Be cautious who you rent your villa from!!

[jovi]

Hi, I joined this site last June, after returning from my trip to Florida, 23rd May - 7th June. I did write some sort of report then, but didn't know how to post photos!! Anyway, to cut a long story short, I booked my Holiday over the net, Unitours to be presise!! We were messed around so much, we were booked to go to Windsor Palms, then 3 weeks before were told villa had been wrecked and were being realocated to Linfields!! We didn't mind too much, we had been on Lindfields before, our flights were changed too, from Virgin, direct flight to Delta indirect flight!!:( We had no details on villa, we were told they don't get allocated until the day before! (how did they know our villa on Windsor palms was trashed, 3 weeks before we were due to fly?) anyway we got there late on the Sun night to this,

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We were furious!! All the questions we had asked regarding the villa were fobbed off or not replied to, we took photos, we had been to florida before with my inlaws (who had always paid) and decided we would treat them this time round, we were horrified at our luxury villa, which we were paying £400 a week for, my eldest son refused to sleep on bed so tryed going to sleep in his clothes standing up!! he had to sleep on top of bed. We got it sorted next day and were moved to a villa just up from this one, we had a great holiday in the end, we did notice work being carried out on the villa while we were there, I love this site and wish I had found it before our hol last year, in future I know where I will be booking my holiday, so word of warning, always try and get as much info from whoever you book your hol with before you book anything!! Hope I didn't go on too much, as I said I did vent my anger last June on this site but had no photos to show for it, so here they are.

[Linicia]

How dreadful. Just goes to show that not booking direct with the owner can mean a whole heap of trouble. Book with the owner and see what you gte beforehand.
Paying £400 a week through an agency means that he owners would get a very small portion of the rental which would hardly cover their taxes, cleaning fee, utility costs etc. Obviously nothing left over for maintenance and upgrades and spring clean. Buyers beware, book from an owner from this site and get something nice.

[DisneyDreamer]

That's horrendous, I am so glad you were moved. Even if you go for the cheapest available holiday option there is no excuse for it not to be clean!!!

I would have run a mile from the bugs!

[msnsad]

[lizmcg100]

That is disgusting to say the least![msnoo][msnoo]

And we questioned our MC when they had forgot to stock up on the loo-rolls for our last visit[msnwink]

Thank goodness thats all we had to worry about!

[Magical Dreams]

The cost of anyone's holiday should not determine how clean your accommodation is.

I hope that these photo's have been sent to the tour operator.

It looks like it was not even used for rentals.

The state of it, it had been like that for months.
I would never be able to show my face again if that was my villa!

To be honest, I would have not let my family stay there one night.
I would have found an hotel first then sorted it out the next day!

Glad it all turned out ok in the end.
[msnsmile2]

[Magical Dreams]

I am sure that if it was an owner from one of these sites, John and Roger would not hesitate to ban them until it was sorted out.



The management company should not be operating if this is their standard!

[Carla]

This is one of the big problems of renting a home from a tour operator. You just never know what you are going to end up with. You might be lucky but then again you might not. I'm so sorry that you had this experience Jovi.

Unfortunately, when holiday makers use tour operators for booking a villa and get the same experience they sometimes assume that most homes look disgusting, like that one did, and they tar us all with the same brush, or if they got lucky then they sometimes assume that those of us charging fair and equitable rates for our homes are ripping them off, when nothing could be further from the truth.

I don't know any villa owners, who love and care for their homes, who would ever take tour operator bookings. The GB£400 rental income that you paid is not enough money per week, for any size home, to keep it well up to scratch, do general maintenance and to allow for improvements and replacement/new items, without the owners having to dig deep into their own pockets all the time. As Linicia mentioned this owner probably only got around GB£250 of what you paid, as the rest would have gone towards tour operator commission and management company commission, therefore homes used by tour operators frequently go to seed rapidly because the owners can't afford any kind of upkeep. A brand new home in the hands of tour operator bookings will most likely look like the one you had within 6 months, if not less, particularly if the bookings are back to back.

If it were within my power to do so, I would ban tour operators from renting villas to their guests. Tour operators do nothing but harm to the Florida villa industry.

[steph_goodrum]

You forgot as well Carla that out of that £400 approx 13% (£52) would be due on Sales and tourist tax. Even an owner taking the booking direct and cutting out the tour agents commission would have a job to keep the villa up to any reasonable standard with what was left by the time utilities, cleaning and general overheads were taken out.

