lpngleo721

Poipu is the perfect place to stay in December in Kauai. Unfortunately, we used Home Away and the owner of the one-room bedroom/kitchen convinced us to bypass Home Away and use her directly thereby avoiding Home Away fees. We were wrong to do this and it did go well. The owner, from New Jersey, demanded our credit card, but did not tell us beforehand that she would do this. She then demanded that we sign a paper giving her carte blanche to charge us should we damage anything. Since we had nowhere else to go, we stayed. It all went downhill after that. This person was just about the most rude, arrogant person I have ever dealt with on vacation. She calls her place Hale Mahina Piha with a mailing address as Koloa, Hi.

janisj

Uh -- no. You are the one who decided to bypass the homeaway link. Why does your title blame homeaway? It was you and the owner who went around the built in precautions.

Welcome to Fodors . . .

sylvia3

"be careful of Home Away"
"bypass Home Away and use her directly thereby avoiding Home Away fees"

I think your title should be amended.
(Plus, that rental has almost all 5 star reviews.)

Christina

I think the title should be not to be careful of Homeaway but be careful of people who try to cheat Homeaway, including the OP. Homeaway is providing an advertising and rental service to private parties. I personally don't think much of any person who tries to cheat someone else, which is what the owner AND YOU were doing. I would not do business with someone you know up front is a liar and unethical and basically committing fraud (I imagine their contract with Homeaway might say something about what they are doing). Trying to take advantage of the advertising and website vehicle they provide but not pay them for the service is certainly unethical and dishonest, if not legally fraud. If someone doesn't like their fees, they are not obliged to post their rental on them and use their service.

what's that saying about how if you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas

nanabee

Well said christina.

StantonHyde

This happened last December and you are just posting about this now??

nanabee

Strange that this is the posters first post. One which specifically points out by name and address a business (a home share)... a business which has no recourse to dispite the accusations.

sylvia3

BTW:
[[I imagine their contract with Homeaway might say something about what they are doing). Trying to take advantage of the advertising and website vehicle they provide but not pay them for the service is certainly unethical and dishonest, if not legally fraud]]

Not really true; an annual fee for the service is charged, and IF someone chooses to reserve through Homeaway, additional fees are charged by Homeaway to the person renting. The only one saving money by renting from the owner would be that person renting.
From Wiki:" before...2013, homeowners paid subscription fees which averaged out to be $442 annually, to list their own property or display their vacation rentals on the company’s sites....property owners and managers could purchase paid listings on one or more of the company's websites as a form of advertising to potential travelers. ...In 2016, HomeAway introduced a controversial [additional] service fee paid by the traveler when booking through the HomeAway websites. The fee varies from 4 to 10 percent of the rental cost, and is capped at $499."

Inakauaidavidababy

So again a case of punishing travelers on a budget and rewading those renting mansions.

suze

The title of this post is not fair.

Home Away had nothing to do with this situation since they both sidestepped them with their private agreement.

marvelousmouse

The title isn't fair, circumventing the system that protects you is foolish and it's more than a little suspicious that you're posting about something that happened last December....


But what really interests me is that you haven't listed anything worth condemning the owner for. Except attitude, and I'm sure you were a real peach in return. But seriously, so she asked for a credit card and asked you to sign a form acknowledging penalties for damages? So what? So does almost every other lodging I've stayed at. This bothers you 9 months after the fact?

vincenzo32951

PTRD
(Post-Traumatic Rental Disorder)