Vrbo Launches Service to Reunite Kids with Teddy Bears Left Behind on Vacation

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Jul 29, 2019, 09:19 ET

AUSTIN, Texas, July 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Getting your little one's favorite fuzzy friend back in their arms may now be just a call or email away. With the launch of the Vrbo^®Teddy Bear Service, Vrbo pledges to return every little one's teddy bear or other item of sentimental value left in any cabin, condo, or beach house booked on its website or app.

Starting today, any traveler staying in a Vrbo vacation rental home can call 1-774-VRBOTDY or email [email protected] to report a lost teddy bear or similar item. Vrbo will take it from there to track it down and expedite its return home.

"We know how easily teddies can get left behind under beds, in canoes, or in a vacation home's best hide-and-seek spot," said Melanie Fish, Vrbo travel expert. "Our goal is to make sure every teddy finds its way back home and to help kids and their families keep happy vacation memories fully intact."

A recent survey¹ conducted by Ipsos for Vrbo revealed just how popular teddy travel is, with more than half of those surveyed (55%) citing stuffed animals as the most important thing their child brings with them on vacation. What's more, 69% of those surveyed said their child has left a toy or stuffed animal behind while away from home. Respondents even admitted to the lengths they'd go — including lying! — to get a stuffed animal or toy back.

Lying and buying

48% said they'd buy a duplicate and pretend it was the original.
25% would make up a story to explain what happened.
17% would buy something extravagant to distract a child from their lost item.
13% would write a postcard, letter or email from the lost fuzzy friend to the child.

Hitting the road (or web)

21% would launch a social media search to track it down.
5% percent would go old school and put up posters in search of the toy or stuffed animal.

The Vrbo Teddy Bear Service is open, starting today. Once a call or email is received, Vrbo will contact the owner, the property manager, and the next guest who booked the home through Vrbo to try to find and return the teddy bear or other item to its home. To share images of your found friend, use #VrboTeddyBearService and tag @Vrbo on social media.

About Vrbo

In 1995, Vrbo introduced a new way for people to travel together, pairing homeowners with families and friends looking for places to stay. We were grounded in one purpose: To give people the space they need to drop the distractions of everyday life and simply be together. Since then, we've grown into a global community of homeowners and travelers, with unique properties in 190 countries around the world. Vrbo makes it easy and fun to book cabins, condos, beach houses, and every kind of space in between.

Vrbo is part of HomeAway and the Expedia Group family of brands and offers homeowners and property managers exposure to over 750 million visits to Expedia Group sites each month. To learn more, visit www.vrbo.com.

¹ July 2019 Ipsos survey commissioned by Vrbo with 1,033 respondents ages 18 and older.

CONTACT: [email protected]

SOURCE Vrbo