All Forum Posts by: Tessa Witmer

@Justin Miller Thanks so much for sharing.  This is an impressive deep dive that's obviously driven by many years of experience -- learning what works, what doesn't, and how to identify a "no" before you have to learn the hard way.  
I found myself grading our company based on your philosophy, and our areas for improvement line up with your philosophy.

I'd like to develop a similar approach for assessing new software.  Some of the better-funded startups in this space have massively impressive sales pitches, but having a list of questions, along with benchmarks for replies, can save a lot of headache down the road.  I'm grateful that you shared!

Hey BP community,

Sharing an expensive lesson about vendor vetting that I hope helps other STR managers avoid the same mistake.

Background:

I run an STR management company in Bozeman, MT. In June 2025, I was looking to scale operations and contracted with HostGenius Inc. (hostgenius.ca), a property management support service for lead generation, platform training, and listing management assistance.

After $7,398 in charges over 75 days, virtually none of the contracted services were delivered.

What Was Promised vs. What Was Delivered:

Promised:

- Regular prospect lists for new client acquisition

- Comprehensive platform training (Hostaway, PriceLabs, GoHighLevel)

- Professional listing management support

- Business coaching and development

- Software integration assistance

Delivered:

- Zero prospect lists over entire 75-day contract period

- Zero training materials despite multiple promises and deadlines

- Listing management: Took 3+ weeks to complete a basic Airbnb listing (my VA completed the same task in 1 hour)

- Assigned specialist was terminated by vendor mid-contract with no replacement

- No meaningful support on any promised service

The Billing Red Flag I Ignored:

Charges came at 17-day, 22-day, and 28-day intervals instead of the agreed monthly billing. When I questioned this, I was told the accelerated billing was due to their own cash flow needs, not our agreement terms.  This acceleration should have been an immediate warning sign of operational and financial instability.

Where I Went Wrong:

1. Impressive sales pitch, no operational verification - I didn't ask for references from current clients or verify they could actually deliver at scale

2. Verbal promises without documentation- Training materials, prospect lists, timelines were all discussed but never confirmed in writing with deliverable dates

3. Ignored billing irregularities - Told myself there might be legitimate reasons for the odd billing cycles instead of questioning it immediately

4. No pilot program - Should have started with one service or smaller scope before committing to full package

5. Didn't verify team capacity - The CEO was genuinely surprised when I terminated for breach, indicating complete disconnect between sales promises and operational delivery

Resolution Status:

- Terminated contract in August for material breach

- 60+ days of attempting private resolution with HostGenius - communicated with CEO Charles Mullany, team member Natalia, Charles's VA, and their accountant, Flora, trying to get resolution

- Four different people involved in refund discussions, no clear ownership or timeline

- HostGenius Inc. offered partial refund but missed multiple payment deadlines

- Filed BBB complaint this week

- Still working toward resolution

What I'm Doing Differently Going Forward:

1. Start small - Pilot programs or single-service trials before full integration

2. Get everything in writing - Specific timelines, deliverables, and SLAs in contract

3. Check references thoroughly - Talk to actual current clients, not just testimonials

4. Watch for billing red flags - Irregular patterns often indicate cash flow or operational issues

5. Verify capacity - Ask: How many clients do you currently serve? How is workload managed? Who specifically will handle my account?

6. Trust my gut - If something feels off during onboarding, it probably is

Questions for the Community:

1. What vendor due diligence steps do you take before signing with STR management tools or services?

2. How do you verify a vendor's operational capacity vs. their sales promises?

3. What red flags have you learned to watch for when evaluating service providers?

4. For those who've successfully scaled with vendor support - what's worked well for you?

5. Has anyone else worked with HostGenius or similar property management support services?  What was your experience?

I'm sharing this because I wish I'd seen a post like this before I signed. Hopefully it saves someone else the $7,398 lesson I just paid for.

Happy to answer questions about the experience or hear about others' vendor vetting processes.

Location: Bozeman, MT

Business: Bozeman Guesthouse (STR management)

Properties Managed: Multiple STRs in Gallatin County