This occurred back in 2012. We made reservations for a place in Brooklyn, New York. Upon arriving at the agreed time, the host was not present to let us into the place, back and forth calls were made. The host repeatedly told us that they would arrive “in a couple of minutes”. All were empty promises, making us wait for almost 4 hours (still without resolution). Day was turning into night and to be standing in the middle of a Brooklyn neighborhood… well you get the idea. We had lost faith in the host and could not wait any more as it endangered us and made arrangements at an actual hotel nearby. Only then we get a call from AirBNB that the host has finally showed up just under the cut-off time when it would be considered a “no-show”. FORGET IT. Why continue to do business with an unreliable host and ruin the rest of our vacation? Calls to AirBNB customer service was of no help to get a refund for the prepaid week. The saving grace was requesting a chargeback from our credit card company which they granted after explaining our situation. So Kudos to our credit card company! If you will be doing any business with AirBNB defend yourself as a consumer with any credit card that gives some type of insurance for your purchases.
Author Archives: Admin
AirBnB “Hell?”
I have been an AirBnB host for two years now and have hosted close to 150 reservations. Usually it is 2 guests per reservation, so about 300 people have passed through my apartment in this time.
During this time, I had only two “eh” experiences. One was when two old ladies rented out my studio for a month, and it took me a whole day to clean all the food stains from the kitchen. They did a lot of cooking and didn’t really clean up. But, nothing damaged. Another bad instance was an “uppity” couple who had complained about my lacking wine glasses and a glass tea pot for the complimentary wine and tea I gifted them for their stay. They wrote me an email later stating that “even when we slept on the beach with crabs crawling into our tents, we had essentials such as wine glasses and a tea pot available”. Obviously, they just couldn’t use my other 20 glasses for their wine, nor my tea kettle+brewing set for their tea. So, snobs!
Aside from these two mildly grotesque experiences, I have had nothing but WONDERFUL guests over and over again. I feel that a lot of bad experiences from both guests and hosts come from a lack of interest on either part. A lack of interest or concern for the validity of a listing/host or a guest. A lack of interest for the diversity of the accommodation. Etc.
I feel that I have had such positive experience because I’ve been ACTIVE about HOW and WHO I host. When you are constantly taking the risk to invite strangers into your home, you have to use common sense and caution. It’s kind of like splurging on an expensive product – you do your research before purchasing, right? Or going to a restauraunt – you read reviews, browse menu, etc., right? OR, staying in a traditional hotel…you read reviews, you check amenities, etc.
If you’re a guest who has had a bad experience, it may be that you didn’t spend enough time validating the host’s listing. READ THE REVIEWS!!!! The reviews usually tell you everything you need to know about what a place is like. If the reviews, or the host’s profile don’t make you assured (for instance, it’s a new listing), CONTACT the host PRIOR to requesting or making a reservation. PRIOR! Find out all the information you want to know, PRIOR to booking. Ask questions! If the host responds poorly or seems unfriendly, it is a close approximation of how they will handle the reservation and conduct their hosting. An unfriendly, unresponsive host is usually a host who probably doesn’t provide the best accommodation.
This type of “research” also applies to hosts considering guests. Above all, I require guests to have validated identities on their profile (number, email, ID) and I engage them through messaging prior to booking, and also prior to their arrival. If you don’t care about what guests your booking, you will most definitely be hosting a couple of bad seeds here and there.
The reviews of both hosts and guests are SO important. They really say a lot. For me, I do AirBnB to pay off my student loans. I think it’s awesome and it’s something that truly has helped ease my financial burdens. I take the job of hosting seriously, not only because I have financial gain from it, but because I genuinely want to make guests feel welcome. I take negative experiences that I’ve had in hotels and consider them when I’m readying my studio for my guests. Do YOU like seeing hairs in the bathroom or on your sheets & towels in hotel rooms? Do YOU enjoy drinking from dirty cups or sleeping on musty pillows in hotel rooms? Probably not, unless you’re morbidly gross. As a host, you should treat your rental the same way as a hotel. Keep things clean, and your guests won’t say it’s dirty. DUH! Maintain your listing. Check plumbing, check amenities needing replacing, etc. People are PAYING you to stay at your house. If they wanted to stay in a dump, they can do so for free. If you won’t act like a professional host, and check the guests that you’re hosting, you’ll receive bad reviews or will have bad experiences. It’s as simple as that.
