vrbo

The complaint alleges the companies failed to pay local accommodations taxes and, in some cases, business license fees despite collecting payment from rental operators and vacationers who use their sites.

Book a vacation rental, even with some of the key players, like Vrbo and Booking.com, and you might be on your own if you wind up choosing a fake listing created by a fraudster or if you cancel and the host unfairly pockets your deposit. A recent investigation by the nonprofit Checkbook.org found widespread problems with vacation rentals—including fake listings and stolen deposits. Even worse, many victims complain that the booking websites do little or nothing to help customers who were scammed. Checkbook found that many victims who contacted Vrbo and Booking.com didn’t get any help, even when the platform agreed they’d been scammed. “These websites, their terms and conditions, if you dig into them, and we did, they say basically that they're not actually a party to transactions that occur on their websites,” said Checkbook’s executive editor Kevin Brasler. “If you have a problem with a vacation rental, it's up to you to work it out with the host. And of course, if the host is a scammer, well, now you've got a big problem and likely won't get your money back.” Several victims told Checkbook they spent months trying to get refunds from Booking.com and Vrbo, even after the platforms canceled their reservations after detecting fraudulent activity. “The booking companies themselves realized it was fraud and canceled their stays, but didn't issue refunds,” Brasler said. “Sometimes they were promised refunds, but even after more than a year of fighting and asking for them, our victims still hadn't gotten their money back.” A Very Dissatisfied Customer Last year, Susan Chudd paid more than $7,000 to reserve a house in Kentucky for a family reunion. Months later, the host canceled her reservation but would not issue a refund. Chudd called Vrbo for help, and its customer service agent acknowledged that the site had kicked the host off its platform after numerous customers had complained about stolen deposits. “They seemed very empathetic,” Chudd told Checkbook, and seemed like they wanted to help. Vrbo told Chudd it would refund her money. Then she received an email saying she would need to request a refund from her credit card company, even though she’d booked directly through Vrbo. “They wouldn't even refund us directly the $780 Vrbo fee that we had paid to them,” she said. Thankfully, the credit card company reversed the transaction, so Chudd didn’t lose any money. But she did lose confidence in Vrbo. “We went through them because we trusted them, and they basically provided us no support,” Chudd said. “It almost made it just as bad because that disappointment, that frustration, was really, really palpable.” Companies Respond Checkbook contacted

When it comes to protecting customers against scams, Checkbook found that Airbnb’s policies are better than Vrbo’s or Booking.com’s. That’s because Airbnb doesn’t pay hosts until after guests have checked in, giving the guests time to alert Airbnb to problems and get refunds if things go wrong.

By Rachel Riley ( September 24, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT) -- A Massachusetts family has accused Expedia of negligently listing VRBO vacation rental properties without smoke detectors after an apartment they booked in the Dominican Republic caught fire, leading to the deaths of four family members, according to a Washington state court lawsuit. . . .

A Massachusetts woman who lost her 5-year-old son, her mother, and two other relatives in a fire at a Dominican Republic vacation rental is suing Vrbo and Expedia, alleging the companies knew the property did not have smoke detectors but still allowed it to be booked.Josmeli Rojas, of Lawrence, said she continues to struggle with the trauma of the June 13 fire."I've been trying to go back to my normal life. This is not easy. I can't. It's been hard for me," Rojas told WBZ-TV."Nightmares, having a lot of flashbacks, smelling the fire, ever so often. Having my child in the middle of the night crying," she added.The three-week vacation to Barahona, Dominican Republic, included 11 family members and a close friend and was centered around the christening of Rojas' youngest son.Four people ultimately died after the fire broke out their first night at the rental. Rojas' 69-year-old mother, Jhoselin Del Carmen Sosa Amaro; her 5-year-old son, Royce David Cedano Rojas; her 42-year-old cousin, Lucybeldriz Rodriguez Sosa; and her 74-year-old aunt, Pancracia Mercedes Sosa Amaro.The lawsuit says several survivors were hospitalized with burns and other injuries."We're never going to be the same. We're never," Rojas said.Albert Farah, one of the attorneys representing the family, said an official report determined the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction. Farrah says the rental had no smoke alarms or detectors of any kind and argues that conflicts with what the lawsuit describes as Vrbo's "Safety Essentials Requirements."Farrah said the companies failed to follow through on their own safety standards."They know smoke detectors save lives. They require smoke detectors in their host's accommodations, and they don't follow through," Farrah said.Farrah said research conducted by their legal team found that in some locations at least half of Vrbo accommodations did not have smoke detectors."There are instances where at least 50% and sometimes much more than 50% of the accommodations offered by VRBO don't have smoke detectors, and VRBO knows it. There's no excuse for this," Farrah said.The family is seeking damages for medical and psychological treatment, physical and emotional injuries, harm to parent-child relationships, attorneys' fees and other costs."And what is so troubling about this, and you can see the effects of this tragedy on one of my clients, it's multiplied four deaths, eight survivors," Farrah added.In a statement to WBZ, a Vrbo spokesperson said, "We have received plaintiffs' complaint. This is a tragic accident, and our thoughts are with the family."

