ComplaintsforFlipKey, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I own a vacation rental property in *************. I got a letter from my Association manager saying I've been illegally renting the property because it's not licensed. (I have been legally renting this property for over ten years.)They sent me a copy of the listing they had found on Flipkey. It has my pictures but different descriptions. It said it's managed by "mountain vacation lodging" but doesn't have a phone number and is too vague to find out any information with a ****** search.I called flipkey and they said they couldn't take the listing down unless I proved I owned it. I asked them to contact "mountain vacation lodging" and have them prove they owned it but they refused.I asked if they could tell me if the property was ever rented with this company and they said that was confidential. I also asked for a contact phone number and they refused to provide one.I'm concerned this is a scam.Thank you.*************************

  Business response

  08/04/2024

  Hello *******,

  Thank you for taking the time to write to us via the Better Business Bureau. We want to begin by saying how sorry we are to learn about your Association manager claiming you've been illegally renting your property because it's not licensed. We understand that this information came as a surprise, especially when you were forwarded by your Association manager the link to the advert found on www.flipkey.com, a website where you were not aware your property was being advertised by a property manager.

  Once you were informed about this advert on Flipkey, you called our customer support team to learn more about it. However, due to privacy and our payment protection terms, our customer support team wasnt able to share the property managers contact details, and was limited in the information that could be provided. We can inform you that we dont vet properties, as that was one of your questions.

  Wed like to inform you, as requested, that the property in question advertised on Flipkey.com has been removed from the Flipkey website and all Tripadvisor Rentals websites. At times, even if rarely, this process may take up to 48 hours to fully complete. The property manager was made aware of this as well.

  About the property found on Flipkey.com, as you noticed,it was advertised by a property manager called Mountain Vacation Lodging, and the advert was last updated in 2019. As part of our Payment Protection offered to all travelers, we cannot share any owner or property managers contact details until a booking is fully paid. The same applies to any travelers contact details, as they cannot be shared with any owner or property manager until their booking is fully paid. We understand that you would like to have the Mountain Vacation Lodging contact details. When searching online, we found their website to be *************************************************, and their phone number listed on this website is **************. If we can be of any further assistance, please let us know. You can reach back out to us, and reference case number ********, thank you.

  Best wishes,
  Tripadvisor Rentals Support

• Initial Complaint

  06/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I own a rental property in *************, **. I received an email from someone wanting to rent my unit for about 1/2 of the normal price through Trip Advisor. I pulled it up and there were 2 accounts, one through VRBO which I use and one through Holiday Lettings/Flip Key. I called Flip Key after finally finding a phone number. They wanted all kinds of personal information to deactivate this duplicate account. I told them I would not provide the property address and other information. They refused to remove the listing. They have NO right to create an account with my rental, photos and information without my approval. This company is a total scam. My unit is fully booked for most of the year and they showed a wide open calendar with ridiculously low rates. If they enter payment information, they will be able to fraudulently rent my unit. This company has to be stopped immediately and my property removed.

  Business response

  06/10/2024

  Hello ********,

  Thank you for taking the time to write to us via the Better Business Bureau. We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. We want to begin by acknowledging your frustration with our customer support team, and how concerning was finding your property advertised on our Holiday Lettings/Flipkey platform. We understand that once you received a booking inquiry with incorrect rental pricing, you went on Tripadvisor and found your listing advertised twice. One listing was advertised with correct pricing through your VRBO account, and the other was advertised through a Holiday Lettings/Flipkey account with incorrect pricing. Because of that,consequently, you reached our customer support team to better understand where the Holiday Lettings/Flipkey listing was coming from, as prices advertised were of what your 2024 rental rates should have been.

