Score Breakdown by Category
How VRBO's terms rate across my evaluation categories.
VRBO (owned by Expedia Group) caters to vacation rentals but charges fees on both sides of the transaction. Property owners control refund policies, leaving guests with less standardized protection than Airbnb.
How VRBO's terms rate across my evaluation categories.
These provisions require careful attention for VRBO users.
Unlike Airbnb's standardized tiers, VRBO lets property owners set their own cancellation policies. This means protection varies wildly between properties, and some may be completely non-refundable.
VRBO charges both travelers (service fee) and property owners (commission). These fees can add 8-15% to your booking cost and are typically non-refundable even if you cancel within policy.
VRBO's "Book with Confidence" guarantee sounds comprehensive but has significant exclusions. It requires reporting issues within 24 hours of check-in and doesn't cover all types of problems.
As part of Expedia Group, your VRBO booking data may be shared across the company's portfolio (Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, etc.) for marketing and personalization purposes.
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Analysis