*DISCOUNT FOR LONG STAYS* in Manchester Centre

We booked an apartment months in advance for an event at AO Arena in Manchester from September 26-29. Our priorities were clear: proximity to the arena and a central location in town. Three days before our stay, we expected check-in instructions but received no information from the owner. We reached out through the Vrbo platform, but got no response. Finally, a day before our trip, we tracked down a phone number and were shocked to learn that the owner no longer had the apartment and had removed the listing! They casually told us to cancel and contact Vrbo. The lack of communication and responsibility was appalling. Vrbo seemed willing to help initially, but by the time we arrived in Manchester (after starting our journey at 3:45 am), the only message we received was at 17:46 that evening, simply stating that our payment had been refunded. We had to scramble to find a last-minute hotel that met our budget and needs (unfortunately, no kitchen as we originally wanted), and by the last day, we received a message from Vrbo saying, Thanks for staying with us! Tell us about your experience. How dare they? This experience was an absolute disaster—neither the owner nor Vrbo took any responsibility. We were lucky to find alternative accommodation ourselves, but I can’t imagine what others might go through in a similar situation. Vrbo, you need to do better!