Orlando/Disneyworld Thread (Part 3)

mamamoi

ailuro2 wrote: »

Mamamoi - if you could get two houses on the same resort, if it had a communal pool etc aswell, then that might well work out great for you - spending over three weeks under the same roof as people you don't see very often - maybe, just maybe it might be nice to have somewhere to retreat to, and have a bit of quiet time.

Look for the silver lining in this, try and find ways to make the most of it is what I'm trying to say.

I agree it does sound like they realised they should have asked for more money, but rental copanies don't tend to do that kind of thing very often - it's the lack of communication that would have put me off.

Good Luck - I hope you et something sorted out soon.

True, it could be nice to have a retreat! We were just thinking that we would be out so much during the days that it would be nice to just all relax together and catch up in the evenings. Plus having built in babysitters was such a plus for us!!! Whatever happens I know it will be an amazing trip... it has just been such a shock this week to have such a spanner in the works.

ailuro2

That's why I said get the house on the same resort - a 4 bed home will still be big enough for everyone to have dinner together, the second house would be smaller, but close to the 'main ' house, and in walking distance to stagger home from after a nice dinner, few drinks.;)

I an see why it's such a shock - thinking it was done and dusted then this happens.

There is so much accommodation to choose from, you'll definitely get something, and while it's stressful at the moment it WILL get sorted out before too long.

Good Luck.

atro1

mamamoi
Go onto http://www.lastminutevillas.net/ put your details in. How many rooms etc. there is a box briefly say what has happened and your cost. I think you may not be to far off your target.
Also join the DIBB. http://www.thedibb.co.uk/ and go to villa rentals site and put it on there.
Also you could complain to. http://centralflorida.bbb.org/

Good luck.

vivatifosi

ailuro2 wrote: »

was it this one? It's the one that comes up when I googled Hush Puupies outlet orlando.

Yep, that's the one. They do the Cats in wide fitting too. Don't remember seeing gray ones, but the brown ones are lovely. Most of the boots (all styles) are $69-99, so big savings over UK prices.

mamamoi

jeanniebeanie wrote: »

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We have in the past, booked the first night in a hotel (because we usually land late evening) then just found a letting agency next morning (there are several on the US 27). They just gave us several sets of key lock box codes and directions and let us choose a villa that suits!

Good Luck!

Hey Jeanniebeanie, I have been thinking about this option some more and it might work as we get there a few days before the rest.... If nothing comes up beforehand we will prob stick with the 4bed townhouse (if we can trust that the company have got this one for us!) and try this option the first week before everyone else arrives and just look at booking a larger property for the 2 weeks that we are all together?

Is it easy enough to do? There does seem to be plenty of availability left but the quotes are coming in at $5000-6000. Do you have any particular recomendations of letting agencies that you have done this with? Any advice will be appreciated.

Sorry everyone..... I don't want to hijack this thread but with 3 weeks to go we are in a bit of a pickle!

mamamoi

atro1 wrote: »

mamamoi

Also you could complain to. http://centralflorida.bbb.org/

Good luck.

Thanks for this, we have registered a complaint with these and found that they have had 9 major complaints lodged again pro vacation rental http://www.proflrentals.com/ in the past year. Ranging from false advertising to refunds etc plus they have a courtcase going on at the moment, but that was all confidential so they couldnt give us anymore info.

Please avoid this company like the plague!!!!!

disney_cjd

mamamoi wrote: »

With less than 4 weeks to go before our first trip fo Florida & Disney we get a very nasty surprise.
The company we booked our 6 bedroom villa through: pro vacation rentals
http://www.proflrentals.com/ emailed my FIL (who made the booking) saying that due to a foreclosure on the villa assigned to us they were cancelling our booking and offering us a refund. Obviously at this late stage a refund is useless.... we need a villa. There are 10 of us meeting up there, us from UK and inlaws from different parts of Canada.

FIL kicked off and told them to sort it out and they have come back to us offering a 4 bed townhouse for 'almost nothing' (whatever that means). The townhouse in the link they have provided looks way too small for 7 adults & 3 kids. Especially after we were expecting a luxury villa with pool and loads of space etc. The townhouse has access to a communal pool, but not a private one.

We have contacted the 'central florida vacations management assoc' who are looking into this for us, but we haven't heard anything back yet and we are starting to panic.

