VRBO Photo Debacle

[Lauren Kormylo]

I got an email from Vrbo on Feb. 27th saying, "In the upcoming weeks, you may see the primary image on your listing and
the order of your image gallery change. That’s because we are gradually launching a new AI feature that will automatically place your highest-performing image to the forefront of your listing. Based on previous Expedia Group testing, this new feature helps drive higher conversion and click through rates on listings."

Well, it finally happened.  Today I saw someone on a FB group complaining that their cover beach photo was now a kitchen photo.  I opened a private window and checked my listing, and sure enough, the cover photo of my living room with an inset of the swimming pool was now a kitchen photo.  Many guests book my place because of the pool, and I want that to be pic #1.  And all of my other photos were out of order - first floor rooms were mixed in with second floor rooms, different views of the same bedroom were separated among the photos.  A complete disaster.  

So I opened a chat with Vrbo support.  The tech had no knowledge of the AI email that I'd received from Vrbo, he didn't know what I was talking about!  He sent me an email so I could screenshot their AI email and send it back to him.  We also emailed a few times back and forth with what I was seeing from my end, as his end showed nothing had changed with my listing.  Even though I could see the change on 2 different private browser windows and through my Vrbo app when signed in.  

After 45 minutes on this chat, the end result was his superiors confirmed the AI email was legit.  However the AI was supposed to be in the testing stage, not implemented yet.  He was never able to see my page as I saw it, with the new photo order.  He said the AI started to "learn" the beginning of March, and his IT specialists explained to him that it might be randomly changing photos while the AI finds the more engaging photo to post as the main one.

I asked him if I could opt out of this, and he escalated my case to see if that's possible.  He said an IT specialist will be in touch.  I sure hope we are not forced to accept this.   Besides the fact that I've only gotten one Vrbo booking for this summer, when most of my bookings used to be through Vrbo, has caused me to completely question this company's competence.  

[Bruce Woodruff]

This is exactly why I don't like/trust AI...We hosts should absolutely have the choice of which photo appears where. And I seriously doubt that the kitchens are the most clicked photo.....