ComplaintsforMagical Vacation Homes

• Initial Complaint

  11/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 27, 2022 I made reservations for a family reunion for 18 people, 7 of them kids, for October *****, 2022 at the **************, Private Paradise. The total charges were $6072.05. We chose this house because of all the advertised amenities, especially for the kids. The first issue we ran into while reserving the house was that the website stated that the mini-golf and waterpark were included in our fee. After making the reservation we learned that the website was "in error" and mini-golf was NOT included in the fee. We accepted that change and prepared for our family vacation. Upon arrival, we found that none of the kids activities were available. The shuffleboard table did not have the sawdust so couldn't be used. There were no ping pong paddles or *****. All the basketballs were flat. The outdoor speaker would not work. There was no ball for the foosball game. The ski ball game didn't score on all the levels of rings. The advertised playstation console had no cord. The backyard was in disarray upon arrival. The pool level was probably 6 inches too low. We paid for pool heat but it was not heated unless we heated the hot tub and let it spill over into the main pool. The pool was not cleaned until the day before we left. We called and emailed, and after 2 emails and 3 calls, we received a few of the kids' items.The "modern fully-equipped kitchen" had only ***** I repeat 8 forks! We could not eat at the same time and had to wash the silverware in the middle of meals. The can opener was broken. Pans were all corroded and not level. Both grills were inoperable. We have tried to have a supervisor contact us but we have not heard back, other than ****** telling us what we already knew. This place was not as advertised and my whole vacation was spent trying to rectify everything that was wrong. The "impressive modern features" were anything BUT modern. Please refer to the attached emails that were all sent while I was trying to enjoy my family.

  

  Business response

  11/08/2022

  This guest did not have outstanding issues with her home. She had minor requests that were all fulfilled.
  Please see the responding email to ********************:
  " Good Afternoon ********************,
  
  Thank you for taking the time to share feedback about your stay. I've been the gentleman you've spoken to on the phone. I sincerely apologize for any concern you've encountered during your stay.
  The children's activities were all delivered the same day you called regarding them. Besides the sand for the shuffleboard table, which I apologize for. We also had a can opener delivered due to the original one breaking after initial use.
  
  When we spoke, there was no mention of batteries needed, or controller cords not working. These are both items we will replace for our guests.
  Forks were not delivered to the home because after requesting additional, you did inform me you did not need them anymore as you purchased plastic silverware. I sincerely apologize for any delay as we do manage 130+ homes inside of Reunion Resort.
  
  Lastly, we do not provide condiments or any additional supplies other than the starter kit supplied in your home upon arrival. Each home is privately owned and managed by Magical, therefore we do not operate the same as hotels. We do not replenish toiletries.
  
  We are committed to providing our guests with a fulfilling stay, therefore if I may be of any further assistance please feel welcome to contact me or our care team
  Thank you
  
  
  
  Best Regards,"
  

  Customer response

  11/10/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  It is true that ****** from Magical Vacations sent a reply email on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 4:40 pm, the night before we were checking out. It is NOT true that we did not have outstanding issues and that all items were fulfilled. As noted, I was still asking for silverware up to the day we left! The ping pong paddles and can opener were delivered well after dinner and after I had to go to the neighbor's house to get one. We received no response to the grills not working or the screen door falling off the hinges. In addition, I sent at least 7 emails requesting items. No other emails were responded to. I should not have had to send ANY emails, and I should have had a response. The lack of customer service is atrocious. I did not mention the batteries or controller cords on the initial call because we had just arrived and did not know those items were also missing. I emailed about those items but did not receive a response. In my follow up email after I returned home, I asked that a supervisor contact me. I waited 10 days and heard from no one. I am asking that some credit be given for the hassle I had to go through during my entire vacation and the condition of all the kids' activities, the non-working grills, the lack of silverware and other suitable pans for cooking or a modern fully-equipped kitchen as this was all advertised on their website. This was the worst vacation home we have ever rented.
  See Attachment/File: Magical Vacations Email.docx

  

  Business response

  11/15/2022

  Myself along with other staff members spoke to ******************** numerous times while she was staying with Magical Vacation Homes. Where I may note, ******************** was not friendly with our staff.
  All of ************************ concerns mentioned were resolved well within the 24 hour time period, per the contract ******************** signed stating she has viewed all of the terms.
  Magical Vacation Homes cannot resolve situations we aren't made aware of.
  Please see the pre arrival report below showing chargers for controllers, as well as confirmation of An appropriate number of silverware, glasses, plates, bowls, pots/pans, and other kitchenware.
  
  ****************************************************************************
  
  ******************** was aware I am a supervisor, and apart of the management team as I've explained that during the shared phone calls and emails.
  All item requested were delivered the same day of ************************ requests, as I was the one she spoke to. All requests were fulfilled the same day, within our operation hours. ******************** received follow up calls as well.
  Please see the work orders below while ******************** was in house:
  Arrival Inspection. October 23, 2022
  
  Please drop off. October 24, 2022
  (Ping Pong Paddles and *****, a foosball, Sand for shuffle board, All basketballs are deflated, Corn Hole bean bags, Dish Towel)
  
  Please drop off can opener. October 24, 2022
  
  Not once was ******************** neglected.
  Magical Vacation Homes fulfilled our duty of assisting our guest with all requests submitted by *********************
  Thank you

  Customer response

  11/23/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  It is hard to compromise with people who do not tell the truth. I did not speak to any other person except ******, other than saying thank you to the person who delivered the ping pong paddles. He never communicated to me that he was a supervisor. ****** is correct in saying that I spoke with him multiple times -- BECAUSE I was not getting the things I requested! Namely, forks! And yes, I was getting frustrated with the lack of response to ANY of my emails. You can see by my emails 3 days later that I was still requesting forks so ****** is not speaking the truth when he says all my requests were honored in 24 hours. I cannot even comment on a pre-arrival report. Obviously I would not have requested those items if they were there so maybe someone should have come verify that all those items were missing. And if that is how Magical Vacation Homes manages their properties, I would suggest that people find other accommodations. I would never recommend their service to anyone!

