ComplaintsforCut Above Cabins, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  09/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In October 2022, I called Cut Above Cabins (CAC) to reserve several rental vacation homes for July 23-28, 2023. I discussed our need to have homes within walking distance of each other so that our families (grandparents, adult children and grandchildren) could easily walk between locations to spend time with each other. CAC had a home that was suitable for my family of 14, but it did not have a smaller home that would fit my brother’s family of seven. The CAC owner was very helpful and gave me the name and phone number of a different short-term rental owner with a home only a 5-minute walk away on the same street. My brother signed a contract with that owner, and I signed the contract with CAC for my family’s stay. Before July 23, I paid CAC over $9,900 per the contract requirements. I had no concerns until July 24 when the owner sent me an email that she would charge “day visit” fees for my brother’s family members to visit. I remember the undefined term “day visitors” in the contract and that they needed permission. I assumed this was not an issue given my discussion with the owner in October and her assistance with my brother’s arrangements. It was a gut punch at that moment to realize I had deliberately been set up by the CAC owner for months. She knew in October that visits with my beloved family were the focus of the stay, yet she waited until after our arrival to tell me I would need to pay dearly to see them. CAC charged an exorbitant $66 per day x 5 days x 7 members for visits by my brother’s family, totaling $2310 excluding taxes! To make matters worse, CAC also fraudulently charged me for days that family members never even came to the house! My brother stopped by alone on the first night for about 10 minutes, and yet I was charged $66 for his visit and another $396 for his family members who were never there! There was another day where we all enjoyed dinner and game time at my brother’s vacation home. However, I was still charged $462 by CAC.

  Business response

  09/17/2023

  **** made a reservation for her family’s vacation with me.  She asked about additional accommodation for her brother's family in the area and I directed her to another cabin business because we were completely booked.  At no time did she mention that they intended to use my home as the central location for activities and meals, or I would have made sure to mention our day visitor policy.  This policy is not hidden.  It is on every web page, and every cabin description, and completely explained whenever cost and pricing information is displayed.  It is in the lease agreement that she signed and explicitly acknowledged with her signature. 
  We do have provisions for “day visitors” and the cost is $33 per day per person. Day visitors are allowed on a pre-approved, in-writing arrangement. This policy is made clear on every web page and in the contract she signed and initialed this paragraph. 
  Here is that part of ****’s contract that deals explicitly to the “day visitor” policy and the electronic signature below acknowledges that she agrees to it. 
  The Guest has electronically signed this document with the following information: Name of Signer: **** * ********** Time of Signing: Oct 22, 2022 4:44 PM EDT Signed at IP Address: *************
  *. Occupancy: Avalón Villa: max 6 adults and up to 4 children for a total of 10 occupants - rate based on 2 guests (low season) or 4 guests (high season). $33 each over the base - per night/the minimum night is required of each guest regardless of whether or not they stay all of the nights. Any party exceeding the maximum number will be asked to leave and no refunds of any kind will be given. We do not allow unpaid/unregistered “day visitors”. Non-registered guests will result in immediate eviction of all guests without recourse and without refund. The tenant agrees that the premises will be used for residential purposes only and will be occupied only by the guests listed in this Agreement. Please be advised that we have video surveillance and still camera photos of the parking area and the entrance door, (not in any area you would expect to have privacy.) We do check these and charge accordingly. You may not disable any security camera at the property. Doing so will result in immediate eviction. We prefer to collect the per-person rate, but we will charge $100 per person per night (a minimum $300), if you do not register the total guests with you on this rental lease and update it if necessary. Changes at the regular rate are allowed up to 14 days before check-in. Additions between 14-0 days before check-in are charged at a rate of $66 per person per night. Refunds for fewer guests are not given within 14 days. This policy helps to reduce the issues that have been caused by last-minute guest changes. I specifically agree to the penalties for not providing accurate information.   **** Siebenaler-Signature
  