  When you reached our customer support team, our customer support team started asking you questions that you didnt feel comfortable answering as they were about your personal information. To advertise a vacation rental property on Tripadvisor, owners can create their account on a multitude of websites, like Flipkey, HolidayLettings and Niumba, which are all websites under the Tripadvisor umbrella. To make sure we keep accounts secure, were unable to discuss any specifics about an account with anyone other than the named holder. The questions you were asked were part of the security questions we ask owners before we can assist them. The security questions we ask are in the owners best interest to keep their account safe. We are sorry if you didnt feel comfortable answering them.

  Upon reviewing the screenshots you shared, which were most helpful, we discovered that a GDPR data deletion request was received just a couple of days ago. This request was to delete all data associated with your Gmail email. This shows that at some point in years past you created the Holiday Lettings/Flipkey account. This is why you found your property advertised twice on Tripadvisor. If pricing were of what you are renting your property this year, it possibly means that your listing had not been updated in a while.

  Please rest assured that your Holiday Lettings/Flipkey listing and your Holiday Lettings/Flipkey account were removed from our platform over this past weekend, as per your GDPR data deletion request received.

  Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

  Best wishes,
  Tripadvisor Rentals Support

  Customer response

  06/10/2024

  This response is ridiculous. I would not make 2 accounts and no beach condo in the area is listed for that price. My condo has NEVER had those reduced rates. I would like the BBB to please investigate this further.

   

   

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ********

   

   

  Business response

  06/12/2024

  Hello ********,

  Thank you for taking the time to write to us via the Better Business Bureau. We read your response where you stated that you would not make two accounts and that no beach condo in the area is listed for that price.Please allow us to clarify further what listings were showing on Tripadvisor. Please accept our apologies if our previous communication wasnt comprehensive enough.One listing that you found on Tripadvisor was a listing that you created on the **** website, meaning that you first created a **** account, and afterward your listing. The other listing that was showing on Tripadvisor was coming from Flipkey/HolidayLettings, meaning that an account with your registered email address was created on Flipkey/HolidayLettings. After having created such an account, then the listing was created and activated. Two separate listings, on two separate platforms. Only in the last couple of years have listings created on the **** website been showing also on the Tripadvisor website. This is because Tripadvisor and **** decided to work together to offer travelers more Vacation Rental options.

  If pricing on the Flipkey/HolidayLettings listing was too low, it meant that the listing had not been updated in a while.  Since all data relating to the Flipkey/HolidayLettings listing have been removed due to the **** data deletion request received last week, we cannot provide specific information on when the Flipkey/HolidayLettings account was created, and when pricing was last updated.
  About submitting a **** data deletion request from our privacy form, after such a request is submitted, the owner is sent an email verification. The owner has to open such an email, verify the details of the **** request, and then click on the verification link within the email. If this additional security step is not taken by the owner, or whoever has access to their email address, no **** request will be received on our end for us to action.

  In your original message, you wrote how you had received an email inquiry and thats how you noticed the incorrect pricing. It is only possible for an owner to receive such email if their email address is registered on a Flipkey/HolidayLettings account and listing.

  Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

  Best wishes,
  Tripadvisor Rentals Support

  Customer response

  06/12/2024

  I made my account with VRBO. I DID not make an account with ********************** or Holiday whatever. I did not make the second account which is why this is reported. Someone used that system to duplicate my account. The rate is something I have never had my unit set at. Someone was trying to use my property-SCAM
  

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ********

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  05/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They are creating fake rental property listings (never heard of them) and I just received a letter from my local tax collector saying we are illegal operating a rental property. We never created a flip key account. ***********************************************************

  Business response

  05/08/2024

  Hello Shala, 
  
  Thank you for taking the time to write us via the Better Business Bureau. We are sorry to hear that you're having an issue with a listing being advertised without your authorization on Flipkey Tripadvisor, and we understand this is concerning after receiving a letter from authorities. 
  
  After reviewing our records, we noted that the property in question was registered by a Mr. **** It's important to clarify that Flipkey is the vacation rental affiliate for Tripadvisor. If you or someone in your family created an account and registered the property on Tripadvisor Vacation Rentals, it would appear under Flipkey since Flipkey serves as Tripadvisor's vacation rental agent.
  
