Help! High and Dry

[MaryB]

It's our first time in Florida - family treat for gran, grandad, 2 daughters and son-in-laws and 2 grandchildren aged 3 and 9 months. Booked villa first as recommended back in Feb to spend Christmas and New Year in Orlando. Contacted the villa owner today to pay the balance to find that she has sold the villa and it is no longer available. She has kindly (?) offered to refund our deposit but am fearful of finding availabilty of another villa at this late stage. I am frantically contacting all the villa owners advertising on this site but am having no luck so far. Any suggestions please.

Mary

[christhear]

Mary

you need to send out a general enquiry, to the three sites above. I dont think you have done this as I have not seen one.

The owner is duty bound to return your deposit as they are unable to provide the serivce you payed for.

I know that there are still owners, including myself, with availabilty for christmas so don't be too dishartened. You may even find a better villa.

[MaryB]

Thanks for your reply. Sorry not quite sure how to send out a general enquiry. Would welcome any advice.

Mary

[floridadreamvilla.co.uk]

Here's the links to make a General Enquiry on each of our three sites. Each site goes to different owners so to cast your net as wide as possible use all three links. Make sure you put any specific requirements into the comments box.

http://www.orlandovillas.com/Contact.aspx
http://www.villasflorida.com/Contact.aspx
http://www.onlinefloridavillas.com/Contact.aspx

[steph_goodrum]

I'm sure you will have no trouble finding something suitable Mary. It's also working in reverse for many of us owners as well who have had their booked Guests cancelled because of various reasons, some of whom had booked last year. Look at it this way you get to have the fun of choosing all over again.

I'm sure when you get to where you are staying the angst will soon be forgotten. We're going over for Thanksgiving this year so I can get to see the Christmas lights etc before we come home in early Dec.

[mfairhurst]

Good luck geting a villa and hope you enjoy ypur vacation .
MAUREEN
www.onlinefloridavillas.com/villas/1683.aspx

[sundowner]

Hi Mary, your general enquiry worked. Although we are booked for some of your dates so could not help I am sure you will find a beautiful villa for your holiday from this site and please don't worry. As mentioned earlier, there are a number of owners getting cancellations for various reasons from people who may have booked more than a year in advance.

You now get to pick another villa and will be able to speak to the owner right up to the minute you step in the door.

It may seem a stressful time right now, but rest assured things will get better very soon.

[luckylady]

Sorry to hear you have been let down by a homeowner Mary. I hope you don't think all homeowners are the same? I am sure someone will have availability for you and your family over the Christmas /New Year. [xmas1]

Good luck finding a beautiful home and I hope you have a fantastic time in Florida [msnsmile2]

[MaryB]

Thanks for all your help and advice. I feel so much better now and thanks to all the villa owners who have contacted me with availability over the required period. You may be right and I might find an even better villa than the one I originally booked but I'm still a little shocked that had I not contacted the owner now I would not have known til the last minute that the villa was no longer available. I did book through this site but I know its a chance you take and there are no guarantees but it has been a sobering experience. Thanks again.

Mary

[gpullan]

We booked our villa through this site back in March. The villa owners then emailed to say they had put it on the market but things could take forever.

Not in this case, i received an email about 4 weeks ago to say the villa had now sold and the new owners now had my booking and deposit.

I have opened lines of communication with the new owner and all seems fine. The only very very slight concern i have is that the villa is no longer on here hence not verified. I am trusting the owner not to change too much before we get there in February.

All in all an owner selling their villa has not affected our plans.

Best of luck.