  When I noticed that there were more people at the home than registered and paid for, I contacted ****.  She told me that they were her brother's family staying close by.  I mentioned that I would be charging her for the “day visitors”.  I asked her to let me know what days they were there and how many, as I didn’t want to overcharge her.  She was curt in her responses to me and did not give me the information that would have complied with my requirements (the list of names and ages required by my insurance) and also would have ensured that she was not overcharged.  Her lack of cooperation resulted in several things that could have reduced the additional cost to her.
  Initially, I charged her for the 7 people in her brother’s group and for the total of 5 days at $33 each.  This totaled $1155.00.  When I charged this to her card on file, her son-in-law took a walk to the parking lot and dropped his pants in front of my security camera.  I recognized this as a total lack of respect and an obscene gesture.  At that point, I decided to charge the full amount that the lease allows for the unreported, unapproved, and over-the-guest limit penalty charges.  That additional amount of $2345.00 could have been avoided had this guest cooperated and shown some respect.
  Out of 650 to 850 reservations every year, we have between 4-6 who are not happy for one reason or another.  Some of them make a complaint here on this platform.  To get a better cross section please read the reviews on Google and VRBO where there is a better balance of the happy guests as well as the unhappy ones. Keep in mind that a very large percentage of happy guests do not leave a review, but EVERY unhappy guest does. 
  We have policies to protect our investment as well as for the good of all our guests in the future.  We have free kayaks, canoes, and mountain bikes available for the use of our guests.  We have 7 lake cabins, and these amenities serve everyone.  Day visitors are only allowed by written permission for good reasons.  Without going into all the ways a guest can abuse the amenities and our stellar properties, suffice it to say that our policies are in place for a reason.    The policies are available and prominently displayed so that if you aren’t comfortable you can choose to move on to another more suitable property.  Even after a reservation is made, I give additional time to cancel that reservation without penalty in case the guest missed something that isn’t going to work for them.  I send out many emails underscoring the most important information.  If my guest doesn’t read this information or do their due diligence, I cannot take responsibility for that.
  I want every guest to leave our property with a truly exceptional experience.  We work very hard to ensure that everything is perfect, and our accommodation is an over-the-top spectacular property.  It would not serve us in any way to trick our guests into booking a place that is not suitable for them,or charge them for things that they were not anticipating. We have thousands of happy guests and many repeat guests.  It is because we truly have remarkable properties, and we go out of our way to be accommodating.  

  Customer response

  09/18/2023

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 20560438
  
  First of all, the owner helped my brother to secure housing for his family BECAUSE I talked to her by phone about our needs to be near each other for the family vacation. Her excuse that she didn't know they would visit us is a lie; unfortunately, I don't have a recording from that call and all you have is "she said/she said." Having said that, I am rejecting this response because I was fraudulently charged for 13 "day visitors" over two days ($858) who never came to the house. She does not have the right to simply guess and then charge me that exorbitant amount of money. It is theft. She monitored her Ring doorbell like a hawk throughout our entire visit, so she should easily be able to corroborate the video recordings to confirm. I also reject the exorbitant fee that she charged for the actual "day visits." As you can see in the rental agreement, there are no prices listed for the odd concept of a "day visitor." No reasonable person would expect the price to be the same as an overnight guest ($33/day), which she admitted to doubling to $66 because she was petulant and disagreeable. This, too, is theft and she should not be able to get away with it. 
  
  Regards,
  
  **** **********

  Business response

  09/19/2023

  I did speak with **** on the phone about her reservation and I gave her the phone number of the other cabin owner whom she contacted and made a reservation. I did speak to the cabin owner after we started to have issues with ****.  He told me that this guest registered only 2 guests, but they had 7. That is a flagrant disregard for the policies of that cabin owner as well. 

  No vacation property owner allows “day visitors”.  This is standard in the industry, so it did not occur to me that she would expect to be able to have everyone over at any time.  I sent an email 14 days ahead of check-in.  If she didn’t realize before that there was a policy about the additional guests, she should have realized it then and called me to make the appropriate changes to her reservation.   
  

  Here is the contents of that email:
  Hi ****,  Please adjust your guest list today for your reservation at Avalón Villa. After today there is no refund for guests that are not coming and the cost for adding guests will increase to $66.  This is to avoid the issues that last-minute changes create. Day visitors are not allowed.   Thank you, ******

  I did try to get the count, names, and ages as well as the days that her brother's family was at our property. I had every intention of charging only for the days that they were there.  I do not believe that it is my responsibility to watch the cameras and count her guests or figure out who and when anyone was there. She did not cooperate in any fashion and the leud gesture of her son/son-in-law was a flagrant example of how little respect their family has for others.   I sent those pictures to her immediately, but to date, I have not received an apology from either one of them. This is a privately owned family business in a residential neighborhood. 
  

