Coastal Hideaways, Inc.

I have reviewed the response from the MsB*** and although I disagree with many of her statements. I would like to acknowledge what I think Ms. B*** is claiming is her dispute with the Santa Barbara County lodging taxes and cleaning charges for each property which comes to a total of $The B*** family clearly understood that the three properties they stayed in were all different owners and therefore the taxes for stays less then days and an exit cleaning for each property would apply. MsB*** had spent a lot of time on are website prior to her making her reservation which clearly states additional fees and costs. MsB*** had to be aware of the taxes and cleaning fees for each I have provided a breakdown of taxes and cleaning for each property below and have applied the credit we have offered her of $as a good faith measure to the B***'s as we do value their business. As you can see after applying the credits MsB*** actually did not pay for lodging taxes herself which is mandatory by the County/ City of Santa Barbara to be paid for stays less then nightsYou will also see that she signed the "Check in Acknowledgement" form upon check in at our officeOne would be will aware of the rental rate before they took occupancyRental rates were indeed communicated. MsB*** had a credit on the books from her first reservation that we released her from at her request (without penalty or fee's) and we applied the credit payment from her first reservation towards the second and third reservationI have provided the links to each property so that you can clearly see we are not charging MsB*** anything that is not published on our website. In additional you can see from the website that there is a utility charge for stays beyond days this was also not charged to MsB*** which provided her additional savings!! In closing I would like to apologize if MsB*** felt her contracts and terms were not clearWe do feel badly about this misunderstandingWe had a very nice rapport throughout the nights that the B*** family did stay with us and they communicated to us that they loved each property upon check in and continued their enjoyed as we had frequent communication to the point they extended one additional week and we kindly thank them for their businessWe hope the credit of $plus the no charge for utilities will viewed as a gracious gesture on are part and will further settle this dispute. Total saving well exceeded $We would still welcome the opportunity to speak with MsB*** in person as we have extended this in person meeting with her and her family several times in the past month. I think that this could have been resolved in quick order if we had met in personHowever it was MsB*** option to not meet with us for clarityI will be dropping off a copy of all contracts and forms that the B***'s signed for the Revdex.com's review by close of business day on 9/18/Stone House Cottage (first property) stayed two nights http://www.coastalhideaways.com/properties/stonehousecottage/index.html
Taxes $+ $=$Cleaning fee $Sea Breeze ( second property) stayed nights http://www.coastalhideaways.com/properties/seabreeze/index.html
$+ != $Cleaning fee $
San Souci( third property) stayed nights http://www.coastalhideaways.com/properties/sanssouci/index.html
No taxes as this stay was more then nights no charge
Cleaning fee $would apply to the B***'s reservations as it appears this is what she is asking for is to be charged one cleaning fee, not three different housekeeping chargesTotal Santa Barbara City/County taxes MsB*** is disputing is $Total Exit cleaning charge MsB*** is disputing is $Total disputed charges claimed by MsB*** is $Total credit we provided to her $as you can see the above disturbed amount is a wash and she is still ahead $

Coastal Hideaways was very supportive and very professional in our vacation rental thru them last summer. Their rental property information was most helpful as was their preparation of the property prior to our arrival. For our next visit to Santa Barbara, I will turn to them for lodging without hesitation.

