Coastal Hideaways

Complaint: 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 followsFrom 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 accommodationsWe booked them into one property the "Stone House Cottage" upon their arrival they were delightedHowever 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***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***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***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 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***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 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 $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***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 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***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***a verbally quoted us $2,800, not the $2,listed on the website When I spoke to her about the property and quoted $2,(which is what I thought she originally said) she corrected me and said it was $2,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***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 termsThey 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 summerThe 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*** on a regular basis to make sure all was okAs a result we graciously offered them a 10% discount off their reservation rental rate.Total discounts provided to them for these three rentals are $ 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,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 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 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 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 day infestation if they are needed Me***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***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 CountyWe are required to collect the TOT ( taxes) and turn it in for the first two properties that they stayedWe can not waive these taxes it is against the law.Total taxes for the two properties $(for stays less then nights)We honestly feel with the10% discount $ and $Coastal Hideaways paidtoward their cleaning fee,total discount provided to them of $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***'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 girlsThis 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***a’s verbal commitments We were thankful for Me***a’s help securing us properties to stay, but we also had a commitment for specific pricing which Me***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***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***a From Coastal Hideaways: In additional I invited them to come to the office several times to discuss this in person and they refusedAs 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***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***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***a managed the first property better and not said it was OK for us to stay there when it clearly was notThis 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***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***

Coastal Hideaways accommodated my request for an interim rental due to construction delay on my home with professionalism, courtesy and wonderful expediencyI 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 stayPrivacy was respected and responsiveness to concerns offered during the stayThe unit was budget and child friendly and served as a tranquil haven and abode during an important transition for our family from renting to owningOffice personnel returned our deposit within a week and were very kind and communicative throughout the stayThank you so much

Great properties and great customer service!

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 accommodationsWe 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 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 $ 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***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 termsThey then moved to a third property "Sans Souci" again we explained what the cost of this rental would be and the termsThey were once again thrilled with this home and even extended their stay an additional weekThe 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 themIn the heat and with our current drought problem ants have been popular this summerThe 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*** on a regular basis to make sure all was okAs a result we graciously offered them a 10% discount off their reservation rental rateTotal discounts provided to them for these three rentals are $ 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 stayedIt appears they don't want to pay the City/ County TOT taxes that are required by SB CountyWe are required to collect the TOT ( taxes) and turn it in for the first two properties that they stayedWe can not waive these taxes it is against the lawTotal taxes for the two properties $(for stays less then nights)We honestly feel with the 10% discount $and $Coastal Hideaways paid toward their cleaning fee, total discount provided to them of $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***'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 girlsThis 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 refusedAs 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