Travelers trying to avoid hurricane-battered Kauai say they can’t get refunds
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Ever since Hurricane Lowell whipped through Kauai last week, residents in recovery mode have been asking visitors to stay away from the island.
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Some travelers said they are trying to respect locals’ wishes and cancel their upcoming trips to the Garden Isle, but vacation rental owners are refusing to refund their reservations.
“They’re asking people not to come and interfere with the cleanup process and we want to respect that,” California resident Preston Lane, set to arrive on Kauai in October, said.
Lisa Dietz of Montana added, “I would feel absolutely terrible to go and be staying in a VRBO while the next-door neighbor is completely struggling.”
Both Lane and Dietz booked vacation rentals with VRBO, and both were told they cannot cancel and get back the thousands of dollars they already paid for the accommodations.
“It’s definitely hard when you hear even the governor of Hawaii saying, you know, please reschedule, come back, go to a different island. And we’re trying to do all those things and our hands are just tied behind our backs,” Dietz said.
Lane shared that sentiment, but added she understood the owner’s point of view while not wanting to lose income.
“I totally understand that. But at the same time, you know, I feel like it is a little bit disrespectful,” he said.
Neither want to disrespect residents as they recover from Lowell, and neither know for certain if they will make it to the island as planned over the next few weeks.
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But if Lane and Dietz indeed make it to Kauai, both said they will support local businesses and seek volunteer opportunities to help locals.
“I’m not afraid of hard work either. If I need to move rocks or run a chainsaw, I can do that too,” Dietz said.
Travel adviser Candice Zimring added, “These larger organizations should step up and provide a little bit of flexibility.”
A certified destination specialist with the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Zimring suggests rescheduling a trip to Kauai set for this month or through mid-October.
“If you have flexibility in the reservations, reroute to a different island,” Zimring said.
Travelers may not have to cancel if they are scheduled to go to the Garden Isle later in the fall, winter, or in the new year, according to Zimring.
“Just continue to evaluate the situation. The recovery is still underway and don’t hold off and cancel because we don’t want to get into a situation where everyone’s canceling their trips and then there’s no tourism to Kauai,” Zimring explained.
Hawaii News Now reached out to VRBO and we’re waiting to hear back.
Visitors can also file a complaint with the Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection by calling 1-844-808-3222.
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