Complaint: 10783436
I am rejecting this response because: The business is not offering a resolution, only offering unrelated details about the situation that have nothing to do with our being billed.  It was an irrelevant response with no proposed resolution.  A more detailed response follows.
From Coastal Hideaways: The B[redacted]
family was very grateful we were able to locate a vacation rental for them
at the last minute as they were in a serious bind and needed accommodations. We
booked them into one property the "Stone House Cottage" upon
their arrival they were delighted. However they decided they were
uncomfortable as the owners made a comment to them the first evening they
were there "with two little girls that the hill side might be a bit
challenging if they were not watched carefully". The owners at no time
asked them to leave!
[redacted]
B[redacted] Response – This is not an accurate representation of what happened at
this property.  The owner was waiting for us the second day we were there and
we had a full conversation about the property not being safe for children, his
discomfort at having children on the property, the fact that the property is
for three guests and we were a party of four and that Me[redacted]a had not told him
we were four people including two children.  The conversation ended with
the owner making a comment about our judgment as parents allowing our children
to stay at a property that was intended for three rather than four and letting
them run around a property with hills and cactuses that was too dangerous for
children their age.  The owner also called Me[redacted]a at Coastal Hideaways to
complain about us staying there so when we called he had already left her a
message.  After listening to his message and talking to us on the phone
for length Me[redacted]a said she thought it was best for us to find another place where
we would be comfortable.  It was her
prompt that started the conversation about other properties she had available,
not our request.  After speaking with her
at length, we agreed that this was the right thing to do rather than stay at a
property where it was obvious the owner had not been made aware ahead of our
arrival what our family circumstance was and did not want us there. 
Please keep in mind that we were supposed to stay there for 6 weeks, I had
accepted a new job that required us to relocate and enrolled our kids in a
local summer camp so we needed a long-term solution.  We had unpacked
everything for our 6-week stay and were only there one night when the owner
confronted us.  It was a very difficult situation, our kids were worried
they had done something wrong and that we were going to jail.  Outside of
the emotions, the owner’s discomfort stemmed from Me[redacted]a not telling him ahead
of time that we were a party of four with kids.  The whole thing could
have been avoided had he been informed - either we wouldn’t have been able to
rent the property or he would’ve known about us before we arrived and there
would have been no escalation. 
From Coastal Hideaways: They ask
what else we had available as they wanted out of that contract therefore
we accommodated their requested and moved them to "Sea
Breeze" for 8 nights and we only charged them two nights
for their first two night at the " Stone House Cottage" we
let them out of their contract with no penalty!  In addition Coastal
Hideaways paid for their housekeeping charges of $149.00 when they left the
Stone House Cottage.
[redacted] B[redacted] Response – We did not request to get out of our contract and we did not ask what else
Me[redacted]a had available.  She suggested
that we find something else so we would be comfortable – those were her exact
words – “I want you and your family to be in a situation that’s comfortable.”  The allegation that we got out of our
contract with no penalty is ridiculous.  We didn’t get out of our contract
at all, we transferred it to a new property, and the penalty was that we had to
move to tow higher cost properties (so we moved three times rather than one) and
are now dealing with a billing issue.  Between the ant situation at the third
property and this billing issue, my husband and I have spent probably 15 hours
collecting documentation and responding to emails.
From Coastal Hideaways: They
moved to "Sea Breeze and they were thrilled with these
accommodations!! They were so happy they even ask if the house was
for sale they loved it.  All rental fees and costs to my
knowledge were clearly explained to [redacted] and Chris B[redacted]. I not only
spoke with them on the phone they came to our office.  We applied the
credit on the books toward their next two reservations.  It is clear on
our website what the costs are and they accepted these terms.
[redacted]
B[redacted] Response – The fact that we loved the house has nothing to do with our
being overbilled.  The website property listing WAS NOT ON THE WEBSITE at
the time that we rented it, nor when we filed our complaint as evidenced by the
attachment previously submitted called “Website snapshot.”  It was a new
rental and so it had not been listed yet.  Me[redacted]a verbally quoted us
$2,800, not the $2,995 listed on the website.  When I spoke to her about
the property and quoted $2,900 (which is what I thought she originally said) she
corrected me and said it was $2,800 for the week.  We were also NEVER
informed about the taxes for staying less than 30-days and the contract we
signed on the first property had no terms listed for a shorter rental, so the
taxes, while legally due, are not our responsibility as they are NOT in our
signed contract.  Therefore, our accounting on the rental fees is
accurate.  I also want to reiterate that Me[redacted]a verbally confirmed on the
phone and when my husband went to the office that we would only be charged one
cleaning fee, not a cleaning fee for each property. 
From Coastal Hideaways: They
then moved to a third property "Sans Souci" again we
explained what the cost of this rental would be and the terms. They were once
again thrilled with this home and even extended their stay an additional week.
The only problem they had "Act of God" was a ant issue and we immediately
called a pest control company to come out and take care of this issue for them.
In the heat and with our current drought problem ants have been popular
this summer. The pest control company came out as often as needed to spray and
assist with the ant situation and we continued to check in with [redacted]
B[redacted] on a regular basis to make sure all was ok. As a result we
