Vacation Rentals by Owner

SECURITY DEPOSIT NOT GIVEN BACK - THREE MONTHS LATER - THINK TWICE!!

Guest: Travel Bugs Four (Port Elgin, Ontario Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/17/12 Review Submitted: 05/12/12

Like several other people who have posted here, we had a good time at the cottage and would like to be able to reccomend it to others... HOWEVER, we stayed in February and have still not received our deposit back. I have emailed the owner several times and have spoken to him on the phone and he assured us that this would be taken care of... it has not been. So, unless you can afford to lose your deposit (and we certainly can't), don't book here. I will be contacting VRBO as well as the BBB in Kelowna where the owner has a business and another rental property to advise them of his practice. It is unfortunate that the situation has come down to me writing this review but after renting properties worldwide for many years, this is the first time we have been stuck this way. I am still hopeful that we will be reimbursed... a simple phone call or email on Kimble Mooney's behalf would help to straighten this out.

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Alert

Guest: winter (Conestogo ON)
Date of Stay: 02/06/12 Review Submitted: 05/14/12

Place had ants in the bathroom and in the kitchen and this was in February. There was no internet so security people came because the alarm system was not working. We rented in 2011 and the place has deteriorated considerably. Ready to be demolished. Much trouble getting our damage deposit back. Eventually after many calls and emails our deposit was returned 6 weeks late.

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Watch out

Guest: Cshore (Hamilton)
Date of Stay: 01/02/12 Review Submitted: 04/01/12

Although we enjoyed our stay in January, here it is April and we have still have not received our $300 deposit. Kimble was accommodating during our stay however has not responded to my requests. Hopefully I will hear from him after this posting.

Recommended for:Sightseeing

A Joke

Guest: Amanda (Maple)
Date of Stay: 09/09/11 Review Submitted: 11/22/11

I stayed in this cottage back in September and I have yet to receive the deposit back. I have emailed, called their house and cells, and I'm not getting anything returned. They have a rule that that give you your deposit back after 45 days... I haven't received mine.. and it's been 70 DAYS so far. I wouldn't recommend anyone rent this cottage. The pictures are very deceiving as well .The cottage is quite old and has a odd smell to it. There is no water access that is in walking distance. They say waterside because the neighbours are next to the water, but that water isn't even swimmable.. more like a marsh. These people have taken advantage of me, don't let them take advantage of you.

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Winter weekend getaway with the ski pals!

Guest: Ski weekenders (Toronto, Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/21/11 Review Submitted: 03/15/11

a great weekend despite the cold weather! House was warm and cozy by the fire, plenty of room for everyone! Very conveniently located and a beautiful view of the lake.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

Winter weekend getaway with the ski pals!

Guest: Ski weekenders (Toronto, Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/21/11 Review Submitted: 03/15/11

a great weekend was had by all despite the very cold weather! A very cozy roomy house with a very convenient location.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

Great weekend!

Guest: Earl from Iowa (Toronto)
Date of Stay: 01/13/11 Review Submitted: 01/18/11

9 of us (adults) stayed at this beautiful cottage for a weekend. The place was very clean and spacious.I find the pictures to be a good reflection of what the place really looks like.We went skiing to Blue Mountain which was approx a 10 minute drive (or less). There are a total of 5 bedrooms and 3 baths. One bedroom has bunk beds in it and one bedroom was a lot cooler then the others, but overall I would definitely recommend this. We will be going back for sure!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Lovely House

Guest: Heather (Napanee, ON Canada)
Date of Stay: 09/22/10 Review Submitted: 01/10/11

There were 5 adults and we had plenty of room. The house was large, clean and the property was very well maintained. Close to downtown and the water. The walking trails are right across the road, so the location is great. Everything you needed was there ready for you to walk in and start your vacation. All in all it was a very nice place to stay.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Carpet Chalet

Guest: ba (Revelstoke)
Date of Stay: 08/09/10 Review Submitted: 11/25/10

My mom booked this house for our family to stay there for my brothers wedding in Collingwood. The house is well as we called its the carpet chalet, there is gross carpet though out the house including in the bathrooms and when i say gross i mean you don't want to take your shoes off in the house, the carpet is stained and well who wants carpet in a bathroom. There was one half bathroom without carpet which is got 70's style lineo. The house walls have cracks and you do not want to move your bed since I wanted to plug in a lamp in my room and there were cob webs all over under the bed. When they say waterside I am not sure what they are talking about since you have to walk down the road then though a trail which leads to more of a marsh then waterside!! I have nothing really good to say about this place, my parents are still waiting for their damage deposit back 4 months later and they had said they would deposit it at the end of the month which was in september and we have still have not got it back yet. My mother has writen e-mails but they have not been returned. We are now contacting our lawyer to deal with this! If you are looking for a nice vacation home this place is not for you!!

