I was so excited about bringing my family to Boston (my hometown) for my niece's wedding. It amounted to a family reunion--family members from all over the US and Canada. We had talked about it for a year.

The place looked good online and the owner was initially very friendly and enthusiastic. They preferred an "outside-the-VRBO platform" transaction. The documentation was slow to arrive. But that was okay, given the friendliness shown.

When I tried to speak with the owner about shortening our trip from 5 days to 3 days so we could spend a couple of days on Cape Cod, I heard nothing for weeks. Then, I was told "we can work something out."

Days before our arrival, I was told that there were people who would be staying in the home when we were scheduled to be there, but we could be moved to another place--in Quincy. When we balked, they apparently made the current inhabitants relocate. Apparently. (We have our suspicions. )

The place itself was a dusty. (If the cleaning service worked on it for 3 hours before our arrival as we were told, they ought to find a new service.) I gashed my lower leg twice on a bed frame that extended inches beyond the mattress but was hidden by a bedspread. Still have the marks!

We gave notice, left after 3 days, and have been trying to recover some of our money for over a month now. We offered to "split the difference" by paying for one of the 2 days we were not there. Seemed reasonable. The primary contact seemed willing, but her business partner was not. Note: We assume the prior tenants moved back in, presumably paying the rental fee, and making the owners "whole."

Once I complained about the conditions of the property, we were then accused of breaking a ceiling fan (which btw never worked) and also a door knob (if it was to the upstairs bathroom, it didn't close so we had to use the latch.)

The 3 disappointing days we spent in this place? It cost us far more than we spent.

Sure, we could have done a better job on our end of managing the process. That's why we tried to meet them halfway. They may not have violated a contract but certainly did not uphold the spirit of the VRBO/HomeAway platform