graciously offered them a 10% discount off their reservation rental rate.Total
discounts provided to them for these three rentals are $ 836.74 . In addition several times
we offered the B[redacted] family complimentary housekeeping services however
they declined three times! We also took them flowers, card and a bottle of
wine as well as provided a gift bag with a bottle of wine or beverage of their
choice complementary and welcome note at each property they stayed. 
[redacted]
B[redacted] Response – Yes, we were quoted $5,200 for the month for a 31-day stay, so
we stayed nine extra nights.  We were charged for ten extra nights. 
I feel like Coastal Hideaways has not read any of our documentation.  The
10% discount was the LEAST they could do given the ant situation.  We had
hordes of ants for 14 nights – it was not a slight ant problem – it was swarms
of ants…there were nests underneath the foundation of the house bc the house
was newly renovated and they were ALL OVER the house.  Pest control came
out 5 times…they had to dig the dirt up around the entire foundation, spray in
the outlets and light switches.  We couldn’t cook in the kitchen for 14
nights bc of the ants.  If we had stayed at a hotel, this never would have
happened, so 10% really is the minimum possible discount for the situation and has
nothing to do with the overbilling.  I also want to add that an ant
problem is not an “act of god”  - it’s
the result of poor property management and maintenance.  We have pictures of the ants from every
single day of the 14 day infestation if they are needed.
Me[redacted]a
offered us free housekeeping ONCE. 
My husband was concerned that she would use that offering to offset our prior
agreement about not charging additional cleaning fees so we declined.  Again,
free housekeeping has nothing to do with the verbal agreement about our charges
and being overbilled. 
Also,
I have documentation and pictures outlining this but I thought it was
embarrassing for Me[redacted]a so I did not submit with my original complaint - when
Coastal hideaways dropped off the flowers and wine, it exacerbated the ant
situation!  I got home and thought “Oh – pretty flowers.” I picked them
up, and then was covered in hordes of ants which the flowers had attracted to
the dining room table - one place in the home where ants had not yet
infested.  While it was a kind gesture, it also has nothing to do with our
quoted charges, and actually created another problem for us that I had to clean
up.
From Coastal Hideaways - It
appears they don't want to pay the City/ County TOT taxes that are required by
SB County. We are required to collect  the TOT ( taxes) and
turn it in for the first two properties that they stayed. We can
not waive these taxes it is against the law.Total taxes for the two properties
$400.69 (for stays less then 31 nights). We
honestly feel with the10% discount $637.74
and $149.00 Coastal Hideaways paidtoward their cleaning fee,total discount
provided to them of $836.74 is more then gracious on
our part and they should be grateful that we assisted their family at a time of
need and worked with them to assure they had accommodations that they enjoyed!
We are attaching a copy of the B[redacted]'s contracts for each property (in the
next email to follow) and have provided the links below for each
property they rented in order to confirm that it is clear what the
rates are we discussed, and that the rates and fees we charged to
them are indeed correct.  In closing I have to say that the
B[redacted] family was delightful to work with and they have two adorable little
girls. This complaint comes as a shock and I am saddened that
they would  actually challenge their invoice with us.
[redacted]
B[redacted] Response: This is not a matter of our “not wanting” to pay taxes.  This is a matter of us not wanting to pay for
something that we were never contracted for, nor communicated about.  I’ll restate that the Sea Breeze and Sans
Souci houses were not on the website (as evidenced by the screenshot) and
therefore our only knowledge of fees was based off our Stone House Cottage
contract and Me[redacted]a’s verbal commitments. 
We were thankful for Me[redacted]a’s help securing us properties to stay, but
we also had a commitment for specific pricing which Me[redacted]a is not honoring
now.  The end point here is we had no signed contracts for the second two
properties, our first contract says nothing about potentially owing taxes if
our agreement changes, and what we have tracked as amounts owed and due is
based off everything Me[redacted]a verbally quoted to us.  My kids being cute
and having a place to stay that we liked has nothing to do with being
overcharged, not having signed contracts in place with written terms &
believing the verbal costs and commitments as communicated to us by
Me[redacted]a.   
From Coastal Hideaways: In additional I invited them to come to the
office several times to discuss this in person and they refused. As you
can see above and attached Coastal Hideaways was extremely generous with them
not only with providing discounts put other nice gestures as well as we value
them as clients and take pride in providing excellent customer service.
[redacted]
B[redacted] Response: The email exchanges I had with Me[redacted]a on the evening of August
24th after I made her aware that she had overbilled us were totally
unproductive.  I provided hard evidence
of being overbilled, kept to the facts of the billing situation, and her
responses came back with arbitrary and unrelated information and comments about
our “precious family” having a place to stay and being grateful for that.  Based on the exchanges, I felt that an
in-person meeting in their office would have no value.  She let me know that their accountant (Kelly,
I believe) wanted to talk to me about my issues, and so I asked for Kelly’s
direct phone number to contact her to discuss. 
Me[redacted]a never replied to that request and so we filed the complaint the
evening of August 25th.
I
also want to say one more time that all of this could have been avoided had
Me[redacted]a managed the first property better and not said it was OK for us to stay
there when it clearly was not. This is all a result of poor management of
the first rental.
Based
on the reality of the situation and the fact that we had to move, all of the
billing issues could also have been avoided had Me[redacted]a followed up with
contracts for us to review and sign on all three properties – which I requested
of her six times, as evidenced in the previously submitted documentation.
Regards,
[redacted] B[redacted]

