Comments on: Fraud Committed by Airbnb Host in Los Angeles

By: Justin

Justin — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 23:27:58 +0000

In reply to Edward.

The host’s name is ‘Thames Greg’ clearly a false name… https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/26424624?guests=1&adults=1

By: Justin

Justin — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 23:03:20 +0000

In reply to jennifer.

OP here: here’s the guy/listing. Judging by the pictures and new WHiTE countertops, it appears he made the false claim to cover the renovation. Any advice? AirBnB still says I owe them! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/26424624?guests=1&adults=1

By: Joe S.

Joe S. — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 19:01:18 +0000

I don’t know, Brian. I’ve called a lot of BS on here but how do you make something like this up? I have friends who rented properties and they tell similar stories.

By: Brian Pan

Brian Pan — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 22:23:26 +0000

your story, jennifer, sounds pretty contrived.

By: jennifer

jennifer — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 13:20:13 +0000

This is crazy; as a host I agree with Lily. I had a guest come and bring 7 friends who all smoked, did drugs, took the toilets and tables apart (drugs?) spilled a huge bottle of something black all over the carpeting (they said it was balsamic vinegar) and left knife marks all over the countertops … having moved the cutting board and chopping block that live there to protect them. I submitted photos, repair estimates, RING doorbell videos of the people clearly drunk, smoking (in our no-smoking, high fire danger California old growth canyon) and throwing lit butts into the trees, with people in and out all night until 4am. Photos of used drug paraphernalia and food all over the carpeting in the living room. Copies of messages from the guest during her stay apologizing after I confronted her about the extra people and the smoking. Six weeks of going back and forth and I’m told I need to submit pictures (I DID!) and receipts (I DID!) and then the case was closed until I could provide better documentation. I said outside of me coming into the office with a power point presentation I wasn’t sure what else I could do. I got some money for the extra cleaning charges (another AirBnB rep in ‘trust and safety’) but nothing for the damages. Even a $9 IKEA frame that the guest apologized for smashing … I took a picture of the smashed frame, sent a receipt for the $9 replacement frame, had the guest admitting she broke it …and yet somehow I can’t collect $9. My overall damages were (conservatively) $990 (the plumbing bill alone to get the toilets put back together was stupid, and yes I sent pictures of the dismantled toilets and the guest saying she couldn’t figure out how to put them back together and sorry … and the paid invoice from the plumbing company) and none of it was covered by AirBnB. I wonder if AirBnB collects and then stiffs the hosts. Sure seems like it .. they make the process so difficult that it’s not worth the money to continue pressing for compensation.

By: Edward

Edward — Sun, 17 Feb 2019 10:48:35 +0000

Post the link to this rental so people can avoid it.

By: Lily

Lily — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 03:05:04 +0000

As a host i have found it very difficult to collect when there is real damage

By: Lily

Lily — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 02:59:51 +0000

Wow, that’s awful. In my experience as a host, when guests really do damage something, they make it next to impossible to collect

By: Virginia Bourget

Virginia Bourget — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 01:58:05 +0000

The same thing happened to us but we had authorized a damage deposit, so Airbnb just took that. Things were broken, close to breaking or left about precariously. The scam was actually to get people to give money before leaving and was likely often successful because young people depend on Airbnb and don’t want to have bad reviews. The company basically doesn’t give a damn about it’s customers.