Terrible Hosting Experience.I find myself extremely disappointed by the lack of response from VRBO regarding three simple questions. Their automated system, as I have been informed, completely refunded a traveler who canceled their reservation merely one week before the scheduled check-in, despite my imposition of the strictest cancellation terms. Consequently, I incurred financial losses as I was unable to occupy my property during what should have been the peak of the season. Their justification was that the traveler had informed them that I had altered the reservation dates. This statement is true, just as it is true that this change was communicated back in January, over 5 months prior.Here is the situation: The guest had made a reservation for a week at the end of July 2023. In January 2023, I communicated within the VRBO platform that there had been a date conflict and proposed alternative dates, unfortunately necessitated by this conflict. In that same January, the guest made the first installment payment for their stay. The final payment was completed in July. However, after completing the final payment, the guest contacted VRBO, expressing the desire to cancel due to the alleged change in reservation dates. I emphasize that my cancellation policy is "strict," allowing a refund only if a guest cancels 60 days prior to check-in. In this case, the guest canceled merely one week before the intended stay, leaving me unable to rent the property. The guest should have communicated their disagreement back in January, and I am perplexed as to why they continued to make payments. Doesn't this payment continuation indicate an acceptance? If I were in a similar situation and a host communicated a date change that did not suit me, I would immediately express my dissatisfaction, not continue making payments for 5 months, with the final payment just a week before check-in, only to later cancel.The most absurd aspect of this situation is that VRBO repeatedly asks me for evidence regarding the guest's acceptance of the date change. But isn't the fact that the guest began payments after the date change a confirmation in itself?What troubles me greatly is that I have repeatedly requested answers to these three simple questions in every email I've sent them, yet they have consistently ignored them. Will they continue this behavior here?I continue to present the same set of questions, consistently seeking clarifications from VRBO:Why did the traveler inform me about the disagreement on the date change on July 20th, one week before check-in, and not on January 30th or around that time? Why did the traveler, after receiving the notification about the date change, pay the first installment to confirm their trip? Why did they subsequently pay the final balance on July 20th before deciding to cancel? This ongoing lack of engagement has added to my frustration in an already challenging situation.