  

  Business response

  12/03/2022

  Guest satisfaction and communication are things we take pride in as a company.
  Please see the only work order below.
  
  I am still happy to speak to you ******************** If you'd like to give us a call we're more than happy to chat, as we've always been.
  Thank you
  See Attachment/File: *************************** Work Order 1.PNG

• Initial Complaint

  10/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am very disappointed in the condition of this home. There are at least four safety concerns:1. The light in the downstairs hall bath did not work 2. The patio near the splash pad and spa was caving in and my daughter fell into it. 3. The pool and spa heater was leaking gas. You smell a strong odor of gas and hear a loud pop/small explosion like sound. This was happening the entire time we were there and we didn't know what it was until we watched the heater. Gas accumulates and then bursts/pops. We kept smelling strong odors of gas. 4. The railing on the upstairs was extremely loose. three toilets seats were broken, urine caked in the grout around the ************* wasn't very clean - the baseboards dusty, headboards dirty, underneath the bathroom vanities were clearly nor swept. Many other areas were dirty. The over all wear of the house is poor. Dirty marks and dents on the walls, bleach stains on the carpets, carpets and grout very dirty. Downstairs bedroom and media room you can hear what sounds like water dripping in the ceiling above all the time. The shade in the master bedroom slider didn't go up or down on the sliding glass door. The pool needed to be cleaned and an order was placed for the shade and the pool and neither of which were addressed the entire week we were there. The pool became increasingly filthy to the point the water became cloudy and smelled. We were told the pool had been cleaned after our request and the operations manager sent a picture for proof that it was cleaned that was barely visible where you could see one chair missing and pool toys on the side of the pool which were not out when we arrived so the timing is suspect and we noticed the same leaves were in the pool Tuesday night when we got home. The outdoor cushions on both the lounge and table chairs were moldy with mildew, staining and tears. The sink drains had a strong foul odor coming from them. Not worth the money you pay to be put in ***** way with a gas leak.

  

  Business response

  11/17/2022

  Good Morning,
  
  While Magical appreciates all feedback from guests, please note this home does not have any safety concerns whatsoever. No issue or concern was reported by the guest other than the pool not being clean on October 7th the day before departure. We cannot assist if we are not informed. Had the guest reported any concerns, Magical would've been happy to assist in a timely manner.
  
  Please see below as the pre-arrival inspection will show no issues were reported by our inspector before the guest's arrival.
  There is no indication of the patio near the spa caving in.
  There is no indication of any gas leak, as we do not take a gas leak lightly.
  There is no indication of a loose railing along the stairway.
  There is no indication of mold and mildew on the outdoor furniture.
  ****************************************************************************
  
  The pool was clean upon arrival, the guest did not report the pool being dirty until the day before departure.
  Based on the pre-arrival inspection report, magical did include photos of the pool and did not state it was dirty. During the guest stay, the pool also received full service on October 4th, midway through the guest's stay. Therefore, the pool was never dirty.
  
  Magical vacation homes is a hospitality company, therefore, We take great pride in being able to assist our guests as soon as possible to make their Vacation a seamless experience from start to finish. Had any concerns been reported while the guest was in-house, we would have sent a technician over to assist the guest promptly. There was simply no communication from the guest until October 7th when they reported the pool was not clean. And October 10th which is two days after departure, where the guest sent in a list of concerns she had while staying in the rental home. We cannot assist if we are not informed.

  Customer response

  11/26/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  Please see the attached word document as my response. It explains why I do not accept the response
  See Attachment/File: Timeline of emails.docx

  

  Business response

  01/11/2023

  Good Morning,
  
  Magical vacation homes is a hospitality company, therefore, We take great pride in being able to assist our guests as soon as possible to make their Vacation a seamless experience from start to finish. Had any concerns been reported while the guest was in-house, we would have sent a technician over to assist the guest promptly. There was simply no communication from the guest until October 7th when they reported the pool was not clean. And October 10th which is two days after departure, where the guest sent in a list of concerns she had while staying in the rental home. We cannot assist if we are not informed.
  Not once was the home a safety concern.
  
  Magical Vacation Homes are here to assist and ensure vacations are enjoyable from start to finish.