Vrbo did not respond to multiple requests for comment. However, Vrbo’s terms of service specify that it is a platform for connecting guests with vacation rental hosts and that guests are responsible for ensuring all information provided is accurate.

The vacation home rental platform Vrbo does not have an eco-friendly search filter, citing the lack of industry consensus on what makes a rental more sustainable. Properties listed by its sibling agency Expedia may say they are “eco-certified” and users can search using that filter. But read the results carefully; some listings lack information on their sustainable features.

Growth in short-term rental supply has slowed in 17 of North America’s largest 30 cities in 2024, according to KeyData, a vacation rental analytics firm. In response, Booking Holdings, Expedia Group’s VRBO, and smaller operators are spending more on lobbying to head off local restrictions that limit supply.

Growth in short-term rental supply has slowed in 17 of North America's largest 30 cities in 2024, according to KeyData, a vacation rental analytics firm. In response, Booking Holdings, Expedia Group's VRBO, and smaller operators are spending more on lobbying to head off local restrictions that limit supply.

<table id="DataTables_Table_0"> <thead> <tr><th rowspan="1" colspan="1">Rank</th><th rowspan="1" colspan="1">Customer/Payor</th><th rowspan="1" colspan="1">Total</th><th rowspan="1" colspan="1">Number of Payments</th><th rowspan="1" colspan="1">First Payment</th><th rowspan="1" colspan="1">Last Payment</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>1</td> <td>Vivek 2024</td> <td>$44,775</td> <td>4</td> <td>2023-10-08</td> <td>2024-02-13</td> </tr><tr> <td>2</td> <td>Priorities USA Action</td> <td>$18,308</td> <td>4</td> <td>2023-12-29</td> <td>2023-12-29</td> </tr><tr> <td>3</td> <td>Nikema for Congress</td> <td>$15,695</td> <td>5</td> <td>2023-07-18</td> <td>2024-06-07</td> </tr><tr> <td>4</td> <td>Latinos for America First</td> <td>$11,440</td> <td>4</td> <td>2024-02-11</td> <td>2024-11-19</td> </tr><tr> <td>5</td> <td>Laurie Buckhout for Congress</td>

<table id="DataTables_Table_0"> <thead> <tr><th rowspan="1" colspan="1">Rank</th><th rowspan="1" colspan="1">Customer/Payor</th><th rowspan="1" colspan="1">Total</th><th rowspan="1" colspan="1">Number of Payments</th><th rowspan="1" colspan="1">First Payment</th><th rowspan="1" colspan="1">Last Payment</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>1</td> <td>Working Arizona PAC</td> <td>$159,904</td> <td>441</td> <td>2020-09-16</td> <td>2020-12-25</td> </tr><tr> <td>2</td> <td>Case Action Fund</td> <td>$51,626</td> <td>124</td> <td>2020-08-03</td> <td>2020-09-11</td> </tr><tr> <td>3</td> <td>Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 RNC</td> <td>$38,352</td> <td>7</td> <td>2020-06-16</td> <td>2020-11-30</td> </tr><tr> <td>4</td> <td>Montanans for Bullock</td> <td>$19,870</td> <td>3</td> <td>2020-10-15</td> <td>2020-10-22</td> </tr><tr> <td>5</td>