A Minnesota family visiting Galveston for spring break was taken aback by the condition of their vacation rental.
They described their VRBO as not only deplorable—but also unsafe.
Despite being promised a “book with confidence” guarantee, they say they have received no recourse from the company.
The Knopik family had planned to enjoy excursions, ghost hunting, and beach time. Instead, they found themselves forced to leave their rental and find a hotel in Westchase due to unsanitary conditions.
“We had to uproot,” Laurea Knopik said.
The Knopiks described disturbing scenes in the rental.
“Bedroom after bedroom, seeing what looked like blood and poop on the sheets and blankets. The couch was absolutely filthy,” Laura recounted.
Safety was also a concern, with broken fixtures throughout the rental.
“There was a broken shower door, broken flooring, and a window that we couldn’t even lock. Someone could have easily come into our space while we were sleeping,” she added.
The family says they attempted to work with VRBO for a resolution.
“They mentioned they would come right away to clean and bring a maintenance man. Hours went by, and nothing was happening,” Laura said.
Eventually, the Knopiks received more bedding, but the issues were still so severe that they left after just one night.
“This is our third hotel. It’s hard to find accommodations that fit five people, especially during spring break,” Laura noted.
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So far, VRBO has only offered apologies.
“You said they have this guarantee. What was it called?” Clarke asked.
“A book with confidence,” Brian Knopik member replied. “That means if the conditions are very different from what was presented, they would take care of you. They would either put you in a hotel, help you find accommodations at a different VRBO, or give you a refund.”
However, the family feels frustrated.
“But instead, it seems you’re out of $2,500 for this booking and have received none of your money back, and you haven’t been rebooked on their dime. No answers. How frustrating is this?” Clarke asked.
“It’s incredibly frustrating,” Laura responded.
The Knopiks have filed a complaint with the city of Galveston.
For those in similar situations, there is also a way to file a consumer complaint with the state of Texas and get information about your rights. You can learn more here.
After our deadline, VRBO followed up with this message:
Hi Deven,
Thank you again for letting us investigate this situation. Given Ms. Knopik’s experience, Vrbo will refund the traveler service fee, which is the only part of the payment processed by Vrbo. We are also requesting rebooking documents to see if we can provide further reimbursement.
Since Ms. Knopik’s booking was made through a vacation rental property management company, she will need to file a chargeback request with her bank to recover the rest of the refund.
We are addressing the issues with the host, and the property is currently unavailable for bookings while we do so. Our customer service team will be in contact Ms. Knopik directly to provide these updates.
