Malta Trip In early December 2013, I began looking for seaside properties on VRBO (www.vrbo.com) for a vacation I was planning for my family (wife & three children) and my parents. My wife and I were married in Mosta Dome in 1995, as were my parents, who were married there in 1962. My mother Gina Calleja was born; and raised in Malta until she was married and moved to the U.S. in 1962. This was to be the trip of a lifetime to introduce our kids to their Maltese heritage, especially through the eyes of their grandmother.
On December 18, 2013, I received a reply and offer from someone named Roderick using an email account belonging to Chris Cachia who is the owner of several properties, including Villa Blueberry Hills. Villa Blueberry was advertised and marketed as a Marsaxlokk property. We agreed to a price of €3,000 for the dates of 26-Mar thru 16- April, 2014. Rather than complete the reservation and submit the payment through VRBO as is customary and would have been preferred (VRBO protects tenants against fraud), I was instructed instead to send two payments via wire transfer to Chris Cachia’s Bank of Valletta account. I now believe he chose this payment method to avoid a possible chargeback. Two transfers were made: the first on 16 Jan 2014 in the amount of €750 for the deposit; the second for the balance on 3 Feb 2014 in the amount of €2250. Incidentally, no rental agreement was ever presented or signed. On 6 Mar, I was sent an email instructing me to call a woman by the name of Josette who would meet us at the villa to check us in and give us the keys. I would need to give her an additional €300 in cash as a refundable security deposit. No receipt was given.
On 26 March, our family of 7 arrived in Malta, exhausted after a 30 hour journey from California and Arizona. I called Josette to let her know we had arrived and were on our way to the property. We rented two cars and hired a taxi to follow us with our 10 pieces of luggage. Josette was waiting for us at the villa. She gave us a quick tour of the property, collected the €300, gave us the keys and left. She informed us she lived next door at Villa Strawberry and to call her or just come over to the house with any questions or problems. Within 15 minutes of Josette leaving, we realized the villa, was in fact, not located in the seaside fishing village of Marsaxlokk, but was instead located in the relatively unknown village of Zejtun.
We immediately texted Josette, who actually happens to be Chris Cachia’s wife. I also walked over to her home next door and knocked on the door, but she would not answer despite all of us having seen her enter the house. Next, I sent an email to Roderick advising him that we were upset to realize that we were not in Marsaxloxx. Roderick responded and acknowledged that there was an error in the VRBO listing and that it was VRBO’s mistake. There was nothing he could do and was waiting to hear back from the owner. The fact is all property descriptions on VRBO are exclusively created, designed and submitted by the property owners.
Holiday Villas Malta Reviews
Malta Trip In early December 2013, I began looking for seaside properties on VRBO (www.vrbo.com) for a vacation I was planning for my family (wife & three children) and my parents. My wife and I were married in Mosta Dome in 1995, as were my parents, who were married there in 1962. My mother Gina Calleja was born; and raised in Malta until she was married and moved to the U.S. in 1962. This was to be the trip of a lifetime to introduce our kids to their Maltese heritage, especially through the eyes of their grandmother.
On December 18, 2013, I received a reply and offer from someone named Roderick using an email account belonging to Chris Cachia who is the owner of several properties, including Villa Blueberry Hills. Villa Blueberry was advertised and marketed as a Marsaxlokk property. We agreed to a price of €3,000 for the dates of 26-Mar thru 16- April, 2014. Rather than complete the reservation and submit the payment through VRBO as is customary and would have been preferred (VRBO protects tenants against fraud), I was instructed instead to send two payments via wire transfer to Chris Cachia’s Bank of Valletta account. I now believe he chose this payment method to avoid a possible chargeback. Two transfers were made: the first on 16 Jan 2014 in the amount of €750 for the deposit; the second for the balance on 3 Feb 2014 in the amount of €2250. Incidentally, no rental agreement was ever presented or signed. On 6 Mar, I was sent an email instructing me to call a woman by the name of Josette who would meet us at the villa to check us in and give us the keys. I would need to give her an additional €300 in cash as a refundable security deposit. No receipt was given.
On 26 March, our family of 7 arrived in Malta, exhausted after a 30 hour journey from California and Arizona. I called Josette to let her know we had arrived and were on our way to the property. We rented two cars and hired a taxi to follow us with our 10 pieces of luggage. Josette was waiting for us at the villa. She gave us a quick tour of the property, collected the €300, gave us the keys and left. She informed us she lived next door at Villa Strawberry and to call her or just come over to the house with any questions or problems. Within 15 minutes of Josette leaving, we realized the villa, was in fact, not located in the seaside fishing village of Marsaxlokk, but was instead located in the relatively unknown village of Zejtun.
We immediately texted Josette, who actually happens to be Chris Cachia’s wife. I also walked over to her home next door and knocked on the door, but she would not answer despite all of us having seen her enter the house. Next, I sent an email to Roderick advising him that we were upset to realize that we were not in Marsaxloxx. Roderick responded and acknowledged that there was an error in the VRBO listing and that it was VRBO’s mistake. There was nothing he could do and was waiting to hear back from the owner. The fact is all property descriptions on VRBO are exclusively created, designed and submitted by the property owners.