To have expected that the owners of this holiday let would not be living in the building.

Frankly the fact they left out selected bits when translating sounds even more dubious, OP

I wouldn't mind so much, but in my case I double checked the parking and in writing, and STILL they lied and then had the honest review deleted

I get that these sites want to create the impression of having the "best" properties, but to me this doesn't seem the way to go about it

I can't speak for Vrbo, but AirB&B at least will remove reviews the host doesn't like

It happened to me, when a key feature (parking on premises) was advertised but not there, so perhaps any other comments about the owners' presence have been zapped

For this time of year in France and that style of property (even disregarding the noisy owners) thats definitely not a bargain.

Lots of people prefer not to rent somewhere with the owner on-site and many don't mind ...but its usually made clear in the ad'.

There are lots of owners who, if they are on-site would consider noisy renters banging about late at night and early morning every day to be quite inconsiderate and be none to pleased.

I think you have had the entire home as described and if you pad what is coming up as the nightly fee have actually had a bargain.

Any update?

@WatchingCometsLandhow have you got on since getting home with compensation etc?

m

Well that's me not booking anything through Vrbo then, and I was looking for next year. What a bunch of shysters.

Op wondering if you checked out yet ? If so how did it go ?

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.vrbo.com

You're asking for a full refund despite staying in the property for the full duration of your holiday, have I got that right? That's not a reasonable expectation and isn't going to happen.

I sense you are dealing with Le Cheeky Fuckers in both your hosts and Vrbo.

Their "Book with Confidence" guarantee (!!!) is here

https://www.vrbo.com/lp/b/bwc-guarantee

Notably, it says "Seek a refund from the host prior to seeking a refund from Vrbo."

In other words, they can't be arsed.

They do, however, list this as a scenario covered by their guarantee:

c. Material Defects at Properties on Vrbo Sites: Vrbo is not a party to the rental agreement and Vrbo does not own or operate the homes listed on its site. Nevertheless, Vrbo will assist when an undisclosed material defect makes a property inherently unusable or violates a Vrbo policy in manner that cannot be promptly remedied. It would be impossible for these Terms to list all scenarios where this may be the case. Rather than limit this provision to only provide coverage in a small number of listed scenarios, Vrbo will use commercially reasonable and fair judgment to determine whether a defect is material or not. By way of example only, the following misrepresentations are material defects:
i. The stated number of bedrooms or bathrooms is incorrect
ii. The physical location of the property varies significantly from the listing
iii. A health and safety hazard prevents staying at the property
Objections related to cleanliness and minor amenities that are not operating properly are not considered material defects and will not be covered by these Terms unless they create a health and safety hazard or violate a Vrbo policy. Pools and hot tubs with significant and lasting issues preventing use are eligible. All reports of a material defect at the property must be made to Vrbo promptly after arrival at the property or appearance of the defect. If the listing details disclosed the defect and a guest rented the property despite this, the defect will not be covered under these Terms.

The moral of this story is that Vrbo is a terrible way to book a holiday. I'm never going to consider them a reputable bookings operator and will make every effort to advise others about this.

Like PPs I am suspicious of the rave reviews on their site (not just for this property) and suspect they are skewed somewhat by the close interactions they force with the property owners, including mutual feedback. I had a pretty awful stay in one of their properties but was too scared to review it honestly in case the owner gave me a low score that would negatively impact any future bookings.

In short, Vrbo are just in it for the money.

What does it say in their T&Cs about refunds?

Contact JVS at 3 Counties radio

He is amazing at sorting things like this

I used to rent out with VRBO. After the first night they release the funds to the host less their fees. Any issues you need to tell them day one so they hold onto the cash.

OMG that is appalling. Did you mention that the host is dismissive of your very valid concerns?

I could live with them on site, but not with the noise late evening/early morning. That's taking the piss.

Protecting the pool is a legal requirement in France. It doesn't really matter what the photos show or not, they are wrong.

I would ask for a partial refund. Being able to sleep is a non-negotiable requirement for me on holiday. VRBO is quite difficult to work with though I think, if you can I would negotiate with the owners directly.

I agree that your complaints are legitimate, OP, and I'm sorry your back hurts along with everything else. I hope you get a satisfactory outcome in the end.

However - if you're still there - the place does have amazing views and you're in a beautiful, fascinating part of France. Do make the most of it! Please don't let your annoyance ruin your enjoyment. Take yourselves out for some gorgeous meals and explore whichever of the region's many features interest you.

As you've been sleeping so badly, there must be a decent chance of being able to sleep through the van sounds by now.

I feel for you as I'm "the booker" in the family and hate it when I think I've made an error, but I think this listing is intentionally misleading. There is no mention of owners sharing the property, and Vrbo's main advertising tagline is that you have the whole property, and nonwhere does it mention apartment I have major issues with Vrbo, Airbnb, etc as it is often difficult to properly visualise a space, though occasionally a floor plan is included which is helpful. I think you are totally within your rights to complain to Vrbo and the owners and to ask for a major discount. 10/10 reviews are a bit suspect tbh and the issue with the vans leaving the property would really irritate me.