Author Archives: Katie

Host lied, then demanded cash payment!

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I stayed at an Airbnb recently as I’ve used them 5 times already with no issues until recently. The place I rented was advertised as a 2 bedroom in NYC, but it was actually just a room with someone else living there! I was only told once I had paid the money and it was too late and too much of a hassle to book anywhere else. Long story short, it was one of the worst accommodations I’ve stayed in. The host was actually the brother and things were just not organized. Sheets smelled, put in the flat mates room, guys came home late with a woman at 3am forgetting they had a paying guest, didn’t provide the cash discount for the error to keep the booking after much persistence (apparently another Airbnb violation).

I complained to Airbnb, who were going to talk to the host while I was still staying in the rental, which I advise against, and I was offered a refund of 50% for the issues. Since I was still living there, I had the owner call me a liar and a cheat for having gone behind his back to complain, and given my visa status, he even threatened to file a claim against me if I didn’t adhere to his demands to refund the amount Airbnb took from him. I had to settle this with the host but I’m wondering if it’s worth bringing up with Airbnb. With the host threatening to sue me, and if he did go through with it (although I was not in the wrong) could have serious repercussions for me.

I’m wondering if Airbnb would be able or willing to protect me at all. After reading these articles, I highly doubt it.

Airbnb is very unfriendly to consumers!

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I’ve booked once before on Airbnb and it worked out great. Second time, not so great. I use the filter and put “dogs allowed” I checked a couple of places in one area then moved about 1 mile away to another set of listings. Apparently the filters do not carry over. It did not dawn on me that I would have to re-input all my filters again! If I have an account with Airbnb and a profile, shouldn’t all my standard filters be saved?? I found a house, sent a note to the owner. This listing was not an “Instant booking” so you are required to fill out a request form and “tell the host a little about yourself” I sent a note and told the host we are an older couple who want to have a reunion with our adult children and that we travel with a 9 lbs dog who is with us at all times. My husband and I work remotely from home and the dog is used to being with us all day and night. (so I tipped the host off to our having our dog with us) The owner said “yes we can accommodate you for those dates” and sent a payment request for me to pay. I paid. This was in October for a reservation for December 26-30th–way, way in advance. About 24 hours later, the host sends a note saying “oh sorry, we do not allow pets” It was not mentioned in the house rules or anywhere else on the listing. The reservation was cancelled in 24 hours and my money was credited to my card by the host, but Airbnb took their $80 fee. I contacted Airbnb and was told if you change a reservation for any reason Airbnb does not return their fee. I had to escalate my complaint to a manager who called me and said “we are going to refund our fee this time but in the future, YOU need to be more careful to read everything before booking” I told her she need not chastise me-I am a grown ass woman- and as far as I was concerned the error was on the host’s part for not clearly stating what their rules even after I sent a note telling her I was traveling with my small dog. I’ve also checked into other listings and found the advertised rental price is not always what you get. For example I pre booked another home for the December trip that was listed as $230 per night. When I got the booking information the nightly cost jumped to $330 a night. The host said the amount listed in their posting is only “a typical nightly rate” and that the rate can jump up during the Holidays. Additionally even if I tried to cancel a reservation 24 hours later, their policy is a “strict cancellation” and even with the reservation being for months away, the host can still keep 50% of your payment regardless of the possibility the host may re-rent for the dates you cancelled!!! Very unfriendly to consumers!

Airbnb scammers using fake email

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Hi, i have a big problem right now with an airbnb booking.
On July 22 – 2015, i watch an apartment in AIRBNB, one of the pics of this apartment had a email , telling “If you are interested please send me an email”. I get in contact with her, I send she the days I was interested in, the number of people… She told me that she could make the reservation for me and then AIRBNB should send me the instructions to confirm the reservation. I received a email supposedly from AIRBNB , but it was a fake AIRBNB email address…, with a ING bank at Poland ,account number to make the payment, the owner of this bank account is supposedly AIRBNB inc. I went the next day to make this payment…
Few days after that I get in contact with real AIRBNB, and they tell me that I was cheated , and they dont make anything at all, they get 0% of rresponsibility with that
I had gone to the police and they will try to find the burglar. Does other people goes to police, receive any info… ?
I don’t send more details of which apartment and host was, because police is working on it too , but now its not announced in AIRBNB anymore
Does anyone tried to make a joint action to push AIRBNB?
THANKS!!

