Vrbo Lawsuit?

Location: Santa Clarita California

Ok this is going to sound fake and someone will probably say AI clickbait lol

Do I have a lawsuit w VRBO?

Booked a rental in Santa Clarita California in June. We added a night with the host earlier this week. We showed up around 5 and checked in. The place hadn’t been cleaned. Red flag but it happens. Message the host. She apologizes says she “will check with the cleaner” at this point we don’t want a cleaner to come in and take 2+ hours. Tell the host we will just do surface level cleaning. Wash sheets. That kind of stuff but expect a refund which she agrees to and refunds (looks like cleaning fee plus a little)

A few hours later we are in the app and it says our stay has been cancelled and the host says something like “sorry I had to cancel I will refund your trip”

We are freaking out at this point. Not knowing why, what’s going on. We have kids asleep. Have spent the last couple hours cleaning. I ask for an explanation and say we can’t leave tonight we have kids asleep. No response. Soon after my daughter comes upstairs scared. The motion light keeps going off and she saw someone in the backyard.

I went downstairs and in the corner of the yard I see someone I open the door to yell at him and realize it’s a police officer gun drawn. He yells at me to go inside. I’m yelling back this is a rental as I retreat. He yells to go out the front door. My hands are in the air.

I go out the front door where idk if they weren’t ready or what but there is about 7-10 more officers. The one closest to the front door has flashlight in my eyes and gun drawn as well. He yells to turn around. I still have my hands in the air. I’m trying to explain there are kids in the house. We are here in a rental. We have proof. He has me walk back to him. Places me in cuffs. Says they will get to the bottom of it.

Meanwhile he yells at everyone else to stay in the house. But the officer in the backyard is yelling to go out front. He is in the house now. The rest of my family is then brought outside. They take ids etc.

I’m the back of the cop car I am able to get my phone out of my pocket and text the host all while cuffed (kids are probably more impressed by this than anything I’ve ever done)

Long story short and there are still a lot of holes in this. The property listed by the host we booked with doesn’t have permission anymore to rent it. It was confirmed she did. And the new person/owner/host we did talk to he wouldn’t admit when this person no longer worked with this property.

This is the message from the host texted me while in the back of the police car

Hi _________, I sincerely apologize for the confusion and inconvenience. Unfortunately, I am no longer the co-host for this property, as the owner recently made a change to the co-host arrangements. I was just notified that your reservation overlaps with another guest’s reservation made through the owner’s account, which is unfortunately outside of my control.
I truly apologize that this situation was not communicated to you sooner. Since it is already late, I am trying to see if there is any way to accommodate you for tonight while we figure out the next steps. I understand how frustrating and stressful this must be, especially after making plans for your stay.
I’m very sorry for the inconvenience, and I’m doing my best to see what can be worked out for you tonight.

What are my legal avenues if any ?

Edit: after being on the phone for 3 hours with VRBO the resolution was refund, reimburse for last night to the new host/listing, and difference between original cost of trip and new booking up to $800

Edit 2: $800 doesn't feel like adequate compensation for what happened here. VRBO listed the same property under multiple hosts, which led to a double booking and ultimately a police interaction in front of your family. This experience was genuinely distressing. I still have cuff marks on my wrists 10 hours later. My daughter has already said “she will never be able to sleep in a different section of the house”