My complaint is the result of booking a vacation home at The Emerald Island Resort in Kissimmee Florida over Christmas with Mrs. Richards. The following is the cover letter sent to the consumer relations department in Florida regarding my experience:
I have filed a complaint with your department online. As requested, I present the following supporting documentation, including my original contract and the entire correspondence which between myself and
Mrs. Berni Richards.
I understand that this was a private rental booking, although this vacation home appears on many Florida tourist websites, and that the phrase Caveat Emptor applies when engaging in such a transaction.
However, given the large number of persons that book vacation homes in the Kissimmee area, I feel there should be some type of system which tracks the quality of not only the homes rented, but the integrity
of the persons doing the renting. Trip Advisor has many stories of unhappy renters, and they will only publish information regarding holidays that are booked through recognized travel agencies. Many of these homes are independently rented, but their behavior reflects on
the entire industry. It also should be noted that many of these homes are now in a very dilapidated state due to the foreclosure crisis. The pools and decks of these homes are black with mold, and we were thankful during our visit that the houses on either side of us were still
occupied, though many on the street were abandoned.
Surely there must come a point where these properties become a health hazard The correspondence which I have included is complete and unedited. I admit that I became quite angry towards the end of the correspondence, but I feel that my frustration at the completely
erroneous and unsubstantiated allegations presented by this person was understandable. The rental was a gift from my sister and myself for my mother's 60th
birthday. The contract was entered into in good faith, and we took exemplary care of the house during our stay. We cleaned the house, emptied the fridge, washed, folded and put away all of the laundry, refilled soap, dish liquid, laundry and paper supplies as was requested.
All garbage was removed from not only the house, but the property, (taken to the resort's compactor) and the small bit that was left wasplaced in the bins by the street for pick-up. (The day we left was garbage day). Thankfully, my mother & sister are not aware of this
turn of events; they have delightful memories of our holiday and I wouldn't spoil that for worlds.
The excuses for not returning my deposit changed regularly during the progression of our conversations, and were flimsy and unsubstantiated. I am a respected businessperson in my community, and have never had my honesty or my integrity questioned. I have never received the final reckoning regarding supposed damage; the last correspondence I received was January 27th, as attached.
As it happened, I had occasion to return to Florida within two weeks of our departure from Kissimmee. While in Tampa, I did offer to meet Mrs. Richards and discuss the matter in person, and view any damages she felt we caused. She declined.
I don't expect to receive my money. This woman is a British citizen, living in Britain, and I am pretty sure that I have little recourse. I do feel obligated, however, to expose her fraud with the limited means
available to me, and if I can prevent anyone else from having their holiday ruined it will be satisfaction enough. It has put me off future visits to the area, which is a shame. My family & I enjoy the Disney
experience, even with the madness Christmas in Orlando brings, and had visited frequently before this. It will be a while before the bad taste left from this experience fades.
Cheryl
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada
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