Hola, he tenido un problema bastante serio con AIRBNB, el día 22 de julio de 2015 ví un apartamento en la web, en una de las fotos aparecía la dirección email de la supesta dueña del apartamento para contactar con ella y reservarlo. Le escribí diciéndole las fechas , la cantidad de gente , etc… . Me dijo que ella misma hacia la reserva y que luego AIRBNB me mandaría un correo para confirmar la reserva. Me llego el supuesto correo de AIRBNB, pero era una dirección falsa, con un numero de cuenta a nombre de  AIRBNB inc , del banco ING en polonia, al dia siguiente hice el pago y varios días después hable con AIRBNB y me dijeron que me habían engañado y que no podían hacer nada… Ellos no se toman ninguna responsabilidad.
Lo he denunciado en la policía y tratarán de localizar al ladrón…
No os envío mas datos por que la policía está trabajando en ello, se supone…, pero si os puedo decir que el anuncio y el dueño del apartamento ya no salen en la web de AIRBNB
¿Sabéis si otros afectados acuden a la policía a denunciar, si reciben alguna información…?
¿Se podría llegar a organizar una demanda conjunta para presionar a AIRBNB?
GRACIAS!

Sexually Assaulted and Horrible Airbnb Experience

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Fatima Rahim, 33-year old African American from New York City, is running a hotel out of the small apartment she is renting at Al Retaj Building A Floor 6 Apartment 3, Al Saad, Doha, Qatar.

I was verbally harassed and sexually assaulted by a friend of Fatima’s within 48 hours of my arrival.  I had never met nor seen him before nor since this event, yet I found him in the flat which Fatima had vacated to Abu Dhabi for the first weekend of my stay in April 2015.  This man was one of several questionable characters who seemed to live there, entering the residence as they pleased, as the front door to the flat was left unlocked 24/7; thereby putting my personal safety at risk when I was there and my personal possessions at risk when I was not.

I immediately reported the incident to Fatima upon her return from Abu Dhabi.  While Fatima had initially supported me stating that the perpetrator would never be welcome back to her flat, within 24 hours she was with him in the flat.  The following day, I gave my notice to Fatima, requested a refund (to which she initially agreed) for the days I would not be staying and I left.

Fatima is now refusing to give me a refund.  She has changed the original price of our agreement increasing it by over 50% and is now claiming that I owe her money.  She is also telling me to go to the man who sexually harassed me if I want my money returned.

I am writing not in the hopes of obtaining my rightful funds from a tightfisted person, but to warn anyone wishing to stay with Fatima Rahim in Qatar within Doha that in addition to the environment above, you will also have:

-rancid cigarette smoking

-putrid smells in the kitchen fridge from old food

– Dirty dishes overflowing the sink from numerous late night meals eaten

– No public space in the kitchen, living room or storage areas for food or personal belongings

– No control over the air conditioner in 45 degree C heat (if you turn it on, she will turn it off)

– Noise pollution in four distinct forms.

-Fatima speaking loudly and colloquially on Skype without headphones

-The jackhammer that beats and pounds for 18 hours a day 6 days a week from the construction site 50 meters away from the window

-The minaret blasting the call to prayer every morning at dawn 10 meters away from the window

-Noisy child neighbors.  I might add, whose safety is also at risk in this toxic environment of shady characters

Long term cancellation policy disaster

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I consider myself someone who researches things thoroughly before going through with them. I reserved a space on Airbnb for 30 days. On the page, it said a “moderate” cancellation policy applied. If I cancelled before 5 days before the check in date, I would get a full refund.

