Update: This story has been updated with new details from Expedia. See below.
Vrbo, the vacation rental platform run by Seattle-based Expedia Group, is getting some blowback online for not following the lead of competitor Airbnb, which announced this week that it was blocking and canceling reservations in the Washington, D.C., area during the upcoming inauguration week.
Following the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, officials in D.C., including the city’s mayor and Metro Police, urged people not to travel from outside the area for the inauguration of President Elect Joe Biden.
In a blog post on Wednesday, Airbnb said it was “aware of reports … regarding armed militias and known hate groups that are attempting to travel and disrupt the Inauguration.” It said guests whose reservations are canceled will be refunded in full.
Expedia and Vrbo both put out statements on Friday. Vrbo said the safety of its guests and hosts is of the utmost importance and anyone planning to travel to D.C. next week was encouraged to follow local governmental regulations and check the latest news for updates.
Hello, will you please take action and refund all of the DC trips planned for the inauguration week!!! @Airbnb decided that the safety of their clients is more important that making them pay their fees. Will you please do the same? We’re begging you!
— G®EM (@grem_pls) January 14, 2021
“If you mistreat people, there’s no space for you on Vrbo. We reserve the right to remove anyone from our marketplace who violates these principles, and we are encouraging hosts to cancel bookings during this time if they believe a guest intends to violate these policies,” the blog post stated.
Expedia said in a tweeted statement that it was carefully evaluating bookings, activated crisis response teams and launched “extraordinary emergency procedures.”
Expedia Group is committed to partnering with government officials, law enforcement, and community leaders as they work to secure the nation’s capital leading up to the presidential inauguration. pic.twitter.com/H0tSfz4rpc
— Expedia Group (@ExpediaGroup) January 16, 2021
Sarah Gavin, VP of global communications for Expedia, told GeekWire Saturday that Vrbo has legitimate customers booked next week and it does not want to cancel on them.
“We are working to ensure that those people who are traveling and staying at a Vrbo are in D.C. for legitimate travel reasons,” Gavin said. “And we’re implementing extraordinary emergency procedures to assess all risks for existing and any new bookings in the D.C. area. And we’re working very closely with a number of different law enforcement agencies.”
With the steps Expedia has taken, Gavin added, “We feel like we’re doing the right thing.”
Buzzfeed News wrote about the rental saga on Friday, and interviewed a man who was planning to travel from California to the nation’s capital because he wanted to see the Biden swearing in. The man booked three nights in an apartment on Vrbo for a total of $900, but when he had second thoughts and reached out to Vrbo for a refund, he was reportedly denied.
@vrbo I’ve been a happy customer of yours for a while. In the wake of what just happened I’m begging you: #DontRentDC Jan 17-21
— Katy Otto (@exfkaty) January 11, 2021
Steve Schmidt, one of the founders of the anti-Trump group Project Lincoln, was among those calling out Expedia and Vrbo on Twitter on Saturday, urging the company to “be responsible” and “do good” and warning that the company’s CEO, board and senior management “don’t have what it takes” for a fight with Project Lincoln.
.@Expedia @vrbo Here is the deal. @ProjectLincoln and the majority of America detests sedition and chaos. We love democracy and the rule of law. Here is some free advice. I suggest you get your shit together immediately. You will feel immense pain if we fight. Cancel
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) January 17, 2021
Reservations and help secure DC. Do you really want to be the quartermasters and housing supply to the fascist, racist, violent, extremist mob that has attacked America? Be responsible. Do good. @ProjectLincoln is not playing games and trust me when I say this. Your CEO, Board
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) January 17, 2021
And Senior management do not have what it takes for this fight. Take the exit. We are watching. So are your investors and shareholders.
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) January 17, 2021
Gavin told GeekWire that she was attempting to get in touch with Schmidt and Project Lincoln to explain Expedia’s case on Saturday.
With the overall travel industry, and Expedia’s business, hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic for the past year, rental platforms have been one of the few spots to rebound. Expedia announced in July that gross bookings on Vrbo “increased significantly” in May and June compared to last year as “drive-to destinations” were one of the first segments of travel to recover from the global health crisis.
Expedia retired the HomeAway brand and brought its entire vacation rental portfolio under the Vrbo name last summer. Expedia paid $3.9 billion in 2015 to acquire HomeAway, which bought Vrbo in 2005.
Vrbo competes with Airbnb and is live in 15 countries.
Update, Monday, Jan. 18, 9:30 a.m. PT: Expedia Group issued a new press release on Monday morning expanding on the steps it is taking to bolster security related to those who use its Vrbo rental properties in the Washington, D.C., area this week.
Along with heightened screening measures for those booking rentals, Expedia said it has expanded Vrbo policies for cancellations and refunds for both travelers and partners. “In the event we cancel a reservation for security concerns, a host chooses to cancel a reservation, or a traveler decides to cancel a reservation, the guest will be refunded, and the host will be paid in full. This applies to the Washington, D.C., metro area and all U.S. state capitals through January 24, 2021,” Expedia said.
“We continue to support travel for individuals and families who are or plan to be in and around Washington, D.C. and all U.S. state capitals for legitimate and critical reasons,” the company added.
Update, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 10:30 a.m. PT: Expedia Group and Vrbo tweeted on Tuesday that new bookings in and around Washington, D.C., would be blocked through Friday. Expedia said it had received “updated guidance” on security threats.
Based on updated guidance provided by government officials regarding security threats, and as part of ongoing efforts to protect the safety of travelers, partners and communities, Expedia Group is blocking new @vrbo reservations in and around Washington, DC through Friday, 1/22.
— Expedia Group (@ExpediaGroup) January 19, 2021