  Regrettably, since you are not registered on the account, we are unable to deactivate the listing directly. However, to assist you, we are reaching out to Mr. *** with your concerns and requesting the removal of the listing. Listing owners have the capability to deactivate listings on their account by accessing "My listings" and selecting the Online/Offline switch next to the listing. Once deactivated, it typically takes up to 48 hours for the listing to be removed from all our network sites.
  
  If you are not affiliated with Mr. *** and require the ad to be removed, you can directly message him by clicking "contact owner" from the listing. In the event that the owner does not respond to your request or our team's attempts to remove it, we would require proof of ownership to override and deactivate the listing. You can submit this proof by visiting our website and accessing the Contact Us form in the help center to email our customer service team with the necessary documents.
  
  Please rest assured that we are committed to resolving this matter as swiftly as possible. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
  
  Best regards, 
  Sylvia 
  Tripadvisor Rentals Support 

• Initial Complaint

  04/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I reserved a rental property through TripAdvisor/Flipkey. The property was a luxury townhome. The cost was 302 and some change total. The reservation was created on Tuesday 4/2 a little after midnight. I wanted the reservation for 4/2 arrival and to checkout 4/5. Since it was after midnight when I booked, it allowed me to choose 4/3-4/5. When I woke up to no confirmation from the property owner, I reached out to TripAdvisor/Flipkey. They made several attempts to reach the property owner. Later that day, I received confirmation from the property owner and a message stating that we should enjoy our stay at the property. We drove from Ga to ******* on 4/2 and stopped for a hotel stay that night. The next morning, I attempted to contact the property owner for access instructions. After multiple unsuccessful attempts, I reached out to TripAdvisor/Flipkey and they began attempts. I was advised to wait until 4pm check-in and arrival at the property to see if instructions were left on-site or if the rental unit was unlocked. We arrived at the property and entered, as it was indeed unlocked. Much to our surprise, there was a family living in the property. There was an elderly lady and a child around 3 years old. The child screamed and yelled "grandma, there's someone in our house". The lady was very upset. We contacted TripAdvisor/Flipkey about the situation. The only thing they could say was that they would give us a refund (which would take days to get back on my card), and book a hotel somewhere. I had to use the extra money that we had to book rooms as I couldn't afford another vacation rental at the time. I had to throw away groceries that were purchased to be cooked at the home that we acquired. We could not do most of the things that we planned due to spending extra money on lodging. My vacation was ruined. I mentioned seeking legal action and received a little nasty email from TripAdvisor about how they are not responsible for what happened.

  Business response

  04/09/2024

  Hello *******,

  Thank you for taking the time to write to us via the Better Business Bureau. We want to begin by saying how sorry we are to learn about your experience with the vacation rental you booked. We understand that this was supposed to be a fun family vacation, and that you drove hours to get to the rental property. However, because the owner didnt honor your booking and you had access denied to the rental property, your vacation was ruined. We are sorry that when you tried accessing the property it was already occupied by another family. You had purchased groceries already, which needed to be thrown away, and you needed to use your funds that were supposed to go toward activities in the ******* area to pay for your hotel stay. Additionally, when you mentioned to our support team that you were seeking legal action, you received an email from our customer support team informing you that ********************** was not responsible for what had happened, which was not the reply that possibly you were expecting.
  One of the benefits of booking a Vacation Rental through Tripadvisor is our Payment Protection which is offered to travelers who book through our platform. Our Payment Protection is in place to protect travelers in case of misrepresentation with the property or denied access to the property. We collect the travelers funds and we keep them until the day after their scheduled check-in date. In case there are any issues with a booking, thanks to our Payment Protection, we fully refund any traveler who has their booking canceled or has been denied access to the property. Travelers must call us on their scheduled arrival date to be covered by our Payment Protection. Additionally,we assist travelers with finding alternative accommodations, which may be other vacation rentals still bookable on our website, or hotel accommodations, as same-day bookings for vacation rentals are no longer possible at times.

