A knife in the back
My experience with Outdoorsy was extremely disappointing. The very first day of the trip, several advertised amenities in the van were not functioning properly, resulting in unexpected out-of-pocket expenses. I contacted outdoorsy about the issue who suggested i apply for a 50% refund which i found unjust, so i requested a refund only for the unexpected extra expenses. Outdoorsy contacted the host who initially agreed to reimburse me for a smaller portion of these unforeseen costs (~35%), which i ultimately agreed to it so we could all move on from the situation. I expressed to an outdoorsy agent on a private chat that my review of my outdoorsy rental would reflect my entire experience so i would wait until the resolution of the issue before writing it... Weeeelp Unfortunately, this Outdoorsy agent apparently threatened the host with a negative review on my behalf and the situation deteriorated. Rather than helping facilitate the resolution that had already been offered, outdoorsy's involvement appeared to cause the host to reverse their position entirely. What started as a reasonable agreement between the host and me ended with no resolution at all. The most frustrating aspect is that Outdoorsy did not advocate for me or work to preserve the solution that was already on the table. Their mediation process actually made the outcome worse. Instead of helping both parties reach a fair conclusion, they effectively eliminated the only compensation that had been offered. I understand that disputes can be complicated, but I expected professionalism, competence, and customer advocacy from a platform that markets itself as a trusted intermediary and gets suuch a large cut! Instead, I experienced poor communication, ineffective mediation, and a complete failure to protect the customer experience. I cannot recommend Outdoorsy based on this experience. When problems arise, the true value of a platform is demonstrated by how it handles them. In my case, Outdoorsy’s involvement turned a manageable issue into a much worse one and i still have credit card expenses that i am struggling to pay but was very little money to the host and outdoorsy, especially after i spend over 1,500 with them! Sick to my stomach! Beware!