  Customer response

  01/12/2023

  ***Document Attached***
  Here are the photos from our stay. All of them may not have uploaded initially. Clearly you can see the caved in patio and the dirty pool. Also noted are some other issues I wrote about and the video of the railing. The "hospitality" company said these things did not exist. They did!!
  See Attachment/File: IMG_0254

  Customer response

  01/12/2023

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  Did you read the timeline of timestamped emails that is attached or look at any attached photos? My very first email I notified you October 1 the day we got there the pool was not cleaned and of several other issues. I was told the pool **** be serviced tuesday Oct 4. It was not cleaned OCt 4. I did not ask again until thursday Oct 6 bc we were out of the unit all day wednesday and again thursday until the evening and the pool wasn't being used.I have all the emails with all the requests that were made in the word document attached to this complaint. I don't want anything from you at this point but to take accountability and admit you were wrong and did not respond to the concerns and basically lied saying they did not exist. I made a list of other issues that weren't brought to my attention by the guests until towards the end of our stay otherwise I would have relayed whose concerns earlier as well. Read the timeline of emails. The fact you are not taking any responsibility is unacceptable. It took us half the week to figure out what the explosion noise we heard was coming from. Had I know earlier I would have conveyed that as well or called the fire department. I should have called the fire department and that was my mistake. I only realized the railing on the second floor porch was loose and dangerous when I went up to take pictures of the dirty pool from above to send to you. I would have reported the railing earlier as well had I known.
  You stated the patio wasn't caving in but I provided photographic evidence it was. Who is not telling the truth? I have the photographic evidence and all the emails that were sent back and forth.
  I am not one to complain most of the time about the condition of the homes I stay in but considering the lack of response and the amount we paid for this home I added the condition in so others may know that the pictures you post are not accurate. READ THE EMAILS in the attachment and stop telling me I am not telling the truth! LOOK AT THE PICTURES! Some hospitality service!! Your customer provides a chain of time stamped emails and photographic evidence and you basically say I was lying!!! I have the proof.... YOU DONT! NOW YOU HAE PUSHED ME TO MY LIMIT AND I WILL WARN ANYONE WHO SEES THIS! DO NOT BOOK THROUGH THIS COMPANY. THEY DO NOT KNOW THE MEANING OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HOSPITALITY.

• Initial Complaint

  10/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We booked the RVH_254 Reunion Manor, Booking ID ******* via the website magicalvacationhomes.com for the 28th May 2022 - 11th June 2022. We paid $13,036.67, including pool heat for the entire duration ($40 per day = $560) On the 4th June I phoned Magical Vacation Homes care team because the pool was cold and the spa was not working. Over the next few days debris filled the pool and it became cloudy and it was clear that the pool filtration was not working. I called the care team multiple times over the holiday about this matter and that the games room in the villa had also had a fuse fault as there was a burning smell, we unplugged everything in the games room from the sockets and let the care team know. I spent many days on the phone to the care team whilst they assured me someone was coming to resolve the problems, in the meantime we could not use the pool as it was clearly unsanitary or the games room. I asked to have follow up phone calls about what was being done to fix the problems but I was informed that that was not common practise. We were not in the house during the day and therefore did not see whether anyone was being sent to check on the issues. Finally an electrician came to the property whilst we were there to look at the games room issue, we asked him if he could look at the pool's electrics. He said that the breaker had completely broken and he fixed it whilst he was there. When we returned to the house in the evening the pool had become clear again. However, after we used it that evening we noticed it had bleached my husband's swim trunks and was therefore far too dangerous to swim in the chemicals. We spoke via email to Magical Vacation Homes about these issues and they sent over two different contracts for a refund of initially $227 (5 days pool heat) and then a new offer of $306.50 (pool heat + swim trunks). We declined both as we felt that the cost we paid for pool we couldn't use outweighed this refund offer.

  

