Thank you all for so many helpful replies.

I have called yet again this morning, and left another message. I am trying to be patient, and I prefer not to post the name of the realtor until I have actually talked to the manager and have given her a chance to offer some sort of discount. I have rented from these people many times and have always been pleased. I have also recommended them many times.

I will be placated by a discount down to approximately the level of the other houses I was considering, i.e. $300-$400. I certainly don't expect a full refund, and that's what makes me concerned that I have no recourse w/ the credit card company. I think chargebacks are all-or-nothing propositions.

I have printed the online photos, but I failed to get any of the inside of the house...perhaps my Mom did...but I doubt it. She resourcefully took the comforters off the extra beds and "made" slipcovers for the for the sofa and chairs.

MikeT: actually, I did follow up at 4:55 and got an an answering machine that said the office was closed. At that point, we assumed we were screwed and unpacked.

Another interesting thing: my paper confirmation arrived in the mail yesterday. The "rental rules" on paper are exactly like the ones on the website....except that a clause is added saying they aren't responsible for the condition of the furniture, no matter what might be represented on the website. Sigh.

Litespeed, why were you only getting a paper copy of "the rules" yesterday, AFTER your stay? I really would talk with my credit card company before I assumed what they will or won't do. I've had MasterCard advise me on a couple of transactions, and I was surprised what they were willing to do! Circuit City replaced my new (lemony) 55" widescreen TV because MasterCard was going to get involved, when CC had sworn there was nothing more they could do for me, that I'd have to wait until I had problems two more times before they'd replace it!!! :-d NOT when they heard I'd talked to MasterCard.

You might let the realtor/owner know that they can refund you $400, and do it the easy way, or you will ask your credit card company to get involved, and risk losing the whole amount PLUS!

Best of luck, Litespeed!!!

Litespeed,

I am very sorry to hear about your bad exerience. Everything has basically been said above.

Regarding a small claims lawsuit: I echo what someone above said about the difference between getting a judgement and collecting a judgment. If you decide to go that route and have problems, I have a former student in coastal SC who does judgment collections. Just email me if you would like her contact information. And just to be clear, I would not receive any kickbacks or commissions from my former student.

demand a refund because they ruined your vacation by the decpetive practices...if they don't pay within 30 days, take them to small claims court and they will, all of a sudden, magically make payment, completely eliminating the need for the court appearance. Oh, in case you think I overlooked this, add the round trip cost of your plane fair to travel back there for court to your damages. Good luck. Nail their asses.

ha..in my anger(I hate to see people getting screwed by unscrupulous realtors/travel companies/renters, etc)..It's "deceptive" and plane "fare."

I still hope you nail their asses. Ha.

Was this house on Sullivan's Island? I had a real DOG of a house there! It's funny now but then . . .

For the last 25 years, I've spent a week away with seven girlfriends and half the time we've stayed on the NC/SC beaches. Isle of Palms house two years ago was excellent.

I consider experiences such as this part of my post-graduate education.

In this case I would have learned not to rent a place without having first seen it, without having it recommended to me by a trusted friend, or without a guarantee of my satisfaction.

At $180 a night for each couple, it sounds like a good deal if it was indeed a beach house.

You mention a leak. Did it rain all weekend? If so, is your dissatisfaction in any way connected to getting rained out at the beach?

That's funny. Two people have proposed that I may just be feeling pissy 'cause it rained.

Actually, the rain had just stopped(after pouring most of the week) when we arrived, so I was pretty damn happy. It rained a little off and on the next day, but you'd be a fool not to expect scattered T-storms in the south in the summer. Thanks for asking.

However, Charleston should be getting trounced right about now...i hope they did fix that leak, or they may have some ceiling cave in. It's Thursday morning and the manager still hasn't returned my calls. Person who answers the phone says she is too busy preparing for Ernesto. Hmmm.

We have all experienced "buyer's regret."