  Any compensation request will need to be requested from the owner. This is because when a traveler books a vacation rental, the booking contract is between the traveler and the owner. Despite the fact that the booking was made through Tripadvisor/Flipkey please understand that Tripadvisor/Flipkey is merely a venue allowing travelers to view properties, to communicate with owners in respect of any queries or questions, and/or to facilitate the conclusion of a Rental Agreement for the rental of a Property. The owner has to provide the place for the date and number of guests, and services that it is on the booking, which is the booking contract.

  Please rest assured that a full refund was processed back to your original method of payment on April 3rd, as per our Payment Protection terms. We understand that credit card refunds may take 3-5 business days, and that having access to those funds right away was crucial in this instance, and we are sorry that you found yourself in that position when all you wanted to do was enjoy some quality time with the kids. We are sorry that those $302 funds werent available for use immediately. Once refunds are initiated we have no control over them, and its the banks that take 3 5 business days to return the funds to their customers. As for the owner, this incident has been recorded, as we dont agree with what has happened, and we will no longer allow this owner to advertise on our platform if more complaints or incidents are reported.
  
  Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

  Best wishes,
  Tripadvisor Rentals Support

  Customer response

  04/09/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  Flipkey not TripAdvisor wants to take any responsibility for what happened. They said in their original complaint that they will block the property owner from using their site to advertise if they continue to receive complaints. This is very disheartening. No one else should have to go through what we went through. It's not just about the refund and wasted groceries. Do you guys not understand that through the entering of someone else's property, we could have been injured, shot, or killed. There is nothing that could have been done after the fact being that we were trespassing through fault of that bogus listing. The person residing there was an elderly lady, she could have had a heart attack from the surprise of strangers walking in her house without permission. There's so many things that could have gone wrong. Thank God they didn't, but don't put others in this same situation. You should have more of a hands on method like screening property owners, require them to do **************** monthly (or more often), search to make sure that the person that is advertising is actually the property owner. Don't put other's through this ever. And own up to your part in this.
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

   

   

  Business response

  04/11/2024

  Hello *******,

  Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns regarding the recent issues with your booking. We deeply empathize with the frustration and disappointment you experienced during what should have been a relaxing vacation in *******.

  Upon reviewing the details of your situation, we fully acknowledge the unacceptable conduct displayed by the owner in this matter, as we had already mentioned in our previous message. It is clear that their mishandling of your booking, has resulted in an unfortunate disruption to your plans.

  Please know that we take matters of this nature very seriously. As soon as we were made aware of the situation, we promptly took action. On the same day you reached out about your check-in issues, we instantly removed the property booked from all of our websites, meaning it was no longer visible or bookable online. Furthermore, upon responding to your message, on that same day, we proceeded in closing the owners account indefinitely, and they will not be allowed to advertise any vacation rental on any of our websites, as we dont agree with what has happened to you, and to allow them to possibly reactivate their listing and start renting again was simply not something we can let them do.

  We understand your concerns. While we do have a trust and safety team that screens hosts and guests, we don't physically inspect or vet properties. This is standard across vacation rental platforms like ours, as there are millions of properties listed.

  Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

  Best regards,
  Tripadvisor Rentals Support

  Customer response

  04/16/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  No one seems to want to take responsibility for this travesty. Rest assured, that I will just never ever ever use TripAdvisor/Flipkey services again. Things happen, but to be put in a situation where we could have been justifiably injured/shot or killed and no one seems to be phased by the fact that our lives were put in danger by this company and their affiliates, is disheartening. 