  Business response

  11/08/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/10/13) */ Good Morning, This guest was offered a refund for pool heat, as well as a refund for the damaged clothes as a gesture of good will. Magical Vacation Homes assisted this guest in every aspect. However, the guest is trying to obtain more compensation than warranted. Please remove the guest complaint, as we have done more than what our contract states to assist the guest as a gesture of good will. Best Regards, Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/10/17) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Hello, We do not see that the refund offer was a fair offer as the pool was not just cold, it was broken. All of the electrics were not working therefore the pool was not being filtered or correctly dosed with pool chemicals, it was unclean, unhygienic and unusable. Magical Vacation Homes was not very co-operative whilst we were at the property, we spent a considerable amount of time on the phone to them in order to resolve a multitude of issues which unfortunately impacted our holiday. They did not inform us of who was coming to the house or when and when I requested that they call me to let me know who had been over to the villa during the day when we were out of the house and what progress had been made they told me no. This meant that with each day that the pool was broken we had no way of knowing whether anyone had even attended the house to check the problem or how long it would take to fix without having to phone Magical Vacation Homes once again. I was also told when I phoned Magical Vacation Homes that someone from the third party pool company had been out to the house and declared that there was no problem with the pool. This was untrue and this was when I decided to take photographs of the clearly cloudy pool and how unclean it was due to the pump and filter not working to prove that the pool was in fact still broken. I asked if Magical Vacation Homes could send someone from their own pool maintenance department out to check the pool themselves so that they could report back to the third party pool company that it was indeed broken but they said no. This left us with a dirty, unusable pool and a third party company (of which we had no contact information for including their company name) and Magical Vacation Homes unwilling to take this matter further. In the meantime an electrician came to the house to fix the games room issue (a burning smell was coming from the sockets - which honestly we thought they would take more seriously than they did). Whilst the electrician was already at the property, upon our request, he kindly looked at the electrics for the pool, identified that the breaker had broken and then he fixed it on site. We informed Magical Vacation Homes of this but they did not send anyone with pool maintenance knowledge to come out to the house and check that it had been correctly fixed or that the water was safe. Without the electrician that we asked to help us, the pool might never have been fixed during our stay at all. We did not have a way to check the pool chemical levels and, honestly, nor should we have to which unfortunately resulted in my husband's swim shorts being bleached due to the water being over chlorinated once the pool breaker was fixed. Once we saw that his swim shorts were damaged we decided that the water was unsafe to swim in again as it could well have been damage to our skin and therefore the pool was out of use for us for the remainder of the holiday. Considering Magical Vacation Homes was well aware that we were having issues with the pool including the filter being broken and the chemicals not being properly deployed, you would expect that they would have sent someone to survey the pool once it had been fixed to ensure that it was safe, even if that had meant contacting the third party pool company to come to the house again. We were never informed who the third party pool company were and therefore we had absolutely no way of knowing who else to contact about the pool issues. We therefore feel that as our contact for everything about the house including the pool, they should have been the ones to organise the pool being fixed and properly maintained as we had absolutely no means too. It is important to note that we paid Magical Vacation Homes for a private villa with a working, headed pool. This was not delivered to us for the full 14 days and we therefore feel that deserve compensation that reflects that, which is more than a refund of pre paid pool heat and the price of the damaged swim shorts. Thank you, *************** Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/10/18) */ Good Evening, This guest was offered a refund for pool heat, as well as a refund for the damaged clothes as a gesture of goodwill. Magical Vacation Homes assisted this guest in every aspect. However, the guest is trying to obtain more compensation than warranted. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/10/20) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Hello I do not accept Magical Vacation Homes explanation or offer for the reasons I have listed above. All the emails we exchanged and photographs of the cloudy pool and damaged clothing are attached to my case file. Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  08/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I rented a home that was supposed to be up to date with a close to 5 star rating out of 5 stars. However the home once arrived was not s advertised. It should not be rented until all repairs are complete. Furniture damaged and peeling a part, kitchen cabinet doors loose, dresser drawer in the one of the bedrooms broken, game room had no power cord to the play station, the pool table was crooked and damaged. The pool was dirty and on a 5 day stay was not cleaned until day 4 The hair dryer in the master bath blew sparks and almost set my hair on fire, the walls throughout the house were smudged, scratched and in great need of repainting. The furniture in the master bedroom was falling apart. During the MANY calls to the customer service line they actually admitted to being aware of the damage yet never notified me nor provided an option for another house of comparable value. No partial refund was offered either to remedy the issue. A repair man was sent out to remove the wall mounted dryer and a pool guy with limited tools came by to skim the pool which stayed partially clean for a day. The area all around the pool remained unkept and dirty. Oh and the master shower was unclean yet we had a 4pm check-in.

  

  Business response

  09/08/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/17) */ *************************************** Tue, Aug 16, 4:38 PM (15 hours ago) to me I have resolved this with the client. They have issued a partial refund and discount with concierge upon booking next year Warm Regards, ***************

• Initial Complaint

  06/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Below is the email I wrote to Manny the manager with no response at all. Hello Manny, I wanted to allow a few days to decompress from our trip. I wanted to write you and let you know that I appreciate the house we were moved to for the remaining stay. I'm out conversation on Saturday you let me know that on Friday, your company had no houses available to move my party to and allowed us to stay yet another night in the original house that had no hot water and a defaulted gas line which leaked into the home. Your agent on duty told me for hours that Florida Vacation homes had yet to give her an answer on moving my party all night until around 11pm when I stopped calling. I checked your website multiple times to find out that was not the case. As I mentioned before I appreciate you moving us to a safer home however I do not think reimbursing me for 2 nights even comes close to the headache my family occurred during the stay. When speaking on the phone Saturday to you, you mentioned when i asked you if the home was similar to our original, that it "wasn't an upgrade" if that was my question. I'm that simple statement I realized that when going around in circles on Friday about moving, you were looking for a cheaper house to place me in and one wasn't available to hold my entire party until the next day. So instead of practicing great customer service and getting my family out of a hazardous home that your company knew before booking my stay, you went the route of giving me no answer until a more "affordable" home came available. Two days we went without even warm water, suffered from hazardous fumes, lost our dinner for our private chef, and missed our big******* day which was the main reason for being in Florida, because you didn't want to fix a huge problem when it first occurred. Security for Reunion stayed with my family for almost the entire day on Friday because of all troubles we were having and could not believe what your company was making us go through...

