The Duct Cleaning Pros

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: I was told by their staff that the banners are on some listings, not all, are beta testers to see the responses by potential renters Some properties may have these random banners while others don't A banner indicating - "You must book through Home Away in order for your payment to be protected"may indicate to some potential guests as a property having a problem with payments I don't think this company should have banners placed randomly on their listings Their fee is strictly for their benefit and certainly not for the potential renters nor the owners of vacation rentals who pay their salaries There is more and more control over our paid listings and I feel they are overstepping the original intent of their business I would like a one year free advertising with their company Regards, [redacted]

We are sorry to hear about this consumer's experience at what must have been a very difficult time Making credit card payments through the site is merely a tool we provide to owners and travelers to make the booking process easier A company named [redacted] processes that payment directly to the advertiser's nominated bank account At no point does the money come to HomeAway and so we cannot issue a refund We recommend the consumer continues trying to work with the advertiser or their credit card provider to recover the funds

This complaint is not against HomeAway Inc We cannot comment on this consumer/traveler’s complaint, because it appears that this complaint is not with our online advertising service, but appears to be the result of a marketplace transaction between this consumer and the owner or manager of an individual vacation home rented by that owner or manager to the publicWe are in no way a party to the agreement or contract between this consumer traveler and the owner manager, and cannot solve this consumer’s complaintOur advertising service is an online site for owners to advertise and travelers to find vacation homes to rent, but we are never involved in the transaction between the traveler/consumer and the landlord/property managerSee the Terms and Conditions below that the consumer/traveler and landlord/property manager agreed to about our role hereTherefore, this complaint is incorrectly being associated with HomeAway Inc, and it should be associated with the landlord/property manager Section of our Terms and Conditions http://www.homeaway.com/info/about-us/legal/terms-conditions: “The Site is a Venue and We are Not a Party to any Rental Transaction We urge all users to be responsible about their use of this Site and any transaction entered into as a result of either listing a property or renting a property We do not own or manage, nor can we contract for, any vacation rental property listed on a SiteHomeAway.com and other Sites act as a venue to allow homeowners and property managers who advertise on the Site (each, a “member”) to offer for rent in a variety of pricing formats, a specific vacation or short term rental property to potential renters or renters (each, a “traveler” and, collectively with a member, the “users”)"Members" may also include property owners or managers who originally advertised their properties on another website and their listings have been redistributed on the SiteWe also may offer online booking or other tools or services to allow users to communicate with each other and enter into rental agreements or other transactions We are not a party to any rental or other agreement between users This is true even if the Site allows you to book a rental or provides other ancillary products or services, as the Site may facilitate booking a rental or other tools, services or products, but we are not a party to any rental or other agreement between usersAs a result, any part of an actual or potential transaction between a traveler and a member, including the quality, condition, safety or legality of the properties advertised, the truth or accuracy of the listings (including the content thereof or any review relating to any property), the ability of members to rent a vacation property or the ability of travelers to contract for properties are solely the responsibility of each userYou acknowledge and agree that you may be required to enter into one or more separate agreements, waivers or terms and conditions prior to making a booking or purchasing a product or service and may place additional restrictions on your booking, product or service While we do take certain measures with a goal to assist users to avoid potentially fraudulent or other illegal activity of which we become aware, we assume no liability or obligation to take any such measures or actions When we provide warnings or messages to users about any such activity, we do not warrant that such messages are accurate or that such messages will reach any or all users they should have reached in a timely manner or at all or that such messages or measures will prevent any harm or otherwise have any impact." According to our records this consumer also filed a formal property complaint against this advertiser (case# [redacted] )As part of that formal complaint process we did reach out to the advertiser on behalf of this consumer in order to try to get the two parties to settle their disputeWe however do NOT mediate; we simply try our best to put the two parties together to work the situation out if possibleWe also closely monitor accounts that have had formal property complaints filedOur policy is to carefully document both sides of a dispute, and keep track of all complaints submittedWhen a pattern clearly develops where an advertiser is causing problems for our travelers, we do not hesitate to remove that member from our siteI assure you we have taken the appropriate action in regards to this complaint