As a guest, it’s even more important to read reviews. Two years ago I signed up for AirBnB and had no reviews (obviously). I didn’t know what to expect, and probably neither did my first guests. But both of us had great experiences! When they were leaving they promised to leave a great first review, and they did. And so my little studio filled up over time, and each time positive (minus the two aforementioned dinguses). And honestly, I think the reason that all my guests have been wonderful is because I’m passionate about hosting and I take care of my flat and communicate with guests/making them feel welcome. I think in general, if you invite people to stay at your home and your home is clean and maintained, those people will be more inclined to leave it just the same.
So, yes, I understand that there can be many cases with bad hosts, bad guests, etc. But a lot of those bad experiences could be avoided if the host puts care into who the guest is, and puts care into the accommodation, and if the guest puts care into who the host is, and puts care into how they treat the accommodation. For guests, there’s a number of ways to see whether an accommodation is worth it or not. Do your research! And hosts, check the guests out and make sure they’re verified. If they’re not, ask them politely if they could complete their verification process. Some guests don’t feel comfortable uploading an ID, which is understandable. So talk to them! Ask them about themselves, etc. Be friendly! If they respond in a similar matter, it is a good sign (from my experience).
So while, yes, there is the possibility of AirBnB “hell”, there is also the possibility of AirBnB success. And trust me, the success stories definitely stack higher than the defeats. A service shouldn’t be “booed” because of the bad experiences. I’ve stayed at hotels who had 2-3 star ratings only because the majority of the reviewers complained about the goddamn “complimentary breakfast” or the “pool being too small”. That’s so unfair to the hotel, who otherwise provides exceptional accommodations. If you want a five-course breakfast and a lap pool, pay the $200-300 extra and stay in a 5-star.
The same applies to AirBnB. If you’re a guest who complains about there not being coffee for the coffeemaker…you should have stayed in a hotel. Or at least communicated with the host if they provide coffee. So to guests…if you want a good experience, communicate with hosts about your needs and wants PRIOR to making a reservation. Ask about the water pressure & temperature. Ask about heating and cooling and etc.
The key to a good AirBnB is communication. If a host or guest can’t communicate, they won’t have a satisfactory experience.
As for the AirBnB service itself, I can’t speak on the matter as I (thankfully) haven’t ever had any serious issues. I had maybe 3 instances where I had a question, and every instance the AirBnB team emailed me back within the day with a response. No problem there. But I see how they could be slow and questionable when processing claims. It would be very easy to blame natural wear and tear damage as damage done by guests. I could have said that my lamp broke not because I’m a clumsy idiot, but because my last guest knocked it over. Of course claims take long!
And obviously, guests or host, never do transactions outside of the website. I’m not sure why in this age of advanced knowledge, people still do dumb things like that. AirBnB tells you it’s against their policy. If you accept to receive payment outside of the AirBnB site and are scammed, it’s your own fault. Why would you even complain? You shouldn’t just be banned from AirBnB, you should be banned from the internet, for you own good.
I just hosted a family who earlier in the week had booked an apartment close to my own. They got there and discovered it wasn’t maintained and that it was dirty. They called AirBnB and the site set them up in a hotel instantly. While there, they found my listing and booked. And voila, a good stay. They told me the initial “dirty” place had no reviews yet. Mine had 113 reviews. And while, yes, I too was once a new listing with no reviews, I never lacked in communication with guests. My guests said that the host of the poor BnB wasn’t friendly in replies, and that it should have tipped them off.
Communication and care from both host and guest, is key to avoiding being stuck in AirBnB purgatory. Do your research, ask questions, and you’ll have a good experience.
Host charged me for a service I did not accept
The 08/09/2014 at 1:16pm we(customer/guest) decided to book Sharon’s (host/vendor) place (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/294657 cf copy of the ) through the mobile phone for the same night.