  

  Business response

  09/20/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/27) */ On Friday, Florida Vacation Homes, sent***** out as soon as they reported a gas leak.***** reported all was sorted. Ms.******** then called again and***** was resent out.***** shut off the gas line on the heater to be safe until a plumber checked this. The gas line was changed on Saturday and the control valve was checked. We moved the******** to another home on Saturday, as we were fully booked for Friday night. In regards to said manager, Ms.******** original email was sent to him and he was out sick Friday and returned to work this morning. He then responded back to Ms.******** email at 8:59am this morning, explaining that the 2 nights was going to be refunded, for the inconvenience. We will not be offering a more monetary compensation for this situation. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/06/28) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The problem with this response is what I explained in my full email to Manny. The company actually did have other homes available, just not ones they wanted to put my family in. Because of the delay in this action it cause my entire family their day at ******, a catered dinner event, and health issues to 2 family members.***** only thought to turn the gas off because my family told him to check the gas valve be wise it might have a default. This was after an entire day of dealing with this issue. We were told Friday around 6:30 of having no hot water that the maintenance crew left at 5. Just to find out from reunion security that they actually work until 11 PM. The second home my family was put in what a cheaper home that we didn't receive a difference from along with the fact that the house had in insect issue, missing game pieces and a filthy pool. Having a 2 day reimbursement doesn't come close to the money we lost and inconvenience we experienced. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/06/28) */ Hello, For Reunion Security, the resort who is also a property manager of certain homes, has techs until 11pm. Florida Vacation Homes and ourselves only have technicians until 5pm. In regards to*****, both times mentioned that the home was fine, which is why they didn't shut off the gas until you asked them too, which we send them as they are skilled to look for leaks. In regards to the nightly rate of each home the first home you were in was $744.49 the nightly rate for RVH_525 was at $783 a night. We also sent you the only other option we had and you picked RVH_525. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/07/02) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) How did***** report that the property was "fine" yet market it as hazardous and also said that the hot water heater had a defaulted valve? Your responses aren't making sense and are belittling the situation. Your reps also received information saying that***** was still at the home when I called the second time. The only reason MVH believed me was the fact that security was still at the home taking everyone's statement. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2022/07/06) */ Good Afternoon Ms.********, I would like to pose a question, what compensation are you looking for? We did do two nights and placed you in a home with a higher nightly rate. Would love to resolve this with you and your family. Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2022/07/13) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Thank you. I would love to resolve this as well. Your company did move our family, I understand that. However the point that I am making is that the house had this condition prior to us moving into the home. It was impossible for your company not to know it was an issue. I understand things happen, however due to how my family handled the issue with pushing everyone involved we were able to move and it was 2 days later and caused our main events for our vacation to be cancelled. I do not understand how that is hard to understand. 2 days reimbursement is the least that could have been done. I believe the company should either extend another stay within the company or reimburse our full amount. The stay didn't ruin 2 days, it ruined the whole week. You can only go to ****** with a booked date and we couldn't make that date because we had to move homes by a certain time. I was on the phone with the manager when I was told that we were going to be moved and was driving into our function, I was asked to have the other house cleared out because someone was coming in to work on the hot water heater that was leaking the gas. So everyone packed up to move to another house that wasn't ready when we got there. Not to go down a rabbit hole again, but those those are the resolutions I think are fair. I do think all of this could have been avoided if there was prompt attention to the issue, instead of me and my family having to pretty much pull teeth to get an answer on anything.

• Initial Complaint

  02/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Rented Magical Family Getaway. Paid $200 for early check in. Arrived on Saturday, Jan 8 at 11AM (paid to checkin at 10AM) after driving 8 hrs w 3 children to find the home in very poor condition. No sheets on the bed, no towels. Dirt and candy all of the floor. Food stuck-on silverware and cups. Dirty dishes of stove and in sink. Refrigerator was filthy. Toilets had been used and not flushed (poop and pee). All surfaces were filthy. Hair in the drains. Toothpaste in the sinks. Trash in the trash cans. And all doors and windows were wide open. Called and they sent someone to clean the house which meant we had to leave. They said once the cleaning company confirmed the house's condition, we'd be refunded. We returned at 5PM after driving around Orlando while they cleaned and the house still wasn't done. Finally got into the house and candy was still all in the carpet (nerds), hair in shower drain, floors were wet from recent mopping(my son ran in excitedly and fell) and dryer was running. I called to let them know the house still wasn't ready at 4pm (original check in) and to make sure the cleaning crew confirmed w them. "A manager would call me back". No word from the manager so on Wednesday I called back and explained again. Said refund would be processed and they would "talk w manager to see if they could do more." No call back and on Friday, still no refund. Call again to tell them I haven't been refunded and they said the refund wouldn't process until checkout and could take up to 15 days "depending on my bank" but that they were processing it and they're sorry I was given misinformation. Called back on 2/3 bc still no refund. Was told "there manager is out today and has to sign off on the refund" and they would call us back on Monday even though we were told it had already been permitted to have the refund processed.

  

  Business response

  03/02/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/02/12) */ This refund was processed on Monday, February 7 at 9:49a. It is customary that posting times vary based on the financial institution. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/02/15) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) Amazingly, the company told us the refund could take 15 days to process. After reaching out to BBB, the company stated the refund was processed on Feb 7 and it appeared in our bank account on Feb 8. Thank you BBB for acting on our behalf and forcing this company to do the right thing.

