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A MOTHER was shocked when she showed up to her vacation rental with her family just to find out the place did not match the description in the slightest.
Jacqueline Shumack planned a tranquil New Year’s getaway with her family to the Poconos in Pennsylvania through the home rental platform Vrbo.
Jacqueline and her husband Gareth, spent over $6,000 on their trip with four other families to a picturesque-looking house about three hours from their Long Island home.
Online, the home is advertised as a six-bed, five-and-a-half-bathroom home with a media room, hot tub, and more.
However, when the families arrived, the home was in complete disarray.
“Upon arrival at the rented property, we saw that the property was completely misrepresented, the photos on the Vrbo listing were not accurate to how the house actually was and there were health and safety issues,” Jacqueline wrote in a lengthy Facebook post.
“We found the hot tub not in working order and full of mold…no blinds on multiple windows, no heat in the game room, no media in the media room, mold in multiple fridges and bathrooms, and no cabinet doors on bathroom cabinets as well as a majority of the kitchen cabinets.”
“The missing cabinet doors left wires and gas lines exposed and we had multiple young children staying at the house and the mold was a serious health hazard for all of us especially my father who is auto immune compromised with a rare neurological disease.”
Jacqueline mentioned in a comment left on the Vrbo posting that her party ranged in ages from one to 65 years old, which is why she chose such an accessible property to begin with.
“VRBO was contacted as well as the host multiple times and they both told us they could do nothing and would do nothing,” the mother continued.
“Completely worst customer service ever, and Vrbo does not stand by the guest/customer.”
Attached to the post are blurry photos of the home, including shots of the doors-less cabinets, mold, and other damaged pieces of furniture.
Jacqueline’s photos show a sharp contrast to the stunning property listed on Vrbo’s website which depicts hardwood cabinets and a crystal clear hot tub.
Commenters were outraged by the family’s situation.
“That’s terrible!! The pictures show the discrepancy,” one woman wrote.
I don’t want anyone to go through this, and I’d really like my $6,000 back
Jacqueline Shumack
“How are they allowed to get away with this? Where did you end up going? My brother had a similar experience with Airbnb but he got some of his money back.”
When Jacqueline and her husband turned to Vrbo for help, they were told that the home’s condition was a ‘minor issue’ and that the couple should reach out directly to the homeowner for help, News 12 reported.
“I don’t want anyone to go through this, and I’d really like my $6,000 back,” Jacqueline told the outlet.
The rental company informed the family that it is looking into the problem.
“This investigation is still in progress, but please know we take the health and safety of our travelers very seriously,” the company told The U.S. Sun.
“Vrbo has a full-time Trust & Safety team that reviews cases when health and safety concerns are reported.”
The family has yet to receive a refund for their stay.