This Airbnb was in Annapolis and in a nice neighborhood, but it was the only house with overgrown grass and a steep walk up the driveway. At the front porch, there was suspect rustling in the grass and a large fly-infested trash bag next to the front door.
I went in, trying to get in as fast as possible to keep out the flies – an obvious health hazard that would not pass a health inspection. The hostess showed me the kitchen, which was supposed to be available to use – another health hazard. It was crammed full of food, not even enough room to make a sandwich. No room in the fridge. No lock on the door to keep valuables secure when not there.
It was advertised as having a private bathroom and it was shared. The mattress had a large yellow stain and two old, divided cheap foam mattresses on top and just a fitted sheet, no mattress pad. I woke up with bug bites on my neck. Actually, the owner woke me up because she had locked herself out of the house and wanted me to open the door. Nice touch there.
I immediately called Airbnb and the first agent was helpful and told me to leave and wash my clothes, and said they would reimburse up to $200 to stay at a hotel until they could re-book me in another Airbnb in three days. It has been one month and I still do not have a refund.
I finally filed a Better Business Bureau report and after telling the Airbnb agent, they decided to refund me about two thirds of what I paid, still short almost $200, which I guess was the price of staying in a crappy room.
Never and I mean never, stay at an Airbnb. If you stay there and are ripped off, file a Better Business Bureau complaint. Airbnb lies, backtracks and is populated with a bunch of incoherent dummies.
I am always confused as to how someone can stay in a place this bad, and then ask for refunds. What the guest tends to never mention is all the red flags they refuse to look at. No listing is posted here, or even any prices. It is likely this guest looked for the cheapest place in the area, at the last minute. This typically results in a bad situation on any accommodations! It is a way to seek out the most desperate hosts in the worst case scenario. This guest could also see as they arrived that something …. actually many things where wrong!
This poor me attitude is comparable to ordering a cheap product in the mail and then blaming the mail service for delivering it! Why is it so hard to figure out that you are responsible to look at reviews, pictures, ratings, and even maybe make a call or two on the phone to ask questions. Your safety is at stake. These rentals are not monitored, and that is why they are so cheap! There typically will be no person to hold your hand like at a good hotel costing 4 to 5 times as much!
BTW the BBB is NOT a credible way to verify/report anything. They are beyond corrupt and more of a paid advertising by extortion organization. The best way to report something like this is the city health department and the building dept. Posting the link for the listing on sites like this would also be very helpful.
This guest got a partial refund for a partial stay. Judge Judy would have offered the same! She always says “do not use a service if you don’t want to pay for it!”. The action by airbnb seems reasonable to me as a host and guest on airbnb. Airbnb will not claim responsibility for poor judgment on a guests or hosts end. It is just ridiculous to expect online P2P to compensate a user for more than the original contract less services used, just because a “person emergency” happen from not being prepared with backups!
The questionable part, which is impossible to access by this poor review with little facts would be if the listing is still active! Why did this guest not post the listing link or the price per night compared to the local hotel he/she stayed at?
Here are the basic steps to participate in a peer to peer platform. This applies to Ebay, Paypal, Craig list, Uber, Lyft, VRBO and AIrbnb!
1.)Realize you need to have your mobile device, with a connection, and now how to operate it when you travel! Maybe have a battery pack backup or backup phone with apps!
2.)Realize you have to screen out bad players and you take a risk for a better deal! Nobody is going to hold your hand and fix ridiculous situation that you choose to enter! Do your research and look at reviews, strategy, and make confirmation calls via voice. Look up a place on google maps/drive by and verifiy stuff! Go off of personal refs from friends using word of mouth!
3.)Always have a backup plan and backup cash. Pay for your ride to wait until you have checked a place out! Plan to get to your accommodations more early in the evening before dark!
4.) Learn how to trust your own instinct. Look people in the eye as you talk to them and learn to read them. Give your instinct as much information via communication on phone or email or just the feel of an area as you travel!