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: Homeaway is not willing to give me any information about the landlord or the management in questionI booked it through themThey should be able to give me the full information of the landlords business because we did not receive any information about the landlord than a phone number that was giving to me by my bankIt is sad that they want me chasing after a ghost meanwhile they are received they moneySo now if I let them off, there is nobody to go afterEither Homeaway has to refer Revdex.com to the management or they have to return my money because I did not pay to a landlord directlyI paid through them Regards, [redacted]

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because:Though they did resolve it after I threatened to contact the legal department, you do have control over the emails, require that when they submit an email address that they get an email where they confirm ownership of the email, like every reputable business on the internet Regards, [redacted]

HomeAway introduced a service fee in February The service fee is currently launched on listings that were purchased through VRBO, HomeAway and VacationRentals.comWhen booking and paying for a property on a HomeAway website, the Service Fee is clearly included in the breakdown of the total cost of the rentalTo read more about what the service fee is and why we introduced it, see this article: [redacted] This fee covers the cost of providing 24/customer support, enhanced site and mobile features for both owner and travelers, plus expanded marketing efforts to generate more exposure to global audiencesAdditionally, when a traveler books and pays through HomeAway, they are eligible for the Book with Confidence Guarantee [redacted] We do hope this information helps explain the recent addition of the traveler service fee on HomeAwayTell us why here

Thank you for bringing this consumers concerns to our attentionHomeAway payments platform is a service we provide our advertisers to sign up for in order to accept payments via credit cardHomeAway Payments are managed by a third party credit card processing company for usThe company is [redacted] , also known as [redacted] ***We do highly recommend that this consumer contact [redacted] to discuss these additional fees [redacted] can be reached at [redacted] US, or [redacted] outside US

Thank you for contacting usWe do show that this consumer contacted us in case# [redacted] regarding this matterAccording to our records this was an error on a travelers partTravelers enter inquiries for rental properties on our siteWe have no control if the email address the traveler is using is accurate or notAs a result of this traveler entering in this consumers email address in error, this consumer received multiple inquiry confirmations and possible contacts from our vacation rental ownersWe show that this individual by the name of [redacted] created inquiries on 11/10/According to our records we do show that our customer service team did delete the traveler account under this email address on 11/12/But unfortunately this may not stop all outside communication from our rental home ownersThis consumer can also use his email client program to block email from these senders

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: it is just a copy and paste of what they are currently telling homeownersWe want to know how it is legal let alone ethical for a business that started out as a subscription model and collected our dues suddenly changed the platform mid-stream by charging travelersHere's another thing they are doingI wanted to change a reservation from "reserved" to "tentative" but unlike before it would not "let me"I had directed these potential guests to my vrbo to purchase their insurance policy and make their security deposit but they were going to pay by company check for the rental once they brought the signed lease agreementUnfortunately they had a plane to catch and were unable to drop both off so I wanted to change the reservation to "tentative"I called support and asked their representative to please give me back control of my calendarNow, in order for me to even start the transaction I had to add a dollar value in the "rental" box so I added ONE dollarBut when he saw that he said: "you can't just charge a dollar for rent!".........how is this ANY of his or HomeAway's business??? I don't work for themThey do not pay my taxes I pay them to host my site and I have maintenance and remodeling projects that I add to my calendarI also let friends and family use it for freeSo I need to use my calendar to keep track of it all and that calendar syncs to others so it is VERY IMPORTANT for me to manage without having HomeAway tie my hands behind my backI also have repeat guests who contact me directly and then I direct them to my vrbo listing because I have set up my bank account through their merchant servicer who charges us 3-5% on the entire transaction if a credit card is usedI have my own merchant servicer and will also request a paper check, ACH, wire transfer or eCheck but now if they go through the vrbo platform they would be required to pay $(their maximum), just for the privilege OR HomeAway has THREATENED to put our listings down at the very bottomThey also today at their webinar THREATENED to take down our site if we inserted ANY message about the service fee and how to circumvent itAm I in CHINA?!?!?!?! What the heck!? Regards, [redacted]

