries or pages time out while loading), spams messages galore and the response time for tech to address your case is unbearably sloowwwwwwwwww!!!!!!! Remember those old dial-up commercials where you could bake a cake while waiting for your computer to connect to the internet ? Well…that’s LIGHTENING FAST compared to techs ability to ”swiftly” resolve case issues. SEVENTEEN times my property was randomly deactivated and it took FOUR MONTHS for tech to FINALLY resolve the issue (I am NOT exaggerating). And yes all SEVENTEEN times during this painstaking long four months that I called VRBO, EACH rep confirmed all required information was stated on my listing (that had already been established for almost a year when these random deactivations started happening). And there’s no way to actually speak to tech…you just have to sit back and wait for them to email you. Also, they provide the option to sync your calendar from other platforms, but it’s doesn’t always work…so a rep said to still MANUALLY block your dates even if you have your calendar synced. What’s the point of having that option for hosts if it’s not reliable?! I have a love/hate relationship with VRBO. Im really cheering for them but COME ON GET IT TOGETHER WE’RE TRYING TO RUN A BUSINESS HERE AND SEND SOME PROFITS YOUR WAY!! Yes this review isn’t entirely about the app but about VRBO in general.

*Update* I’ve dropped this app from 3 to 2 star. I do not like the constant “Rate Me” pop up. I also tried to edit a future client’s booking request (drop the cleaning fee) and could not do so. I was able to before this new update. If I keep having to go to my browser...why have this thing on my phone? And this “You lost a potential booking?” Most of the time the “lost” booking was to a home unlike mine: twice as big, lake view, an unattached house, etc. Theyre not comparable. *Update end*

This app works well in a variety of situations. The operation is simple and effective. However, I have needed the ability to edit my rates, etc., and all the app does (for the 11 months I've been using it) is to promise that these features are "coming soon." With all the money being taken in during the year (between hefty fees for owners--and now renters, too), there should be more than enough tech support in place to make doing all my VRBO business from my phone a reality. I just spent almost 20 minutes on the phone only to be told what I already know--that I can not edit my rates via my VRBO app or Safari. I must use my computer. I don't want to carry my computer every time I travel and I certainly don't want to use a public/hotel computer when I'm accessing such things. It is a security risk. Very disappointing in this day and age...and unaccountable when one considers how much VRBO is now gaining from its users.