• Initial Complaint

  01/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My family stayed at ******** from 1/13-21/2022 and this home was the farthest thing from"magical." We were in constant contact with the care team to report so many issues we lost count. The sad part is that most of these issues were never resolved. The issues ranged from stained sheets, disgustingly dirty floors, fixtures falling off the walls, wads of dust on the furniture, sticky old food between couch cushions, terrible upkeep of the property, and so on (and truly, the list went on and on). We wasted countless hours of our vacation cleaning the home, making phone calls to report the issues, waiting for return phone calls, and waiting around for staff to arrive (and sometimes they wouldn't even show). We picked this house because it looked perfect for our family. Unfortunately, we weren't even use some of the amenities because they did not function or didn't exist as represented (e.g. the home was described to have a ping pong table and none existed). Even when the company represented they would assist, they dropped the ball. They indicated they would come in to remove dust - but never came in to do so. We reported the pool not properly filtering water about 7 times. The vendor marked it as "resolved" when it truly wasn't and therefore we were unable to use the pool that came with the house as we had hoped and it was not heated since it was pumping air through the filter and not water. Management attempted to reimburse us 15%, which we declined and asked for more based upon the amount of time we spent cleaning, dealing with issues, and being unable to utilize the amenities that we paid for. By way of example, we paid extra for the pool heater that didn't properly function. They advised us that they would not even refund us this money until we signed a release form that basically wanted us to be silent about the entire situation and not share our experience with anyone else. The whole process was egregious & disappointing to say the least.

  

  Business response

  03/09/2022

  Consumer Response /* (2000, 5, 2022/01/21) */ P.J. ********** <************@gmail.com> Thu, Jan 20, 10:11 PM (13 hours ago) to me Please close this complaint. We are in contact with the business and we will open a new complaint, if needed. Thank you. Sent from my iPhone Business Response /* (1000, 13, 2022/01/25) */ We have already mediated with this guest successfully. Consumer Response /* (3000, 15, 2022/02/04) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) After the business' response was received by us, we contacted them and they later refunded the cost of the pool heater that we were not able to properly use. They refused to refund anything beyond that without us signing an agreement and release that was included in the initial offer of settlement. The agreement was completely one sided in favor of the business - including multiple provisions that would constitute a breach on our part but nothing that would be considered a breach on behalf of the business. The agreement did not even include a timeline for the settlement payment to be made. That being said, we agreed to sign the release with the express condition that points 3 and 4 were removed. These points read: "3. Confidentiality. Guest, agrees not to disclose any information regarding the existence, substance, or term of this Agreement and the Incident to any third party, without the prior written consent of Magical Vacation Homes Inc. Guests, agree that violation of any obligation contained in this paragraph is a material breach of this Agreement and shall entitle Magical Vacation Homes Inc to all remedies, including but not limited to termination and/or withdraws of any consideration given, the right of injunctive relief, reasonable attorney's fees, costs and expenses in obtaining relief, to be determined by the court. 4. Social Media/Online Comments. Within five (5) days of this Agreement, Guest, hereby agrees to remove, or cause to be removed, any blog posts, social media publications, or other online comments or content that may be damaging to the reputation or brand of Magical Vacation Homes Inc, and/or any of their respective officers, agents, servants, employees, directors, successors, assigns, associates, affiliates, insurers, sister corporations, parent cooperation, subsidiaries and any other person or entity connected to Magical Vacation Homes Inc of any nature whatsoever and that Guest, posted, or caused to be posted before the signing of this Agreement." The business acknowledged that a refund was appropriate as a result of their shortcomings and made an offer to that end, however, they were not willing to issue it unless we capitulated to their unreasonable demand to sign a release that protected them and them alone. While we did receive a credit for the pool heater expense we incurred for a pool that was not in working order, this was not the full extent of our damages. We are entitled to a refund in the amount of $1,260.93 (at least) and yet, because we will not sign that agreement the business will not process it. After this experience, it seems clear that this business tries to use their "release" to silence dissatisfied customers and, therefore, the reviews online are not reflective of the actual guest experience. We feel that we were duped by this business from the start and then - rather than reasonably addressing issues that arose - they attempted to prevent us from being able to share our true experience with potential future customers. Our experience with this business was disappointing and unprofessional. Business Response /* (4000, 17, 2022/02/12) */ Every level of leadership and extended compensation for items Magical Vacation Homes is not liable for in the rental agreement provided to each guests. Unfortunately after this was resolved while the guest was in residence and without additional incident, Magical Vacation Homes has extended the maximum available on this reservation. Consumer Response /* (4200, 19, 2022/02/16) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) It is unfortunate that every level of leadership at Magical Vacation Homes was unable to successfully resolve the magnitude of issues that we experienced during our stay, nor were they able to properly partially compensate us. We hope that our experience and report of this to the Better Business Bureau will help prevent future guests from experiencing similar issues. Business Response /* (4000, 21, 2022/02/17) */ We would have loved for this to stay resolved as previously indicated but if there's anything we can do, please know we are willing to continue working with you.

• Initial Complaint

  01/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  RE: Reservation with Magical Vacation Homes (Booking Agent Florida Vacation Homes/Reunion Vacation Homes) 12/26/21 - 1/2/22 Reservation ID: ***** under ************** (my mother who has since passed away) Rental Property Address:*************************************** Rental Property ID: RVH_160M_SS Blissful Hideaway Total cost: $5,671.87 Once we entered the home, we noticed a very musty, ash-tray like smell (though the property was a non-smoking property) and immediately noticed that the carpets in the home were filthy and stained. My two-year-old walked over and handed us a pair of dirty socks and some trash that she pulled from the living room area of the home and it was clear that the home had not been thoroughly cleaned. Though there were seals on each of the toilets that claimed that each had been sanitized, most had mold around the inner rim and it was clear had, at most, had a quick wipe down. The sinks in the bathrooms had soap scum all around them. As it was late and the kids were exhausted, we decided to go to bed and deal with it in the morning.... Please see the attachment for the full list of times we have tried communication with Magical Vacation Homes - the managing entity of the property and to this date, have had no resolution. Attached is also the contract and photographs.