  Paying the cost of the reservation does not give the guest a license to do whatever they want.  That is the reason we have policies and a lease agreement that are available on the website for review.  We are looking for guests who will enjoy our property and the many amenities that we provide, behave appropriately, and leave it in undamaged condition.  I have penalty rates to deter guests from misrepresenting the number of people that we are hosting.  
  

  We are proud of the properties we have developed for visitors from all over the world. They come to the Hocking Hills to enjoy the splendor of the region. It is our goal to give every guest an experience that exceeds their expectations and build a tradition for their family.  We have built a reputation for the cleanest and most exceptional accommodations in this region over the last 6 years.  Our many guests and repeat guests underscore our success in this area.  It is with great pleasure that we concentrate on those guests and move forward.   

• Initial Complaint

  03/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Rented a cabin and paid 761.86. I later received an email that said I needed to pay 391. Additional dollars I was sent an email that said I had four hours to confirm. I did. It see the email until later in the day. The company charged my card the additional money and would not let me cancel. After going round and round the cabin was refunded but I charge a $400 cancellation fee. This company has my credit card. It has only been 12 hours since I first booked. They have charged my credit card $400.

  Business response

  03/10/2023

  This guest registered 1 guest for her reservation and she has 7 listed on the rental agreement.  I immediately emailed her to question this because the number of guests affects the cost.  (I allow a 4-hour window to cancel for such instances, for a full refund.)   There is a cost involved in processing credit cards and then again refunds.  The reservation was for about 2 weeks out, so holding it reserved also reduces our ability to rerent the time.  When the reservation was made it was a no refund status. As a courtesy for "user error," I refunded ALL of the cost less $400 to cover my out-of-pocket expenses.  As I mentioned, the policies agreed to by the guest at the time of the reservation - were NO REFUNDS.  
  

  
  

  I canceled as requested and refunded as a courtesy only to be met with rude, threatening, and disrespectful communication.  It does give one pause to ever show any kindness and override the policies.  No good deed goes unpunished

  Customer response

  03/16/2023

  I did not see the request for response until much later in the day.  The business owner had my cell phone number and could have called me if it was time sensitive material. It feels like a shady business dealing to send a time sensitive email.  She probably hoped I wouldn't see it so she could keep my money because of her policy.  I had a confirmation number and assumed all things were okay. I work during the day and was responding to duties of my job.  I booked the cabin around 9:00 AM and had it cancelled by 9:00 PM.  It was approximately 12 hours.  When I booked I thought I had entered information correctly.  I did not see that the number of guests had reset but I did write in a message that two families were traveling together for the weekend.  I was not trying to deceive anyone.  Her email regarding the booking issue made the cabin almost $400 more than what I had originally agreed to.  This was an amount I could not afford. She made a charge on my credit card without my authorization and then quickly voided that transaction once I pointed that out to her. I understand her policies.  This was not buyers remorse but a transaction that went wrong. 

  There are many reviews on your website about this particular business owner.  She has done practices like this to others.   I have shared all correspondence.  The only person who has resorted to name calling is the business owner.  I have tried to resolve this situation.  She will not take my calls or listen to reason.  I did not sign a renter's agreement for this property.  When I contacted VRBO they said she has the ability to override the cancellation fee.  I do believe that I am due a full refund from this property.  An error in processing should not cost me $400.  She is keeping my money because she can, not because it is the right thing to do.  When I read reviews on  your website about this business I see that she has done similar things to others for a while now.  I could be happy with even a percentage on the refund just to close the door on this issue.  Example: Return 75% of the $400 and I'll have closure with this issue.  Obviously a 100% refund is the goal but she is unwilling to work or discuss this issue amicably.
  

  Business response

  03/16/2023

  My policies are clear. I refunded all but $400 to cover my cost.  I was not obligated to refund the other $800, but I did.  I have no intention of refunding anything more.  

  Customer response

  03/16/2023

  I reject this response because her policy is not clear. I do not believe she is entitled to my money. I have offered a concession to close this case. I would like to see her meet me in the middle. Please see correspondence I have shared as well as reviews on your sight. This is not new behavior from this business. She will do this again to another consumer.
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  So many more deserving places to spend your hard earned money than this one. The owners especially ****** look for ways to upcharge in our opinions. The cabins are nice but the transations and charges after the stay are ridiculous. We have stayed at many Airbnb with zero issues and many leave a little extra as a special touch. Instead they leave a robe to use along with 4 pieces or chocolates and small bag of coffee but charge you $133.00 after you leave even though we left them at the cabin. BTW ****** if several people are putting up bad reviews it's not being bullied its warning others BUYER BEWARE!!!!!

