It was branded as an outdoor adventure.
Only a three-hour drive southwest of Chicago, customers could escape to the town of Farmington, Ill., staying at an eight-bedroom, 30-acre lakeside vacation rental retreat.
Surrounded by open farm land, online advertisements for “Norris Outdoor Adventure” showed water slides, a rope swing, games for the kids, and even more reassuring, a smiling, friendly and relatable owner dedicated to their every need.
The rental was described as a dream find for many who were planning cross-country family reunions, even weddings at the space.
But the dream wasn’t a reality.
Instead, customers tell NBC 5 they had their reservations canceled, sometimes literally last minute as they were driving down to the property.
When customers called the owner for their refund, with contracts in hand laying out that very promise, they say the owner “ghosted” them, never to be heard from again.
For months, NBC 5 Responds has investigated how a single vacation rental outside of Peoria took many Chicago-area families for thousands of dollars, and the mysterious owner behind the listing that these customers say is to blame.
That owner dodged our calls, emails and requests for comment over many months, offering no insight into what happened.
The complaints have gotten the attention of law enforcement in Farmington, who confirmed to NBC 5 they are actively investigating many complaints involving the property and its…
