VRBO customer issued chargeback, I won, they 're-issused' I lost?

[Scott K.]

Having a hell of a month. Had a very bad customer interaction where long story short, they demanded a refund, I refused.

Few weeks pass, VRBO refuses to refund them. They go to their CC and issue a chargeback.

Month passes, I get notification from VRBO that I won and the money was issued back to me.

A Week later, I get another notification from VRBO that they issued a second chargeback(How is this possible?) and when I asked for more info, this is precisely the response I got:

 "Our chargeback team was initially able to defend the transaction successfully however, the traveler filed a second chargeback. Each appealed chargeback (also referred to as a second chargeback) is reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine if we are going to successfully be able to win in arbitration. Second chargebacks are only evaluated on the process, and not on the case itself. Unfortunately, we are unable to dispute this additional dispute and this chargeback is considered lost therefore, the funds were returned to the traveler.

Please note that the final determination of the chargeback dispute rests in the hands of the card holder’s financial institution, and not our own.

There is no guarantee that an appealed chargeback (also referred to as a second chargeback) will receive the same outcome as a first chargeback. We know that an appealed chargeback can seem very unfair. Unfortunately, we are unable to change or dispute the decision of an appealed chargeback. While chargebacks can be a frustrating part of participating in the credit card network, they are also a critical element that helps protect cardholder rights. The unpredictable nature of chargebacks is why we encourage hosts to try to come to a resolution before the guest feels like they do not have any other options."

Does anyone have experience with this, or understand what they're talking about? Can all of my customers just decide to do this from now on? What is preventing them from taking advantage of me? How do I fight this if VRBO is refusing to do anything on my behalf?

[Lauren Kormylo]

I'm in a few Facebook groups, and it seems that this is a real thing.  The guest just has to dispute the charge twice, VRBO gives up fighting the credit card company, and the guest wins no matter what.  More and more owners are requiring guests' photo IDs as a condition to rent, because you can't get that info from VRBO or Airbnb, and you'll need it if you want to pursue legal action against a guest on your own.