Susan R.

I went to renew my listing on Vacationrentals.com today and was told I have to use "HomeAway Payments" or I cannot list my property. That means my guests have to pay VacationRentals.com (owned by HomeAway) a high booking fee in addition to my rent AND that HomeAway will keep my guests' payments until after the guests check in and then and only then would HomeAway pay me those funds. I get reservations 6 - 9 months in advance and use the deposits to pay expenses like insurance and taxes on my vacation home. I spent an hour trying to get a waiver of the HomeAway Payments requirement to no avail. I found out today that HomeAway uses a third-party company, Vacation Rent Payments, to handle my guests and my funds and that company refuses to release the funds until guest check-in. HomeAway calls it "HomeAway Payments" but it is not Homeaway at all but this third-party company in Europe with a location in CA. I have no contract or relationship with this "Vacation Rent Payments" and HomeAway did not tell me about them at all. Now they have my banking information and that of my guests! I am cancelling my Vacationrentals.com listing ASAP.

6/27/18
I went to renew my listing on VRBO today and was told I have to use "HomeAway Payments" or I cannot list my property. That means my guests pay VRBO/HomeAway a high booking fee in addition to my rent AND that VRBO/HomeAway will keep my guests' payments until after the guests check in and then and only then would VRBO/HomeAway pay me those funds. I get reservations 6 - 9 months in advance and use the deposits to pay expenses like insurance and taxes on my vacation home. I spent an hour trying to get a waiver of the HA Payments requirement to no avail. I found out today that VRBO/HomeAway uses a third party company, Vacation Rent Payments, to handle my guests and my funds and that company refuses to release the funds until guest check-in. VRBO calls it "HomeAway Payments" but it is not VRBO/Homeaway at all but this third-party company in Europe. I have no contract or relationship with this "Vacation Rent Payments" and VRBO did not tell me about them at all. Now they have my banking information and that of my guests! I am cancelling my VRBO listing ASAP.

I went to renew my listing on HomwAway today and was told I have to use "HomeAway Payments" or I cannot list my property. That means my guests pay HomeAway a high booking fee in addition to my rent AND that HomeAway will keep my guests' payments until after the guests check in and then and only then would HomeAway pay me those funds. I get reservations 6 - 9 months in advance and use the deposits to pay expenses like insurance and taxes on my vacation home. I spent an hour trying to get a waiver of the HA Payments requirement to no avail. I found out today that HomeAway uses a third party company, Vacation Rent Payments, to handle my guests and my funds and that company refuses to release the funds until guest check-in. HomeAway calls it "HomeAway Payments" but it is not HomeAway at all but this third-party company in Europe. I have no contract or relationship with this "Vacation Rent Payments" and HomeAway did not tell me about them at all. Now they have my banking information and that of my guests! I am cancelling my HomeAway listing ASAP.