  

  Business response

  02/25/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/01/21) */ Thank you for choosing a Magical Vacation Homes managed residence for your family and taking time to share feedback about your stay. We are so sorry for your loss. Clean and comfortable residences are a top priority; therefore, we are truly sorry for the difficulties that you encountered regarding cleanliness. Attached is the pre-arrival inspection report, conducted by a lead inspector. We make every effort to address concerns, of all natures within the first twenty-four hours. Unfortunately when cleanliness concerns are reported several days after arrival - the scope of services available vary drastically. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/01/25) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) In the pictures attached by the business, you can actually see the mold in the kitchen sink (also represented in the photograph attached by us). In other pictures, you can see the curtains that are falling down as well (a good representation of the state of the property), but in many other photos some of the details are left out or not visible, such as the true condition of the pool or even the dining room chairs seemingly on purpose. This is dishonest and the photos do not represent the true state of the property. The business is putting the responsibility on us, the consumer, and stating that we did not complain about the state of the property soon enough and therefore the "scope of services available vary drastically" and that "we make every effort to address concerns within the first twenty four hours". Unfortunately, when traveling with small children, with plans that include delayed flights and expensive******* tickets that have already been booked and paid for, it makes things difficult. Our priority needed to be to get our children settled and fed and to not miss out on plans that we had booked and then, secondly to take care of concerns related to the property maintenance. This was something that should not have had to even been addressed on our vacation and when it was, no effort was made by the staff of Magical Vacation homes to address our concerns, even once pictures were provided to the staff per their request. Things such as pool scum and sink mold (as evident in their own photo) are not items they can claim were caused by us as they take time to develop, if that is what they are insinuating with their "24 hour" policy, and even these issues were not addressed. The pool, which we paid extra to heat, was never even able to be used while we were there due to the state of it. No one from the company ever even offered to come to the home to look at the property while we were there to take a look at the situation - let alone return phone calls within a timely manner. We were down there over a holiday week with little option to go elsewhere and spent a good deal of time tracking down people at the property management office trying to get ahold of someone to talk to. The business made no effort while we were down there to rectify the situation. When I finally spoke with the manager, Jasmin, on the last day of our trip, I was told they would be offering us compensation. When I returned home, no one would return my phone calls and to this day, no one has called me or emailed me regarding this issue. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/02/05) */ While members of our team did tend to your concerns as notified, the rental agreement does state that the property manager should be notified immediately. Magical Vacation Homes was contacted four days into your stay and communicated with you despite our policy of typically speaking with the named guest only. As previously stated we are able to credit a portion of the average daily rate as a gesture of goodwill for $218.23. This would be credited through your booking agent the reservation was not made directly with Magical Vacation Homes. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/02/09) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Your response is not only unprofessional but false. We arrived late on the night of 12/26 due to a delayed flight (as stated in my original complaint). We actually did call and speak with an agent at that time because the unlocking mechanism at the home did not work and we could not enter the property, so your team is aware of the time we arrived at the home. As stated in my original complaint, and per your phone records, I called and spoke with one of your team members again on 12/29 due to the fact that we had booked******* tickets and did not want to miss out on our booked experiences with our children over our vacation while dealing with the maintenance and cleanliness issues in the home - I needed to wait until I had a spare moment to contact your team. When I did get to call your office on the morning of 12/29 - not 4 days into our trip as you state but 2 days (and nowhere in your documentation does it state a requirement of needing to call within 24 hours or you washing your hands of dealing with your customers, especially in matters of home maintenance issues), I had issues with your team returning my calls the entire time and had to spend my vacation following up with your team. As for you suddenly stating that you have an issue dealing with me, the daughter of the person who originally booked the home - my mother passed away and this trip was in her honor for her grandkids for Christmas. We called and informed your team of this prior to our arrival and my father who was listed as a secondary party on the rental agreement is happy to speak with you but not until this moment has this been listed as an issue with me serving as a representative of our family in this matter. You are welcome to speak with my father as the other party on the rental agreement at any time and never asked to do so. Your claim that your refund, which we still do not see, should be seen as goodwill amount of "$218.23" is laughable as the total amount of the rental was over 4,500 dollars and we are seeking a full refund. You never attempted to make right the issues with the property while we were down there and all attempts at communication and following up were on us, the consumer. You have been dishonest and are taking advantage of consumers. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2022/02/11) */ Unfortunately because the reservation was completed and technicians did assist we are unable to refund your full stay. As a gesture of goodwill, we can advise your booking agent to extend an additional credit of $200.00, but because the residence was used, we are contractually bound with the homeowner to pay proceeds for the time their residence was used.

