This is the review I wish I never had to write.
1. Upon entering the unit, we found a hair on the bed. We found a couple more on the sheets inside the covers. That was all we needed. I took pictures, and we exited the unit. After a 4 hour drive, we did not stay there. We ended up returning home. Happy Anniversary to us.
2. There was no way to contact the owner except via the VRBO/HomeAway portal. Since the owner elected this method, and did not supply a phone number (as many owners do), I used his chosen method to contact him immediately. I explained our situation. I asked for a refund. I followed the procedure for a complaint to the best of my ability.
3. He did not get back to me through the portal till the next day. He did text me late that night on my phone, but never called. He asked for the pictures of the hairs, which I immediately sent. He then denied that there were hairs and threatened to withhold my security deposit in addition to refusing a room-rate refund. I am sure he will tell a different story in his response to this review, but even that will tell you all you need to know. Good customer service would have been an immediate apology and at least an attempt to reconcile the situation. There has been none of this. The owner has even threatened my "reputation"! Wow. All of this is in writing in our communication and correspondence in the online portal. Very disappointing and extremely unpleasant for us overall.
4. We received no phone number, and very limited info upon booking -- this should have been a sign. The owner may argue he sent us links and all of that, but the VRBO system strips these out, and he should know that. Furthermore, he never made his phone number available, as many owners do.
Overall, this was an extremely negative experience for us, and I am out good money. That's my experience and the review I wish I never had to write.