[luckylady]

That's disgusting
Can you imagine seeing the villa for the first time
At the start of your holiday.
If I thought my villa looked like that I would be catching
The next plane over there
Does these tour operators not check these villa out
How do they get away with this?
Barbara

[chris c]

Those pictures are appalling! Some of them made me feel quite queasy.
What a dreadful start to anyone's holiday.
Sadly though, your story is by no means unique. On our last visit over to Florida, I met a family at the airport and they had a very similar experience with the villa that they had rented, again through a tour company.
As has already been said, the best way is to book directly with the owner.

[Genie]

That home obviously didn't get like that overnight ! most of the owners like myself would have been over to check things out long before it ever got to that state and it certainly doesn't say much for the management company !

[becbecs]

The owner must obviousley either not visit there villa or not care. This is disgusting, The MC who looks after this must be very proud of themselves. Can this not be reported as turning up to this after a long flight at the start of your vacation must be very disheartening.

[chrizzy100]

It looks uncleaned from one year to the next.......my house is empty for 5/6 months......and the most we have are a few tiny dead bugs at the front door.....and in the bathroom........

[blott]

So sorry that you had this problem Jovi, what an awful start to your holiday! It makes us ashamed as owners to see a Florida home let to get into that sort of state and rented out, albeit for a cheaper rate than most that are cared for properly.

I can only echo what others have said about tour operator rentals - I know we've said it all before but at least now we have some pics to prove that what we've been saying is correct, just unfortunate that it had to be the one you rented. However, there are many more out there where owners get very little rental from tour operators and then don't have the resources to put things right.

Could I just say, in response to the bug question, that privately rented homes have regular bug treatments to keep homes bug free. I can only surmise, in order to cut their costs to their low income, these owners had dispensed with any regular bug control.

Sadly, I have seen one home in a worse state than the one you rented and that was one where the owners never visited, charged cheap rates and never replaced or repaired anything at all in what looked like about five years. If you'd have got that one, you really would have had a shock.

Let me reassure everyone that absolutely none of the homes on the OV sites look like that as no home owner would be able to 'look you in the eye' or rent you their home if it was in that condition! Now everyone can learn from what has happened to you and make a better choice for the next time they visit Florida.

[LiesaAnna]

these pictures are disgusting!!
am so glad that there are these sites and others that are verified and we as renters know that the owners take a pride in their villas and would never ever let them out to people in this state,
Thank Goodness you were moved!!
and Thank Goodness you have found this site!!! hip hip hooray for ov !!![msnwink]

[Magical Dreams]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by blott


Could I just say, in response to the bug question, that privately rented homes have regular bug treatments to keep homes bug free. I can only surmise, in order to cut their costs to their low income, these owners had dispensed with any regular bug control.


Let me reassure everyone that absolutely none of the homes on the OV sites look like that as no home owner would be able to 'look you in the eye' or rent you their home if it was in that condition! Now everyone can learn from what has happened to you and make a better choice for the next time they visit Florida.
[/quote]
We all take great pride in our Floridian Homes. So you should not get anything like that from owners on here.

[shenon]

So Sorry to hear of your experience, i am glad it hasn't put you off traveling there again and you will find some lovely homes on here which are cherished by their owners.
shame on the management company involved:(

[SunLover]

I can only echo what Blottie has said, and remind any other future travellers reading this who may be tempted by the bargain basement prices of "Upon Arrival Allocation" type holidays, that it really is nothing short of a lottery as to whether you will get a similar decrepit villa to the one Vicky rented in good faith. (And let's face it... how many times do you actually WIN the lottery ?)

Upon Arrival Allocated villas are a nightmare waiting to happen. Is it any wonder they don't show you photographs of where you will be staying when you book ?

In conclusion, all I can say is if you book through any of the OrlandoVillas sites, you will know exactly what you are getting. It might not be a bargain basement price, but it will always be a great price and a fair price for the facilities and high standard of accommodation that is offered.

[Cruella DeVilla]

That is shocking, sorry you had to start off your trip like that!

All the villa owners who advertise with this site have quality products and the villas are well maintained and I can say you certainly would not end up with something like that awful villa.

For some guests who see cheap rates and then think the rates are a little higher on here. These pictures paint a thousand words.