  Business response

  02/16/2022

  ***** ****** left nothing but compliments on the comments sheet left in the cabin when they checked out. They stated that they are looking at dates to come back. 

  We have a R & R & R package in each cabin.  It is Rest, Relaxation and Remembrance package with these items in it.  2-signature robes, 2-hand painted wine glasses and 2-hand thrown signature mugs by local artists, 2-sparkling waters, 1-signature coffee whole bean, 1-box of Godiva truffles.  Each item has its own price tag on it.  The robes are in cellophane gift bags with silver satin ribbon tying them closed and the price tag is zip tied to the loop at the back of the collar. (The marketing pictures don't show the robes in the cellophane, but they are packaged that way so that they stay clean for the guest that purchases them. I felt that if they were not in the cellophane, others would handle them etc. and they wouldn't really be new and clean for the one who wanted to purchase them.) The cost is clearly stated on a 5 X 7 card that is with the package as well as price tags zip tied to each item.  The items can be purchased separately or the whole package.   These items are not free and it is very clear that they are not.  I have not had any other guest that didn't understand that they have a cost and are not included.  We sell a lot of robes and other items in the package.  These items are not marked up and they are offered at our wholesale cost.  It is a service to our guests, offering them souvenirs of their stay at a very affordable price. 

  We have 100s of 5 star reviews from the 800-900 guests annually that enjoy our place.  It is disappointing that a guest would leave a review and file a complaint due to their mistake.  Additionally, we have 2 robes in the cabin for guest use. 

  Customer response

  02/26/2022

  it is simply not true. We did not see any cards at all marking the price. I have also included as an attachment, texts from ****** who is the owner threatening me, to ruin my reputation for filing a complaint with BBB. I am hoping BBB would not stand for such a thing. I included my response so I can show I am not hiding anything and this is the owner being very aggressive and mad that I filed a complaint. You will also see at the end she brags about making me look bad. You can also verify that this is from the owner as her telephone number is listed at the top of the text, in case she tries to deny the text. The owner has overcharged me and I am asking for a refund back to my credit card for those charges which total $109.89.

   

  Business response

  03/10/2022

  I have attached the full document for the charge back he initiated for the charge for the items he took from our souvenir package as well as separate photos of the rooms.I appreciate your attention to this matter.  Let me know if you are satisfied with my documentation. Thank you.  ******

• Initial Complaint

  02/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked a cabin for the weekend through the vrbo app . The cabin was owned by cut above cabins , so once I booked all communications came from ****** with cut above cabins . The first problem was when I updated my guest list , which it clearly stated in the rental agreement, I could update guest list at anytime . She tried to charge me $49/per person per night when it clearly stated $33/person per night. First she tried to tell me I couldn’t update guests so late , then it was she could change prices at anytime. So after I proved everything she said wrong, very easily with screen shots from the rental agreement, she after afew days reluctantly agreed to change that to the $33 it was supposed to be. At that point I would have liked to cancel because I do not like to support dishonest businesses but at that point I would have been breaking the rental agreement and no refund , so I chose to let that go. The morning I was supposed to check In to the cabin I get a message from her stating the electricity was out in the cabin and we would not be able to come for day 1 of our 2 day rental. I suggest we wait till later in the day and see if things change and we could just come alittle late. She informs me that we won’t be able to come that day at all. Later that day I get an email from her stating the electricity would not be on until midnight of our second night , so we were not able to come at all. She informed me that I could try to recoup my money from travel insurance. The service she sold (cabin rental) was not delivered, why in the world would my vacation insurance need to cover that and she get to keep my money. We go back and forth many times to no avail. In the meantime I talk to vrbo who I found her through and they informed me she is absolutely responsible for a refund . I tell her this , and vrbo tries to call her and she doesn’t answer. Now comes 9pm on sat night and she texts me and says the cabin electric is on and I can come when I want . Mind you I’m 4 hr

  Business response

  02/16/2022

  ***** was trying to rent the cabin and pay for 2 people to avoid a higher price.  We charge by the size of the group so that it is affordable for 2 and they don't pay the same as 12.  I send out an email reminding them that the guest count will be verified at check in and if there are more guests than are registered, they will pay a penalty for each guest that is not on the rental agreement. He cost for unregistered guests is $100 instead of $33. He decided to come clean and report the additional 8 guests. Between the time that he made the reservation and the time of check in we had a price change.  It went from $33 to $49. I initially charged him the $49 current price. I did reconsider and only charged him the $33. I felt it was the right thing to do since the lease agreement had not been updated and it still showed a $33 cost.  Otherwise, I would have charged him the $49, but I felt because of this error on our part, I would refund the $16 per person.  It was the right thing to do.