At 3:45pm we still hadn’t any news of the host and believed that she wouldn’t answer us as the check-in was supposed to be at 4pm (in 15min). We tried to cancel the booking request but couldn’t find any button on the mobile app.
She finally answered at 3:55pm saying that the place would not be ready before 7pm and asked for our approval for the booking since the conditions had changed (cf first mail of Sharon). Thus, as the contract conditions had changed the host or Airbnb should wait for the customer approval before charging the expense as specified by the FTC “charges for service you didn’t accept or that weren’t delivered as agreed”. (check in supposedly at 4pm being finally at 7pm)
We did not answer to Sharon’s mail and de facto did not approve the new contract (check-in at 7pm instead of 4pm). Meanwhile, at 4:47pm (47min after the normal check in), Sharon took the responsibility to accept the reservation, without our consent on the new conditions (check-in at 7pm instead of 4pm), which resulted on charging us the total amount of the night: $401.
As a matter of fact, I am requesting that the error be corrected, that any finance and other charges related to the disputed amount be credited as well, and that I receive a total refund of the $401.
Camper van for rent in Bordeaux
We rented 3 properties via air bnb. We were quoted all in Canadian funds, and when we were charged on my credit card it was in US funds. We are out over $ 400 and Airbnb pocketed our money. This was the BS response we received by them when we asked to have the difference credited.
Anna,
We were quoted in CAD and charged the same amount in USD!
For instance the rate in Canadian for Lloyd’s RV was 120 per day CAD.
We were charged the same 120 in USD!
Is airBnB just pocketing that extra money?
The booking for Lloyd’s alone is over 300 dollar in exchange rates!
The rate we should have been charged:
WPRETW is 2368 not 2694.76 (a difference of 326.76)
XZWTJN is 456 not 506.47 (a difference of 50.47)
MPCSSN is 68 not 75.52 ( a difference of 7.52)
The charges that you have unnecessarily added are 384.75 CAD in total and is NOT clear or stated on any receipt or any transaction record that I have been sent that I would be charged the same amount in USD as opposed to CAD. Please send a payment for 384.75 to my AMEX card.
If that is too difficult for you then credit the AMEX card and I will pay each transaction with my VISA.
I have contacted my bank and AMEX regarding this matter. Please rectify it as soon as possible.
I have attached the receipts that I was sent from airBnB for these bookings.
Regards
Trevor Leigh
Quoting response@airbnb.com:
TO RESPOND TO THIS TICKET, REPLY TO THIS EMAIL
Airbnb: Your Reservation with Lloyd
———————————————-
Anna M, Jul 18 14:28
Hi Trevor,
Thank you for your patience! This is Anna again, and I’m happy to clarify why you were charged in USD for reservations WPRETW, XZWTJN, MPCSSN.
The currency in which you will be charged is listed during the booking process before you submit your reservation request. Here are examples of the booking pages for the listings that you booked:
– http://cl.ly/image/0I3G2m0h1n1j
– http://cl.ly/image/1Y2o0f1S1A2w
– http://cl.ly/image/263x0W3m3H2Q
While filling out your payment details, you were asked to select the country in which your payment method was located, which populated the field where you entered your credit card details. This field also contained the total amount and currency to be charged.
The available currency is automatically determined by the guest’s billing country and credit card type. The only currency available for AmEx credit card payments in Canada is USD. I am very sorry that in your specific case this is not the best option!
While we cannot change your payment to CAD, I’d like to provide you with a $50 coupon to use toward future travel on our site. Your coupon code is LCSVIZPS, and it expires on the 18th of July, 2015.
I apologize for the inconvenience, and I am happy to help with any additional questions about booking on our site.
All the best,
I find this to be totally sneaky and dishonest.
