The new HomeAway fees, irate customers, media coverage and what you can do

Homeaway Communities has some pretty active forum threads. They have allowed them to remain on the site, but I believe they do delete some of the comments.

There is a class action suit filed by one gentleman, filed in Texas where HomeAway is based.

There's a lot of scuttlebutt about starting up owner-owned and operated sites for listings. Also a lot of little startups are appearing. I personally don't think any of these will gain any traction in the short run. My hope is that a bigger player steps in soon and just creates a mega-classifieds service and is satisfied with taking in subscription fees. To me the guest fee wasn't the most egregious problem, it was the gradual and incessant need for Homeaway/VRBO to control and micromanage the owners' business. The stick vs. the carrot approach is also not working for them. The first good high profile alternative that appears in the marketplace, and you'll see a mass exodus of homeowners. In the meantime, many of us are beefing up our websites, using social media, and diversifying as much as we can.

I agree with Nancy. And I've been told about HomeEscape.com as an owner-centric alternative. I just put my listings up there, we'll see what happens.