The B[redacted] family was very grateful we were able to locate a vacation rental for them at the last minute as they were in a serious bind and needed accommodations. We booked them into one property the "Stone House Cottage" upon their arrival they were delighted....

However they decided they were uncomfortable  as the owners made a comment to them the first evening they were there "with two little girls that the hill side might be a bit challenging if they were not watched carefully". The owners at no time asked them to leave! They ask what else we had available as they wanted out of that contract therefore we accommodated their requested and moved them to "Sea Breeze" for 8 nights and we only charged them two nights for their first two night at the " Stone House Cottage" we let them out of their contract with no penalty!  In addition Coastal Hideaways paid for their housekeeping charges of $149.00  when they left the Stone House Cottage . They moved to "Sea Breeze and they were thrilled with these accommodations!! They were so happy they even ask if the house was for sale they loved it.  All rental fees and costs to my knowledge were clearly explained to [redacted] and Chris B[redacted]. I not only spoke with them on the phone they came to our office.  We applied the credit on the books toward their next two reservations.  It is clear on our website what the costs are and they accepted these terms. They then moved  to a third property "Sans Souci" again we explained what the cost of this rental would be and the terms. They were once again thrilled with this home and even extended their stay an additional week. The only problem they had "Act of God" was a ant issue and we immediately called a pest control company to come out and take care of this issue for them. In the heat and with our current drought problem ants have been popular this summer. The pest control company came out as often as needed to spray and assist with the ant situation and we continued to check in with [redacted] B[redacted] on a regular basis to make sure all was ok. As a result we graciously offered them a 10% discount off their reservation rental rate. Total discounts provided to them for these three rentals are $ 836.74 .  In addition several times we offered the B[redacted] family complimentary housekeeping services however they declined three times! We also took them flowers, card and a bottle of wine as well as provided a gift bag with a bottle of wine or beverage of their choice complementary and welcome note at each property they stayed. It appears they don't want to pay the City/ County TOT taxes that are required by SB County. We are required to collect  the TOT ( taxes) and turn it in for the first two properties that they stayed. We can not waive these taxes it is against the law. Total taxes for the two properties $400.69 (for stays less then 31 nights). We honestly feel with the 10% discount $637.74 and $149.00 Coastal Hideaways paid toward their cleaning fee, total discount provided to them of $836.74 is more then gracious on our part and they should be grateful that we assisted their family at a time of need and worked with them to assure they had accommodations that they enjoyed! We are attaching a copy of the B[redacted]'s contracts for each property (in the next email to follow) and have provided the links below for each property they rented in order to confirm that it is clear what the rates are we discussed, and that the rates and fees we charged to them are indeed correct.  In closing I have to say that the B[redacted] family was delightful to work with and they have two adorable little girls. This complaint comes as a shock and I am saddened that they would  actually challenge their invoice with us! In additional I invited them to come to the office several times to discuss this in person and they refused. As you can see above and attached Coastal Hideaways was extremely generous with them not only with providing discounts put other nice gestures as well as we value them as clients and take pride in providing excellent customer service.http://www.coastalhideaways.com/properties/stonehousecottage/index.html<...⇄ /> http://www.coastalhideaways.com/properties/seabreeze/index.html