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Collingwood Property Review

Guest: Happy Canadians (Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 07/11/10 Review Submitted: 07/18/10

The property inside met our requirements, it was clean and the bathrooms were all functional. However, the one window A/C unit could not handle the Hot / Humid weather. The property outside severely lacked T.L.C. The barbeque on the deck did not deliver sufficient heat to cook a hot dog. The water was not accessable unless you want to walk through swamp land. The location was good for Collingwood. Alas, the week we were there they were working on the Collingwood to Meaford road highway which caused access problems to the property.

Recommended for:Families with young children

Spacious, clean and tidy!!!

Guest: sinntaler (Sinntal(Germany))
Date of Stay: 05/16/10 Review Submitted: 06/07/10

We arrived Collingwood with a rental car after landing in Toronto Airport and find a spacious, clean and tidy house. All necessary technical equipment are aviable. Furthermore bedclothes, towels etc. Some things in the house should be renovate but altogether it's a fine place for vacation. It's very close to Lake Huron and also only few minutes to the town center and several shopping facilities. I would always recommend this retreat!! Uli & family

Owner response:Thnks for your kind comments - we try harder!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, pet owners.

Guest: Shirley Thomas
Date of Stay: 03/02/10 Review Submitted: 03/01/10

Thank you so much and we really did have a great time at your place. It worked out just great for our family and the kids really enjoyed themselves. Shirley

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Cottage getaway close to town

Guest: Komakazie Joe (Milton, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 02/04/10 Review Submitted: 02/10/10

We enjoyed your cottage. It was a short drive to town and Blue Mountain and had ample room for all of us. We had good snow conditions and a good ski weekend. I didn’t see the master suite until I had settled in on the main floor but my friend enjoyed being ‘king’ for the weekend. Thanks again...

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway.

Guest: Becky Windhager (toronto)
Date of Stay: 01/13/10 Review Submitted: 01/13/10

My family and i had a wonderful time at the chalet...it was perfect for our needs..lots of space, plenty of sleeping areas, wonderful location and large private yard. Definitely interested in staying here again. Great!

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Comments from Becky Windhager - tennant

Guest: Becky Windhager
Date of Stay: 12/25/09 Review Submitted: 01/01/10

Hi Kimble, Just wanted you to know that we had a really nice time at the chalet..its a great spot..i love the privacy and big yard. I let the dogs run down by the water...hope that was ok. Some of my family members had to leave early, because of illness, weather etc....so I'm here on my own...actually enjoying the peace and quiet!

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Comments from a recent tennat

Guest: Audrey Escalon
Date of Stay: 12/05/09 Review Submitted: 01/01/10

Good evening, We would like to thank you a lot for the 3 nights we spent in your cottage. The location and the house were just fantastic. We really enjoyed it. Thanks for everything Audrey

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Guest: Phil Dias (-)
Date of Stay: 09/14/09 Review Submitted: 09/14/09

We had a wonderful stay. The house is very well maintained and equipped and close to lots of things to do in the area. I would highly recommend it for anyone wanting to be close to lots of outdoor activities but with a home base with room for a large family/group to be together whether it is for barbequeing on the patio, eating in the dining area or just hanging out in the family room.

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Woah!!!

