Anybody Rent a Vacation Property Through VRBO?

We used a credit card just in case. If you have a VISA or MC, do not use debit(there is less protection).

Another vote of yes for VRBO. We have used them for properties in Vail, Breckenridge, Destin, Myrtle Beach and a local lake. Never, ever have we had a problem. We pay by check, but we don't send the check until we receive the contract from the owners. (That has never been a problem either.)

Good luck and happy travels!

credit card, several times, and we LOVE VRBO. We've never had a problem, but if you use a cc, you can always try to get the money back that way.

We've always had great owners/agents, and I trust VRBO. They seem to vet their listing agents pretty well. Enjoy!

We used it to rent a place for a family reunion in Door County, WI -- it worked out great.

I've used VBRO for two vacation properties (one in Hawaii and one in the Outer Banks). Both worked out wonderfully. I generally use credit cards because if there is fraud or a problem, I have found that credit cards offer more protection (not that I was ever defrauded by anyone on VBRO), but in general, when there is a dispute, credit card companies can be very helpful. Check your credit card contract, they often have procedures for dispute resolution. I have found companies like American Express to be very helpful in resolving problems with vendors.

We've rented via VRBO twice and both times we paid by check. We never had any problems.

Another happy vote for VRBO. We've rented beach houses at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware twice from VRBO listings, and were very pleased with both experiences. One we paid by check and the other was by credit card. We had great contact with the property owners, who are very willing to work with you if something comes up.

We have done it twice. Paid with credit cards both times. Our theory was if we had a problem we could work with the credit card company to help dispute any issues that came up. There were never any issues. It was a good experience for us and we'd do it again.

We used PayPal which was great because I didn't have to worry about it. I don't know about refunds that way though.... The owner had to send me a bill via PayPal because I don't know if there's a way to pay without a bill.

We just did a rental thru VRBO in October. Ours was a big lake cabin in Wisc.

One of us sent the owner a check for 1/2 and then the rest of us gave him cash on arrival. But I think it varies greatly from one rental to another.

My hubby and I rented an apartment in Orvieto a small hilltop town in Umbria, Italy and had the best experience! Our deposit was made via a bank check and then we paid in cash at the end. Don't know how it is handled domestically......

VRBO is great and we paid by check. I think it is probably easier to get a refund if necessary dealing with VRBO than if you were dealing directly with the homeowner, since they are a "real" business that does these things all the time.

We almost always use VRBO for vacations. It's a fantastic service! I've done both -credit card and check. Using a credit card is going to help you in the refund area if needed moreso than a check will. I've used checks when the people I was renting from are more local and I had a legitimate address and phone number (meaning I had used the number and already mailed stuff to the address -not a PO box). VRBO is very vigilant about the properties and people they allow to use their system, so if they're on there, they haven't had complaints or problems before with money situations. Have fun!

My family rented a house on Flathead Lake this past July through VRBO. I found the homeowners we dealt with to be very professional and easy to work with. I paid for everything with checks, and received my safety deposit back promptly after we left.
There isn't really any way for you to know how easy/hard it would be to get your money back if you needed to and were able to based on your contract. You can read reviews on VRBO if there are any for the property you are interested in, but the fact is that if you have a contract dispute you may end up having to go to court if other attempts fail.

Yes, we've done this the past 3 summers (3 different locations) - and on all of them I paid a check for both the deposit and the balance. Had 3 great experiences and would definitely use VRBO again!

I am a homeowner on VRBO. I can tell you how I handle refunds. Refunds are clearly stated in the agreement between renter and us. I don't see why there is a need to "haggle", as you, the renter would know going forward just how to receive a refund if needed. Why would you think there is a difference between a homeowner contract and any other company that has a no-refund policy, or refunds are given, but with stipulation of??? I guess what concerns me is some of the comments state to use a credit card over a debit card for "more protection". More protection from what...lol?! Again, the renters know the policy going forward, or else if you don't agree then simply don't sign it.

Also, keep in mind that most homeowners require a signature which proves to the cc company that you have been made aware of the policy and that you as a renter agreed to pay the amounts shown. In the interim, if there is a dispute then the cc company will side with the homeowner, or else the homeowner will take the renter to court.. Unfortunate, but happens all the time.

What we do is this, as I want my renters to be 100% satisfied with their choice of staying. They sign a credit card statement allowing me to run their credit card over the phone and before 30 days of their check in time, they receive a call from me to allow me to re-run their cc for the balance, or they tell me, it's by check and it's already mailed. I always give my renters the option of payment type. Plus, we don't charge our renters extra as we are charged fees, but why pass those onto a vacationer??