Skift Take
Vrbo reversed its longstanding guest-refund policy for the wildfires in Maui – for the first time, guests would be entitled to full refunds.
Vrbo reversed its longstanding guest-refund policy for the wildfires in Maui – for the first time, guests would be entitled to full refunds. But that won't be the case with Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hilary, which this week ripped through Baja California, Mexico, and then turned to Southern California and elsewhere in the U.S. Southwest.
A Vrbo spokesperson told the Skift STR Report Monday that "there is no change to the Vrbo policy for Southern California right now."
That means that guest refunds tied to Hilary's disruptions will be dictated by each host's stated policy. For example, a booking search Monday for a stay starting Tuesday night at a home with a pool in Palm Springs, California, stated that guests would be ineligible for refunds because of their chosen dates. On the other hand, a potential booking under consideration Monday at the same property for September 18-24 allows for a 50% refund — excluding the service fee — for cancellations made by September 4, and no refund after that date. So, according to the Vrbo endorsed host's policy, if a hurricane or earthquake takes place on September 5 or thereafter, then no refund would be forthcom