Fake Hono Koa rental ad on VRBO

[rickandcindy23]

https://www.vrbo.com/1291229

This ad says it's Hono Koa, says it's a timeshare, but it is not Hono Koa at all, and not one picture is of Hono Koa. What kind of scam is this?

The guy emailed me back, his name is Tim. I told him this is not Hono Koa at all. I am renting a week for mid-March at Hono Koa and saw this ad for this cheap rental and thought I would never get what I am asking, and then I saw it's a timeshare that starts on a TUESDAY, and it's not Hono Koa at all. Hono Koa starts on Wednesday. What this could be is a rental of Hono Koa as an RCI Points reservation, those could start on a Tuesday, but the pictures are WAY off.

 

[geist1223]

Most of the pictures look like the Hono Koa we stayed at in August to include inside the condo, the pool, and wood platform that use to allow beach access. Some of the beach pictures appear to be the Park down the street. The ones that show the large building with balconies that appears to be stucco or cement looks like the timeshare next door.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Okay, the guy changed the pictures. Of course, he had to change the pictures because they were totally inaccurate, obviously of a very upscale resort not on the islands.

He had totally different pictures, including pictures of a unit decorated with heavy draperies, gold, with sheers, two living room sofas, gold in color, facing one another, a kitchen with dark wood cabinets, etc. Not one picture of the interior was accurate, so I turned him in for having the wrong pictures. I did an online chat with someone at VRBO.

His excuse was that the picture quality requirement was too high for the pictures he could find on the web. He is also renting an RCI Points reservation, not anything he owns. He has 3 weeks he booked for May, and he is renting the entire stay, starting on Tuesday. He doesn't own that, which explains why the pictures were all wrong. He actually copied some of my pictures from my Craig's List ad, which I find annoying.

 

[geist1223]

I thought RCI had a Policy of not allowing renting out. So if you really want to ruin his day Report him to RCI.

 

[rickandcindy23]

No, I don't want to report anyone for that. He was advertising with made up pictures and admitted it. I don't ever turn people into RCI. I don't have the audacity to do such a thing. I am not the timeshare police, but when it's my resort someone is renting, and I notice the pictures are completely different from reality (those pictures were of a fancy house or something), then I have to complain, especially when I am trying to rent an oceanfront unit for whale season and haven't even had a nibble. It's just annoying.