Thank you for bringing this consumers concerns to our attentionAccording to our records we do show that we have worked with the consumer and owner regarding this issue in case [redacted] We also can tell you that this unfortunately was a uncommon technical issue which honestly was not anyone's 'fault' per seWe worked with our tech team and according to the latest notation on this matter the remaining refund was issued on 5/12/(reference case [redacted] )We apologize for this consumers frustration and the much longer than resolution time

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: the fee is neither included or the consumer notifiedI have a signed contract that is itemizied no where is the fee in contractI can send copy of contract Regards, [redacted]

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because:1) The company advertise 100% guaranteed and safe booking with 10,protectionProofs are providedThe offer of covering $raised serious concerns regarding inappropriate advertising practicesThis is unfair for other customers who may trust Homeaway inc2) We followed the instruction from HomeAway and used the link provided to pay for the rentProof provided3) We paid on May and received an e-mail from Homeway on May that the property was removed from the listing !Homeway does NOT seem to take responsibility based on this fact and their response4) Homeaway FAILED to response a serious concern raised by us (proof provided)We were advised to contact the owner at the time, which we did.In fact, this is managed by Homeaway, whom should TAKE RESPONSIBILITY and contact the presumed owner and INITIATE an investigation when possible fraudsConsequently full reimbursement should take place for customers who paid in fullEXPECTED RESOLUTION: i) Full reimbursement of eurosii) Coverage of the rental expense as the result of this fraudiii) Change the inappropriate advertisement and business practiceWe are providing all supporting documentation in good faith despite Homeaway may take the advantage from us to consult their lawyers in case this dispute ends in a formal legal complaintThanks,Dr [redacted] Regards, [redacted]

We apologize for any frustration but our system does not allow for traveler accounts to be completely deletedHowever, we have disabled the account, preventing it's further use

HomeAway.com strives to provide a secure online marketplace for owners to advertise their vacation rental properties and for travelers to research an extensive catalog of rental optionsHomeAway has invested in trust & security technology, people and processes to help protect consumers against criminal activity on our sites.This consumer/traveler unfortunately has been the victim of what is referred to as phishingPhishers are individuals, or small groups, who execute phishing schemes in an attempt to steal identities or information for monetary gainThe advertiser/vacation rental owner or property manager’s personal email account or HomeAway account credentials had been phished.When we learn of a phish attempt of our advertiser/vacation rental owner or property manager’s email account or their HomeAway account our Trust & Security team takes immediate action by temporarily deactivating their vacation rental listing(s) locking their account down and putting them through a security process by which they must update all of their account detailsWe also immediately send out messaging to any travelers who may have inquired on their listings to protect any travelers from falling prey to a phisherPhishing is one of the most common internet scams; HomeAway, Incbeing an internet based business has both programs and educational materials in place for our site users to protect themselves against phishingWe strive to inform and encourage our travelers to protect themselves in various waysUpon inquiring each traveler receives instruction on the safest payment methods to useThey also are instructed to call the advertiser prior to sending any moniesTravelers also are encouraged to buy the HomeAway Carefree Rental Guarantee.Terms & Conditions of the HomeAway Carefree Rental Guarantee: http://www.homeaway.com/guarantee/tac.html.We also direct each inquirer to learn more about renting safely from our Security Center at:http://www.homeaway.com/info/security?OwnersIn the event that a traveler has fallen victim to phishing and has not protected themselves we do have a program in place called the Basic Rental GuaranteeThis program will reimburse an unprotected traveler up to $of their lost funds.According to our records this consumer does qualify for the Basic Rental Guarantee and has been reimbursed the maximum allowed though this program in case# [redacted] .To review the Terms and Conditions of the Basic Rental Guarantee please visit this link:http://www.homeaway.com/info/about-us/legal/terms-conditions/basic_rental_g...⇄ we are so sorry to hear that this consumer was affected by this most unfortunate situation

