Originally I had 3 properties with VRBO. This has been reduced to 2 as I have taken one away from them. VRBO seems to have lost its way since I joined. Originally it was a platform for matching landlords and guests and the website included contact details to enable the guest to communicate with the landlord immediately to negotiate prices, availability et cetera. Since Expedia bought VRBO out, they have sought to turn it into a cash cow and the whole philosophy and dynamic of the website has changed so that contact between the interested party and the landlord, and therefore any negotiations prior to renting out the property were prevented by Expedia, all payments have to be made through them both from the guest and also to the landlord for which fees are charged so that both the landlord and guest are a captive audience. Things have now come to a head. My standard form of contract requires that a deposit is paid and the balance paid 60 days before arrival. VRBO are now trying to impose upon me a regime that results in me being paid after the guest has checked in. This is in breach of my contract with the guest (which VRBO makes clear it is not a party to) and is also contrary to my agreement with VRBO. It totally wrecks my business model and cash flow. It also creates a dilemma for the guest. Obviously I can simply write to the guest and say that under the terms of the contract with me I must be paid 60 days before they arrive failing which I will have no option but to cancel the booking. They will argue that they have paid VRBO, to which I will respond that VRBO are trying to change my agreement with them to terms that I cannot accept. And so it goes on. VRBO have now sent me an (unsolicited) email inviting me to accept a new lengthy and complicated contract with them which will return to me being paid more or less in accordance with my contract with the guest, but fails to highlight that by signing up to their new agreement I will be waiving the right to participate in any of the class actions that have now been filed against them. Obviously this is unacceptable to me. If VRBO does not assure me that it will pay me upon receipt of funds from the guest rather than after check-in, I will have no option but to write to the guest and ask them to pay me direct in accordance with my agreement with them because I simply cannot afford to wait nearly 3 months for payment. I am retired and my business model and income depends upon the terms of my rental agreements with the guests being honoured timeously I have no doubt this will upset the guest as much as it upsets me, so I hope for a swift response from VRBO. Patrick O'Connor