[Magical Dreams]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by SunLover
I can only echo what Blottie has said, and remind any other future travellers reading this who may be tempted by the bargain basement prices of "Upon Arrival Allocation" type holidays, that it really is nothing short of a lottery as to whether you will get a similar decrepit villa to the one Vicky rented in good faith. (And let's face it... how many times do you actually WIN the lottery ?)

Upon Arrival Allocated villas are a nightmare waiting to happen. Is it any wonder they don't show you photographs of where you will be staying when you book ?

In conclusion, all I can say is if you book through any of the OrlandoVillas sites, you will know exactly what you are getting. It might not be a bargain basement price, but it will always be a great price and a fair price for the facilities and high standard of accommodation that is offered.
[/quote]

WE SECOND THAT

[clap][clap][clap][clap][clap][clap][clap][clap][clap][clap][clap]

[Cruella DeVilla]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Magical Dreams
The cost of anyone's holiday should not determine how clean your accommodation is.

[msnsmile2]
[/quote]

I think these pictures unfortunately prove that it does, as we all know it costs a lot of money to have the villa cleaned after each guest and if the owners are charging low, unrealistic rates they have no cash to keep their villa maintained or clean and it becomes lke this one.[gun]

[E. Cosgrove]

Does anyone remeber the thread from Maitland last year. That was in the same vein as this and it was an OV owner (agod)who came to the rescue with an extremely generous offer.
Just shows how these things happen when rates are too good to be believed [msnsad]

[marg3574]

I was shocked to say the least to see the terrible state of the villa that you were allocated. You must have been absolutely devastated after a long flight to be faced with such a dirty and unloved villa.

As all the villa owners on OV know it takes more than £400 per week to keep a villa in tip top condition. Rent from a private villa owner and get to know the person who you are renting from and see for yourself where you are going before you get there.

[TonyBlenk]

Yuk!
I can't believe that an owner can allow their Villa to get in to this state.
I get upset if I find a weed in my garden!

So sorry you had to face this disgusting mess. I'd be very surprised if the Tour Operator had not received many complaints previously.

I'm glad your holiday finally improved!

[Jo]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. Your heart must have sunk as you walked through the door.[msnsad]

Private like us owners want to you love their villa as much as they do. We are dependent on excellent standards and service to our guests to get repeat bookings.

Tour operators seem to be able to get a steady stream of customers (perhaps they don't knwo they can book direct with the owners), but I bet not many return , and if your experience is anything to go by , people won't recommend them to others very often either.

As regards price, on paper we may be slightly more, but a private owned villa often includes many extras for free, for example free international calls, playstation, DVDs and I know from other threads pool heating via a tour company can be very expensive.

So if you compared the two , not only would a private home be of a better standard it would be better value too.[msnwink]

Hope you get to return to Florida soon and you can have the fun of picking a villa that is just right for you.

[bellaepovera]

Who even knows if the owner knows what state his home is in!! With that kind of price weekly how much is the owner getting?? I am happy to hear they moved you right away and the rest of your stay was enjoyable.

[Magical Dreams]

it vary worring been so far away

[jovi]

This has not put us off going to Florida in any way[msnwink] We have been several times and every time the villa was booked through a travel agent, by my mother in law, she always made sure she had details of villa way before we went, we have always stopped in 6/7 bed villas being as there were so many of us 9 the first time and 12 the second, me and my husband decided to treat the inlaws this time so just needed a 3 bed villa, when no details were coming of the villa we were a bit worried and asked over and over again about the villa, either got no reply or were told everything was fine and all of their villas allocated were to a luxury standard!! Yeah right! Anyway all the villas we have stopped in previously have been beautiful, think we had been spoiled really, so to arrive at this villa and see the state of the outside, well what can I say, my heart dropped, this was our treat and it was going horribly wrong, then to open the door to the sight of dead cockroaches well eurghhhh!! the one pic shows cirgarette ends and what looks like ants!! This was the side of the fridge!! We were moved the next day, and had a great holiday I am glad to say, not sure who mc was, I know their premises were to the side of La Quinta on the 192, not sure if I can put that[:I] so all was well in the end, and as I said work was carried out on the villa while we were there (we were only a few doors away), and about time to I must say, thanks for all your replys, and when we do eventually go to Florida again, this site will be my first stop:D.

[eagleydo]

We have always found every villa that we have stayed in to be even better than the photos. Better to deal with the owners from the beginning I think, still get a good deal on prices but no nasty shocks.

[ellie]

How shocking to hear of your experience, but we are very glad to hear that it all turned out OK in the end, and did not spoil your holiday.