Thank you for bringing this consumers additional concerns to our attention.According to our records this consumer had a traveler by the name of [redacted] book his property on 2/20/2016, and this consumer required a $NON REFUNDABLE deposit from this traveler at that timeThe traveler took ill notified this consumer and unfortunately explained that she had to use her sick time at work, and would not be able to make her vacation trip planned for Jul - Aug 6, We do not normally see owners/advertisers keeping travelers funds (non refundable deposits) especially when a booking is so far out in the future with plenty time for the owner to re-book the propertyIt is our policy that unless the owner cancels the reservation in the system for the full amount then the traveler service fee will not be refundedAlso this consumers account has been flagged as in violation of the our Terms and Conditions regarding the traveler service fee and was required to remove verbiage from his advertisement instructing travelers how to avoid the service feeOur policy stands, the traveler service fee would not be refunded to this traveler unless this consumer were to refund this traveler in full

Thank you for bringing this consumer’s concerns to our attention.By using our site to inquire on properties, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy PolicyYou can review our Privacy Policy here: [redacted] Our customer service collected the traveler's email to create a case for support, not to create an accountSince this traveler already used our site to inquire on properties, they already had a record with us and the user agreed to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy at that time

We thank this consumer for his feedback The decision as to where payments made through the site are processed is not HomeAway's to make We will pass his comments to the relevant departments to see if additional wording can be added to the website

We thank this consumer for contacting us and apologize for the frustration caused This consumer entered into a rental agreement with an advertiser who has been on our the website since As per the Terms and Conditions of the website, HomeAway is not a part of that rental agreement Payments made through the website are processed to the advertiser's bank account and do not come to HomeAway This consumer's reservation was cancelled by the advertiser It is the responsibility of the advertiser to refund the consumer's money We urge the consumer to continue working with the advertiser to recover their funds and consider initiating a dispute with their financial institution To try and help with a resolution we have also reached out to this advertiser We will contact the traveler directly to see if there has been any update

HomeAway.com strives to provide a secure online marketplace for owners to advertise their vacation rental properties and for travelers to research an extensive catalog of rental optionsHomeAway has invested in trust & security technology, people and processes to help protect consumers against criminal activity on our sites.This consumer/traveler unfortunately has been the victim of what is referred to as phishingPhishers are individuals, or small groups, who execute phishing schemes in an attempt to steal identities or information for monetary gainThe advertiser/vacation rental owner or property manager’s personal email account or HomeAway account credentials had been phished.When we learn of a phish attempt of our advertiser/vacation rental owner or property manager’s email account or their HomeAway account our Trust & Security team takes immediate action by temporarily deactivating their vacation rental listing(s) locking their account down and putting them through a security process by which they must update all of their account detailsWe also immediately send out messaging to any travelers who may have inquired on their listings to protect any travelers from falling prey to a phisherPhishing is one of the most common internet scams; HomeAway, Incbeing an internet based business has both programs and educational materials in place for our site users to protect themselves against phishingWe strive to inform and encourage our travelers to protect themselves in various waysUpon inquiring each traveler receives instruction on the safest payment methods to useThey also are instructed to call the advertiser prior to sending any moniesTravelers also are encouraged to buy the HomeAway Carefree Rental Guarantee.Terms & Conditions of the HomeAway Carefree Rental Guarantee: http:// [redacted] We also direct each inquirer to learn more about renting safely from our Security Center at:http:// [redacted] In the event that a traveler has fallen victim to phishing and has not protected themselves we do have a program in place called the Basic Rental GuaranteeThis program will reimburse an unprotected traveler up to $of their lost funds.To review the Terms and Conditions of the Basic Rental Guarantee please visit this link:http://www.homeaway.com/info/about-us/legal/terms-conditions/basic_rental_g...⇄ will ask one of our Trust & Security representatives to reach out to this consumer to offer some assistance as well.Again, we are so sorry to hear that this consumer was affected by this most unfortunate situation

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: The service fee of $is already part of the $costThey are double adding the service feeThis is the problem with this business, I am expecting them to do simple mathGo over the mail that I sent which clearly has the service fee as part of the $cost Regards, [redacted] ***