Equity Residences’s first concern: Equity. Their guests—not so much
During COVID 19 our home state instituted a stay at home order; Hawaii required a two week quarantine. My husband and I are at higher risk due to our age. Clearly our much anticipated celebratory May family trip was not going to happen.
We tried to move our trip to the same dates of 2021. The answer: “That may work! Allow me to meet with my team and I will circle back.” Then this mail: “Nice to hear from you and hope you are staying safe! Our policy allows for a change of dates before 12/31 of this year. I am eager to assist you in moving the stay.”
We found that the Thanksgiving week would be the only other 2020 week my family could get away from college and work. The director wrote back: “Let me see if we can make that work for your family. The weather in Kauai over Thanksgiving is fantastic as well.” Then we were told, that, even though the house was not yet rented for this week, the Thanksgiving week was not an option. Holiday weeks were blocked out. I then asked for a refund. In a phone call the director mentioned that this might be possible: the weeks we canceled had been re-booked. (So there would be no real loss for Equity Residences—in fact—they would receive double the rental income.) But another email came: There would be no refund.
We understand that this is a very hard time for the small property owner. But Equity Residences boasts on their web site about its “bought-right,” multi-million-dollar, vacation residences with high potential for investment gains.” They own multi-million dollar properties across the world.
We realize that our luxury vacation sob story is laughable compared to what many are currently going through. People are losing their lives, they are losing their loved ones, they are losing their jobs. Letting go of this vacation is not difficult by comparison. We still hope Equity Residences will do the right thing, and provide a full refund. In exchange we pledge to donate 100% of the refund to the COVID-19 Response Fund of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.
We hope Equity Residences will realize that there is a different kind of equity out there, a more lasting one, rooted in human connection.
Update: Only after my public posts and alerting BBB, The Condé Nast Ombudsman, and Call for Action, Equity Residences offered us the Thanksgiving week after all, or a 50% refund. We decided we want to keep fighting for all the others that are being duped by them, and for the full refund to donate as planned.