  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  03/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am filing this complaint in hopes that FlipKey will better screen the rental properties they work with. It is important to me that it is clear that the customer service department did everything they could.I began working with FlipKey on 3/2/24 to rent a place in the ******* Keys for 4/1-4/5. The first property I booked attempted to scam me into paying a security deposit through a 3rd party app. The second property wanted additional information and money from me through a 3rd party app. I then worked with customer service to secure a 3rd reservation. They spoke directly to the property owner and reassured me that everything would be fine with the 3rd booking. Today, 3/30/2024, that reservation was canceled. Our flights are booked, FlipKey could not offer us any comparable location and the customer service reps clearly couldn't offer discounts. Scams and last-minute cancelations do not make for good business!

  Business response

  04/01/2024

  Hello ********,
  
  Thank you for taking the time to write to us via the Better Business Bureau. We want to begin by saying how sorry we are to see your booking was canceled by the homeowner just one day before your arrival. It is truly unfortunate that due to maintenance issues at the property, the owner couldnt honor your reservation.
  
  We do have a Trust & Safety team that screens homeowners, however, we dont physically inspect properties. This is standard across vacation rental platforms like ours, as there are millions of properties listed. One of the benefits of booking a Vacation Rental through Flipkey is our Payment Protection which is offered to travelers who book through our platform. Once the homeowner canceled your booking, we immediately initiated a full refund back to your original method of payment.
  
  You have stated that FlipKey has not been able to offer you a comparable accommodation or a discount, and we understand that you are looking for a store credit. We are sorry that we were not able to offer you any comparable accommodation, as we can only offer you what other owners list on our website, and being Easter week and the ******* Keys, there were no good alternatives. About your request, being your booking contract with the homeowner, we are unable to offer you any store credit. In case you are interested in staying at the rented property in the future, you can reach out to the homeowner, or if you prefer, wed be happy to reach out to them on your behalf and see if they are willing to offer such credit toward a future stay. If you need further assistance in contacting the homeowner, please reach out to us.
  
  Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
  
  Kind regards,
  Tripadvisor Rentals Support

• Initial Complaint

  02/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I am a host on trip advisor platform. I took a booking that I required a $200 damage deposit. This deposit is to be requested within 7 days of the guest check out. I requested this damage deposit 5 days within check out and was told that someone would have to get back to me about the claim because the guest has requested a charge back on the deposit. This is unacceptable business. If I require a damage deposit on any reservation, I should be allowed to put a claim in to describe what the damages are. I was not even asked what are my damages. I called Twice , 2/23 & 2/24/24 spoke with a Fatimah. She elaborated that she could not help me with claim and said someone will be in touch. I would like to place the claim for the deposit that is rightful due to me if a guest off there platform has damaged my listing. I would like to be compensated accordingly and in a timely manner.DAMAGE DEPOSIT PAID$ ****** BOOKING REFBR29797106

  Business response

  02/27/2024

  Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us through the Better Business Bureau. We are sorry that you have not been able to properly raise your damage deposit claim. 
  
  Once your claim is sent to the guest, theyll review it and reply to you. If they accept the claim, the requested amount will be charged to the guests saved payment method. If the guest doesnt agree with your claim, well notify you via email and youll receive a notification in your Inbox. You can discuss this with them to come to an agreement. 
  
  If your guest disagrees with the claim, it will then be raised with us. At this point, our team will contact you for more details about your claim and make a decision based solely on the evidence shared. 
  
  However, if the guest has involved a third party because they do not agree with your claim, the dedicated team that is handling the case will be in touch with you and unfortunately our customer service team cannot mediate. 
  
  We have tried to call you today to discuss your case in more detail but could not reach you. We will be reaching out to you by email please feel free to reply to us through there.

  Many thanks, 

  Tripadvisor Rentals Support

  Customer response

  02/27/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 
  This is unacceptable due to the fact that I was told by the agent that they could not take a claim from me because the guest did a charge back. So this apparent action from the guest had already taken place prior to me calling in to make my claim.  That is the information that I was given.  No one took a claim or even asked me what the damages are so how can the guest disagree on a claim that I did not have the opportunity to make ? I returned the call to flip key 
  I tried to contact the number that was left on voice mail. Agent stated that they will leave notes for the charge back department to get back to me. 
  