Mixed review
We used Airbnb to rent two properties for a road trip. The first property was great and the host outstanding, nothing but a positive experience. While we were staying essentially in the host’s basement, the owner had spent time and effort in appointing, painting and decorating the space in such a way that it felt like a cottage. We heard the owner moving about sometimes but it did not feel intrusive. The second property however was a different story. The host was polite but we had the feeling something was “off” about them. It really is true that when you use Airbnb you are basically moving in with a stranger for however long, and anyone who has ever had a roommate can tell you these situations can be extremely irritating and stressful. So we were in this person’s basement and it was a pigsty, the bed must have been at least 30 years old and had a huge dip in the middle, there was visible dust and pet hair in the corners, soap scum all over the shower, and smears of what looked like animal waste on the walls!!!!! We ended up leaving early to stay in hotels the rest of our trip. Bottom line, I will not be using Airbnb again.
Host cancellation – Family out of luck
So… Here’s the thing. I searched for a holiday property on airbnb and found what we thought to be a great property. One week in August by the sea. Although the host had 0 reviews we were not suspicious as they had only been a member for a few months. So far so good.. Messages start to arrive, we have been pre-approved ( what does that mean ? ) confirm the booking quickly before it expires ?? A few more checks on the small print… everything seems fine , confirm the booking, pay the full amount. All happy, family happy , confirm the dates with work and make the other necessary preparations. ( travel arrangements for all the family )
48 hours go by , I have established direct contact with the host and then…… “ message from host “ Really sorry but I gave the property to a local estate agent and they have just told me that they have a rental for the whole month so.. sorry, but your rental of a week is now cancelled.
Nothing that airbnb can do , host cancelled therefore so is your holiday. Standard aibnb .. we can help you look for another property with a 20% increase. Their offers were not comparable to the original property ( why wouldn’t I have chosen them in the first place ? ) so it’s a refund.
Can I leave feed back , (to warn other potential renters that this host is totally UNRELIABLE ) … No. you can’t leave negative feedback on AirBnB unless you stay at a property, so there is no other way for us to warn people about this on their site.
The only thing that now appears on the hosts page.. ( if you click on reviews ) is The reservation was canceled 28 days before arrival. This is an automated posting
Why do airBnB not make it clear that it was the HOST that cancelled and why. I would probably have stayed clear of this property if I had known.
To airBnB’s credit, they did refund the whole rental amount very quickly and also compensated us for ancillaries that we would have forfeited ( transport to a place that we no longer could go to because our holiday rental had been cancelled ) because they cannot be used if we don’t have the property.
Beware …. You and your family can spend a fortune on tickets and suffer disappointment in your holiday being cancelled.
You have been warned !!
Hosts beware of “Mediation” – you have no say
We have been hosting with Airbnb for a couple of years. Our reviews were only 5 stars, with great feedback from guests. When people had problems or issues, we are always quick to react and resolve problems. We had the misfortune of hosting a couple of jerks who stayed in our rental apartment but treated it like a hotel. They reserved for 2 people for 3 weeks. They told us some extra family was coming after they arrived and asked us to bring around some more sheets and towels – we were miffed that we were not told beforehand but did so, and didn’t want to rock the boat. They told us 3 others were coming but in fact 6 others arrived for a total of 8 in an apartment with 1 toilet that sleeps 6 as advertised.
The extra people arrived on Friday, and on Sunday night we got a call saying the toilet was slow and had been since Friday. We asked if the toilet still flushed or was completely stopped up. We were told that no, it still went down but sometimes the water rose, but did not overflow. And we wondered why we were not told about it earlier – while businesses that do plumbing services were open !! We explained that on Sunday night, Father’s day in France for a non-emergency it was unlikely we could find anyone to come around that night (we knew it was in fact impossible unless an emergency as the very first thing the services as in France is whether the toilet is overflowing or blocked – if the answer is no, they send someone the next day). We said we’d call around and let them know more as soon as we had finished our dinner (we’d literally just sat down to dinner with our other Airbnb guest in our home). Before we were done with dinner, we received a text Airbnb message saying they’d resolved the issue by pouring hot water down the toilet and that it was “fine”. We called and told them we’d stop by the next morning to check on things.
