06/02/2024
EVOLVE VACATION RENTAL COMPANY is a SCAM:
We have been in the vacation rental space for 8 years with a 5 star rating in 3 states. We decided to find PM to help us scale our business to a fourth state. We engaged Evolve. What a nightmare:
1) Lack of transparency and inconsistencies in their internal policies so it is difficult to get proper help from their "Success" team when they give conflicting information.
2) We are listed as a quiet retreat space as an alternative the raucous downtown Nashville scene. We have a no parties rule and Quiet Hours because we are in a serene historical farm community just 15 minutes from the heart of the city. The clients we book ourselves are looking rest and discretion (some are recuperating out patients from nearby hospitals) and all of this is clearly stated in our policy and description with Evolve including an "age requirement" to book with us. Eleven of the bookings we received from Evolve were under the age of our booking requirement, threw parties, that ended up with complaints from our neighbors, broken antiques, glitter in our carpets and vomit in our beds. We were present for all of these incidents in the adjoined apartment because our county requires "owner occupation".
3) When we filed our complaints Evolve refused to fulfill them. Infact, Joel on Evolve's Success team alluded that our claims "may be fradulent" despite providing the requested proof of pictures and receipts.
4) When we asked Evolve to honor our booking requirements, they said they would, but then ignored them. The last and final guest they sent was under the drinking age. We refused the access and cancelled the remainder of our booking with Evolve
5) Evolve is charging us $250 for cancel a contract they breached repeatedly, plus 50% fine on the terrible future bookings we cancelled in an effort to protect our property and reputation.
6)Evolves' Success Team (Connor and Joel) both blamed Airbnb for Evolve's inability to vet or uphold any kind of standards in booking.
7) Before this awful year trying to work with Evolve on our new TN property we worked with VRBO and Airbnb directly for our other properties for 8 years. Both of which treated us and our guests as promised, and in-keeping with the same policies we held with Evolve.
8)Both VRBO and Airbnb have always held quality of experience and safety FIRST, however Evolve "pimpish" practices are simple out for the quick and easy buck despite putting owners, their properties and, respectful guests at risk.
9) With Evolve all you get is shoddy, wide net marketing without any vetting. The Owner still has to do EVERYTHING else. We had hoped that that would still be a value add for us to gain back some time for scaling our business. INSTEAD we ended up spending HOURS on the phone with EVOLVE over multiple failures to deliver, incidents with destructive rowdy underaged guests, and now EXTORTED FEES for cutting bait. In a word, Evolve is "AWFUL".
10) Hire a real PM or Marketer, or like us do it yourself. You'll save time, money and your reputation. DON'T WORK WITH EVOLVE.