Coastal Hideaways is the best rental service in California. I have rented through them several times over the past four years and they consistently exceed my expectations. Their properties are always consistent with the descriptions on their website and every one I have rented has been clean and well appointed. In addition, every member of the Coastal Hideaways staff has been thoroughly professional, very helpful in finding the perfect property for every stay, responsive to every request, and has always treated me as if I was their most important customer. I have rented properties for short terms and some for a month, and in all cases the Coastal Hideaways staff has been available whenever needed without being bothersome in any way. Renting through this company is far superior to any VRBO or similar service. I plan to continue using Coastal Hideaways for my future visits to Santa Barbara, and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a professional service and a fair price.

Coastal Hideaways accommodated my request for an interim rental due to construction delay on my home with professionalism, courtesy and wonderful expediency. I loved the comfortable and intimate Villa Valerio unit - beautiful country furnishings and decor, charming details such wood beam ceilings and ample books to enjoy, and every item and thoughtful comfort one may need to for an extended stay. Privacy was respected and responsiveness to concerns offered during the stay. The unit was budget and child friendly and served as a tranquil haven and abode during an important transition for our family from renting to owning. Office personnel returned our deposit within a week and were very kind and communicative throughout the stay. Thank you so much.

Great properties and great customer service!

Review: We rented three different vacation rentals through this company to cover a seven week period of time while we relocated to a new city. Because of an issue with the first property owner, the source of which was a lack of communication between the business-owner and property owner, we needed to move into two other properties through this business to cover our stay. Those two properties were rented without signed contracts in place with the business and based on verbal quotes of rental fees from the business owner. After our stay ended, the business charged a final bill to our American Express card without first sending us the final bill amount or having us sign a contract agreeing to the final bill amount. Based on our own calculations of the cost for our stay, they have overcharged us by $1,134. We have this amount in dispute with American Express currently. The reason I am filing a complaint with the Revdex.com is because it seems that a licensed business should not be able to submit a credit card charge without either a contract in place or written confirmation from the customer about the final billing amount. In this case, an approval or agreement process was never pursued with us, the customers and payors, prior to the charges being processed and so we are now in a position of trying to correct the overbilling with the business after they have already charged our card, which is a much more difficult process. The business owner continues to stand by the final amount charged as the correct final billing amount, alleging that our calculations are incorrect, but I have a line by line itemization of charges that prove our calculations are accurate as well as email correspondence that we can provide to support our complaint. I need help resolving this issue. PLEASE NOTE THE PURCHASE PRICE I AM INCLUDING IN THE NEXT PAGE IS THE PRICE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHARGED. WE WERE OVERCHARGED BY 1134 SO TOTAL CHARGE AMOUNT WOULD BE $10,845.Desired Settlement: We would like the $1,134 refunded. It would also be helpful if we could understand the business' obligation around signatures and contracts relative to charges, and if the business was found to have violated any requirements around this process for them to get a reminder.

