A WARNING for anyone booking through Airbnb … I have used Airbnb many times, in many countries for several years without significant issues.
However I have just had an experience that you should be aware of when dealing with this company. If your Host cancels your home (the one you made months in advance) two weeks before your trip, Airbnb will refund your money. Then, when you discover there is no similar place to stay at a comparable price … well, tough luck.
The cancellation by our host in Boston has resulted in nearly a $1000 increase in expenses for housing at a place that is not nearly what we wanted or as nice as what we had reserved.
The customer service agent simply kept repeating from his script that he "understood my frustration but there was nothing more he could do" than refund my original payment. It isn't like he didn't know what my rebooking cost as I rebooked through Airbnb.
I asked to simply not have additional costs as a result of their host canceling and he just kept repeating his scripted language. This is definitely something to be aware of when booking reservations as it would not happen at a hotel or bed and breakfast. I do not know if VRBO has similar policies but is seems to me to be a horrible way to run a business!