  

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ****

   

   

  Business response

  02/28/2024

  Hello ****, 
  
  Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us again through the Better Business Bureau. We are sorry that you have not been able to properly raise your damage deposit claim due to the guest raising a chargeback before allowing you to do so. 
  
  Anytime a guest raises a chargeback for whatever reason, it blocks the booking from any actions being taken by our customer service team, including any remaining funds, until a decision has been reached between the third parties about the chargeback or when the traveler closes the chargeback. Please note that chargebacks can take up to 30 to 90 days to reach a decision and close, depending on the claim and the contacts between the third parties involved. 
  
  As we talked about over the phone, your case is with the third-party chargeback teams that include the traveler's payment provider so the previous response we provided you about damage claims does not apply in your case since the information is for standard damage claim practices under normal circumstances when the claim is with Tripadvisor, and there is no chargeback. The case in this instance is outside of Tripadvisor's hands.  
  
  We regret this is not the outcome you wanted and that the guest did not allow you and Tripadvisor an opportunity to complete and review any claim before escalating to outside parties. We have confirmed in our call with you that someone from the chargeback team will be in contact with you. In the meantime, while you are waiting for contact from the third party, if you have any information you would like to forward to them to consider in the investigation of the guest's claim you have the option to reply to one of our emails and we will be happy to forward it to them. You can also wait till they contact you to send the information directly to the chargeback agent investigating the chargeback if you prefer. 
  
  Thank you again for your feedback and time!
  
  Many thanks, 
  Tripadvisor Rentals Support 

• Initial Complaint

  11/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On November 10th, I went on a website called FlipKey looking for a rental for a Christmas Breckinridge vacation 12/26-30. I requested to book one place and the owner said it was not available. Then another suggested home came up that said it was nearby to the slopes in Breckinridge. I was looking for a home near by and so I booked this home unknowing that it was located an hour from the slopes. As soon as the confirmation of my booking (payment) was made, it gave me the location of the place. I immediately cancelled the transaction and contacted the owner to explain this error. I called the bank to reverse the charge, but they said it was pending so they could not do anything to assist me. I was charged $1851.03 which was the deposit. In fine print the website says if the cancellation was made 60 days prior to arrival no refund will be available. The FlipKey customer service said it is up to the owner to authorize the return of my deposit, and after contacting the owner, he says it is up to TripAdvisor (FlipKey) to do this. I have called Flip Key daily (or else email chatted) and they have not done anything to give my $1851.03 back.

  Business response

  11/24/2023

  Thank you for your email. I am sorry that the location on the property you booked was unclear I can understand your disappointment in this matter. As we understand that the location was misleading and we had to reach out to the owner of the property to get approval in refunding you the deposit in full. The owner has approved and we have processed the refund back yo your original for of payment. Please allow 3 to 5 business days to see the refund reflected in your account. 

  Thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter. 

   

  Best wishes, 

  Tripadvisor Rentals Support

  Customer response

  11/25/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  08/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  An unknown person has alleged having at my house and has posted a fake and insulting review. I called TripAdvisor many times. The review is still on the web.

  Business response

  08/17/2023

  Thank you for informing us about this matter.

  We have thoroughly reviewed the reported content and found that it did not comply with our guidelines. As a result, we have made the necessary changes to the site, and the review is no longer visible.

  Please be aware that the member who posted the review may submit an edited version that complies with our guidelines. If this happens, we suggest utilizing our management response feature to provide a response and share your point of view.

  We apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your cooperation in reporting this matter to us.