Business

Response:

The B[redacted] family was very grateful we were able to locate a vacation rental for them at the last minute as they were in a serious bind and needed accommodations. We booked them into one property the "Stone House Cottage" upon their arrival they were delighted. However they decided they were uncomfortable as the owners made a comment to them the first evening they were there "with two little girls that the hill side might be a bit challenging if they were not watched carefully". The owners at no time asked them to leave! They ask what else we had available as they wanted out of that contract therefore we accommodated their requested and moved them to "Sea Breeze" for 8 nights and we only charged them two nights for their first two night at the " Stone House Cottage" we let them out of their contract with no penalty! In addition Coastal Hideaways paid for their housekeeping charges of $149.00 when they left the Stone House Cottage . They moved to "Sea Breeze and they were thrilled with these accommodations!! They were so happy they even ask if the house was for sale they loved it. All rental fees and costs to my knowledge were clearly explained to [redacted] and Chris B[redacted]. I not only spoke with them on the phone they came to our office. We applied the credit on the books toward their next two reservations. It is clear on our website what the costs are and they accepted these terms. They then moved to a third property "Sans Souci" again we explained what the cost of this rental would be and the terms. They were once again thrilled with this home and even extended their stay an additional week. The only problem they had "Act of God" was a ant issue and we immediately called a pest control company to come out and take care of this issue for them. In the heat and with our current drought problem ants have been popular this summer. The pest control company came out as often as needed to spray and assist with the ant situation and we continued to check in with [redacted] on a regular basis to make sure all was ok. As a result we graciously offered them a 10% discount off their reservation rental rate. Total discounts provided to them for these three rentals are $ 836.74 . In addition several times we offered the B[redacted] family complimentary housekeeping services however they declined three times! We also took them flowers, card and a bottle of wine as well as provided a gift bag with a bottle of wine or beverage of their choice complementary and welcome note at each property they stayed. It appears they don't want to pay the City/ County TOT taxes that are required by SB County. We are required to collect the TOT ( taxes) and turn it in for the first two properties that they stayed. We can not waive these taxes it is against the law. Total taxes for the two properties $400.69 (for stays less then 31 nights). We honestly feel with the 10% discount $637.74 and $149.00 Coastal Hideaways paid toward their cleaning fee, total discount provided to them of $836.74 is more then gracious on our part and they should be grateful that we assisted their family at a time of need and worked with them to assure they had accommodations that they enjoyed! We are attaching a copy of the B[redacted]'s contracts for each property (in the next email to follow) and have provided the links below for each property they rented in order to confirm that it is clear what the rates are we discussed, and that the rates and fees we charged to them are indeed correct. In closing I have to say that the B[redacted] family was delightful to work with and they have two adorable little girls. This complaint comes as a shock and I am saddened that they would actually challenge their invoice with us! In additional I invited them to come to the office several times to discuss this in person and they refused. As you can see above and attached Coastal Hideaways was extremely generous with them not only with providing discounts put other nice gestures as well as we value them as clients and take pride in providing excellent customer service.http://www.coastalhideaways.com/properties/stonehousecottage/index.htmlh...⇄ />
Consumer

Response:

Review: 10783436

I am rejecting this response because: The business is not offering a resolution, only offering unrelated details about the situation that have nothing to do with our being billed. It was an irrelevant response with no proposed resolution. A more detailed response follows.

Rented a house for a week in Santa Barbara. Very professional management company. They provided a lovely home that was clean and well appointed. I would highly recommend renting through them. This is my second time renting a property through them.

Coastal Hideaways was very supportive and very professional in our vacation rental thru them last summer. Their rental property information was most helpful as was their preparation of the property prior to our arrival. For our next visit to Santa Barbara, I will turn to them for lodging without hesitation.