• Initial Complaint

  12/30/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I rented a home from Magical Vacation Homes (MVH) for the following dates: December 2 - 6, 2021 for a family vacation. I chose this home for the quality advertised and many amenities shown online at magicalvationhomes.com ***************** ***** Davenport, ******** which included complimentary high-speed wireless internet, a pool (child safety fence), game room (4 tvs, ps4 and xbox), 110' screen/theater room with high-definition theater experience, and 60 inch cable TV in the living room. 1) My first complaint is - the wi-fi/internet/cable did NOT work from our check-in day on Thursday, Dec. 2nd through Sunday, December 5th at noon. I spoke to several magical vacations employees day after day regarding this lack of service and was told the service provider had an outage. I personally checked online at spectrum.net/outage and also called Spectrum at X-XXX-XXX-XXXX and I was told there was not an outage in the XXXXX area code. Without these services we could not use the house TVs, theater nor game rooms advertised online. 2) My second complaint is - the house did not resemble the pictures portrayed on the MVH webpage. The pool fence was broken making it a safety hazard for the young children in our group. Several living room blinds were missing, therefore the blinds could not be closed completely at night making it uncomfortable to walk around in the living room because people could look right into the house. Also the living room TV cabinet had broken doors, kitchen sink had a missing garbage disposal guard which was another safety hazard and the bar stool was broken. On December 3rd, I asked to be relocated to another property because of these problems but was told magical vacations could not move us to another property. In closing, I rented this house from MVH after viewing online; this house did not resemble the online pictures nor did it provide the advertised amenities. MVH falsely advertised this property.

  

  Business response

  02/08/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/01/07) */ It was a pleasure to host the ****** family in early December. The renter, Tracey ******, has a contractual obligation to report all concerns within two hours of being in the residence as stated in the attached agreement(MVH Rental Agreement, pg. 1.) Magical Vacation Homes is not liable for the failure of public supplies including, but not limited to internet connectivity (MVH Rental Agreement, pg. 11). The only concern reported to Magical Vacation Homes was the internet connectivity - documented in the attached service order log. The internet service provider was able to visit the residence within 24 hours to provide support. While we make every effort to ensure our guests have a wonderful experience while in residence, there are some things that are beyond the scope of our control. Unfortunately this residence is located in an area that experienced an outage, per the internet service provider. As a gesture of goodwill, we did offer the ****** family compensation in the amount of $154.19 along with complimentary pool heat, valued at $100.00, excluding tax. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/01/15) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) My response: Thank you BBB for the opportunity to REPORT Magical Vacation Homes as a business that advertised the property that I rented from them FALSELY on their website. I rented a home from Magical Vacation Homes (MVH) for the following dates: December 2 - 6, 2021 for a family vacation. I chose this home for the home quality advertised and many amenities shown online at magicalvationhomes.com which included complimentary high-speed wireless internet, a pool (child safety fence), game room (4 tvs, ps4 and xbox), 110' screen/theater room with high-definition theater experience, and a 60 inch cable TV in the living room. 1) My first complaint is - the wi-fi/internet/cable did NOT work from our check-in day on Thursday, Dec. 2nd through Sunday, December 5th at noon. This was reported to MVH on our check in day; I also spoke to several magical vacations employees day after day regarding this lack of service and was told the service provider had an outage. I personally checked online at spectrum.net/outage and also called Spectrum at X-XXX-XXX-XXXX and I was told there was not an outage in the area of our rental home, zip code XXXXX. Without these services we could not use the house TVs, theater nor game rooms advertised online. 2) My second complaint is - the house did not resemble the pictures portrayed on the MVH webpage. The pool fence was broken making it a safety hazard for the young children in our group. Several living room blinds were missing, therefore, the blinds could not be closed completely at night making it uncomfortable to walk around in the living room because people could look right into the house. Also the living room TV cabinet had broken doors, the kitchen sink had a missing garbage disposal guard which was another safety hazard and the bar stool was broken. I can assure you that if I had viewed this rental home online with the problems I just listed, I would have moved on in my search to find a more suitable home. MVH's response to my BBB complaint stated that they sent someone over to check the internet services on Dec. 2 BUT that person did NOT repair the problem. Again, the service was out from our check-in day on Thursday, Dec. 2nd through Sunday, December 5th at noon. MVH's 2nd response to my BBB complaint stated there was an internet outage in that area. That is NOT true. I personally called spectrum and checked the spectrum.net/outage in the XXXXX area and I was told there was NOT an outage during our stay of beautiful sunny days without rain, wind or bad weather. In closing, I rented a house from MVH after viewing it online; this house did NOT resemble the online pictures nor did it provide the advertised amenities. I refuse the small refund offer from this unscrupulous company. I am reporting Magical Vacation Homes as a company that misrepresented the house I rented; they blatantly, falsely advertised the property. Other consumers should be aware of the unethical practices of Magical Vacation Homes. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/01/21) */ Despite Magical Vacation Homes not being liable for the failure of amenities like internet connectivity, we went above and beyond to provide complimentary pool heat as well as monetary compensation. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/01/26) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Thank you BBB for this opportunity to REPORT Magical Vacation Homes as a business that falsely advertised the property that I rented. As I stated in my initial complaint, the house did not resemble the online description nor provide the advertised amenities. And again, regarding the lack of internet, I called the internet provider and checked online and service was not out in the zip code area of the house. MVH should have gone above and beyond to provide us with the beautifully appointed house with completely working amenities described on their website instead of trying to go "above and beyond" now with a compensation. I refuse the very, very small offer of a 7.4% refund. MVH should review Florida Statue 817.41 on false advertising. I do NOT need to hear from this company again, I consider my case closed with the BBB. Thank you BBB for allowing me to report my experience with MAGICAL VACATION HOMES, a business that was misleading, deceptive and false in their description of the property that I rented.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