Home rental cancellation 2020 USNA Commissioning Week

Jtjr1972 said:
I was just told by the people that we had a rental agreement with (midsrent.com) that obviously they could not rent their house to us anymore due to the coronavirus and Maryland's stay at home order. This makes sense and is completely understandable. The issue I have is that they are refusing to refund our money. They said they "might " give us half of our money back because cancellation will happen outside of 30 days (our contract allows us to cancel up to 30 days and get 50% refund). I understand this is a trying time for many families but they technically cancelled the rental, not me. My question to everyone is has anyone else had their rental cancelled and had the owner refuse to refund their money? Am I being unreasonable?
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Contest charges on credit card. Credit card company recommended to wait til day of no check in. Obviously the service you paid for wasn’t available. That’s ur easiest and best bet. We just did this over a condo in Maui. State shut down but condo still said no reimbursement. We got our money back!
 
Just Dad said:
I've been waiting for the USNA to issue some kind of word on whether 2020 Graduation is "on or off'. DD has been advised that graduation won't be as usual this year. She has also been surveyed for her preferences for smaller ceremonies, but unless I missed something the USNA has not advised Parents/Family that CL2020 graduation will not be open to them.

I have zero doubt that the USNA will do its best to recognize USNA Class of 2020 in this difficult year. That said, it would sure be nice if they'ed provide us with word on whether there will be a graduation ceremony in Annapolis that parents are invited to attend. There are plane tickets and accommodation rentals to address. The plane tickets are easy; it will be the vague terms of Vrbo contracts that will be difficult. We've prepaid about $4K on a house for 9days in May, our window for a full refund passed back in January. DW has tried to start a conversation on what portion the fee should be refunded, but, in the absence of notice from the USNA that graduation is canceled (for family), DW stopped short of specifically canceling the rental in her communication, and the owner has not replied (probably for the same reason).

If the USNA issued a statement that CL2020 graduation (involving family) is "OFF"; we could get the process of figuring out this $$$ stuff started. In the meantime, us parents see our notice to property owners getting closer to our rental periods with refunds likely shrinking in the bargin.

I guess I should ask. Did l miss something? Has the USNA provided notice to Parents that 2020 graduation is off?
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It is my understanding from a video posted by the Dant via IG that an announcement regarding several scheduling updates should be expected sometime today.
 
I want to follow-up on my first post to this thread for others interested in recovering on pre-paid lodging related to commissioning week.
We received notice from Vrbo that our prepayment would be returned in full. The notice said that payments would be coming back to us over time in 3 installments. I assume because $$ were already spent on something else; maybe on the owners "get out of dodge" accommodations (which has us in the same boat).

For others worried about the recoverability of rental payments. My experience teaches that what was needed in discussion with the homeowner was a definitive statement from the renter (Me) that under existing circumstances the underlying purpose of the rental no longer exists and travel to Annapolis to affect the purpose of the rental was (given ages of travelers/renters) impossible; that these circumstances were occasioned by the covid19 virus itself, and the actions of the US Government related to the Virus.

We got a nice note back from the Home Owner that she would pursue a refund, and notice today that cash would be flowing back to us. I also want to note that the contract/proposal DW had signed up for required "90days notice for a full refund" and was silent re refunds involving a shorter notice of cancelation. Whether a case of "doing the right thing" or recognizing that circumstance and a contract open to interpretation would like result in a significant refund+costs our Vrbo reservation is canceled and refunded in full.

Our plan at the moment is for DW, DD#2 and me to attend whatever Graduation Ceremony we are invited to. We'll just pick up a room somewhere. They shouldn't be in short supply.

Timing of the Dant communication (today 4/7) dosen't sound promising though.
 
My VRBO refund (100% free cancellation) took 3 weeks to get.
First they said a couple days, then a couple weeks.
Seems if they can take your money instantly at time of booking, they could refund it at time of cancellation.
Computers being what they are.
 
Curious about the outcome of OP? Lots of future commissioning week parent readers here. I must say, if not a positive outcome, I would hesitate to book through that company, and would instead book with one of the other two ‘big name’ companies. Commissioning week is a chunk of $$!
 
The first place I had booked was cancelled with no explanation and then advertised at a higher rate (ostensibly because they figured out that my reservation made in January was for part of Commissioning week). The joke is on them though. They still haven't re-booked it. Ha. ;)

I have a replacement place (nicer place, closer to Yard) booked and have exchanged PMs with the owner. I still have until April 29th to cancel with a full refund.
 
justdoit19 said:
and would instead book with one of the other two ‘big name’ companies.
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VRBO, aka Home Away is probably the biggest.
To be fair (I hate to be fair) I have rented via VRBO at least a dozen times and never had any issues, including cancellations.
 