We did stop by. To us the toilet was still slow though they said it was OK. They also said, oh and don’t worry about the hot water, it’s working again. We then realised they’d written in the middle of the night to complain about no hot water. We’d explained to them on arrival that the hot water heater was connected to the cheap rate electrics and that it operated only when that was on, hence to plan showers around this – which they did. They said they’d only run out when washing dishes after midnight. They were evasive when we asked how many showers they took – one said 5 showers and 1 bath, the other said 2 showers that were less than 5 minutes (we asked the couple separately). We explained that the hot water heater was working properly and they were using too much hot water during the day when the hot water heater was off – and also that for the number of people in the flat it was likely too much. We gave them instructions for how to set the switch to override to the hot water heater so that it could run during the day as well. For the slow toilet, we arranged with our neighbour to use the toilet of his office, which was in the hallway (the office was empty) as the service that we needed to use to clean the drains was unable to come immediately (they need to send a truck with a high pressure hose, as our old plumbing could not be fixed with a normal “snake” as there is a bend in the pipes that is less than 90 degrees so it won’t run). We told them to use the alternate toilet if the existing one developed more of a problem than slowness. They kept saying they thought this issue was caused by the building in front of ours, as they’d seen “workmen” there and a bad smell. We never in 4 visits were able to smell this supposed bad smell, and we also brought out the building manager of the other building. During the next 2 days we visited 4 times to investigate this “smell” which was not in our apartment, but they said in the hallway. The other building manager spoke to them and explained that no work had been done in that building and we tested all the pipes, and we assured them we simply had to wait a day for the drain clearing service to come out. They sent us a demand for a 50% refund for every day they’d experienced and would experience a “loss of service” starting with the day BEFORE they reported the issue to us. Their note contained a veiled threat to take further action against us if we did not agree to this. We refused on the grounds that they never had lost any service and in fact even had access to a 2nd toilet now. After this they called Airbnb and lied to their customer service. The “mediation” of Airbnb never spoke to us. They decided to allow the client to leave early and take away our rental fee for the unused days. We were able to get payment in the form of credit for some of the extra guests, but Airbnb refused to honour their rental contract. The drain clearing service came on Weds and cleared the drains but they’d left that AM and then they left a horrid review on Airbnb, claiming that there had been sewage flowing in the apartment, that we’d never called a plumber and many other lies such as claiming we had told them to use the public toilets as an alternate toilet and that they were without a working toilet in the apartment for 96 hours and were “forced” to leave it. Despite the fact that I sent in videos showing the toilet still functioning and flushing when they left and testimony from the other building manager also attesting to the toilet functioning as well as to the 2nd toilet they had access to, and despite the letters in the Airbnb system that clearly showed they were lying, the review was allowed on the site in the name of “free speech”. Additionally we were lied to and manipulated by the Customer Service – they briefly took down the review – and the minute we returned the security deposit of the guests, they put the bad review back up without notifying us and allowing even further lies now about our mental health on it ! We took down our listing as Airbnb refused to take down the libel. Disgusted with their customer service – and the “mediation” which is simply dictatorship.
Airbnb, Daily Mail enquiry
Hi, I freelance for Daily Mail features and we’re working on a feature on Airbnb. I’m interested in highlighting potential pitfalls for hosts to balance up all the obvious benefits for guests of a cheap room. Are you British and have had a bad experience as an Airbnb host? I’d be really grateful if you can help. I’m on timstewartnews@gmail.com Thanks, Tim Stewart
Horrible Airbnb Guests
My husband and I put our condo up on AirBNB and we VERY disappointed with the customer service. We had our place rents twice. The first couple were really friendly and left the apartment clean and as they found it. The second set of guys did not. Fair enough, we did put a large deposit to cover any problems – these students used our place to party even though we said no to parties. When we went to get the keys back there were 3 more guys there than what the booking stated. The left towels with stains in it on the bathroom floor like a hotel, put our wooden placemats in the sink and somehow chipped our floor!!! We contacted airbnb right away and received a notice saying it will take 48 hrs for them to respond – it has been ONE week and no one had contacted. Really disappointed. This has turned into a hassle more than a gain of extra cash!
I would never put my place up on airbnb nor would I use their service. This company has terrible customer service. We need to spread the word so people don’t get scammed into thinking its safe, trustworthy, and reliable. Horrible company.