Penn Forest Township, Carbon County (Wbre/Wyou) – A New York family will finally return the thousands who have dumped a holiday rent in Poconos, which they call a “nightmare” reservation.
28/22 News talks to the family about what they found on arrival, including what they defined as the dangers of mold and safety.
The family can receive their $ 6,000 after fighting for months to reimburse the amount after reserving a home for rent in Carbon County.
As early as December 2024, the Shumak family gathered and headed for Pocins for their third annual New Year trip.
Remembering one of the best on Scranton
Expecting luxury and relaxation throughout the holiday, along with five other families travel to a home in Albratsville from the PA 534.
“I found this house and I went in and it wasn’t like the photos, completely wrong,” explained Jacqueline Shumak, Long Island.
Then the trip turned.
“Everything I had talked to the host before I went there was lied to,” Shumak said.
Shumak told 28/22 News that they had documented everything. Take photos and videos of what seems to be black mildew, filling parts of the home and hot tub, along with safety hazards, such as missing cabinet doors and exposed wires.
“The day before I contact the host for the hot bath and she said she was in a perfect working order, so we got there, she was full of mold, so she obviously didn’t work for a long time. There was a mold in the fridge, in the bathrooms. It was a complete nightmare,” Shumak explained.
Leaving to find another rent immediately, the family contacted the host and the VRBO reservation company, expecting a full refund of $ 6,000.
Initially, VRBO told her that the problems were “insignificant”, but later offered them half of the costs, stating that “their investigation determines that the property did not meet the criteria for a significant misconception.”
“No consumer should go through this. I think it’s absurd that it even has come so far for me,” Shumak said.
She has taken her story on social media and after months of contact with participants, Shumak says she was told on Thursday night that they will receive a full recovery.
Something they are grateful for, as well as the support of the community.
“Everyone was so supportive that it was amazing. I waited for people to go out and say things, but they were all just disgusting from the photos,” Shumak said.
The Carbon County House was hidden from the VRBO website during its investigation.
VRBO spokesman sent 28/22 news the following statement on Wednesday, March 19, before promising a full recovery of the host on Thursday, March 20:
“We want to guarantee that our guests have a positive experience and we sincerely regret that this was not the case.
We understand that this situation is challenging. While the recovery, which is not covered by our book with a guarantee of confidence (BWC), are at the discretion of the host, we want to ensure that D -Ja Shumak feels supported. As a courtesy, Vrbo offered her a 50%recovery, which she has decreased twice. This offer remains available to her, given her experience with the property. We hope this can help deal with her concerns.
As a background, VRBO has a full -time confidence and safety team that carefully reviews cases when health and safety concerns are taken into account. The team investigates Shumak’s allegations and determined that the property does not meet the criteria for a significant misconception.
The list remains hidden from our platform while working with the host of the right cleanliness procedures. “
Since then, VRBO has sent 28/22 News a statement indicating:
“VRBO provides a full restoration of G -Ja Shumak due to its experience with the property. The list remains hidden from our platform while working with the host on the right cleanliness and safety procedures. Our customer service team will be in contact to provide her with more information.”
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