We arrived at our villa last night, and thankfully it is in beautiful condition as always. We visit our home at leat 4 times a year, the last time at Christmas/New Year, to ensure that everything is up to a very high standard for us, as well as our guests. We expect no less for our guests than we do for ourselves.

This villa had obviously not been visited in a long time by its owner, who appears to be happy to pick up any rentals as long as he has some cash flow coming in. I cannot understand how any owner could live with themselves renting out a home in this state.

But as so many have said, looking after a villa is an expensive business IF you want to maintain it to a high standard, and we could not, and would not rent ours out for £400 a week as we simply could not maintain it at this sort of price. We, and so many other villa owners on OV and the sister sites, pride themselves on the standards they keep, and one of the great things about sharing one's home is the lovely comments from our guests, as well as being able to welcome them back again.

Tour Operators do the Florida Villa Industry no favours by trying to squeeze the prices down to such levels, as, having saved for a holiday of a lifetime, it is the poor guests who suffer the consequences - and try getting compensation from a Tour Operator! Of course they do not want to give you any information about the villa you will stay in as if they did, nobody would book with them.

When you consider the cost of flights, attraction tickets etc. the cost of a villa is, per person, ridiculously cheap, even at prices higher than £400. When planning a holiday in Florida, do remember that your accommodation is a critical part of the enjoyment of your vacation. After all, you only have to be on a 'plane for a matter of hours, and yet may pay a week's villa rental for being squeezed into a tiny seat, being served up apalling food. You have to stay in your villa for a fortnight, so on a daily basis it is exceptional value. The extra cost of renting a good quality villa will be more than compensated for by the standard of the accommodation, and the enjoyment derived.

Its good to know that your experience has not put you off another trip to Florida, and I wish you a much better time in the future.

[CarolAnn]

I am speechless at the state of that villa! We had not been to our villa in a year, and after 22 weeks of rental when we were there last week I am pleased to say it looked like new!! It was immaculate, no more than either I or any of our guests should expect! We heard a similar story from a holiday maker we met in Blizzard Beach last week, I am sorry to say that was A Lindfields villa too, but again that was through a tour operator, not going direct through an owner. Please don't let that experience put you off villas, going through 1 of the sites connected to this forum I know would produce far superior and pleasing results.

[Thorogoods]

That villa is disgusting, I'm very sorry for anyone being greeted with that, no matter what you paid for the villa.[msnmad]

Just came accross this and think its worth posting as a reminder, I will only book my villas from this site[msnwink]

[steph_goodrum]

"Just came accross this and think its worth posting as a reminder, I will only book my villas from this site"

To be fair though Julie, those of us that advertise on here also often have private websites and advertise those and our homes are just as good when booked direct, in case anybody thinks they should never book direct with an owner. It's more often when a "middleman" such as an agency is involved as they often haven't even been to Florida and have no individual knowledge of any of the homes they advertise.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by steph_goodrum
"Just came accross this and think its worth posting as a reminder, I will only book my villas from this site"

To be fair though Julie, those of us that advertise on here also often have private websites and advertise those and our homes are just as good when booked direct, in case anybody thinks they should never book direct with an owner. It's more often when a "middleman" such as an agency is involved as they often haven't even been to Florida and have no individual knowledge of any of the homes they advertise.
[/quote]

Steph, I should have explained in more detail as this is exactly what I meant[msnwink]

[kitty]

What awful pictures,makes you feel sick looking at them let alone turning up and seeing it,we atayed at a villa on this site this year and it was immaculate and a joy to stay in,at least you got moved to another villa but it must have taken 2 days out of your eagerly awaited for holiday.It makes you wonder how the management let it go like that(if they have one)

[nicseg]

Makes you wonder what the state of the "trashed" villa was like[confused]

[Macka]

We've had to complain twice about cleanliness in Villas, both times were a long time ago when we booked through companies who would not give a villa address in advance. Even when we have booked with other agents, if they were able to tell you were your villa would be, we didn't have a problem and I think this is critical. Now, of course I wouldn't book through anywhere else but here.
I think that eventually, agents won't be able to offer villa's. People will catch onto the fact that the service isn't as good, you don't know what you are going to get and the prices are astronomical compared to putting it all together yourself. (not to mention more fun).

