We rented a place in Sint Maarten through VRBO and it was disgusting. Very dirty, plaster falling down off walls, holes in floor, filthy carpets, stained sheets, brown stained light switch plates, torn curtains, broken blinds... I could go on. The owner would only agree to give us a small, partial refund if we agreed not to post a negative review on VRBO. VRBO was unwilling to help, saying that they do not get in the middle of owner and tenant disputes. In addition, there was no upstairs bathroom, but the listing said "Villa Leone is ideal for two couples, offering two separate baths and a door that separates the upstairs bedroom/bath from the lower living area." There was a bath at the bottom of the stairs, but we don't consider that an "upstairs bedroom/bath" VRBO disagreed and said it could be interpreted as a bath that was meant for the upstairs guests. Yikes. VRBO finally refunded their service fee (we spent many hours or chat and then phone, and sending VRBO 50+ photos), but we were out a couple of thousand dollars on the rental. (We left immediately and rented another place via AirBnB.) No more VRBO for us. Ever.
