Upon arrival my sister and I noted that the entire property was in urgent need of maintenance. We never received check-in instructions and called the number listed in the Expedia booking. The owner gave us access to our unit but as we opened the door, an overwhelming weed stench was pervasive throughout the apartment. So much so that we felt nauseous and developed headaches. The bedroom door showed signs of forced entry - cracked right down the middle and couldn't latch nor lock. There were several other safety concerns as well such as exposed electrical wiring, not to even mention the cleanliness issues.
We told the owner we could not stay in this place with 4 kids. He agreed to give us a refund. I told him I'd confirm via text to have it in writing, and he agreed via text as well, telling me he'd process the refund.
We scrambled to find alternative accommodations at a motel.
Several days later and with no sign of this refund, I called Expedia to follow up. They informed me that the owner refused to refund me because I was outside my cancellation window. It took many texts, calls to Expedia and had already started escalating it to my creditcard and travel insurance, before Expedia was able to convince this character to make good on his promise.