  Best regards,
  Tripadvisor Support Team

  Customer response

  08/17/2023

  Thank you for finally removing this review. However it is incomplete:

  my house should not be listed on your hotel ****: anyone can leave a fake review on it

   the fake review lowered my score which is between 4 and 5 stars on the rental page. Please adjust the stars.

  Business response

  08/21/2023

  Hi *******,
  Thank you for your valuable review on Better Business Burea. We are glad the issue with the review has been resolved. Based on your last comment, it appears that you would prefer your property not to be listed under the Hotels section. A member of the Hotels Team will reach out via email to address this. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your cooperation in reporting this matter to us. Best regards ****** - Tripadvisor Support Team

• Initial Complaint

  07/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I booked a vacation rental through HolidayLettings which is owned by TripAdvisor. I paid 554.18$ on June 20th, for the booking. The host of the property turned out to be a fraud artist. The rental listing was incorrect and is not accurate to the place I had paid for. HolidayLettings is aware of the situation however they are not willing to give me a refund stating that the host needs to cancel it on their end, but the host has ghosted me and Holiday Lettings and has provided a phone number and email that is no longer in use. The host had attempted to relist their place on AirBnB stating it was available for the dates I ahead already booked for, and confirmed. When confronted, the host played ignorant and blocked me, however AirBnB deemed them fraudulent and removed them from their website. I would like a refund for a majority of my money that was lost if possible.

  Business response

  07/28/2023

  Hello Velvet, 

  Thanks for your feedback about the cancelation and refund for the booking BR29667687. We have reviewed the case in reference to your inquiry 16315818. According to the case you contacted our team about concerns with your booking since you found the same property on another website and had the dates of your booking showing available on the calendar. In addition, that the owner advised you that they did not work with us to their knowledge and worked with Airbnb and VRBO. We made attempts to reach out to the owner to discuss about their account with us and your booking but despite our attempts to reach them, the owner never responded including to our final deadline so the booking was canceled and a full refund of ****** USD was processed to your payment method on file in accordance with our Payment Protection Policy that promises 100% refund of your booking if there is an owner cancelation,  denied access, or misrepresentation of the property. Our team confirmed with you directly in a call that the full refund had been processed for your booking and offered to help you find another property, but you declined. If you have not received your refund that we processed then you need to contact your bank to investigate the delay. Please keep in mind that refunds can take up to 10 days or less to appear back in your account depending on your payment method unless you used Paypal takes 48 hours.

  Thank you again for your feedback!

  Best wishes, 

  ******

  Tripadvisor Rentals Support 

  Customer response

  07/28/2023

  Thank you very much for satisfying my request. Yes, I received my full refund and the case may be closed in its entirety. 

• Initial Complaint

  05/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We got scammed by holidaylettings.com website where we booked a holiday rental property from the website with a booking reference number as BR29652975 for the memorial day weekend Fri 26th May 2023 to Mon 29th May 2023. I got a confirmation saying the booking has been confirmed after paying $1545.75 through my paypal account. I went into the account for more details where I could see the owner's name as ************************* with the contact number as ************. Later, I got this text message from ********** and the person claimed to be the same ******* and wanted me to zelle $300 as a refundable deposit. After sending the receipt details of the Zelle transaction, this person gave me the Lock code to check in to the property.With all set, we travelled from home ******* to the destination address *************************************************************************************************************** and reached by 10:30 PM CST.We found that the property is inside a gated community which requires a code to enter and luckily somebody let ** in and at the community, we saw two cars in the driveway and got confused whether this is the right address. After verifying from the website details and talking to neighbors we could verify this is the right address but the property turned out to be private property and the provided lock code doesn't work. We realized that we were scammed after finding out we were not getting any answers from the owner's phone or the details provided from the website. We were a party of ******************************************** the middle of the night, not sure what to do. Each one from our party were on calls for almost till 2 AM with the customer call representatives trying to find out what happened and alternative options for us to get into. Neither we got answers for the scam nor were we provided any alternative options for staying anywhere. The representatives redirected ** to find our own accommodation and have it compensated later.We were roaming around on roads in the middle of the night for 2 hours looking for any accommodation, just to stay and return back home and finally had to settle in a hotel by spending close to $1200 for 4 rooms just from 4:00 AM (check in) to 11:00 AM (check out) time.A much deserved pending (almost 10 years) vacation plan has been a disaster causing personal anguish, monetary loss including travel expenses, food expenses and I am dealing with all this post trauma after returning home.When I escalated this with the company and after providing all the proofs, I am being denied the reimbursement and the compensation citing various reasons. I am requesting BBB to work with the company and have me refund my $300 which I paid through my bank for the Zelle transfer payment to the imposter and also compensation amount of around $1200 of hotel expenses which we had to pay from own own pockets for temporary stay for a couple of hours. This is a big scam and should be taken very seriously against the company.Company is misleading people by cheating with false advertisements and scamming by taking away their money and when asked, posing various reasons to find an excuse.Further I and not talking about the gas expenses, personal anguish and post trauma and stress I am dealing with.

