VRBO.COM - HOMEAWAY
Complaint 161813 Details

  • Date Occurred: 09/27/2014
  • Reported Damages: $10,000.00
  • Location: Austin, Texas
  • !

The complaint is against an online dating profile

The complaint is a listing fraud posted on public forums or sites against an anonymous entity

The complaint is mobile text spam or smishing related against an anonymous entity

The company or person contact no longer exists

International boundaries

We have been seriously violated as advertisers on VRBO.
We have lost credibility, customers, time and money
There is serious financial damage to our business right now because all 30 listings are down and people can’t find them. Our competitors are getting all the business until this situation is resolved!

VRBO has gotten too big. They have a monopoly! (NOW OWNED BY HOMEAWAY.COM) We should have legal rights and protection! Their letter stated that they are "working closing with the property manager", what a lie! They don't even let us proof read what they emailed to our customers! They can't copy and past our correct telephone number? No one is supervising and making sure the email has accurate information?

Our VRBO account was hacked this week and VRBO refuses to be accountable. Their letter which went out to all of our customers & inquiries trys to blame us I contacted our account manager at VRBO because we had received several emails that were very concerning. We advertise 30 properties! That is a lot of advertising dollars, yet no one would call me back today. A third party hacked into the VRBO system and retrieved inquiries on several of our properties. Then, the intruder sent an email to our customer, stating that the property was available and to send them $3000. Without telling us, VRBO sent out a bulk email today to hundreds of our inquiries, which said that OUR email account may have been compromised. “property manager may have unknowingly and inadvertently had their
email account compromised” This problem is on THEIR WEBSITE! Our email account is fine! But VRBO HAS SECURITY ISSUES!!!! They recently installed new software and they have had problems since then. We have had non stop calls from clients who are panicking. The next problem, was even more embarrassing. In their “Urgent Notice” to our customers, they gave out an incorrect telephone number for our office. As it turns out this is some illicit phone sex number! After several customers called about it, I called it to see what it was. OH MY GOODNESS!
ITS REALLY BAD! Furthermore, because I called from my cell phone, I then received several illicit text messages!!! So did every single customer of ours that dialed that wrong number from a cell phone. I called and emailed VRBO today with no response. They are a monolopy and they know it. Something needs to be done legally to protect our consumer rights. VRBO has been a trusted advertising site for many years and we have used them exclusively for marketing our properties for many years. But their mistakes on our account and lack of security are inexcusable right now. THERE IS ZERO CUSTOMER SERVICE! The damage that has been done to our credibility is serious, and they are to blame. Unless and until we can receive complete assurances from them, as well as, accountability for the harm they have done, we will protest VRBO.

Their letter stated that they are "working closing with the property manager", what a lie! They don't even let us proof read what they emailed to our customers! They can't copy and past our correct telephone number? No one is supervising and making sure the email has accurate information?

I feel like I should contact the Attorney General and file a complaint.
What should I do?

Blogs on the internet about VRBO’s lack of security:

http://www.tastesliketravel.com/featured/vrbo-website-hacked-renter-beware-you-could-be-scammed

Subject: HomeAway Community: VRBO sends email to prospects after hack

Info:

http://community.homeaway.com/message/16163


http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i10700-k4795307-o10-VRBO_com_Security_Issue_Scam_Alert-Timeshares_Vacation_Rentals.html

http://www.tnooz.com/2012/05/16/news/homeaway-says-it-is-merely-like-a-classified-ad-but-phishing-victims-not-buying-it/

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Business Profile Summary

  • VRBO logo

Company Statistics

  • Complaint Against VRBO
  • Complaints Filed: 7
  • Reported Damages: $22,065.00
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