So I ended up doing just that, and got absolutely no refund. Apparently for reservations over 28 days, a “long term cancellation policy” applies. There is no mention of it anywhere. On inspection, it was mentioned on the email AFTER I reserved. If you dig deep into the site you can find it… however as a first time user, I had no reason to dig deep into the site. The listing said for the dates I reserved, a Moderate policy would apply.

This is completely a mistake on their end. After haggling with their customer reps, and learning that it was up to the host to refund me, I ended up losing $400 and getting refunded the rest. Not worth my time to press charges but honestly it was a total mistake on their end… never use this site unless you want to take a gamble.. once they have your money, they really don’t care.

FIRST AIRBNB FAILED EXPERIENCE DUE TO BAD COMMUNICATION FROM ALL SIDES and their website doesnt allow me to publish my review.

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However the host published one about me which is fake.
Here you can see both reviews
I have been using airbnb and wimdu for more than two years now, always for long term bookings in flatshares and only for myself, as well as a carshare platform. I am an active member of the Ouishare community in Berlin as well as personal friends with the connector, Mr Donnerbrink and we actively promote new and old shared economy projects.
A couple of weeks ago I booked for the first time for short term for three persons. We wanted to attend the Armin Van Buren show in Valencia, Spain. I have my small doggie with me and we found no hotels in Valencia which accepted dogs, only tourist apartments. Also at the moment I have an injury in my hip which prevents me from climbing stairs. Knowing airbnb I felt more safe going through their service than risking getting scammed from some other random tourist ad on the internet. Initially we had requested two other bookings and for two nights, one of them was for the whole property and had been entirely prepaid. By Friday evening none of the hosts had replied and the bookings had expired. We decided to book with this host who had an INSTANT BOOKING button, and we had to postpone the trip for next day. When we were on our way, we still didnt have news from the host, only almost getting to Valencia I could reach him on the phone, and he didnt even know that we were coming because he hadnt checked his email. Airbnb customer services transferred money to my account, so that we could use a locker at the station, as we had to wait till late afternoon to check in because the host worked and couldnt be there earlier.
Late afternoon we had to get to the apartment, and we got late, not 45 min though, it was further than we expected and took us a while to find the place, we communicated on the phone with the host about this. We were assigned a double room and a kid s size bed in the living room, the latest didnt match with what the listing said. We really craved a shower in such hot weather, but there were no towels for us. Also we had no keys of the place and we were not given proper explanations about what we should expect. It started to get late in terms of getting ready for the show and have some dinner out, so we contacted airbnb customer service for help. After a few attemps to find a solution and somebody who emailed claiming having talked to the host and given instructions, which apparently was not true as the host explained later, a helpful agent offered to pay for a hotel. Unfortunately we could not find anything which accepted dogs in whole Valencia even if we were ready to pay very expensive. So we all stayed there and missed the show. The host came late night, we talked for a while, then he left and we went out really late to get something to eat. Next day we left mid-morning and went back to Alicante.
Contrary to what the host explains, we paid 40 euro for the night, I remember having put myself the empty coke and beer cans, as well as empty treat bags in a litter bag in the kitchen. Leaving the keys on the living room table and leaving bathtowels which the host only brought Sunday morning, folded over the double bed. In the nighttable there was a half smoked cigarette which we left untouched, and we left everything else as we found it. As all we used was the couch and bathroom. I dont know what the host means by saying not having cleaned. The shower was not clean at all, I must point out.
Furthermore, after we left Valencia, I SMSed the host several times, from both my German and Spanish phone numbers, to send the airbnb code, as he wasnt there when we left, and asked repeteadly to confirm if he got it. I never got any reply from him, I even asked the customer service to check with him if he had received it.
Next day I received an email from the customer service apologizing for not having been able to help and giving me a 300 euro voucher.
HOST S REVIEW
“Esta persona no es recomendable!! Me gustaría contaros la historia sobre esta persona y su comportamiento A todo esto es una reserva de 3 personas y un perrito por 34 euros. Para empezar llegaron 45 minutos más tarde,eso me hizo no poder atenderles y no poder entregar las llaves, yo les alquiló un habitación doble y una cama individual que tengo en el salón perfectamente acondicionada para dormir, incluso tengo un paraban de madera para cerrar el acceso. Esta chica al no gustarle el lugar, y no parar de poner pegas, Incluso llega a contactar con el grupo para decirles que tenía que dormir en un sofá improvisado, que buscar un sitio donde dormir dignamente. Finalmente se quedaron aquí a dormir y al día siguiente se fueron sin limpiar y sin tirar todas las latas de cerveza que se bebieron por la noche. Voy a subir fotos del supuesto sofá improvisado donde no se podía dormir dignamente . Posdata: no acoger a este tipo de personas, todo son pegas exigencias y quebraderos de cabeza. Somos apartamentos compartidos no suites de hotel

