Few questions

I have been trying to navigate vrbo.com ,but am too computer illiterate...I can%26#39;t seem to find anything. Can someone help me? Looking for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath or even better a 3 bedroom on the beach.

Also, do you know how far of a walk it is to the beach from the Gulf Shores Plantation condos? I know they have a boardwalk, but wanted to know how far we are talking about lol I have 4 kids and one is a new baby...don%26#39;t want to have to haul him too far.

Few questions

Here is a link to the GSP website. It has a map.

http://www.gulfshoresplantation.com/

Distance from the beach depends on which building you%26#39;re in and what unit. Also, the beach is pretty wide out there so even when you get on the beach it%26#39;s about 75 yards to the water.

Few questions

Gulf Shores Plantation is awesome and would be a good match for your family.

We always stay there.

On VRBO try looking in Morgantown. They have house rentals that are very fair priced.

I have been talking to a few vrbo people and was wondering if I am protected from fraudulent renters? Does anyone get scammed on there? My husband is worried so I am trying to convince him.

We have used VRBO for the last three years (4 times total - including last week in Panama City Beach). I always use the ';comments'; as my guide - you can see how long the unit has been rented and more importantly how it went for the people who rented the unit.

Prices are almost always better than what you can get if you rent directly from the unit.

VRBO does not protect you from fraud, unfortunately.

I, too, was VERY leary when I first tried VRBO. Most people you talk to on these forums highly recommend it, and only rarely do you hear of someone getting ripped off. The first time I attempted to use VRBO was for a condo in Panama City Beach last October. I talked to this owner and got a fabulous price. He said that he would send me a rental agreement for me to send back signed with my deposit. Well, weeks went by, I tried multiple times to contact him. I was getting very nervous b/c our vacation was getting close. I finally got in touch with him, and OOPS! He said that he ';forgot'; that I had booked his condo and he rented it to someone else. I was extremely leary after that, but ended up booking from a couple who ended up living about an hour from me in TN. They turned my impression around. They were great. We are renting at Ocean House in GS this October, and so far, are having a great experience with this owner, as well. Take it from someone who understands your feelings, you will be so happy with the money savings and less hassle of condo check-in. It is best to use your credit card, that way your cc company can back you if there are problems.

I have rented from VRBO or CRBO for the last 6 vacations, never had a problem. I have been happy with all my vacation rentals. I am sure there are some property owners who would take advantage, but luckily I think they are few and far between. The people who rent their condos are in the business to make money, if they get bad reviews, it doesn%26#39;t help them with future customers. I was like you, hestitant at first, but now I just review the comments previous guest have made, I also look at the smaller details of the rooms, does the balcony look dirty?, the age of the kitchen appliances, I also check out the travel review sites for comments regarding the pools, beach, grounds. Just do your research, go to google earth and check it out for the layout of the building and pools. Good luck

As a former owner at GSP I think we used to say it was 800 ft to the water--but it has a couple of boardwalks and is not a problem. There are even places to wash your feet at the water end.

I%26#39;m not too sure about the distance to the beach at GS Plantation condos, but I understand your concern. I%26#39;ll be traveling with a 6 mo old myself this year. You might check google earth like a pp suggested or try calling one of the property management companies that rents condos there.

In regards to vrbo.com, I have also used it several times, and luckily I%26#39;ve always had a wonderful experience. Like you, I was very leary at first. One time, we booked a condo on vrbo for a ski trip, and about 2 weeks after I mailed the check for the deposit, I found out I was pregnant, and definitely couldn%26#39;t go skiing. I let the owner know, and they refunded my money completely.

Like other posters said, just do your research, and read the comments section.

It is a long haul to the beach at GSP if you%26#39;re lugging around a lot of stuff. It%26#39;s aprox. 300 yards. The thing to be wary of on VRBO or other owner direct rental sites is that you have no recourse if they are fraudulent in their adverstising or when something goes wrong while you%26#39;re there and who will take care of it. I live here and have seen several places advertised on VRBO as being Gulf-front and they are actually across the street.I don%26#39;t think these owners are trying to intentionally mislead they just have little understanding of how specific you have to be. Just be a careful consumer and you should be fine.