LitespeedChick--I don't think you are being unreasonable at all. Don't let the 1 or 2 snide comments get to you. I don't have any advice to give, as I think others already were a huge help with that. I just wanted to say that it sounds like you are getting the runaround because they know they are in the wrong, so I hope you pursue this:)

I'm sorry about your house but I'm glad you had a good time. We rent through WWW.VRBO.COM All the time. There is no way we could see the houses beforehand as suggested by others. We have done very well except one time. We were on Anna Maria Island and got to our condo to find the deck overlooking the ocean full of fiberglass and trash it turned out they had been redoing to roof and the wind had blown material and the lunch trash from the workers onto our deck. We called the Realtor and they sent someone over within the hour even though we told them there was no hurry. That is the way it should be handled. Nobody wants the bait and switch.

I've always had good luck through vrbo.com as well. All the suggestions on here regarding being compensated for your losses are good ones. The BBB may also be an option. In the interim, I might also mention in passing that I would be sharing his/her name & company info w/Fodors, trip advisor, etc. Best of luck...

<i> Buyer's regret</i> or remorse is the concept of regretting a purchase after the fact.. Like the time the Yankee and I decided to buy a house, about a day later, we started going over all the issues regarding that house in our minds, then we talked about it then we wondered if we had made a big mistake.
Thankfully, we got out of the deal and got a better house..It does not really apply to the bad feelings one might have, after buying or as in this case, Renting a beach house that was represented ( falsely?) as clean with nice furnishings and in most rentals, when one has questions, needs something, etc, there is an agent or the owner to answer your calls or come fix things for you.
We even had that in Paris, when we had a problem or question!! When the owner was not even in France.
LitespeedChick, I think you have a valid complaint and I look forward to hearing how these people go about making things right.
happytrails, so does this mean that if you want to rent a house or apt in Italy or London, for a holiday, you would not do it unless you had seen it with your own eyes? You might need to work on that post-grad education a bit longer :)

No, I would not pay up-front for a stay at a place which I have not seen, which has not been recommended to me by a trusted friend or source, or which does not have a satisfaction guarantee.

When I am dissatisfied with a hotel room that I have booked for several days, I refuse to honor my reservation (if that is possible or practical), or I get up early the second day and go shopping for a place that pleases me.

My mother taught me not to buy a pig in a poke.

happy, you don't get to go many places then do you?
We have rented flats in London, apts in Paris, villas in Jamaica, we never went first to check it out, we had no friends who had been to these places first. We trusted our own instinct and research and have not had a problem yet.
Litespeed Chick had a bad experience through no fault of her own, we are all targets of scams or dishonest people, some of us just get luckier than others.
Litespeed..My husband is asking me if you used a credit card lol.. he has gotten involved too, now :)
And I heartily agree with nytraveler...

On the contrary, Scarlett Lady. I have traveled all over the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Europe (except Belgium), as well as Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Thailand, India, Nepal, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, and the U.S.S.R.

I learned how to book rooms by traveling with people who had a knack for getting little value out of their travel dollars and who invariably turned left when they should have turned right.

I also join Scarlett in lauding advice given by nytraveler.

Another very effective maneuver is to report your experience to the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General's Office is South Carolina.

I have been very patient. I checked out of this rental on August 27th. Today is Septebmer 15th. I have called several times per week since then, heard many promises that the manager would call me back.

Finally, on around Sept 5 or 6th, I managed to talk the receptionist into putting the manager on the phone. She was unpleasant, but did not refuse to make some ammends, merely said that on the 11th she would inspect the house and call me back. When I called on the 11th, I was told she had been called out of town on an emergency, and would call me today. When I called just now, I was told she had been on vacation.

I don't really care if they give me any discount now or not. I think everyone should know the name of this company.

If you look at my previous posts, you'll see I have recommended Fred Holland Realty on Folly Beach many times. No more. Not only was the description of the house on the website fraudulent, but the treatment I have received since then has been beyond the pale. They can't even apologize.

I really did not want to dispute the charge on my credit card, but it appears I will have to. Perhaps they will be more interested in returning my phone calls then.

Thanks again everyone who commented.

Thanks for the up-date, and don't forget the Attorney General option. Business people perk up when the get a letter from that office.

litespeed, if I was you I'd go back to all your previous posts where you recommended that realtor and post this disaster story there so people who find those posts in their searches on fodors will NOT use them.