Airbnb Experience - Your thoughts?

[Savage Husker]

Public Opinion:

Overseas and your Airbnb host falls through. As in you get to the residence, start the check-in, use the provided codes to enter apartment building, use the directions to open lockbox where key is supposed to be, but no key. Host’s provided number is “disconnected.” Call Airbnb who says they’ll look into it and have a manager follow up, but says to work it out with host. Host contacts you 45 minutes later saying they can no longer hold the reservation. They won’t cancel the reservation on Airbnb, which would refund us. No word from Airbnb, call them the next day, same routine of “marked this case for high priority,” but still no follow up. Airbnb host, after several exchanges and refusing to “cancel” reservation, forwards funds via PayPal. 9 days after initial contact, Airbnb finally contacts us, cancels the reservation and fully refunds us. Host wants their money back which was sent via PayPal. 

What would you do?

 

[teachercd]

Does PayPay have a "Go f#&% Yourself Button"???

 

[darkhorse85]

edit: didn't read the end before I replied.  Glad you got your money back but that's super frustrating.  Don't contact that host anymore.

 

[BigRedBuster]

so, airbnb refunded your money after the host screwed you and the host is demanding the money back?

if so, Teach nailed it  

 

[Savage Husker]

So, the host back channeled funds to us through PayPal a week ago, before Airbnb ever followed up with us. Then, finally, Airbnb contacted us and retroactively cancelled the reservation and also refunded us.

 

[BigRedBuster]

So, the host back channeled funds to us through PayPal a week ago, before Airbnb ever followed up with us. Then, finally, Airbnb contacted us and retroactively cancelled the reservation and also refunded us.

So, you have two refunds?

If so, refund the one directly from the host and move on.

 

[desertshox]

So, you have two refunds?

If so, refund the one directly from the host and move on.

minus any expenses incurred from having to find a new place to stay.

 

[JJ Husker]

So, you have two refunds?

If so, refund the one directly from the host and move on.

minus any expenses incurred from having to find a new place to stay.

This^

This host created a mess for you to deal with. I would pay myself for all the time and frustration spent getting it squared away and for any additional expenses incurred due to having to replace that reservation. IF there’s any money left after that then you could send it directly to the host. If not, then it’s a good lesson for the host to not screw people.

 

[huKSer]

What did your mom tell you about strangers and the internet?

I don't do Air BnB, Uber, etc because of all this.

Refund the money minus expenses

 

[Ulty]

Public Opinion:

Overseas and your Airbnb host falls through. As in you get to the residence, start the check-in, use the provided codes to enter apartment building, use the directions to open lockbox where key is supposed to be, but no key. Host’s provided number is “disconnected.” Call Airbnb who says they’ll look into it and have a manager follow up, but says to work it out with host. Host contacts you 45 minutes later saying they can no longer hold the reservation. They won’t cancel the reservation on Airbnb, which would refund us. No word from Airbnb, call them the next day, same routine of “marked this case for high priority,” but still no follow up. Airbnb host, after several exchanges and refusing to “cancel” reservation, forwards funds via PayPal. 9 days after initial contact, Airbnb finally contacts us, cancels the reservation and fully refunds us. Host wants their money back which was sent via PayPal. 

Did the host attempt to provide any sort of information or response to your concerns? Why the key was not there, why they couldn't hold the reservation, why they refused to cancel the reservation?

 

[VectorVictor]

Look--even if there are valid reasons why the host did what they did, you ultimately had a business agreement with them that the host failed to honor. 

Take both refunds, and advise the host that the additional refund is for your time and inconvenience in finding a new place, plus time lost on the trip having to deal with the host and AirBnB. Itemize your time so if something is asked, you can forward it and then cease all communication with the host. 

Long story short, the host screwed you, and you had to put time and energy into trying to fix this mess the host caused. While some folks may say this additional refund is serendipitous, I say it's deserved considering the s*** the host put you through. 

 

[NUinID]

That sucks, I would refund what was left over from the host money after paying my expenses of finding a new place to stay.  

That really doesn't make me feel real good as I have an Airbnb booked for over Christmas in Hawaii.  I have went the house rental route before 2-3x, not all with Airbnb but they all work pretty much the same.  Never have had a problem with them. 

 

[BigRedBuster]

What did your mom tell you about strangers and the internet?

I don't do Air BnB, Uber, etc because of all this.

Refund the money minus expenses

Stories like this are the exception to the rule.  I use Uber quite a bit and love it.  I'm going to start using Air BnB soon for an area I have to travel into and has limited hotels.

 

[Savage Husker]

I don’t feel guilty retaining the excess funds considering the stress it put on my fiancé, who was presenting her research the following day at an international conference. So we had to enable international data plans, rebook our entire lodging, and other transportation expenses were incurred. If the host simply “cancelled” the reservation, it wouldn’t have come to this, but the host avoided that based on what I believe to retain “plus” or “preferred” host status. One cancellation would revoke their privileged status. The check-in was available for 3pm and we arrived at 7pm - after navigating through a 120k people protest in Prague (That was nuts). The host said that an hour prior technical difficulties occurred which caused this situation, but there was no notice until we arrived. The vibe was pretty scammy. 

That sucks, I would refund what was left over from the host money after paying my expenses of finding a new place to stay.  

That really doesn't make me feel real good as I have an Airbnb booked for over Christmas in Hawaii.  I have went the house rental route before 2-3x, not all with Airbnb but they all work pretty much the same.  Never have had a problem with them. 

A recommendation I read about from someone else’s experience is to reserve a backup hotel who will honor 100% refund. 

This was my first bad experience with Airbnb and we have used it quite a bit without major issues. 

I appreciate everyone’s feedback, both sides of the argument.

 

[The Dude]

I'd keep the money and tell the host to go suck a butt.