The host totally misrepresented the accommodation in the listing, had no idea about what airbnb was about as it seemed normal to him to explain that he didnt have time to check internet, even if he used an INSTANT BOOKING BUTTON. He was not friendly at all, with nasty comments, such as: did you expect that i sleep here tonight, my *ss, i wont, I am going to sleep somewhere else. I felt extremely sorry about his doggy who literally lived in the kitchen balcony deprived of all human contact and caring, except the daily two short walks for poos and pees and being fed.

Don’t use airbnb airbnb will kick you out

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I was using airbnb system as a host and many people came to my house through airbnb and they liked it also. Very few people had complaining about my place but most was them said it’s great. SO I was developing my place putting a lot of money to fix my facility and effort

BUT!!! one day all of my account has been deleted without any warning.

I called airbnb what happen and they didn’t know what happened also
I was waiting more than 10days, and they give me a feed back that their system doesn’t fit to my house. That was the reason to erase my lists.

My reservation was over 10,000 dollar who were gonna come but they canceled everything.

They don’t know how to care their host. We should get together to against airbnb in order to get our effort back.

I am so pissed off because of the airbnb.

if anyone wants to contact me you guys can contact to this email

lukegoodmusic@gmail.com

Please don’t be a victim

Automated termination of service

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Automated termination of service with no details or response to inquiries.
I have been a host for Airbnb for six months, all with
positive reviews. I have received no feedback that there was a problem of any kind. My account with Airbnb was terminated for no
apparent reason and with an automated email that explained only that I had “violated the terms of service.” The company
cancelled all reservations and informed the guests that the company would find them alternative arrangements. Several guests
complained to me directly and wanted to keep the reservations, which they eventually did. Several guests simply abandoned their
reservations. When I called to inquire as to what had occurred, the customer service representative stated that she didn’t know what the problem was and said, and I quote, “… I don’t know what the problem is and I would not tell you if I did know.” She refused to transfer me to a department that could provide me with an answer and stated that she would email them and they would contact me. A few days later I received the same automated email stating that I had violated the terms of service and my account has been deactivated. This one was signed Marcia B.
Again, I wrote back requesting information and asking for a way to resolve the problem and offered to pay any fees, fines or costs that the company had incurred, once I understood the problem. I received the same automated message and the company has not responded to my repeated requests to provide a specific response to my inquiry.
I view this as almost hostile; the company seems to cancel one’s ability to use the site on a whim; and then simply is non-responsive.
I’d be interested in others’ views on this subject.

airbnb kept my money

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airbnb collected the money from the guests but never paid me after making many phone calls to them and emailing them numerous times. It has been months and I am expecting new guests soon. Has anyone else had this experience?

Careful with unsuccessful bookings!!!

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Be very careful booking with Airbnb since it happened already multiple times in my case that the owner didn’t respond within 24h and in the end three bookings later hundreds of dollars were frozen on your bank account for several days…without a single successful booking! This is ridiculous, you will pay even before any confirmation. I would never go with them again. Horrible customer service as well, no chance to really contact them!!! Plenty of other opportunities to get cheap accommodations and they will only charge you after a successful booking!