  Business response

  06/09/2023

  Hi ******* and thanks for your feedback about your experience with booking BR29652975 and the compensation request. We're sorry to hear that you had issues with your booking and could not stay at the property you booked. We understand this was upsetting, especially on the day of your arrival with your entire family. 
  
  We have reviewed your entire case and can see that when you contacted us about the issue, our team immediately attempted to contact the owner registered to the account to find out what happened. After no response from the owner by our 2-hr deadline and reviewing the account with our Trust and Safety team, the booking was canceled and a full refund was processed in accordance with our Payment Protection Policy. Our team also advised you that they couldn't find and book another vacation rental the same day since the platforms don't allow for same-day bookings and suggested finding a hotel for the night while they search for properties in the area for the other nights. Our team transferred you to our hotel's department and also sent some ****************** to consider, but none of the properties in our limited inventory met your requirements or budget or were not available for your dates. 
  
  Please note that our Payment Protection Policy guarantees travelers 100% that if the owner cancels, there is a denied access or misrepresentation. It only covers payments made on the platform and does not cover any additional expenses since the contract is between you and the owner and not Tripadvisor and relies on travelers to purchase traveler's insurance to cover anything not in the policy. All payments required for bookings are collected on the website at the time of booking including the damage deposit with a credit card or Paypal account. If you made a payment outside the platform without contacting Tripadvisor beforehand to confirm if there were additional payments outside the booking contract, we're not responsible nor liable for these payments and recommend contacting Zelle to report any fraudulent or scam charges for them to investigate and assist you on their end.
  
   In addition, the terms and conditions that you agreed to summarize the following: If you book a reservation with a third-party supplier, you agree to review and be bound by the suppliers terms and conditions of purchase and website use, privacy policy, and any other rules or policies related to the suppliers site or property. Your interactions with third-party suppliers are at your own risk. The TripAdvisor Companies will have no liability with respect to the acts, omissions, errors, representations, warranties, breaches or negligence of any third-party suppliers or for any personal injuries, death, property damage, or other damages or expenses resulting from your interactions with third-party suppliers. Because neither TripAdvisor nor its corporate affiliates are parties to Vacation Rental transactions between travelers and Advertisers, any dispute or conflict involving an actual or potential transaction between you and an Advertiser, including the quality, condition(s), safety, or legality of a listed Vacation Rental, the accuracy of the listing Content, the Advertisers ability to rent a Vacation Rental property, provide you with a reservation, is solely the responsibility of each user. Therefore confirming we have completed all our contractual obligations by issuing a full refund of your booking and are not responsible for any other payments. 
  
  We regret this is not the outcome you preferred and understand your dissatisfaction. We can confirm the listing and the account were removed from all our websites following your experience. Thank you again for your feedback!
  
  Best wishes, 
  ***********;
  Tripadvisor Rentals Support  
  
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