To those that have traveled to Italy and booked way in advance with VRBO.
I know each VRBO host is different and I've heard that Italians, like Hawaiians, tend to move through life a bit more casually than others. Should I be concerned if I attempted to contact a VRBO host a few days ago with a follow up yesterday and have not received a response yet?
I don't want to miss out on booking a villa in Tuscany.
Thanks,
Scott
Do you already have it booked with them? If not, then I would move on and try to find something else. I didn't use VRBO for my last trip to Italy, but in general, I felt that everyone replied quite promptly.
If you have already booked, and given a deposit, then I would be looking for some assistance from VRBO.
I don’t think this is VRBO but rather the specific listing. Personally, I think this is a red flag. I would find a different place.
In 2021 I reserved a place through VRBO in Venice. There were clear red flags that I ignored. Basically while the management company did not reply promptly, they did reply but then I had a lot problems getting a response later as to meeting up. I could have canceled at that point but it seemed like too much trouble so I didn’t. But I should have.
The a/c in one of the bedrooms was not working. The Internet did not work. They never responded to any of my attempts to contact them while we were there. We adapted (someone slept in livingroom) and had a great time anyway. But I won’t make the same mistake again.
If your VRBO is operated by a super host or premier host, I would give a little more grace. We booked a flat in Rome about a week ago for 2024, and I messaged the host through the comments when giving our down payment. He is a premier host and just got back to me today, fully satisfying my question about the cost of him booking us private transportation from the airport. For me, because we are almost a year out, I gave plenty of grace. Lots of people cancel, especially if the cancellation policy is generous.
If your host does not have a lot of positive feedback, try calling VRBO's customer support line. For another apartment we're renting in Florence, I had them do some research on the host we're booking through (as to why they have so few reviews for their property yet are considered a "premier host"). You can also cross-check reviews on booking.com, expedia, and airbnb to see if the same property is listed with feedback. Obviously the property won't come up if you use the same dates and have already booked it elsewhere, but many renters list on multiple platforms.
Thanks to each of you for your info/input. The host did get back to me (they did have 43 really positive reviews) and we are in the process of booking the property.
Thanks Again!