The 4 bed townhouse will remain as our backup so then we at least have a place to stay, but it certainly won't be the holiday we were all hoping for in such cramped conditions. I am not looking forward to spending 3 1/2 weeks sharing a room with my husband & 2 daughters, especially as they are tiny rooms! We will also have to have someone stay on the pull out couch, which isn't ideal. We have tried getting quotes for 5-6 bed villas and as the inlaws are there for 5 weeks we are getting quotes in the region of $5000-6000usd. We paid $1700usd not incl pool heat etc for our original booking and I know that is a crazy price, but it was all confirmed and paid for and is what we have subsequently based our budgets on.

There have been a number of problems with pro vacation rentals along the way and I really do not recommend anyone to book with them. They have lied about sending out the contracts via registered mail to my FIL in Canada, as 3 weeks later he still has never recieved anything, they also took the balance of the money off his credit card 3 month earlier than agreed without notifying him.

Is there any advice or suggestions anyone can offer? Any other places we can go to complain other than the management assoc? Are the management assoc likely to be able to help us? Please help!!!!

mamamoi

Foreclosures do not happen over night. I think the company are perhaps being a little genrous with the truth! Do you know the address of where it was or the county and owners adn I can check for you?

Also why not use lastmin villas - they will do you OK and they are reputable. A 6 bed will be fine, its just things like dining space and pool loungers you need to be careful of.

Let me know if i can help in anyway
Cheers
Craig

mamamoi

disney_cjd wrote: »

Foreclosures do not happen over night. I think the company are perhaps being a little genrous with the truth! Do you know the address of where it was or the county and owners adn I can check for you?

Also why not use lastmin villas - they will do you OK and they are reputable. A 6 bed will be fine, its just things like dining space and pool loungers you need to be careful of.

Let me know if i can help in anyway
Cheers
Craig

Thanks Craig, I was hoping you might offer some advice.

I have asked my FIL if he got any details with address etc, will let you know, but I don't think he did. He has been given the run around by them for the past couple of months whenever hes asked for paperwork, address etc. They said that all the paperwork was sent out by registered post at the end of OCT but he's never recieved anything.... then 2 weeks later they say that they have cancelled our booking due to the foreclosure. I don't think they ever sent anything out and have just been stalling for time.

Do you think the management assoc will likely be able to do anything for us? The initial woman my FIL spoke to from there seemed to think that the offer of the 4bed townhouse was a good compromise from them!

Thanks, Moira

disney_cjd

mamamoi wrote: »

Thanks Craig, I was hoping you might offer some advice.

I have asked my FIL if he got any details with address etc, will let you know, but I don't think he did. He has been given the run around by them for the past couple of months whenever hes asked for paperwork, address etc. They said that all the paperwork was sent out by registered post at the end of OCT but he's never recieved anything.... then 2 weeks later they say that they have cancelled our booking due to the foreclosure. I don't think they ever sent anything out and have just been stalling for time.

Do you think the management assoc will likely be able to do anything for us? The initial woman my FIL spoke to from there seemed to think that the offer of the 4bed townhouse was a good compromise from them!

Thanks, Moira

Hi Moira

I did have one thought. Did you book travel insurance? The reason I ask is that 1700 bucks is a good price and it may be that you can not get the saem 6 bed for that price so you may be able to claim on your insurance for the price difference.

Also did you pay by credit card? If so then you could claim the difference from them.

The management association may help but alas there are so many management companies out there and so many are not up to it. There are loads that indeed are up to it and are great but its a minefield. I would also try the BBB Better Business Bueru and lodge a complaint with them they are good.

Now the cynic in me had another thought. Maybe the house IS available still BUT they have been offered more money for it! Thats why the address is a good idea to get and we can check. Do you have a link to the villa you booked maybe?

Hope that helps a little
Craig

mamamoi

disney_cjd wrote: »

Hi Moira

I did have one thought. Did you book travel insurance? The reason I ask is that 1700 bucks is a good price and it may be that you can not get the saem 6 bed for that price so you may be able to claim on your insurance for the price difference.

Also did you pay by credit card? If so then you could claim the difference from them.

The management association may help but alas there are so many management companies out there and so many are not up to it. There are loads that indeed are up to it and are great but its a minefield. I would also try the BBB Better Business Bueru and lodge a complaint with them they are good.

Now the cynic in me had another thought. Maybe the house IS available still BUT they have been offered more money for it! Thats why the address is a good idea to get and we can check. Do you have a link to the villa you booked maybe?

Hope that helps a little
Craig

My FIL booked it on his credit card, What do you mean when you say we could claim the difference from them?

We only had an email of a potential 6bed back in Jan, they said that they allocate properties closer to the time. Is this common practice? I'll have a root through my old emails and see if they gave anymore clarification.

Like you, I'm a bit of a cynic & also thought that they might have been offered more $$$ for the property, guess without the address we'll never know, but I'll ask my FIL.