This was my first booking through VRBO. This home really was a great fit for location, amenities, style and price. We booked 6 months ahead and were contacted within an hour by the host. During the 6 months, we had several communications with the host who was always very responsive to requests.
We were 16 family members, some local, some driving 9 hours, some driving 12 hours, and some flying in, all on the 23rd of Dec. for a long Christmas week. Check-in time is listed as 3pm, which feels a bit late in the day, and the locals received permission from the host to enter the property early to begin stocking food, etc. Host indicated that I would be sent codes on the morning of our check-in day to access the home.
We didn't receive the codes as promised. We were driving in from Denver and all day long, kept attempting to contact the host, with no success. The locals couldn't get in with the food. We arrived right at check-in time of 3pm, and had no access.
Since the host was not responding to our repeated calls, I called VRBO support. I was asked for all the details, (they attempted to contact the host),was given a case number and then told that I was being transferred to someone "who had the necessary skills" to deal with my situation. The next agent, asked for all the details again, attempted to contact the host, was given another different case number and was then told that I was being transferred to someone "who had the necessary skills" to deal with my situation. The third agent asked for all the details, attempted to contact the host, and then told me that VRBO was going to put me up in a hotel as an emergency solution.
Well, by this time, my wife and I had been sitting in the driveway of the home for an hour past check-in, with absolutely no forward progress, and the "skills" that were brought to my aid were those to book a hotel for 16 members of my family, which I laughed at as ludicrous on the holiday weekend of the year.
I asked for the host's address and said I would be happy to go there and remind the host that I had paid for this privilege 6 months prior. I was told that VRBO doesn't have that information. I suggested that by this time, I was very close to calling emergency services and showing them my documentation and asking them to break into the home for me.
It's now 4:30 (and my blood pressure is about the same) VRBO magically managed to contact "a colleague" of the host and got me some codes. Unforgiveable.