LOng Live booking direct [clap]

[TracyAndDean]

I can't believe any villa owner would let their property get into such a state, it's discusting! We own our villa now but previously we've rented via this site and I'm glad to say the villas were excellent. A friend of our works as a travel agent and warned us about poor properties, I see what she means now!

[Susan J]

The thing is -tour operators do not own anything, they just book things on commission.
I get 'phone calls from tour ops asking if my villa is available almost immediately. I always say no, as I like to know who is staying there, but also on principle. You see, people book their hols years in advance with these operators, they pocket the money, then go bargain hunting a few days before you go out. The cheaper they can get the flight/villa, the more money they make. So what kind of villa are you going to get? And also the cheapest flight, which is usually indirect. Booking direct is the only way to be in control.

[jovi]

Just so you know, we have booked to go again next July[msnsmile2] All done by me and through this site, villa and flights booked so far and nearer the time a car or two from the link above[msnsmile2]
Can't wait[msnwink]

[ellie]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by TracyAndDean
I can't believe any villa owner would let their property get into such a state, it's discusting! We own our villa now but previously we've rented via this site and I'm glad to say the villas were excellent. A friend of our works as a travel agent and warned us about poor properties, I see what she means now!
[/quote]

Tracey, if this villa owner is renting it out via a tour operator then it is NOT surprising it was in such a state. When all the costs have been paid, taxes, clean etc they will have been subsidising the holiday. Tour operators pay peanuts to their owners, who then cannot afford to maintain them in a reasonable, let alone excellent, condition. There will certainly not be anything left over for regular maintenance, replacement of towels and bedding, or upgrading.(I'd love to see the state of the towels etc in this villa!)

We so often see enquiries from people seeking bargains, reduced rates, low prices, and some even tell us how much they will pay. But those of us with decent villas, who spend much time and money on our homes, simply delete these sort of requests.

As has been said many times before, you get what you pay for, and what might seem like a wonderful bargain could well turn out to be an expensive disaster, as shown in those photos.

Orlando villas are fantastic value as it is, but to expect luxury and high standards for 8 people or more for under £500 a week is a huge gamble. That is probably less than the cost of one flight! Of course you could be lucky, but you also run the risk of having to stay in a flea pit.

And is it worth risking your much anticipated holiday to save a few pounds a day?

Booking from an owner on these sites means you have direct contact, and can ask for as much information as you wish. We are always happy to answer any questions, send more photos, etc. and you can then go on holiday with peace of mind, and that is priceless.

[mfairhurst]

All the villa on these 3 sites have to be virifyed that they are privatly owned not owners put with a tour opperated company and there is more control as the owner expects a lot from their management company to keep it in clean and left in good condition by the last renter so you get no bad shocks when you arrive .
You know what the saying is you get what you pay for .
MAUREEN
www.onlinefloridavillas.com/villas/1683.aspx

[E. Cosgrove]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by jovi
Just so you know, we have booked to go again next July[msnsmile2] All done by me and through this site, villa and flights booked so far and nearer the time a car or two from the link above[msnsmile2]
Can't wait[msnwink]
[/quote]
Vicky, you can reserve your car now for just £25 with the balance payable just 8 weeks before you go.
It might be worth thinking about it just to avoid any possible price increases[msnwink]

[MTP]

Also if you book the car and need to make alterations then those can usually be accommodated, the customer service is excellent. [clap][clap]

[ellie]

I can thoroughly recommend the car hire from here - the service is second to none. So you won't do better, Vicky! Bet you are pleased with yourself for sorting it all out, and if you do the car hire from here you need only pay £25 deposit to guarantee the price. Fantastic value.[clap][msncool]

[jovi]

We are holding back on the car as we haven't decided what we're going to have yet. Too much choice[msnwink]

Brother thinks he is going to have just the basic 4 door, we on the other hand, well, I love the Chrysler Voyager[msnsmile2] And hubby wants Chrysler 300c[msnscared] We have time yet but I am sure we will go for the 300c as on all the other occasions we have been to Florida, I had my way and we had the Voyager[msnwink] I think next year we will try something different, will let you all know as soon as we know[msnsmile]

Vicky, we have 2 Voyagers in the UK and hubby wants to get a 300c, I love mine and would not want to drive anything else, its great when we get to Florida as they are just like mine at home (well not quite) but the contols are all the same[msnwink]

Happy choosing[msnwink]

[Tessa Childs]

Oh yuk. Glad you were then transferred to a nice villa and haven't been put off villa holidays