  This reservation was refunded in full due to weather.  He had not purchased travel insurance, but my business insurance paid for all my guests that were impacted by the  weather even though they didn't necessarily qualify.  

  VRBO did not allow him a refund.  They denied him.  See screen shot. 

  He launched a smear campaign on my business and continues to even though he has been fully refunded for the reservation.  His only motivation at this point is to continue to hurt me and my business.  

  Customer response

  03/02/2022

  I’m sorry I’ve been busy and I’m just now getting a chance to reply. 
  First of all…. I never tried to have guests not paid for, the contract clearly stated that I could add guests at anytime . I booked last minute and wasn’t sure at the time who exactly my guests were going to be, so once I figured that out I contacted her to update. This woman is a crook all the way through , she tries everything to steal your money and break the contract. Every step of this process was a fight of her trying to take extra money and me proving her wrong with screen shots of the contract . After this we were told not to come do to the electricity being out at the house , then it was a fight to get the money refunded. She finally refunded the money after her insurance agreed to pay her. This person/company is very good at hiding bad reviews and bad experiences. In my opinion , this is what the bbb is for , to expose bad businesses . She will try everything she can to hide this also. After lots of investigation through the bbb , attorney general and other independent review platforms this businesses does shady things like this a lot and they work hard to keep them hidden and they depend on the people not spending the time to expose them. I’m attaching a couple screenshots of our conversation, I have pages and pages of other corespondents if needed

  Business response

  03/07/2022

  I spend my time on the nearly 900 reservations that we have every year and depend on the 890 good guests to spread the good word about our company.  I do not worry about the 1 guest that tries everything possible to discredit our business.  He had 25 of his friends leave 1 star reviews on google.  That is why the review process on google is pretty much worthless.  There is nothing to be done about that except to reply to the review.  I did an explanation and then simply copied and pasted it to all of them.  He booked through an online travel agency called VRBO.  They took down his review because it was not factual.  They did not support his demand for a refund and neither did his credit card company when he initiated a charge back.  Check out our thousands of 5 star reviews before you trust one disgruntled person.  I have no control over the reviews on this platform.  They fact is, they do not take down reviews but very, very rarely if they believe it is untrue or irrelevant.  There is one screen shot he attaches of the receipt for his reservation.  I am not understanding how this supports his argument. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked a cabin for this weekend, however, Logan County is under a Level 3 Winter Storm Warning, so I cannot come. I emailed ****** and requested a refund. She said she would not refund my money. I asked if I could reschedule. She said I could reschedule for any Monday through Wednesday in March. I explained we have a toddler and cannot take time off through the week, and reminded her we had booked a weekend. She replied it rescheduling at all was a gift from her. There is no power at the cabins, I can't get there anyway. I paid $1200. I would like my money refunded. $450 of it is a security deposit, it seems I should at least be entitled to that if not more.

  Business response

  02/09/2022

  There was a natural disaster that hit Hocking County last weekend and it was a level 3 emergency.  The authorities ask everyone to stay off of the roads and my guests could not reach their intended destinations.  This is a perfect example of the value of travel insurance.  It covers a situation like this.  It would have cost $66 to buy this coverage, yet guests often think that the business should refund them when they are outside of the cancellation policy.  I wouldn't want to lose my $800 either, but if I didn't purchase the travel insurance (that was so readily available and I actually had to check the box to refuse it), I would recognize that I assumed all the risk.  One should expect that we could have bad winter weather in Feb in Ohio. 

  I am really very sympathetic to this traveler. I offered to move the reservation by a few days or a complete reschedule to weekdays in Feb. or March.  I can't give away my weekends.  I have bills to pay.  The offer of a weekday reschedule is a gift.  I don't owe them anything except my sympathy that things did not go as they planned.  Surely, they could bring the child with them or find a relative to watch the child.  I am just saying, there is only so much I can do.  I don't like being cast in such a bad light when none of this was my fault and I went out of my way to help them.  The security deposit of $450 was immediately refunded.  I hope this traveler will be able to see the other side of this coin so that they will not be so angry about this, but make a better decision in the future.  

*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. ↩