Guest: Davve (Toronto)
Date of Stay: 06/25/09 Review Submitted: 07/03/09

I can't describe how much fun me and my friends had at this cottage. It is a great place to rent. There is nothing bad about it. Chillin areas, kitchen, grill, beds, and TV were all great. I would recomend this cottage to any purpose and any party that would like to have fun or spend sometime together. The description of the cottage is well written, the location is amazing and quite impressive. The property was very clean and very well maintained. The owner provided me the best customer service and there were no problems regarding anything. It was such a great, awesome, amazing cottage. I would like to thank everyone that made this happen specially the owner.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Family Getaway

Guest: Mel2010 (Mississauga, ON Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/09/09 Review Submitted: 02/03/09

The cottage was very spacious, yet cozy and warm. There were plenty of beds and bathrooms, all clean and well maintained. It was conveniently located to restaurants, and winter activities. I would love to return in the summer to take advantage of the beach which is just a quick walk away.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/01/09 Review Submitted: 01/04/09

A large, private and comfortable home. Lovely views of the water. We thoroughly enjoyed our brief stay at the chalet and will certainly keep it in mind for future holidays up in the Collingwood area.

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Nice place

Guest: matlewy (Toronto)
Date of Stay: 12/24/08 Review Submitted: 01/26/09

A nice, clean place with plenty room - both personal space and shared space. Very quiet with nice views but very conveniently located close to the centre of town and the ski hills.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/01/08 Review Submitted: 10/25/08

What a BEAUTIFUL house, if you can even call it a house, it's enormous! We had a fabulous time and found everything we needed in this rental. VERY convenient location, beautiful property and plenty of space, while still feeling cozy. We hope to rent this place again!

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Not As Expected

Guest: Niloc (Surrey, UK)
Date of Stay: 08/23/08 Review Submitted: 09/09/08

On arrival there were no keys to the property (which were supposed to have been left in a key safe), the door was unlocked and open. We could not have gone out and secured it and be sure that our belongings were safe. The carpets were stained and needed sweeping. The balcony off the main en suite bedroom had a notice that it wasn't to be used as it was unsafe, so the views as described could not be enjoyed . The kitchen appliances were old and dated and the kitchen smelled of cooking. The freezer and microwave were dirty and hadn't been cleaned. The refrigerator had an unsightly repair made on the inside. The oven top was greasy. The kitchen sink was old, discoloured and needed replacing. The wash basin in the master bedroom was unclean and the toilet had unsightly limescale stains in it. The furniture was old and sad looking (not as nice as described) The outside of the house was in desperate need of painting. The decking at the back door was rotting in places. The property was dilapidated looking and not welcoming. I was so disappointed and disgusted with the state of the place that I refused to stay there even one night and stayed in a motel for the night and found alternative accomodation the next day. On returning to the property the following day I found the keys had been put in the in the key safe but with a notice saying they were not to be used as they did not work! So the property was still insecure and open. When I tried to contact the manager I had to leave a message on his answerphone which he did not respond to. Whilst I was in the Collingwood area for two weeks the owner did not contact me other than in an initial response to an email I sent him, despite several attempts by me to contact him - he never answered my calls citing that he was away on holiday. He gave me the number of his wife who was supposed to be in the area but she wasn't and she would not meet me at the property to discuss the matter. I have photographs to prove my complaints. The property was not clean and not maintained as I had expected from the advert. In the latest email from the owner he states "This is at the low end of accomodation in the Collingwood area. It is fairly priced. We have rented it to many others this year with satisfaction." It certainly is at the low end! I feel so strongly that I am advising the Canadian Better Business Bureau of this situation in an effort to recover my costs and do not recommend this rental to anyone.

Owner response:This fellow did not stay overnight in the house. If he had he would have enjoyed his stay. The Fridge and Stove were replaced the second day of his intended stay as they had been scheduled for delivery. There was a new electronic lock installed on the door as well. The previous tennant had jamed the deadbolt and the manager replaced it within 24 hours. He would not know this because he did not stay there. The property is in excellent very clean and proper condition. We have installed new beds and linens, new living room furniture, new carpet as well as new pots, kithcen utensils and BarB Q all in August and September this year. The managment company manages over 100 vacation properties in the Collingwood area and have allways provided excellent cleaning services. l All of the pictures on the web site are current this summer so please be sure it is exactly as represented. We have scheduled to paint the porches but the constant rain in August and September have prevented it - this has been the wettest summer in 35 years in Ontario. The porch painting will be completed as soon as it is dry for 3 or 4 days in a row and the property vacant. This is not the most expensive accomodation in Collingwood. We charge a fraction of the hotel rates in the area per bedroom. This is a great family cottage that has been enjoyed by over 20 different guests during the last 2 years without any one else complaining or issuing nasty reviews.

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