Did you do this through a credit card? If so easy, charge back the credit card. If not, threaten them with small claims court. Tell them that theyre in breach of a contract amd will have to pay court costs, etc if it gets to that. Might give you a 50% refund? Who do they think they are? You should play hardball here.
 
If you paid by credit card, you could dispute the charge if they are the ones who cancelled.
 
I woke up to a very unhappy 1C Mid this morning (4/10). I haven't seen anything in writing, yet but DD was a little teary, and she said that the CL of 2020 will have a virtual graduation ceremony and that commissioning week is canceled.

Not a big surprise, here.

It's hard on her. Not as much for the ceremony/parties/celebrations stuff. Its "I won't get to see the people that I went through this place with, we all will go our separate ways. I will never see some of them again".

So, just a quick plan B question/s ("we are where we are; what now").

1) What I will hope for now is a notice from the USNA recalling Mids or at least 1Cs to USNA, before the graduation date. No stadiums packed with people, no speakers, no week of activities for Mom, Dad, GPa-GMa. For my DD, spending a few final days as a Mid with here classmates checks 80% of her commissioning week wants; (95% for me). So question #1: I haven't seen the formal notice myself, and it wasn't the time to ask DD questions about the message content she'd read. Recognizing that there will be no commissioning week, does anybody have info, or a sense for, the possibility of Mids or 1Cs to be recalled to the Yard in May?
If that doesn't happen

2) I think that the long tent pole in travel restrictions was the DoD directive not to travel that runs through May 13. Is this correct? Has the USNA issued any kind of extension of travel restriction beyond May 13? It would be nice to send her back there so she could at least huddle with mids living in/around DC, rather than virtually graduate sitting alone in the family living room (wow... that's a sad mental picture). She already has a good-sized Apt in GTown shared with 3 other Mids. A cancelable airline ticket and sh,e is good to go.

No need for comments regarding "civic responsibility" on Q#2. There has been much progress made in this medical boondoggle, a long way to go between now and May 13th. Buying a plane ticket, ain't like putting on 5days of activities for 10 thousand people. If it aint safe or allowed it won't happen.

Kudos to USNA on this, It appears they held their cards as long as they could, on this decision. My posts about waiting for a decision and rental fees weren't intended as complaints about the way this whole thing has been handled. I always gripe at my dentist before he shoves in a novocaine needle, but we both know he's working in my best interest.
 
Hey, @Just Dad, head over to this forum for discussion...

Commissioning Week Statement from USNA

USNA CANCELS ALL PUBLIC COMMISSIONING WEEK 2020 EVENTS ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The U.S. Naval Academy formally announced April 10th the cancellation of all Commissioning Week 2020 public events due to the coronavirus pandemic. “This was a very difficult decision to come to,” said 63rd Superintendent...
www.serviceacademyforums.com

BTW...My youngster is upset to not see the Firsties, too. NOT as devastating as Firstie news, but know that they are super special people, just yanked away :(
 
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justdoit19 said:
Hey, @Just Dad, head over to this forum for discussion...

Commissioning Week Statement from USNA

USNA CANCELS ALL PUBLIC COMMISSIONING WEEK 2020 EVENTS ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The U.S. Naval Academy formally announced April 10th the cancellation of all Commissioning Week 2020 public events due to the coronavirus pandemic. “This was a very difficult decision to come to,” said 63rd Superintendent...
www.serviceacademyforums.com

BTW...My youngster is upset to not see the Firsties, too. NOT as devastating as Firstie news, but know that they are super special people, just yanked away :(


Thanks for the vector 19, I've been trying not to post non-admissions stuff over there, but it looks like a better place form my questions.

Your post has me remembering May 2017. DD had completed plebe year and was home here in Seattle. She flew back USNA for 3 of the 10days of leave she had because a graduating Mid had asked her to be a "First Salute". I get it, and thank you. She hasn't been easy to have around these last couple of weeks, and I sometimes forget how much that place and those people mean to her. THANKS FOR THAT REMINDER.
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I was able to cancel my AirBnB this morning for a full refund. I feel bad for the homeowner, really. If there was any way I could have delayed my reservation to a later time I would have done it, but the host was only renting through the month of May.
 
THParent said:
I was able to cancel my AirBnB this morning for a full refund. I feel bad for the homeowner, really. If there was any way I could have delayed my reservation to a later time I would have done it, but the host was only renting through the month of May.
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It’s not just commissioning week either, although I understand that’s the biggie. But potentially (probably) iday, parents weekend. Perhaps others. Games. I have no idea but my point is that that hosts are probably THINKING about these potential losses of income.

I have two different stays booked for certain times. Refundable. One host reached out to me that they heard “rumors” of that event changing and wanted to know if I had heard anything (no).

I’m sure the rumor mill in Annapolis is even more abuzz than the forums and Facebook pages. What is the buzz about Annapolis? Any locals care to share?

There are no winners here. Anywhere. Tragic.
 
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